[Closed] Driving in America

I never bother with anything other than the pink photo license. They haven't even checked that the last couple of times (though I am 'Avis Preferred' so maybe that's why)

unless its state specific ive driving in california , nevada and texas with just my paper and photocard

id also suggest a satnav if your going near any urbanisation or freeways as freeway turnoffs can be few and far between.

if you think english drivers can be rude agressive and in a hurry you aint seen nothing !

Hookers?

Nope.

But its worth investigating in advance if your holiday travel insurance will cover you for all the extra insurances they like to add on, which often come to more than the base daily rental.

Also, depending on your length of stay, it can be cheaper to just buy a $99 satnav when you get here than paying for the daily rental, or buy the US maps for your own if you have one.

Enjoy....

my last car in texas - the sat nav cost more to hire than the car....

i wasnt allowed to expense an actual sat nav - even though it was half the price of the cost of hiring one.

MENTAL !

I hired a 'tang about 6 weeks ago and drove round California. It was dead easy, driving is pretty relaxed over there. There is a lot of surveillance on junctions in the city, so you have to be careful. The biggest problem I found was when using a sanav on the highways, you get a lot of junctions close together, so it's easy to exit too soon.

Car was dead cheap to hire...not a lot more than a focus.

I downloaded the US maps onto my Tomtom and took it. I think it was $15 a day from the hire company. I think the map for TT was c.£30.

Check out the collision damage waiver stuff you can buy online before you go - can't remember the company(s) that do it off the top of my head.

Sounds cool ! Can I come too ?

Licence you have is fine ...
I bought a 2nd hand cheapo Tom-tom off ebay with US maps already loaded - £50 all in.Price-less when trying to escape from the city - even a small one like Vegas.
Mustangs are 10-a-penny at the hire places and not expensive.
Id booked a medium sized saloon and was given the choice of "anythaang in line B suuur".. Line B was mostly Mustangs but i went for a Tasty VW Passatt with all the gadgets - air con being a must !! 😉

It's more what you don't need to take.

You know that skill you have that means you can keep a car between two white lines?

Don't bother taking that.

[i]id also suggest a satnav if your going near any urbanisation or freeways as freeway turnoffs can be few and far between. [/i]

and

[i]The biggest problem I found was when using a sanav on the highways, you get a lot of junctions close together, so it's easy to exit too soon.[/i]

IME junctions on US freeways are often numbered at the mile they occur, so J50 is ten miles after J40.

If you are paying yourself, then go to www.insurance4carhire.co.uk and buy Collision Damage Waiver aka CDW from them. This costs roughly the same as the car hire, and buying it third party can save you tons.

HOWEVER

If you go onto a UK website to book a car in the US, or if the US website knows you're not from the US, the CDW will probably be incldued in the price. The reason being that most US residents have hire car CDW included on their own car insurance or credit card, so they don't kneed it; however foreigners usually do.

Also, the car hire company will insist it doesn't deal with third party insurers, but you can (according to insurance4carhire.co.uk) ignore this - they will reimburse you for any costs.

Id booked a medium sized saloon and was given the choice of "anythaang in line B suuur".. Line B was mostly Mustangs but i went for a Tasty VW Passatt with all the gadgets - air con being a must !!

Wait.... You did what?!?

Also try reading up on the rules of the road first. Not that the USA is hard, but it's a good idea for any country.

If you have a Garmin with a micro SD card slot (no experience of TomTom), then North America maps were around 40 pounds from Amazon a couple of years ago (it seems they're now around 50 pounds - still seems good value).

And I've been asked for the paper section of my licence a couple of times. You should take it just in case.

And [url= http://www.travelsupermarket.com/c/cheap-car-hire/buying-car-hire-excess-insurance/ ]Collision Damage Waiver Insurance[/url]

EDIT: And Stop signs really do mean stop. 4 way stops are easy, you just need to understand the rules - first to arrive, first to go.

