deemcac

We're looking to hire a car for 8 days at the start of July to drive down the coast from San Francisco to San Diego. Would you recommend we wait until we get to San Francisco to book it or should we do it online before we travel over from Ireland. If so does anybody know of any good reputable car hire companies??

yk

Definitely book ahead to get the best price.

Stick with the larger rental companies, such as Hertz, Avis, Dollar, National, Budget, Alamo etc.

If you want to save some money, do some homework on the internet by looking for one-way discount coupon codes. Many car rental companies charge a lot more for one-way rental, but there are coupon codes out there that can give you a substantial discount.

storagekaddy

I suggest any major car company such as Hertz or Avis. They are all reputable and offer excellent deals with online booking. Book before in advance to ensure you have a vehicle when you arrive.

Good luck!

ChiGirl22

I just rented a car to drive up the coast of California from San Fran to Washington! I found the best deal actually through an airline. If you are signed up for frequent flier miles with any major airline, check to see what kind of deals they are offering. I found both United and Southwest offered great car discounts!

Hope that helps!

nytraveler

Booking ahed is way cheaper. A major cost for europeans is insurance (US drivers are covered by their own insurance or their credit cards).

So, defiitely get in adavance and be sure the quote you get includes taxes and isnurance - or the price can be way more than you thought. Do a search on Orbitz or whatever to see who's offering the best prices. But - keep in mind that with a major company you have a lot of support offices if something goes wrong.

lvk

I agree with all of the above. I just suggest that you don't rent a car for your actual stay in San Francisco, as parking is a pain (and expensive) and public transportation there is great.

yk

BTW, you may want to check out AutoEurope. I know this sounds strange, but I've read a few reports here on Fodors where Fodorites rented from AutoEurope for a car in the US, and the rates are the lowest, as AE doesn't charge the one-way drop off fee.

AutoEurope uses the big car rental companies in the US.

PeaceOut

Definitely don't wait until you get to California. It's much more expensive to rent a car on a walk-up basis. It's a good idea to pick it up after you visit San Francisco.

Try Expedia.com and Orbitz.com for car rentals. You can rent one on-line, without paying in advance. Also try Priceline.

We have always liked Enterprise rental the best, for their service. But Dollar and Budget are good too. Usually Avis and Hertz are most expensive, but shop around.

We used Fox once, in Los Angeles, and it was a disaster. I don't recommend them.

Have a good time in California!

TravelingMan76

As far as insurance goes, check your travel ins.;we always refuse the rental co's CDW because the T.I. covers it. We never travel without T.I. It has saved us several times.

SandyBrit

deemcac:

Have a look on www.novacarhire.com - a broker who will place you with one of the major car hire places. We have booked with this broker many times when we come back home to the UK and have always been pleased.

One way car hire can be expensive - so good luck and come back with any additional questions you may have.

Sandy