Road trip from Nashville to LA in April/May 2017

[jm98]

I highly recommend to stay at Memphis Hilton (East) 939 Ridge Lake Boulevard, Memphis, TN. You will get to see nice view of Memphis at night from on of top 5 floor rooms.

[Smithstakeontheworld]

A rental company cannot rent a car uninsured. All compulsory insurance will be charged. As for all the extras, I have never worried about them. To me it is worth taking the risk. The worst that can happen is you cause an accident, you have to pay. But the personal injury to all parties should be covered under the normal compulsory insurance.

Police will check a rental cars' insurance if there is a reason to pull you over, so the company would not let you take a car without that..
When I don't have travel insurance, I just tell them I only want to pay for that which is compulsory. Then again, I have never rented for longer than four weeks.

Thanks Lifey,

When I called Avis (spoke to an Aussie operator) they told me that I would not be insured if I did not select the optional CDW and liability.
I too thought that companies had to provide some level of insurance and the additional extras were just to reduce the excess amount? However the operator was adamant this was not the case - I will admit that he wasn't overly confident on other information he was providing so maybe I should try and call again and get someone with a bit more knowledge.

If you have a look at the avis website and just chuck in a random location and date, you should see what I mean about selecting the insurance as an option?https://www.avis.com/car-rental/rese.../select-car.ac

[Lifemagician]

I am not surprised that an Aussie customer service operator would not have any idea how the insurance is totally different from at home. They would not have a clue about the US insurance laws. (Having worked in call centres I know how most of the operators couldn't care less whether the information they dispatch is correct or not. If they can get away with it in banking call centres, just imagine what they get away with in some less important industries.)

If you want to get clear and correct information, then contact the international section of your aut5omobile club, or contact the US office in Nashville direct. Forget about their generic call centre number.

But best of all, as so often mentioned on this forum, use one of the consolidators. They are well known for trying to reduce your costs, not increase them.

Lifey

[Southwest Dave]

We always use an on-line consolidator such as Rentalcars.com that offer competitive prices and include the Insurance needed. (At least from here in the UK, so worth checking out)

[Smithstakeontheworld]

So I've found one quote to include CDW and Liability and additional driver for $2600AUD for 1 month and 3 days (Avis).

I found one today thats $2000AUD without an additional driver, however its a Chevrolet Spark - We figure this little car probably won't handle the highway so well in terms of its go power? Its also on carrental8.com which have woeful reviews so I am wary.

These are both with the one way fee - I think we are just going to have to wear it, I can find a quote for approx $1500AUD if we rent anywhere in California and return to LA. However this will mean less places to see and more driving as it would be a loop rather than a zig zag line that we've currently got planned.
For a once in a lifetime trip, I think the extra for the one way will mean we see more and not as rushed.

Rentalcars.com advised to wait a couple of months as only Hertz prices are available for our dates at this time, but still looking like $2,500AUD with the one way.

[Lifemagician]

But for the purposes of the forum, and all who read it from many different countries, if you quote in US$, it will make more sense.

All sites have a function to choose currency, and even to me, the prices quoted do not relate to anything I know. In fact it would help if you were to convert your money into US$$$, if even only on paper..

You are not travelling for months yet.....why does the car have to be decided on now? Keep looking over the following months, and who knows what a deal you may stumble upon......... in US$$$$$$

And remember Budget.com (not budget.com.au) you have to specially look for they do not give their prices to the pages like expedia. I have always had excellent deals with them (for short term rentals), especially if you click on the nationality button and change it Australian.

Lifey

[Southwest Dave]

Waiting and keeping an eye on prices while doing so would be the wise thing to do, there is no rush and often prices drop after the summer season as firms compete for new business.

I can find a quote for approx $1500AUD if we rent anywhere in California and return to LA. However this will mean less places to see and more driving as it would be a loop rather than a zig zag line that we've currently got planned.]

I am not up to speed with your current plan, but have you actually mapped it out fully and you are sure of this. It's quite possible a loop will add some extra miles, but hard to imagine then seeing less places without already doing serious 'zig zagging', which then adds loads of miles. Perhaps you mean less places on your list, but you could find many others not on your list. Just a thought.

[Smithstakeontheworld]

Apologies for posting in AUD, it's easier in my head when working out our budget.

Currently the exchange is about $0.75US to $1.00AUD
So for a one way in US$ its about $1500-$1800

We are not in any rush to book the car, however to help the budget I am trying to watch prices so we can book the best deal.

We are starting in Nashville and after going through Memphis, thought it would be nice to go a bit more south to Mississippi and Louisiana before heading west. I feel if we were to do a big loop it would be a big stretch to fit these into the itinerary without being on the move constantly.

Edited to add: I read that some companies waive the one way if you rent out of Florida in the spring. I feel this could stretch the itinerary in regards to wanting to do Nashville and Memphis?

[Smithstakeontheworld]

Has anyone used National for car hire before?

I have found reasonable prices on their UK site. They have said anyone that isn't a resident of the US or Canada can use the UK site to get the prices for international travellers.

Just wanted to seek some feedback if anyone had done this before or any experiences with National in general?

The price is about $1200pound, which equates to approx $2000AUD or $1600US.
They have a deal at the moment which includes additional driver. I'm just not sure about their CDW and liability? There isn't a lot of info on the UK site
Thanks in advance

[Mark Sedenquist]

Has anyone used National for car hire before?

With very rare exception, I use National Car Rental most of the time. National Car Rental is now owned by the parent company of Enterprise Rent-A-Car (which I am not fond of) but the reason I use National Car -- is that their national fleet tends to be newer and better maintained cars. The other day I picked up a mid-sized car at the Las Vegas airport and it had 23 miles on the odometer. Unlike other rental car companies who insist in checking out the exterior of the car with the customer -- I really dislike that practice -- they assume that you will bring their car back pretty much in the condition as when you picked it up.

I have membership accounts in some of the other rental car companies, but if I am looking for a rental car in any location and National is convenient -- I always choose it.

Mark