Headed to Vegas in September.

I'm looking to hire a mustang and drive whilst over there.

I will be going to Nevada, Utah and Arizona.

You have chosen the best thing to do in Vegas. Drive away from it!

😉

As above, nothing special needed. Always worth booking ahead to get a car with satnav. My last hire care in the US (In LA for a couple of days) became a mahooosive SUV, as I had reserved a car with satnav, but the hotel hire car place had messed up. Only car they had with satnav was one of these;
[img] [/img]

For the same price as a "compact".

And then they forgot to charge it to my Amex. Which was nice! Free ride...WOOOO!

If you've got a smartphone that will run CoPilot Live, like an iPhone, or I believe Android has it as well, then get that, just checked the App Store, and CoPilot Live Premium HD USA is currently £10.49, and I honestly don't think you can top that!

Satnav is a big plus. Vegas etc in September will still be 'king hot - I'd go for a hard top car with aircon rather than pay extra for a soft top that'll probably be much hotter. I've done a similar trip at the end of Sep and was V V grateful for the aircon rather than wishing I could take the roof down and get hotter. But you probably want a Mustang.

Sorry Legoman - Had to be done.....

The mustangs looked great in a line up and i nearly fell for the dream but in hindsight didnt see many out on the road.... 😉
Passatt had aircon, cruise control, manual box etc etc . I knew we were doing 2000 miles or so so just wanted a good car i didnt have to worry about.
Went in Late September / early October and it was over 100 degrees some days.
Drove from LA to Frisco via Grand Canyon, vegas, death valley, Yosemite....
An absolute GAS !!
Up early-ish and hit an off the beaten track diner for breakfast - insist on tea ... 🙄
If you fancy a Mustang mate - go for it, just not my tass de tay ...

It's the new shape mustang, hard top with aircon etc 😀

I remember being tired as getting out of LA airport in a hire car and stopping at the first motel: a consequence of a long day.

You need to know about the creeping right turns they may do at red lights. I found it was driving in and leaving car parks where I had most trouble driving on 'their' side.

According to the hertz website, my quote includes "LDW" Loss damage waiver which according to google is the same as CDW...

Liability Insurance Supplement is included but Personal Accident Insurance is not...

So do i buy insurance or not ?

Android smartphone with Google Maps, cigarette charger and buy an AT&T SIM card for $25 (+ $25 a month rental = $50) for maps everywhere and satnav, is my top tip 😉

If you have someone with you I would not get a satnav. Navigating with someone is part of the fun for me. The passenger gets to contribute.

I would not rely on a smartphone for Google maps use. For a start you will need an unlocked one, but phone coverage is patchy out West and AT&T (the only gsm carrier) is much worse. If you go the smartphone route get a mapping app with downloadable maps, which apparently means Nokia.

You might want to connect an iPod to the stereo - outside the cities the radio stations can be pretty dreadful.

Enjoy the trip - did something similar last year and it was epic.

Or get a car with sirrius

Bit of bluegrass junction 😉

It's a doddle - drove in and around LA and San Diego for three weeks over Christmas and really enjoyed it. Bloody pain with all the Stop junctions especially on suburban streets though.

If you go the smartphone route get a mapping app with downloadable maps, which apparently means Nokia

or iPhone or Android phone with copilot app for a little money (best) or osmand for free (not so good but free)

outside the cities the radio stations can be pretty dreadful.

XFM for the win. 200 DAB stations anywhere. It is fantastic.

Android smartphone with Google Maps, cigarette charger and buy an AT&T SIM card for $25 (+ $25 a month rental = $50) for maps everywhere and satnav, is my top tip

Get a Mustang, if only to see that engaging sport mode disables the econometer 😉

Don't bother indicating when changing lane.
Don't ever let anyone merge, especially if the lanes split and it busy, close that gap.
When the lights turn green only think about moving after 5 seconds.
Be amazed that some cars can do 35 mpg.
Except that sign on a freeway will only be 10 feet before the junction despite the speed limit being 75 mph.
The dinners are awesome though.

