No matter where you go in the US, a rental car is always necessary. There are many ways to get one: online, in a travel agency or when you are there. This is a summary of our experiences about this issue. This is one of the more difficult English articles. My arguments are based on our experiences in Germany. Please always consider that.
Renting a Car in a Travel Agency
That is how we usually book our rental cars. Tour operators sell rooms, entire tours and also rental cars. The most important reason to book a car like this is that it has a good insurance. In Germany, these insurances are called “Vollkasko” which is a fully comprehensive cover. That means your insurance pays even if you cause the accident and also covers our own damage (you need to pay something like 200 to 500 Euro from your own money usually, but that is it). There are always some exceptions that are not covered: flat tire, broken windshield, a lost key. But all major damages are covered. It’s best to ask in the travel agency about that but usually booking from Germany gives you a much better insurance.
We booked our car with “TUI Cars” (the tour was also a TUI tour). In Atlanta, we had to go to one of the big rental car counters (Hertz, Avis, etc.) You get your papers and find the rental car company on these papers. The only difference is that insurances, prices and everything else are organized by TUI cars. In this case, the fully comprehensive cover.
If you had booked your car online, you probably would not have had that kind of insurance (it is not impossible but rather unlikely). What you definitely have is more responsibility to find out how things work and more work to make sure you get the right thing. Online, this can be quite confusing. The travel agency always says, in the US there is no such thing as travel law.
The price was the same, it wasn’t cheaper online.
Rental Car Categories
Rental cars are categorized in different categories. Lists always tell you how many people can be in one car and how many pieces of luggage fit into the trunk. You book a category and get a car from that category. Getting a certain model usually requires extra charge. You never know exactly which car you will get. If it has the same number of passengers and luggage, it is the same category. If one of these two varies, it is a different category.
In general rental car companies count very generously, we had a Dodge Grand Caravan. That car was supposed to be for four people and four larger pieces of luggage. We had more than enough space. We could leave the three seats in the back entirely empty (later we filled it with sodas and snacks). Our suitcases fit in the trunk easily, and we had all the room in the passenger cabin left. Even the two in the back could sit comfortably.
Additional Insurances at the Rental Car Center
Our travel agency says that people always have problems renting a car. The go to the rental car center and the agent offers them additional insurances. The rental car agent tells stories of what can go wrong if you don’t take that insurance. In particular Germans seem to fall for that. Our travel agency gave us many warnings about that. They recommended again and again to not pay for any additional insurance because that is unnecessary and expensive (up to 25 Dollars per day). They also say: some people did not even get their car when they refused to pay extra money for insurances. They were telling us to be super-careful here.
I don’t know if we were always that lucky, but that did not happen to us. In Florida, the lady offered an upgrade for additional charge but we declined nicely and that was it. After that she gave us the paper and the car we had booked.
How to Get You Car
At the airport just follow the signs “rental car center”. At the counter you give them your booking reference, the agent asks for your driving license and a credit card and gives you a key. The most important thing is your credit card, without it you do not get a car. After that, follow the signs to the parking area (usually the name of the company is on the sign). At some airports, you can just walk there; others have a shuttle (train or bus) that takes you there. It’s not difficult, signs are usually everywhere.
In Miami, someone was working at the parking area. The brought the cars to their customers. You could not choose which car.
In Atlanta, things were totally different. Cars with keys were everywhere. You could just take any car (in this case they did not give us the key at the counter). We were a bit confused because we were not sure which cars belong to our car category. They had signs at the rearview mirror with information about the car. I don’t know what happens if you take the wrong car. I guess if you take a smaller car, the rental car company doesn’t care because you have basically paid too much. If it’s a more expensive car, you probably need to pay extra. This will most likely come up on your credit card. Maybe, they do all of that to confuse everyone a bit.
Exiting the Airport
When you leave the airport area, there is a cashier at the exit. The person there will double check everything. Every car has a barcode at its window. The cashier scans this barcode and asks again for your license.
Returning your Rental Car
Returning your rental car is easy. Signs lead the way to the return place. You just go here and someone will come right away to check the car’s condition. Indeed, they only kind of glimpse at the car. You give them the key and walk to the airport (see above bus train or walk).
Tank Full – Half Full – Empty
The rental car company can make additional money by using the leftover gas in the tank. The tank can be full, empty or half empty. You are supposed to return the car exactly the way they gave it to you. In the US, you mostly get a full tank and return a full tank. That is usually the best and easiest way. Everything else is a bit stupid. You never know exactly when your tank is empty or half empty. That means leftovers are always there.
There is always a service offer in which the rental car company refills the tank for you. You get a full tank and return the car the way it is when you get back. That is good service if you are in a rush but unnecessary if you have time because gas is much more expensive that way.
Driver and a Second Driver
It’s important that everyone who is supposed to drive the car is registered. You need to show everyone’s driving license for that. The packages from the tour operators usually include additional drivers (usually up to 4). But sometimes, you need to pay an additional second/third driver fee.
Why Do People Have so Many Problems Renting their Cars?
I think people don’t know exactly what kind of insurance they have for their car. That is why they become insecure at the counter. I recommend to plan in advance which kind of insurances are important to you (fully comprehensive cover or not) and how you get these (online, travel agency). Make sure you have all of that organized and planned in advance. At home, you have enough time to do these kind of things, you can ask about things you don’t know for sure and you can communicate in your first language. At the airport, you need to speak English, are tired because of the long flight and maybe a bit under pressure or insecure. No matter what they offer at the airport, when you know for sure you don’t need it or don’t want it (decided to not have it when you were at home), it is easy to decline the offer and just say no.
I would never have an upgrade at the airport. I recommend doing some thinking at home what kind of car you want and rent exactly that. Like that, you know how much you have to pay and will not have a bad surprise on our credit card later. At the airport, you don’t have that kind of information.
I think it’s helpful to learn some English words about the issue (fully comprehensive cover, insurance, everything covered, no upgrade necessary). I write some suggestions in the dictionary of this blog.
Final Remarks
So far, we were always lucky when it comes to rental cars. It’s a good thing that travel agencies give all these warnings. You can prepare for possible problems like that. With a bit of planning in advance (which insurance do I need) and a few contextual English words, things have always worked for us. Don’t get too nervous about everything, things are not that difficult, it is manageable.