Car rental in the USA (Los Angeles) - my review, prices, advice

We often travel to the USA - and I have learned all the troubles with car rental and driving by heart. At first I wondered why here they turn to the right to red, received tickets (fines) due to inexperience, but now I masterfully read the signs and know where to rent a car in the USA is profitable.

I wrote this text for a long time: initially, in notes, I added something after another packed bump, and only after the fifth trip to the States I finally publish an article on the blog. What are we going to talk about:

- about the prices for car rental in the USA,
- differences in traffic rules,
- about PARKING LOTS AND SIGNS - a big pain for a tourist!

I will give instructions on how to rent a car cheaper and what kind of insurance to choose. In a word, I will share my experience. The text will help with car rental anywhere, and I indicated Los Angeles in the title as the most popular starting point for road trips in America.

If you have any questions, write them in the comments to the article! Either I, or one of the readers will answer you. It's always interesting to learn something new.

What documents are required to rent a car in the USA?

Let's start with the main and most enjoyable. Although some claim otherwise,

our Russian license is suitable as a driving document; an international driver's license (IDL) is not required.

This is official information.
In addition, in California, for example, a tourist can get local rights without any problems, even if you did not have them in Russia! I'll talk about this at the end of the text.

So what do you need to rent a car in the USA?

1. Regular Russian driver's license. I always and everywhere had enough of them, for the first time they gave me a car with old paper ones. Information on the rights must be duplicated in English - now only such information is issued. After reading the reviews of tourists about renting a car in the United States, I concluded that 9 out of 10 are bypassed by our rights, but one writes that he is asked everywhere. Whom to believe? From personal experience, I believe myself. Here is a real tourist review:

   “I showed the policeman international rights, to which he contemptuously replied:“ What is this? I need your driver's license. " I gave the rights to these rosy ones, recently changed, everything was perfectly accepted. "

2. International passport. The data must match the rights, of course.
3. Credit card. You can also debit, but there is a risk that it may be rejected. Although most of the Russian debit Visa and Mastercard in America go as credit by default. It is much more convenient with a credit card - you do not have to freeze your money as a deposit for rent (the main thing is not to miscalculate the interest-free period).

   I use Tinkoff All Airlines Black Edition, follow the link for a detailed review of why it is beneficial. With her, there is insurance for cars, business lounges, and cashbacks. I set limits on the card and pay anywhere. You can get a credit card for 2 months for free, and close on arrival 😊

4. Screenshot from your personal account or booking number. For every fireman. We had a case when the manager could not find a reservation, the surname was indicated in Russian or something like that.

And yes, car rental in the USA is available to drivers over the age of 21.

Which service to choose for car rental in the USA?

Unfortunately, these views can only be reached by car - we were driving along the road from San Francisco to Los Angeles

I rented cars in different states and rented in different cities. I took Kia Soul, Hyundai Tucson, Mazda Miata cars, but one thing remained unchanged: I ALWAYS BOOKED ONLINE AND MUCH IN ADVANCE.

California does not know any shortage of demand for rental, they take everything apart. Even now, in the spring of 2021, when there are no foreign tourists, I had to shift my lease on Miata for a couple of days, because it is busy.

In the USA, cars are rented by many different companies - Avis, Sixt, Budget, Alamo, etc. However, tourists book cars on aggregators:

• RentalCars is the main and largest aggregator for car rental around the world, I use it all the time.
• AutoEurope - despite its "European" name, it is a popular service in the States with a convenient search table.
• EconomyBookings is a service from the hotel search engine Booking.

Why aggregators? They show all these companies at once and compare the cost, plus you are, after all, protected from a third party. There are user reviews, and there is more trust in aggregators - the same RentalKars has been operating for 11 years.

Car rental in the USA has been put on a conveyor belt, the whole process is as simple as possible. And it doesn't matter where - be it Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami or another city.

I will briefly tell you how much it costs to rent a car in the USA.
It is more profitable to book a car for a long period of time, from 7 days or more. Prices start at $ 30 per day - for this amount you can take Kia Soul, Kia Rio or Jeep Renegade.