What's the fastest car in the world? A hire car.
Remember to drive it like you stole it!

We hired a brand new Mustang convertible in Florida lady year. Just drove it with the roof down and the air con on, not like petrol's expensive! I'd be stunned if any US hire cars didn't have air con, red herring from lasty I think. Passat over a mustang... Poor choice!

I drove from Miami to the southern most key (West), with no license whatsoever. 😯

It's the constitutional right of every American to drive in the passing lane at 60 mph, for hours. So you'll be undertaking left right and centre.
That said, their lane discipline was quite good last time I was driving there. It's the wrong lane, like, but at least they stay put with no sudden movements.

Be amazed that some cars can do 35 mpg.

Just checking - you do know their gallon is a different size to our gallon don't you? You do know it is smaller than ours?

That doesn't excuse most of their cars, but it is often not as bad as people think.

35mpg (us gallon) is about 42mpg in (uk gallon).

It's the constitutional right of every American to drive in the passing lane at 60 mph, for hours. So you'll be undertaking left right and centre

It is actually the law in most states to keep right unless passing. But it's completely ignored. Also be prepared for lorries steaming past you at 80mph, since they have the same speed limit as cars and can apparently flaunt it in the same way. Try and avoid interstates or freeways around cities at rush hour - it really is bedlam.

US drivers generally are much more chilled out than they are here, but they are generally concentrating FAR less and the standard of driving is a lot lower imo. So be careful when it's busy.

Be amazed that some cars can do 35 mpg.

Yep - a UK gallon is 1.2 US gallons. So you're looking at low 40s UK mpg from an economy car, which isn't all that bad. Given that they have old tech auto gearboxes and the petrol is low octane, that's not bad.

As for petrol being cheap - it's not as cheap as it used to be, and when you are driving 1,000 miles as a matter of course it soon adds up!

As for petrol being cheap - it's not as cheap as it used to be, and when you are driving 1,000 miles as a matter of course it soon adds up!

Well be prepared for:-

Drivers being 2 inches away from your bumper on the freeway at 75 mpg.

Some cities its illegal to turn left at any junction. you must turn right, do a u turn return to the junction and slowly work your way around anticlockwise until you get the right road of the junction

Always park on a road in the direction of travel

My favourite rule of the road which is different to the UK is the ability to turn right through a red light. Sensible, we should adopt it here (but make it turn left, obviously)

FWIW, a lot of cobblers being spouted above, IMHO. I've driven and ridden motorcycles extensively in the states, and whilst cities and rush hour are possibly the exception (although still not as bad as their European equivalents), Stateside drivers are generally slower, calmer and more courteous to both other drivers and pedestrians. I think it's probably something to do with lots of space and the relaxed driving style that a big lazy auto encourages. And having observed atrocious driving in the UK, I don't think US drivers have the monopoly on inattention by any means. Getting overtaken by a semi doing (at least) 90mph whilst cruising down a desert highway on a Harley is certainly an eye opener though!

FWIW, a lot of cobblers being spouted above, IMHO. I've driven and ridden motorcycles extensively in the states, and whilst cities and rush hour are possibly the exception (although still not as bad as their European equivalents), Stateside drivers are generally slower, calmer and more courteous to both other drivers and pedestrians. I think it's probably something to do with lots of space and the relaxed driving style that a big lazy auto encourages.

Totally agree with this.

Passat over a mustang

[img] [/img]

[img] [/img]

Let me think for a minute

No contest ......

Passat every time 😆

Seriously - Didnt see many mustangs on the road !!

I disagree - we hired a Chrysler Grand Voyager V6 and a full tank was around $45. What's that? £35 or so? It only did around 19 US MPG though.

