touristblob

i am having great difficulty finding a car rental company that will allow me in rent in Canada and drop off in The USA. This is not a problem throughout Europe and in many Asian countries but for some strange reason there appears to be a big issue between neighbours. Can someone please enlighten this eager Australian Traveller.

gail

Due to EU this is possible in Europe. Obviously Canada and US do not have such an arrangement and there are all sorts of importing/exporting rules, taxes, and other such things that would likely have to apply. I doubt you will able to find a company that allows you to do this.

Some car companies do not even allow you to take a car rented in US to Canada - so even if you find a way to alter your itinerary, read the fine print to make sure your US car can go on a trip to Canada.

doug_stallings

Unfortunately, I think it's relatively unlikely that you'll be able to do this, but it's possible. I'd explore alternative transportation for your border crossing and see about doing two separate rentals.

tomfuller

Doug is right. What is your port of entry into Canada?
Amtrak takes trains from Seattle to Vancouver, Buffalo NY to Toronto and Albany NY to Montreal.
You can get a bus from Fargo North Dakota to Winnipeg.
Car rentals are generally cheaper in the US than Canada.
Petrol/gasoline is still cheaper in the US than in most of Canada.

Gardyloo

Unfortunately, I think it's relatively unlikely that you'll be able to do this, but it's possible. I'd explore alternative transportation for your border crossing and see about doing two separate rentals.

On the contrary, Doug, it's done all the time. I have rented in Canada (Vancouver specifically) and dropped in the USA on numerous occasions. Every year, hundreds - probably thousands - of others do the same, usually related to cruises that depart/arrive Vancouver for which the passengers are using cheaper airfare to/from Seattle.

OP - what car hire companies are you looking at and what city pairs are involved (Vancouver/Seattle, Toronto/Chicago...?)

The only government restriction is that Canadian residents (not just citizens) cannot bring US-registered rental vehicles into Canada without facing extremely punishing Canadian tax consequences. That restriction does not apply to US residents or residents of other countries.

Locally (Seattle/Vancouver) we've used National, Budget, Avis, Hertz, and Alamo with impunity in both directions.

Gretchen

He may also have trouble doing it not being a citizen of the US. Just a possibility.

NorthwestMale

LOL - indeed I just pretended to make a reservation at Avis.com, and designated a car picked up at the Vancouver airport and returned at the Seattle airport, for 24 hours.

It was only $213 (incl. taxes) for a day... for a compact car!!!


Tourist Bob:

In the case of obstacles (/costs) like the one I just encountered, one should either take the train across the border, OR take that car at that rate for ONE day... making an entirely new and separate reservation originating from the cross-border city upon arrival there.


Then I tried a two-WEEK rental picking up in Edmonton, Canada, and returning at Seattle, USA... and the two-WEEK charge was $374 including taxes!

So don't give up, Tourist Bob!

NorthwestMale

Now I unchecked the "resident of USA" box, and found I was unable to complete the SAME reservation from Edmonton to Seattle. (and experimented with 'Australia')


So perhaps that is the root of his problem.

NorthwestMale

.......and again:

Went back to the Vancouver-to-Seattle trip, made it 3 days from airport to airport, and there was a $75 one-way-rental fee, but I claimed to be a resident of AUSTRALIA... and I WAS able to get a rate quote... of $445 for the 3 days.


I can't stress enough, Tourist Bob, that IF I were faced with this, I would make a ONE-day rental from one spot to another, and then do an entirely unique rental for the last two days. That regardless of whether it was Seattle to Vancouver, or Buffalo to Toronto.

Hopefully a bit of cleverness will find a way for you...

Gardyloo

We don't know where the OP wants to rent or drop. Generally, airport pick-ups entail very high taxes and airport fees that aren't encountered with in-city pickups, but the devil is in the details.

We've usually ended up paying around $150 for a one-day rental between Seattle and Vancouver or v.v. That's a good deal if more than 2 people are traveling, considering train fares, local taxis to/from hotels/airport/cruise docks etc. but less good for one person.

But if the OP is thinking Montreal and Miami, things might be different.

Connie

I've taken cars rented in the U.S. and crossed from Canada to Montana and back and I've rented a car in Vancouver and driven to Seattle and dropped it. The Vancouver/Seattle route is a cruising situation and there is a steady stream of cars going one way, both directions every day ships sail there. Maybe they have an agreement for that situation. I didn't have to prove that I had been/going on a cruise to the car rental agency though.

NorthwestMale

Mine wasn't an experiment relating to which spots the OP was picking-up or dropping... it was merely to establish that somebody looking at his computer could in fact make the desired reservation, be he a US or an Aussie resident.