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insomnia

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I'm planning to come to the States on my vacation this September. Basically, we'll be just the 2 of us - me and my gf, and we're planning to do some road tripping starting from LA. Of course, without a car, you won't get too far. Since, there are not so much time left, I started to look for a car rental. What would you suggest? Car rental companies or broker companies? We're planning to take and leave the vehicle at the same place - LAX, does that make any difference regarding pricing (airports maybe more expensive)? Planning to rent a car for about 2-3 weeks, what would be a good price for a full size vehicle? Should I be concerned about insurances? Are they included in the price? What kind of insurances I don't necessarily have to take (maybe not very useful)?
p.s. I'm over 25 and there will be only 1 driver - me.
Any useful help appreciated.
 
If you can avoid the airport that would be much better, there are extra taxes if you pick up/drop off there.

I normally think the extra insurance is a rip off, just make sure you stay with one of the major companies like Enterprise, Hertz, Avis etc...
Also, try calling ahead to book it, I sometimes found that they are cheaper or tell you about specials if you speak to them on the phone
 
insomnia said:
I doubt I'll have possibility to rent anywhere else, because the plane lands very late, at about 11 pm or even later.
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Hmm. Are you staying in a hotel or hitting the road straight away? You can get them to deliver to the hotel for free.

I dont know what credit card you have, but if you have concierge service you can get good deals there too
 
vg4030 said:
Hmm. Are you staying in a hotel or hitting the road straight away? You can get them to deliver to the hotel for free.
I dont know what credit card you have, but if you have concierge service you can get good deals there too
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I'll hit the road straight away, because due to jet lag, there will be about 9 am in my local time, when I'll land in LA.
 
Pittsey said:
I paid $300 a week for a premium SUV. Picked up from Miami airport dropped at Orando. Picked up a new car in Frisco and dropped in Vegas.
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Was insurance and all other taxes included in the price you paid? If yes, what kind of insurances? Dropping at the different place seem to raise the rental significantly.
What was the site you've made your rental reservation?
 
insomnia said:
Was insurance and all other taxes included in the price you paid? If yes, what kind of insurances? Dropping at the different place seem to raise the rental significantly.
What was the site you've made your rental reservation?
Click to expand...

I just had the basic insurance. And I went on the Alamo website to book it all.
 
hmm.. I dunno what's better: rent from a rental company or from a broker company? I heard that broker companies get better proposals from rental companies than a separate client, but on the other hand - you pay some commission to broker company, what you could avoid when renting from rental company.
Basic insurance means you didn't choose any insurance at all and you had just the basic what is included in the rental agreement or something like that?
I don't think I need all those theft protection insurance, personal accident insurance. I'm only worried about collision damage waver and third party liability insurance. I suppose TPL insurance must be included automatically?
 
insomnia said:
hmm.. I dunno what's better: rent from a rental company or from a broker company? I heard that broker companies get better proposals from rental companies than a separate client, but on the other hand - you pay some commission to broker company, what you could avoid when renting from rental company.
Basic insurance means you didn't choose any insurance at all and you had just the basic what is included in the rental agreement or something like that?
I don't think I need all those theft protection insurance, personal accident insurance. I'm only worried about collision damage waver and third party liability insurance. I suppose TPL insurance must be included automatically?
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Yep. I just took the insurance included. No extras. Not an issue, because I didn't crash.
 
vg4030 said:
That is friggin cheap. I had an HHR last week while my car was in the shop and it cost $288 for 5 days!
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Not to mention you looked like a faggot when you drove around. ;)
 
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vg4030 said:
lol.

I only thought Id need it for a day but the repairs took ages.

Mutha effing chipmunks at the wiring in my engine bay!
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So I'm not the only one that animal fuck my car up. Mice made their way into my turbos. Turned the car on and it was like a blender. Blood and bones in our garage. Not sure if it got in through the tailpipe or through the engine. Techs couldn't figure out either. $2500 for a new pair.
 
From my experience.. renting at an airport is both cheaper and more convenient. A lot of the other locations close early, but the airport locations are 24 hours so no late fees. Their location is literally right at the airport and they have a shuttle to take you to the cars (usually) so no cabs.. as opposed to trying to get to a non-airport location. Plus the cost is not bad.. I've seen about $30-40 per day for a mid-size car. Insurance is usually only about an extra $10-$20 or so. The only thing is it has to be a credit card (no debit cards) and they put a hold on $300 of your money until you return the car safely.

If you need any help with it, let me know.
 
Synful*Luv said:
I've seen about $30-40 per day for a mid-size car. Insurance is usually only about an extra $10-$20 or so. The only thing is it has to be a credit card (no debit cards) and they put a hold on $300 of your money until you return the car safely.
If you need any help with it, let me know.
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I'm a bit confused, because when I try various rental companies (all companies are known and seem to be reliable) I get very different car rental offers. I mean the price for the same class vehicle differs a lot. Some companies give rental offer with all insurances includes while the others, judging by the price, maybe no insurance included at all (can it be so?) I suppose third party liability insurance is obligatory? Maybe insurance can be chosen later at the rental spot? Or maybe only basic insurance is the way to go or should I not risk and take CDW?
 
insomnia said:
I'm a bit confused, because when I try various rental companies (all companies are known and seem to be reliable) I get very different car rental offers. I mean the price for the same class vehicle differs a lot. Some companies give rental offer with all insurances includes while the others, judging by the price, maybe no insurance included at all (can it be so?) I suppose third party liability insurance is obligatory? Maybe insurance can be chosen later at the rental spot? Or maybe only basic insurance is the way to go or should I not risk and take CDW?
Click to expand...

The companies prices do tend to vary.( Honestly, I usually go with Enterprise) but at a large airport like LAX... the pricings should be close to the same. The only time there's a large difference in pricing is when you go to a place with the desire to pick a specific "fun" car.. those tend to be like a corvette convertible, Jeep Wrangler 4x4, mini cooper convertible, etc..

If you have your own insurance, you can use that for your car rental (I don't know if that's the same for ppl from out of the country). Some places include basic insurance while also offering you the option of additional insurance to lower your deductible in case of an accident/theft. So.. all tend to include SOME insurance while others offer additional insurance on top of that.. if that makes sense.

EDIT: there tends to be some taxes and fees added on top of the charges after you actually book the car. BUT i don't think those costs are shown on the website.

Also, most of the companies do.. but you HAVE to make sure the company you go with offers unlimited mileage.. otherwise you're screwed. It's like .40 cents per mile otherwise.

EDIT again:

Here, go to this website.. you can get pricings per size of vehicle from each company at LAX to compare.
http://www.expedia.com/daily/cars/los-angeles-car-rental.asp

Most of the prices include taxes and fees (but not insurance info). So if you see one that you like and are thinking about getting, you can let me know if you want and i'll call the company at LAX for you to find out their specific insurance information.
 
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