My point is that whilst it's cheap per gallon it adds up very quickly when you do long distances in uneconomical cars, which you are likely to be doing.

Re the driving - I've driven many tens of thousands of miles in the US. As I said, they are much more relaxed generally, but seem to be concentrating less and particularly at rush-hour on interstates around cities you see an awful lot of people driving very fast very close to the car in front whilst on the phone or looking out of windows etc.

although still not as bad as their European equivalents

I'd take the M25 over 294 around Chicago EASILY. No contest. 294 is 85mph bedlam.

On quiet country roads (i.e. no traffic in sight for several miles) watch out for approaching highway patrol cars; they will be checking your approach speed by radar. I got stopped in Colorado this way; seeing the blue and red flashing lights in my mirror was one thing but the big surprise was the stunning brunette officer who got out and strolled up to ask for my licence. She told me this was going to cost me all my holiday money then turned and winked, unseen by me, at my climbing buddy. I've still got the warning notice she issued to me....

I'd take the M25 over 294 around Chicago EASILY. No contest. 294 is 85mph bedlam.

No contest ......
Passat every time
Seriously - Didnt see many mustangs on the road !!

is the ability to turn right through a red light

I liked the 'two or more' lanes on the freeways with limited entrances/exits (so no-one suddenly pulling into your gap). Then I could just switch on the cruise control and relax.

So what, you'd rather being doing 85mph with someone on the phone 6ft from your rear bumper than 30mph? Really?

Wind your penis in, seriously.

yeah i must say - i plan to drive down to the alps later this year in the van .... im more worried about that than i am about driving in the states..... ive even survived driving in west african countries ....

france scared the shit out of me in the shuttle from geneva to les arc last time i was there....

Wind your penis in, seriously.

I wonder what the overtaking etiquette is on single carriageways. Do people wait their turn over there..?

I have just had a week in the US, starting in North Carolina then driving down to South Carolina onto Savannah, Georgia and back up to Charlotte NC.

The only dodgy driving I saw was mine, when I jumped (unintentionally) a left filter light.

Yes there was some lane hogging but that was all and the highway rest areas were so clean they put our services to shame!

I did see the Highway Patrol stopping people near Savannah and also an unmarked car stop someone at the same place.

as you intend driving out of state, make sure your car hire & insurance covers this. not like my numpty mate... fortunately nothing happened in Utah (well nothing to the car, just me... 😳 ).

and don't forget your concealed weapon permit... 😉

French autoroutes are fine. In my experience, most drivers in France are pretty good, you just have to watch out for young men, cos half of them are absolutely insane behind the wheel it seems.

I wonder what the overtaking etiquette is on single carriageways. Do people wait their turn over there

🙂

Although in fact it never comes up. Most roads with any amount of traffic are DC so SC roads in my experience tend to be so quiet and so open and straight and visibility so good that you often don't even have to brake before pulling out.

Oh and one more thing - you know how in the UK all our speedos are intended to read 10% under the speed limit, in case of calibration errors and stuff? It's not like that in the US. 75 means 75.

Which makes the 35mpg aka 42mpg all the more reasonable actually, since you're also usually cruising at what would be indicated as over 80mph in the UK.

CountZero - Member

...What idiot would spend double, triple that, when they can buy an excellent satnav app, and always have it available anytime they might want to go back to the States?

Ooooh, get her! I guess I'm the idiot then, if that makes you feel all warm and superior and stuff. And FWIW, I did exactly what I recommended and had no problem on the east coast + I had a phone which I could make free calls and texts and got free internet. But anyway, clearly I wasn't "in the know" and I defer to your superior knowledge/experience/big cock waving, as should everyone else.

It's the constitutional right of every American to drive in the passing lane at 60 mph, for hours. So you'll be undertaking left right and centre

Many of the main highways use the right lane predominantly as an entry / exit lane. You kind of have to drive in the middle lane, or you'll spend all your time swapping lanes to avoid being filtered off.

