USA car rental thread I'm planning a trip to USA next august

I don't rent cars often, so I don't know companies or pricing that well, but I can answer a few of these.

>What are the most popular and available car models when it comes to renting one?
Different companies have different cars, but pretty much every "normal" car in America is available from one company or another. I'd get a midsize sedan personally, a Mazda6 if possible or a Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, etc. Anything smaller is too cramped for long roadtrips, and bigger will rack up gas bills.

>Is insurance included?
It's generally an extra option, but they usually require that foreign nationals get it. (For Americans your personal car insurance usually covers rentals as well, so locals only need insurance from the rental place if they don't have insurance or if theirs sucks.)

>how does car insurance in the US work? Does it cover 100% of possible damage done in an accident?
There are various tiers of car insurance here, from the most basic liability insurance (which only covers damage to other cars or property but not your own) up to full coverage. Rental car companies usually have a 100% coverage option, and that's probably what they'll require you to get.

> does it cover any mechanical issues that can happen on the road?
Generally not, but the rental car company will take care of that. If you rent from a national chain you can just drop the car off at the nearest location and get another.

>>1277941
>. It's possible that I'll have to sleep in this car for few nights

Enjoy dying if you plan to sleep in your car in any of those states. Low's at night are around 32C during august.

>>1277941
>Arizona
>in your car
Keep in mind that you're stepping into desert. California is desert too but it just likes pretending it isn't.

>>1278167
Yup, every year some europeans come over in the hottest part of the year and pull stupid shit like that and die.

>camelback mountain is surrounded by a city, I don't need much water!
>I'll just snooze in my car, it's night out
>gonna drive LA to phoenix, don't need water plenty of stops along the way I'm sure

>>1278167
LA and other coastal regions aren't desert, but you're in real desert as soon as you cross the mountains to the east.

>>1278170
>>1278167
>>1278150

Ok, I get that, I'll try to convince my gf to drop this idea.

What are nationwide rental chains in the US? I need one that has multiple offices in states mentioned above as we don't want to use a car and pay for it during several-day long staysin LA or SF as it generates more problems than solves (that's only my guess but I believe it's a horrific experience to use a car in big and packed cities like these without even knowing them)

>>1278427
enterprise, avis, nationwide

may want to look up greyhound busses

>>1277941
Take yourself to Hertz or similar website (just check Expedia for brands, or go to SFO and look at the carriers there if that's your fly-in). Go directly to the rental company to learn about car types though, don't book on Expedia.
Start your online reservation process (don't have to click to finish). Place in details of pickup/dropoff dates.
Input your details of if you will be returning it to an airport that is different than where you rented the car, important!
Now start looking at exact models of cars are available at each range, which varies by company, as some are Ford-centric, heavy on Kia, or whatever auto makers that company likes to deal with.
This is how you know if you can tolerate to sleep a Kia Soul or Nissan Cube, neither of which is actually a mid-size car, but is called midsize by the rental companies. Expect them to lie and call subcompacts midsize cars.
Quit the reservation process once you get an idea which car companies have models you like at the weekly rate you need.

If you are under 25, and without a true credit card, expect it to cost you more, or that they won't even rent to you. You might need an international drivers license or proof of home insurance or something additional, and you should discuss that with the company. Driving is the BEST kind of vacation among three states, though, good things to say about the little bit scary Pacific Coast Highway. You can Uber around in Napa. The train from CA to SLC to Denver is pretty scenic alternative.

CDW, collision damage waiver, the insurance you must have if not covered by your own insurance, is never ever included and can add $20-40/day at worst. Covers 100% after whatever deductible. There might be different rates/day depending how low you want that out of pocket.

See if you can get some kind of van or miniature box truck instead. Sounds a little unconventional but those are typically billed differently (cheaper) and are more practical overall. Something like a ford transit 250 would be perfect.

A third option could be to (and this would require a bit more hassle but might be better if you have the money saved up because renting a car for 3 weeks is gonna set you back some decent coin) buy a used car on craigslist then resell it when you're done. That gives you a little more freedom than going through a rental company (esp being a foreigner). If I'm not mistaken you can buy insurance that is short term (aka one month) so you'd be covered.

If you know someone state-side who could help you then this is definitely the option I'd choose. Because the car isn't really going to lose any value while you're here so that part of your trip is essentially free, and with the money you save there you could get your ass into some hotels.

>inb4 the jewish way to /trv/
>inb4 you get killed by a rattlesnake because "I can totally piss here on the side of the road, it's the desert."

>>1277941
Did this in September last year, paid $210USD total for 10 days in a small Toyota. Used Economy Car rentals http://www.economycarrentals.com/Mobile/Defaultm.aspx (website is absolute shit) but they find the cheapest deals and automatically include all the additional shit that you should purchase. Picked up car near LAX, drove it through Arizona, Nevada, Utah, through Death Valley and Yosemite and back down the coast and dropped it back off at LAX. Real easy

>>1278975
Thanks anon

Is "dollar car rental" worth a shot?

>>1278938
I've been thinking about buying a car but I have no idea how to check if it's in good shape, even considering that I need it working for a month. Or maybe that's just my paranoia because in my country maybe a third of used cars was in an accident and the buyer has no idea about it/was stolen/had their mileage illegally changed

I don't know anyone there so it would be up to me to finalize everything.

>>1277941
>USA car rental thread
>I'm planning a trip to USA next august and I want to rent a car for about 3 weeks. I want to travel through California, Nevada and Arizona. It's possible that I'll have to sleep in this car for few nights with another person, so I think I'm going to need something bigger than Hyundai I20 or anything like this. There's no specified manufacturer or model (no, I'm not an European teenager who just HAS TO drive a Mustang to San Fran).
>What are the cheapest and best rental companies?
Cheapest and best are two different things. Any of the majors Hertz, Avis, Dollar etc are generally fine and multi location, smaller local companies may be cheaper and may or may not be OK
.
>Is insurance included?
Minimal insurance must be included it will have a (large) excess and will not cover all eventualities. They will try and sell you extra insurance. Do yourself a favour and buy yourself seperate insurance to cover hire car excess and breakdowns before you travel. It will be a LOT cheaper.

>Anything important that I should know and may not be aware of?

Sleeping in the car is not one of your better ideas. Also it is rarely worth giving up the car for the few days you are staying in a city because the one way surcharges normally outweigh the savings and that ignores the extra hassle and time wasted dropping and collecting a car. Price the options on the web sites and see.

>>1279015
Buying and getting a car registered in any sort of legal way is very hard for a foreigner. Google is your friend but you will find that it is hard, For example this thread is from four years ago and will give you some strting points but things certainly haven't got any easier: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forums/americas-united-states-of-america/united-states/advice-needed-buying-a-car-as-a-foreigner-in-usa-for-a-roadtrip