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Car Rental in New England |
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To rent a car in New York or New England you must be 21 years of age, and have a valid driver's license from a US state or territory, Canada, Mexico, or most other countries. |
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(Foreign drivers do not need an International Driving Permit (IDP), though they may need to have a translation of their driver's license into English. An IDP by itself, without a valid government-issued driver's license, is not sufficient.) Though a credit card is not required, it is almost a necessity. Without a credit card you must leave a sizable cash deposit, perhaps $100 per day for the estimated length of the rental, or perhaps a flat $2000 or more. Rental rates vary among companies. Most expensive are the well-known international companies with car rental desks right in the major airports; cheapest are small local agencies in major cities. In between are the moderate-sized agencies with airport shuttle buses to take you to their "off-airport" locations. Cheapest rates are for the smallest cars, rented on "weekends" (Thursday noon through Monday noon), or for an entire week or more with unlimited mileage, and returned to the place of rental, or at least to the city of rental. Always return a rental car to the agency with as much gas in it as when the rental began (usually a full tank). Agencies will charge you if they must refuel the car, and some charge high prices at their pumps. Among the high charges for car rental are those for insurance. The so-called Collision Damage Waiver or Loss Damage Waiver can cost from $8 to $14 or more per day. If your own auto insurance covers damage to a rental car, you needn't waste money on CDW or LDW; check with your auto insurance agent to be sure. Otherwise, if you have an American Express card or gold VISA or Mastercard, these cards may provide coverage for any rental car rented with the card; check your credit card agreement to see what coverage is provided. In case of damage, rental car companies may require not only that you pay for repairs, but that you pay normal rental fees for all the time that the rental car is out of commission for repairs. These "loss-of-use" fees may be covered by your credit card or your own auto insurance—check to be sure. Besides the large national companies there are many small, local car rental companies in each New England city. Many of these small companies specialize in renting cars to local people whose cars have been damaged or stolen, and who are waiting for their insurance companies to process their claims, but they also rent to vacationers and business travelers. Though they do not have the national companies' far-flung systems of agents, these local companies often provide good local service at excellent rates. Most offer free delivery and pickup at the airport or at a hotel, unlimited mileage, and good late-model cars. Since New England is not a large region, you may not be too far from the rental agency if a problem arises. Travel by Train in New England Travel by Plane in New England New England Transportation Homepage
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