You can rent a Tesla Model 3 for $ 80– $ 100, and an electric car from Nissan (Leaf) for $ 40– $ 50 per day.

Audi and Porsches usually cost from $ 200 per day. Muscle car convertible - about $ 80 for 1 day rental. I usually go for something simple at around $ 50 per day. Renting the cheapest car in the United States for a month with all discounts starts from $ 1000.

What additional expenses can there be? In addition to insurance:

• How many people will be behind the wheel - usually a surcharge is taken for everyone who is not a renter. The exception is spouse, in this case free of charge.
• Transponder for toll roads - I'll write about it later.
• Navigator - you shouldn't take it, it's easier to use Google maps on your phone, it works great in the USA. You can download a city map to plot routes in offline mode.
• Baby seat - buy a booster at Wallmart for $ 20 and save $ 10 per day (this is how much they ask for at the rental).
• If you take a car in one city / state and rent it in another, there will be a surcharge of $ 150– $ 200 - this is how I rented it in Cleveland and returned it in New York.

Step-by-step steps when renting a car - instructions

Our second car, Kia Soul, for long journeys - both cheaper and more comfortable :)

How to rent a car in the USA? It is always better to book a car 1.5-2 months before the trip, so the price will be as cheap as possible. The closer to the date, the more expensive, especially in high season.

1. We decide on the route (where you plan to pick up / return the car, rental period).
2. We go to RentalCars or AutoEurope - we drive in where we want to take the car (for example, LAX airport in Los Angeles), dates, put a tick if you are over 30 years old (there will be more offers and prices below), click "search". If you want to return it in another city, click the checkbox "return the car in another city .." and choose where exactly. It is better to set the time in an hour and a half after the arrival of the plane, in case of a delay.
3. Variants appear - I sort "the most budgetary deals" by price. It is also possible by type of car, distributors and many other filters.
4. We select a car, when going inside the offer, coordinates, time and instructions on how to find a rental office will be displayed (see point 6 for an aircraft). There are also the rental conditions, where the main points and the deposit are spelled out - usually it is about $ 200, depending on the insurance and the cost of the car.
5. Pay attention to the available mileage, sometimes the rental company sets limits - for example, 2500 miles per week. And be sure to look at the type of gearbox (automatic makes life easier, well, you already know that).
6. Everything suits me? We book and wait for the trip.
7. We arrive, we go to pick up the car. When you arrive at the Los Angeles airport, you need to go outside from the terminal and find a bus with the name of your distributor - it will take you to the pick-up point for free.
8. We meet the manager, sign the papers either through a self-service kiosk or through a manager. He explains, shows, and that's probably all. The keys are in your pocket, the trip to America is ahead :)

Some offices may issue not the exact model of the car that you booked, but "the same type". This is a common practice.

As for the left deposit: it can be reduced if you take full insurance without a deductible.The exact conditions for the size of the deposit on the site can be viewed under the photo of the selected car by clicking on the "rental conditions". But even if you take the maximum insurance, you will still be asked to show a bank card in order to insure against other violations - traffic rules, toll roads, drunk driving, and so on.

Auto insurance - which one to choose?

To get started, always take out travel insurance for yourself and your family. In the United States, you can get stuck for a monstrously large amount of money if you go to a hospital without insurance.

• You can buy a policy in a couple of minutes on Cherehapa.

I used to do this, but now I use a Tinkoff premium card and along with it, travel insurance goes abroad free of charge. Auto insurance is also attached to the card, it compensates for a deductible of up to $ 3000. I will explain below what this means.

About car insurance.

When renting a car in the USA, the booking includes the most basic SLI insurance (like our OSAGO), which protects third parties. I advise you to immediately take the extended - SLI + CDW (it is like CASCO). Carefully read the terms and conditions, what is included and what is not in advance.

Everything is very expensive in America. In parking lots they can break glass, scratch because they want to. Full insurance protects against theft and damage - it comes with or without a deductible. Of course, extended insurance is more expensive - with an additional payment of $ 12– $ 15 per day, depending on the class of the car.

