With the development of the economy, in recent years, more and more people like to travel by self-drive. And with the increasing convenience of renting cars abroad, it also enables more friends to realize the wish of renting cars for self-drive trips abroad. When it comes to self-drive trips abroad, many people naturally think of the United States. After all, the road transportation in the United States is very developed, the land is vast and the population is sparse. It is surrounded by the sea on three sides, the Pacific Ocean on the west, the Atlantic Ocean on the east, the Gulf of Mexico on the south. Although it is not close to the sea on the north, it is close to the Great Lakes. The geographical location is very unique and the natural scenery is also very beautiful. Route 66, California State Route 1 and U.S. Route 1 in the United States are all world-famous classic self-drive routes. Therefore, many friends who like self-drive trips are very eager to drive in the United States. So, what should be noted when renting a car for a self-drive trip in the United States? It is estimated that many people are not clear. But don’t worry if you are not clear. The following editor will introduce it to you in detail!
First of all, we need to prepare the documents required for renting a car. There are four types of documents required for renting a car in the United States:
- The original passport. When abroad, the passport is our ID card. Remember to carry it wherever you go.
- International credit card. Both Mastercard and Visa card are OK. The deposit and expenses of the car rental company must be deducted from the credit card.
- The original valid Chinese driver’s license. This is the basic document to prove that you have driving skills.
- The translation of the Chinese driver’s license. This is mainly for the convenience of foreign car rental companies to read, because foreigners generally do not know what is written on the Chinese driver’s license. As for some people spending money to notarize or find a company to translate, it is actually not necessary. Just find a template to translate and print it out.
- The return air ticket. Large car rental companies generally do not require it, but small car rental companies generally require you to be able to provide the return air ticket. If you want to rent a car in the United States, you must bring these four types of documents, especially the first three, otherwise your self-drive trip in the United States may encounter some troubles. It should also be noted that these documents can only be used to rent cars in states that recognize Chinese driver’s licenses. However, now only a few states in the United States do not recognize Chinese driver’s licenses. You can check it in advance.
Secondly, it is how to rent and pick up the car. If you have rich experience in traveling abroad and your English is good, you can directly go to the counter of the car rental company with your documents for processing. Otherwise, it is recommended to rent online first. Good car rental platforms include ZuZuChe, HuiZuChe, etc. They are very easy to use. You can directly see the car models and prices of various car rental companies, and you can also see the relevant evaluations of the services of the car rental companies. As for which one to choose specifically, it depends on your personal preference. But it is recommended to choose large companies with good evaluations. Although the price may be slightly higher, there are more and better cars, and there are fewer hidden charges later.
Regarding insurance, the rental packages of general car rental companies already include basic insurance. Just like cars in China, as long as they can be on the road, they have already purchased compulsory traffic insurance. People with rich driving experience do not need to buy other insurances. Because there are fewer cars and people in the United States, driving is much easier than in China. To be honest, as long as you are careful, the possibility of an accident is very low.