Renting a car
 

Hi

Apart from zipcar which seems like a good idea but has limitations where is the best place to rent cars.

Also do places allow rental with a UK license - international permit for the year.

What other limitations am i expected to encounter?

Thanks
Bobby

Re: Renting a car
 

How do you think travellers rent cars ? Not many people have a license for every country they visit.

Re: Renting a car
 

If you're over 25 and have a credit card, none that I can think of.

Re: Renting a car
 

you dont need an international driving licence to rent a car in Canada..UK licence is fine.

Re: Renting a car
 

was not really much point in you replying

Re: Renting a car
 

Does anyone know actually know of the best places to rent from - is there anything similar to 'Easy Rent a car'?

Re: Renting a car
 

Best as in "cheapest"?

Honestly, its "garbage in garbage out" here. If you dont spell out what you want to know, then you get peoples best guess at a reply. And if you are then rude to those that do bother to try and help figure out what you want, then you can kiss any chance of others taking the time to try and help goodbye.

Re: Renting a car
 

Google contact details, phone rental companies, ask questions, make informed decision :thumbup:

Re: Renting a car
 

Avis, mid size car, don't get the CDW.

http://www.avis.ca

Sorted for you.

Re: Renting a car
 

Genuine question on an open forum.

Re: Renting a car
 

When hiring a car in Canada, you should have liability insurance (third party). Some firms will refuse to give you a car unless you take theirs out (which will be extortionate) or you already have your insurance arranged - certificate required. I think moneymaxim is the name of the search engine which gives quotes from most insurance companies.

Re: Renting a car
 

I don't think this is correct. The company will have liability insurance and you can't decline it even if you're covered under another policy. What you can, and should, decline is the collision damage insurance, that's often as expensive as the car hire and is likely covered by your credit card benefits.

I suppose I've hired cars in Canada, for myself and for visitors, 500 times. Liability insurance has never been mentioned.

Re: Renting a car
 

depends what you want. All the international chains are in most major airports and other locations around the place. Avis, Hertz, Budget, Discount, Enterprise... you pays your money, you takes your choice. Do you need unlimited mileagge or are you doing only short journeys? Are you going out of province? Into the States? Are you over 25? Will you be the only driver? Do you want an executive luxo-barge or a subcompact? Answers to all of these will effect which is the "best" company to use.

I have used Avis extensively in the past, mainly (well, only) because of a corporate deal. They were the "best" for me because I just booked online, turned up, waved the corporate account card, and off I went; that was really my only consideration. With my own money, I've used Enterprise, Budget, Hertz etc occasionally.

I have yet to find a good price comparison site - but it may be worth checking out redflagdeals.ca to see if there are any current bargains or special offers.

On another note, I hope you haven't been conned into paying for an International Drivers' Permit for a visit to Canada. It is utterly pointless: the only purpose of an IDP is to provide a translation of your driving privileges into the language of the country you're visiting. Validity of a UK license is in no way enhanced in Canada by an IDP.

Re: Renting a car
 

Re: Renting a car
 

I may be wrong, I've been so before!

From my own personal experience, having booked a rental car three times for YYZ in the last year from the UK, you will see SLI (supplementary Liability Insurance) mentioned at some point along the booking process. It often nearly doubles the hire cost. I've used Hotwire.ca twice to book a hertz rental. This way you can avoid paying the automatic coverage which even hotwire.co.uk add on. Upon arrival at the rental desk, you just need to tell them that you have car hire insurance and want to decline their own products. No problem.
The other time, I used Payless car hire. They insisted on seeing and copying the car hire insurance certificate. Their booking website forewarns you of this procedure. Apparently, lots of septics don't realise this and regularly get stung at the rental desk.

I did read up on all this guff some time ago and I do seem to remember that visitors to Canada should have SLI to protect them from being sued.

The annual Policy I have cost £100 and covers tyres, glass, lock out, towing, theft of possessions within car, collision excess and 1 million liability.

Re: Renting a car
 

Well, thats 100 quid a year wasted. Just use a Gold Visa card or similar.

Re: Renting a car
 

The only UK credit card I'm aware of that offers car hire insurance coverage is AMEX platinum and charges £300 yearly for the honour.

However, I do appreciate your concern for my financial welfare.

Re: Renting a car
 

As Novo said a gold visa will do it. I got them to send me the policy and it covers full comprehensive insurance on a rental. The only real stipulation is that the car must not exceed $150k in value.

Re: Renting a car
 

If you say so. Here you can have a gold visa from pretty much anywhere for less than $200 with cash back. I use it a lot and the cash back check more than covers the fee. In my case a lot more.

Re: Renting a car
 

Unless I'm wrong, the key here is the UK. Car hire insurance privileges on a credit card are not so freely available here. I'm with Visa and contacted them about this already only to be told that they didn't do so. This may be the reason that care hire insurance is becoming more popular over here.

Re: Renting a car
 

When it comes to car insurance, Canadians like yourself deserve some sort of break!

It makes a change to hear about product value.

Re: Renting a car
 

I know. The UK is 25 years behind Canada.

Re: Renting a car
 

The thing that costs money when you rent a car, typically $25 to $30 a day, is not insurance but collision damage waiver. As I said, it is not insurance. If you pay the CDW fee then the rental company waives the right to go after you for damage to the car whilst you are renting it.

Many premium credit cards offer insurance against rental car collision claims so you can decline the rental company's CDW fee. If you damage the vehicle and the rental company sends you a bill you can forward it to the credit card company's insurers for payment (but get and read the policy before relying on what I say).

The rental company carries third party liability insurance. If you are driving a big truck, and forget that the back wheels don't follow the same trajectory as the back wheels of a car, and you take off the fender of a car parked beside the spot you are aiming for, then the rental company's insurers pay the bill. Not that I know this from ... ahem ... personal experience you realize.

Presumably this third party insurance is not unlimited which is why you can buy addition liability insurance for a fairly modest additional premium.

Re: Renting a car
 

We're actually 5 hours ahead (well, Richmond Hill anyway) which is why I'm off to my scratcher.

Re: Renting a car
 

Is that something which Tiggers have?

Re: Renting a car
 

thanks for the information, will have a look at a few of these options.

Since im living downtown I have no need for a car but at the same time I have never been stuck in a 10mile radius for the last 15 years.

zipcar seems super convenient but will investigate further

cheers
bobby