I always take the minimum SLI + CDW with a larger deductible - it's cheaper this way. Who does not know, the deductible is the amount that you pay in the event of an insured event, and everything that is higher is covered by the insurance company. With the premium tariff of Tinkoff Bank, this franchise is covered by Tinkoff insurance, that's a life hack.

Driving rules in the USA - what are the differences? Peculiarities

A little more than a week rode a Mazda Miata MX-5 convertible - I advise! One of the nicest and most affordable models with an open roof / And this is how CARPOOL stripes look on a freeway

Renting a car in the United States for tourists follows the same rules as for local drivers - which is logical and natural.

Basic traffic rules in the States, which differ from our Russian ones:

• Stop signs at unregulated intersections - in the USA you have to get used to slowing down all the time :) Because the rule "interference from the right" does not work here, the first one to pass is the one who first arrived and stopped at the intersection! Remember this for sure.
• You can not block regulated intersections and zones "KEEP CLEAR" - be so kind as to stop BEFORE the crossroads, if there is a traffic jam ahead, so as not to disturb others!
• You can turn right to red if there is no prohibitory sign - of course, if you do not interfere with the main movement.
• It is strictly forbidden to enter the green cycle paths - with this here strictly, the turn is allowed in the intermittent part of the marking.
• There are carpool stripes on the tracks - usually this is the left lane with the carpool designation or the HOV lane, you can drive here if there are 2 or more people in the car. It moves faster, but God forbid you enter this lane without observing the number of passengers - you face a fine in the amount of $ 350– $ 450.
• Do not overtake the current on the side of the road. - we saw one such, literally a minute later it was overtaken by highway patrol.

And yes, in the USA you can cross a solid line, if you need to drive somewhere or turn, there will be no penalty for this. The main thing is not to disturb anyone!

Watch my last video from a recent trip - in 15 minutes I covered the topic of renting in the USA in video format. There are about parking, and about signs, and other points:

Driving features.

The most popular rent a car in Los Angeles - I myself took a car here more than anywhere else. I'll tell you about the local nuances.

For example, in Los Angeles, you will have to get rid of the Russian habit of playing checkers and overtaking the traffic in neighboring lanes - often the right and left lanes turn into "right or left turn only", that is, only to the right / left turn. Therefore, as a rule, everyone is slowly moving along the central lane.

I really like the special lanes for turns to the left - you go down them and wait, you don't bother anyone. Such a lane is almost always provided, but it happens that an intersection is without it - and then be sure to look at the signs, it may be that during peak hours it is forbidden to turn left (although the navigator shows the opposite).

Long-distance routes in LA often run along freeways - freeways, expressways. The first times are scary, but then you rush confidently, the main thing is not to miss your congress. I noticed that on freeways, cars keep their distance an order of magnitude farther than usual.

• The speed limit in the city is usually 30–35 mph (miles per hour), which equals 48–56 km per hour. In areas of schools, residential areas, winding roads in the hills can be 15–20 mph (24–32 km per hour). On freeways and intercity routes, up to 65 mph (105 km per hour) is allowed.

By the way, there is no "legal" speeding, as we have in Russia +20 from above. The host from Airbnb explained that it was a percentage of the limit: for example, if the entire freeway travels 70 miles per hour, that's ok. But if you exceed the speed of 5 miles in the school zone, then you will be stopped.

A fine in the USA for parking (paid online - instructions are on the receipt)

About fines.

In the USA, there are very large fines - and if translated into rubles ...

I experienced one fine myself - for incorrect parking in Malibu, under the wiper I found a ticket worth $ 73.

In general, parking fines start at $ 60. Parking in the red zone - even partially, even just a little bumper - $ 85. Blocking an intersection is punishable by up to $ 500. For a trip to the red - the first time $ 280, the second - $ 460. It is better not to imagine how much it costs to evacuate a car.

