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Orlando USA car hire

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Hi all, fortunate enough to be going to Orlando in August and need to know the in and outs of car hire.

I want all insurances included, no extras to purchase under pressure when i pick up at Sanford airport, Thanks BD.

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Order before you go, tis cheaper.

 

You almost invariably need to be over 25

 

You must have a credit card

 

You want minimum liability insurance plus CDW - collision damage waiver and LDW - loss damage waiver. One is for you hitting things, the other is for things hitting you - or theft of the vehicle.

 

If you have AMEX check that as often your card will cover you for part of the insurance if the car is paid for on AMEX. Typically the basica liability or perhaps CDW is provided so don't let them double charge you.

 

Gas full when collected usually - so bring back full. Do a walkaround and check all damage etc noted on paperwork. It will be an automatic - so get at least a passing familiarity with the controls of an autobox if you've never used one before.

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Order before you go, tis cheaper.

 

You almost invariably need to be over 25

 

You must have a credit card

 

You want minimum liability insurance plus CDW - collision damage waiver and LDW - loss damage waiver. One is for you hitting things, the other is for things hitting you - or theft of the vehicle.

 

If you have AMEX check that as often your card will cover you for part of the insurance if the car is paid for on AMEX. Typically the basica liability or perhaps CDW is provided so don't let them double charge you.

 

Gas full when collected usually - so bring back full. Do a walkaround and check all damage etc noted on paperwork. It will be an automatic - so get at least a passing familiarity with the controls of an autobox if you've never used one before.

 

Ready to order now. With Auto Europe.

Much older than 25 :)

Got credit card

Don't have AMEX

Bit confused on the insurance front as the quote says "Zero Excess with Extended Cover including wheels, glass, underside and roof of vehicle".

Not drove an auto for years but 1 pedal to go and 1 pedal to stop int it?

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And a control column with more ways of waggling than any manual sometimes :)

 

check what the extended cover is..... you want at leat 10 million

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Thanks, just seen this in small print.

RENTAL DOES NOT INCLUDE

Insurance coverage for personal injuries to driver or passengers. Optional coverage may be offered locally for an additional fee.

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If possible, take your own sat nav as to hire one may be as much as to buy one.

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Usually the price is reasonable if they are available but with free satnav on phones these days taking your own is so easy....:)

 

Re the insurance - that looks like they don't provide anything more than the bare minimum. Try and arrange it before you get there if you can.

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Just a quick word in favour of National Car Rental. I do a lot of international travel and car hire. If you join their free frequent rental club (Emerald), you get access to the Emerald Aisle. Excusing the pun, it allows you to walk straight out to the car lot to pick the car of your choice from amongst midsize cars. That can save a ton of time, in many places the queue at the car hire places is worse than the queue for immigration at the airport. And you can usually pick something that looks good to you.

 

Agree with everything Obelix says about insurance.

 

Back to National. Not the cheapest, but I've never had a problem with them. And you can arrange the insurance online with them while you have time to think it through. I usually pre-purchase a tank of gas. It's a bit of a gamble as it's possible to overpay if you don't use that much petrol, but after a few times of struggling to find a petrol station near the airport when rushing for a flight, I'm grateful for the peace of mind. And if you manage to leave the tank almost empty when you return it, there's the secret pleasure of knowing you saved a few bob too.

 

Final word: Be ever so careful when you leave the car hire parking lot after picking up the car. When you're tired and jetlagged from an international flight it's easy to forget that you're driving on the other side of the road. Every year there's a story about some poor Brit who gets smashed up their first day in the States forgetting which way to look.

 

Have a great time. A car will be very helpful. Come home safe!

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Just a quick word in favour of National Car Rental. I do a lot of international travel and car hire. If you join their free frequent rental club (Emerald), you get access to the Emerald Aisle. Excusing the pun, it allows you to walk straight out to the car lot to pick the car of your choice from amongst midsize cars. That can save a ton of time, in many places the queue at the car hire places is worse than the queue for immigration at the airport. And you can usually pick something that looks good to you.

 

Agree with everything Obelix says about insurance.

 

Back to National. Not the cheapest, but I've never had a problem with them. And you can arrange the insurance online with them while you have time to think it through. I usually pre-purchase a tank of gas. It's a bit of a gamble as it's possible to overpay if you don't use that much petrol, but after a few times of struggling to find a petrol station near the airport when rushing for a flight, I'm grateful for the peace of mind. And if you manage to leave the tank almost empty when you return it, there's the secret pleasure of knowing you saved a few bob too.

 

Final word: Be ever so careful when you leave the car hire parking lot after picking up the car. When you're tired and jetlagged from an international flight it's easy to forget that you're driving on the other side of the road. Every year there's a story about some poor Brit who gets smashed up their first day in the States forgetting which way to look.

 

Have a great time. A car will be very helpful. Come home safe!

 

If I'm going Eastbound when jetlag is worst then I will get a taxi day one, and then car hire the next day for that precise reason. Did it once, nearly died. Not risking that again

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I would recommend alamo car hire,always excellent service you can pay with debit card but still need a credit card for them to swipe,after you have done all paper work you go to garage and will have a choice of cars,in the grade you have booked,don't worry about the driving as the roads are all big and wide and generally i find drivers in florida less agressive than in uk.

Edited by jackanne

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Just one word of caution. Some highways have unmanned toll booths, when approaching them they usually turn from 3 lanes too 6 lanes. The inside 3 lanes are for prepaid toll cards, you just drive through and your reg is scanned via camera. The 3 outside lanes are for cash. Your sat nav will tell you too keep left taking you through the prepaid lanes, obviously if your not prepaid your credit/debit card will be charged once you get home. I made this mistake twice last August.

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I would recommend alamo car hire,always excellent service you can pay with debit card but still need a credit card for them to swipe,after you have done all paper work you go to garage and will have a choice of cars,in the grade you have booked,don't worry about the driving as the roads are all big and wide and generally i find drivers in florida less agressive than in uk.

 

We used Alamo last time in Florida - absolutely no problems at all, so would certainly recommend.

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