My favourite rule of the road which is different to the UK is the ability to turn right through a red light.

That's state-specific though. Can't remember offhand whether it applies in Vegas or not.

Another a good one to note is that 'stop' signs mean stop. You can be ticketed for rolling through them.

Another a good one to note is that 'stop' signs mean stop.

Same as here.

Oh yeah, and watch out for 3- and 4-way stops. They use them instead of mini roundabouts. If you see a stop sign supplemented with a number followed by -way stop (it's quite small and easy to miss) it means that everyone to stop, and if two people arrive almost simultaneously so that they end up both stationary at the same time, you go in the order in which you arrive. If you really do arrive exactly simultaneously then the person on the right gets to go first.

It sounds iffy, and loads of natives mess it up all the time so don't worry overly if you cock it up. Everyone stops anyway and moves off slowly so you won't get t-boned. You won't even get glared at or flashed either - drivers don't gesticulate, beep or flash each other or otherwise get outwardly angry. Flashing lights is ONLY done when there's a speed trap. Don't even flash to let people out - no-one will know what you mean.

Ooooh, get her! I guess I'm the idiot then, if that makes you feel all warm and superior and stuff. And FWIW, I did exactly what I recommended and had no problem on the east coast + I had a phone which I could make free calls and texts and got free internet. But anyway, clearly I wasn't "in the know" and I defer to your superior knowledge/experience/big cock waving, as should everyone else.

Same as here.

Sure, but it's hardly ever enforced IME. Point is, it's aggressively enforced in the US.

Is that a saucer of milk to go?

Yeah, keep it civil please people.

I did exactly what I recommended and had no problem [b]on the east coast[/b]

Some of us have more experience than that.. 'out West' is a different kettle of fish.

I spent a week driving around LA, based in North Hollywood, along Lankershim Drive. Fortunately I had a mate to ride shotgun and navigate with a Rand Macnally, which was fun on arrival, bussing to the car hire place, picking up an automatic column shift Buick, at 8 in the evening as it was getting dark, and trying to find our way to the hotel in the dark. On the, for me, wrong side of the road. The only real issue I had was at a junction under a freeway, which was at a bit of an angle, where I forgot which side of the road I needed to be on on the other side. Cue flashing lights from the oncoming car that suddenly appeared as I crossed the junction! Oops! 😳
I was surprised at the speed of traffic on the freeways, I was expecting everyone to be pootling along, 50 being the maximum, as far as I knew, but I was travelling at 70, being passed by Porsches, 'Vettes, and god knows what else doing 80-90. This was in '93, though.

55mph is the limit on single carriageway roads, it's 65-75 in most places on fast roads. Lots of people doing 85mph. Including huge lorries doing 75-80mph too in all lanes. That's unnerving.

Cougar - Moderator
Same as here.
Sure, but it's hardly ever enforced IME. Point is, it's aggressively enforced in the US.
POSTED 28 MINUTES AGO #

Dodge Challenger please

Re the sat nav discusion; On our honeymoon road trip we took a (motorcycle) tomtom with US maps loaded, it was brilliant. We could purposely ge a little lost, get to see backwater 'merica without having to worry about it. I heartily recommend.

Just checking - you do know their gallon is a different size to our gallon don't you? You do know it is smaller than ours?

Yes. Its the amazement that gets me.

That's why I said

Be amazed that some cars can do 35 mpg.

Watch out for exits that are on the left rather than the right. Just when you think you can safely sit in the right hand lane as your exit is coming up soon you find they stick it on the other side of 2 lanes of traffic!

Watch out for pedestrians if turning right on a red light, it's not unusual for them to have a green man across the road you're turning into.

In some states you have to pull out if there's anyone parked on the hard shoulder, you can't pass in the adjacent lane.

Some states you have to have your lights on if your windscreen wipers are on.

On multi-lane highways people will undertake, double check your blind spots.