The amount of the fine depends on the state, the zone where the speed was violated (school / regular), and so on. It is interesting that somehow I saw a fine that, when paid within a month, was equal to one amount, and after a month, it increased by 2 times. My parking ticket did not imply a discount :( Tickets are paid on the official website of the Department of State, all the information is on the back of this nasty ticket.

Parking

I'll tell you about the example of Los Angeles - but the essence of parking restrictions is the same everywhere.

Price.

It was a discovery for me that horror stories from the Internet - about terribly expensive parking lots - they are from the category "one grandma said." Los Angeles has plenty of completely free street parking, even near beaches or the Walk of Fame.

Parking meters cost an average of $ 0.5– $ 2 per hour of parking. The maximum that I met was $ 5 per hour for a place near Santa Monica (while literally 200 meters away on Montana Avenue and adjacent streets, free parking along the roads is empty).

• On my last trip, I learned that despite the specific cost of the parking meter - for example, $ 1 per hour - you can throw 25-50 cents into it, and it will calculate the time according to this amount.

And I noticed that many people stop for 15 minutes, and pay for an hour - and the parking meter after this car flashes green, so why not stand in this place? 😊

If you drive directly to the parking lots of the beaches of Venice or Santa Monica, or to the Griffith Observatory, there will be prices for tourists in the $ 12– $ 15, especially on weekends. Of course, you don't have to bother and pay, but you can also look in the neighboring streets. Not 100%, but a good helper in this matter - Inrix ParkMe app, I could not find it better. Make the filter "street" and "free", be patient, and it will mark the necessary zones in green (but it does not work in all of Los Angeles yet).

The most important thing is how to read parking signs.

Uhh, you have to get used to parking signs for a couple of days. I will try to explain as clearly as possible with photographs.

First, you can park only at colorless curbs:

• Red border - it is forbidden to anyone at all, usually these are zones closer to the turns or near the hydrants (NEVER park near the hydrants, this is a mortal costly sin in the States!).
• Blue border - for invalids.
• White border - also impossible, I don’t remember why.
• Regular border without color markings - our stop! Don't worry, there are many.

When parking at an angle, the wheels must be turned out towards the curb (for this, a fine can also be issued).Specifically, in California, you only have to enter the front of the supermarket parking lot markings, if you stand “facing” back, you can get a fine.

Then we look at the sign. We read the signs from top to bottom. Everything that is red is when it is not allowed, green is when it is allowed. With all the signs, the rule “if nothing else is said, then you can”. I'll explain now.

- Remember: if there is no prohibition sign “No parking” or “No parking any time” and parking meters on the street, then parking is free.

- The most common sign at free parking lots is this one, it “closes” the street for 2 hours on a specific day of the week, it is cleaned. As you can see, in the first photo you cannot park from 9:00 to 11:00 on Mondays. In the second photo, it is prohibited on Tuesdays from 10:00 to 12:00. At any other time - you can, and as long as you like, even for the night. The sign above in the first photo refers to large cars, they should never be parked from 2 to 6 in the morning, and the rest of the time they are allowed.

We parked on the street next to the Primo Passa coffee shop for free (advice for those traveling to Santa Monica)

- The opposite situation, the sign is completely green. He says that you can park for 4 hours from 9:00 to 16:00. And here the unobvious “if nothing else is said, then you can” works: that is, until 9 am and after 4 pm you can leave your car on this street for more than 4 hours! And I used to think that you can only start parking at nine.

And note the footnote below “except sat & sun” - it means “exception on Saturday and Sunday” and implies that the 4 o'clock limit does not apply on weekends. But if this "except ..." is placed on a red sign, it means that on that day you shouldn't park at all.

- Here, the whole combo. Let's decipher from top to bottom: you cannot park every day from 6 pm to 8 am; you can park for 2 hours any day from 8 am to 6 pm; you cannot park on Wednesdays from 13:00 to 15:00. "Permits exempt" is about a permit that the residents of this block have, such a tag on the rear-view mirror; residents are excluded from the rule for 2 hours, they can stay longer.

- And one more: there is no parking on Tuesdays from 8 to 10 am; you can park for 2 hours from 8 am to 4 pm from Monday to Friday (but on Tuesday you still cannot park until 10); you cannot park at any other time (except for residents, they can); you can't even stop for a minute from 16:00 to 19:00, with the exception of Saturday and Sunday, these days you can't stop at all.

With gas stations, everything is simple - I went to the cashier to pay (you say the number of the column and how many dollars you want to fill up and only then you choose which gasoline)

- If there is a green sign and a parking meter, you have to pay for parking. For example, the sign allows you to leave the car for 2 hours from 8:00 to 18:00. The parking meter is “turned on” at the same time and accepts payment only until 6 pm, and after that the place becomes definitely free (of course, if there is no red prohibiting sign next to it). But it seems that the limit of 2 hours still works - I'm not sure about this rule.

- But the sign says that there is no parking on Tuesdays from 8:00 to 10:00 and in pursuit prohibits parking at all, except for the residents of the quarter (but they obey the first sign).

My review about car rental in the USA - what to look for? And reviews from other tourists.

Manual car wash costs about $ 4-5 - I advise exactly the same as in the photo. Automatic ones cost around $ 20

I really like driving around the USA - the roads are excellent and safe, the oncoming lanes are separated, there are often recreation areas with free toilets and cinema gas stations where you want to buy all the sweets and drink all the crap coffee, but the process itself! ... I wish everyone to experience this feeling of a road trip across America!

Of the cities where I would definitely not rent a car, this is definitely New York. If there is no place for urban development, let alone parking - prices are inflated to a ridiculous $ 65 per hour (there are such, yes!).

A small bonus.

Here I wanted to give routes for auto travel in the USA, but I thought it would be great when such sections are written together with readers, together! Therefore, I propose a mutually beneficial exchange: tell us in the comments to the article about your future travel plans or your favorite destinations for road trips, or a brief review about car rental in the USA - and I will send you by mail our list of the 5 best hikes in Los Angeles, which well, you can't miss it! 😊

Toll roads in America.

They are called toll roads, and everything is simple with them - look at your planned route through google maps for toll roads. If there are any, you can take a transponder from the rental office, it will automatically pay for toll roads without stopping, when you return the car, you must pay for them. If you go and don't pay, what will happen? there will be a fine. Some toll roads, such as from Washington to New York, allow cash to be paid.

Average price of gasoline in California / And views of the Pacific coast on the road from / to San Francisco

About refueling and the price of gasoline.

Benz prices vary by state and are always quoted per gallon (3.79 liters). If we talk about 91 gasoline,

• in Los Angeles you cannot find below $ 3.99 per gallon, moreover, in one area of ​​the city you can refuel for this cost, and in another (in Beverly Hills, of course) - for $ 5.89!
• in Texas, 1 gallon costs about $ 2,
• and in New York - $ 3– $ 3.5.

What is the logic is not clear. But keep in mind, leaving state to state, you can refuel both twice as expensive and cheaper. Gasoline types are usually divided into Regular, Midgrade, Premium. It is better to have a credit card at a gas station, sometimes a debit card is rejected. Both Russian and American zip codes can be entered. If the card on the column is not accepted, you can go to the cashier and pay.

Well, in the end it only remains to list all the useful services and links for a trip to the USA. - The best service for car rental is RentalCars. Alternative options can be found in the text. - When there is no car, we go by taxi. In addition to the famous Uber, there are also Lyft and Via applications. - To search for accommodation - Booking with hotels or Airbnb with apartments. - Parking in California - Inrix Parkme app.

And finally, in California it is quite easy to get a local driver's license for a tourist! I have heard many stories of how a tourist with a B1 / B2 visa received his driving license on the spot - despite the fact that there were never any Russians. In short: you take a test / oral exam, sign up and do a drive test with a police officer. And that's all, you get temporary rights, and after 7-10 days a plastic card comes by mail (as, apparently, everything in America). Validity - until the end of the permitted stay.