BS: Car Hire restrictions - US into Canada

Subject: RE: BS: Car Hire restrictions - US into Canada
From: nickp
Date: 10 Oct 03 - 08:49 AM

Thanks Giok, that's reassuring.

Subject: RE: BS: Car Hire restrictions - US into Canada
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 10 Oct 03 - 05:53 AM

Well I rented a car in Boston from National and asked if I could take into Canada, they said no problem; so I did. Guess what??
No problem..
Giok

Subject: RE: BS: Car Hire restrictions - US into Canada
From: nickp
Date: 10 Oct 03 - 03:57 AM

Ah yes, forgot the fact that the second car would be hanging about...

The Portland/Yarmouth ferry is an option - although not particularly cheap - and would save driving time. 11 hours sail against 14 hours drive... plus motels... and 14 hours might be 3 days driving... Then there's the immigration side of it - although we'll already have the green immigration card from Boston... I think Amtrak goes up as far as Portland... Having almost discarded the idea I might re-think it.

However, it would miss out on some good scenics and also one of the friends I want to visit is in Fredericton. COuld still do that on a detour while there. A wander round Cape Breton is also a possibility although I've a suspicion we might consider that for a future holiday in itself.

The hope would be to book the car thru' a UK company before leaving so it's just a case of waving a voucher at the hire co. I'm not convinced that the UK companies would be that aware of any excesses involved in crossing the border. I'll do some emailing.

This is good, up to the usual high 'Cat standard. Thanks.

Must make sure I leave my sombrero at home...

Nick - with a reset cookie!

Subject: RE: BS: Car Hire restrictions - US into Canada
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Oct 03 - 06:59 PM

If you were just planning to rent in Boston you could:
Find a way to get from Boston to Portland Me.
Get a walk on ticket on the Nova Scotia ferry.
Rent the car in Yarmouth , N.S. and drive from there dropping the car on your return.
By the way , if your're that close a visit to Cape Breton Island would not be too far out of the way.

Subject: RE: BS: Car Hire restrictions - US into Canada
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Oct 03 - 05:01 PM

You can buy local insurance at most Mexican border towns, I did if I was driving more than a couple of miles over the border (I lived at Lukeville, Arizona one winter and went to Sonoyta every day or two).

Canada is like an extension of the northern states as far as driving there. No problem. Language is less likely to be a difficulty. But any time there are international boundaries involved, there are risks as far as confiscation.

Now if you could just get the car rental folks to enforce their own no smoking in the cars rules. Last one I rented gave me a sinus headache the whole time I had to drive it.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Car Hire restrictions - US into Canada
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 09 Oct 03 - 01:20 PM

Another possible element in the attitude of car rental agencies toward using their cars in Mexico is the possibility that the renter may use their car in transporting drugs to the US, get caught, and possibly subject the car to confiscation, or at least a lot of legal argle-bargle to get it back.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: Car Hire restrictions - US into Canada
From: Amos
Date: 09 Oct 03 - 01:13 PM

The Mexican deal is (a) local insurance doesn't apply and (b) the risk is much higher because of the driving habits and the quality of law enforcement. As far as I recall Canadians drive okay...

A

Subject: RE: BS: Car Hire restrictions - US into Canada
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Oct 03 - 11:56 AM

Might be easier. Might be cheaper. Charge the cars on your credit card and you'll get a better exchange rate. But they charge out the wazoo if you want to do a one-way trip instead of returning the car where you got it, and you don't want to have two cars rented simultaneously while you're in Canada, do you? One you're driving and one parked across the border for when you get back?

I'd be willing to bet that taking a car to Canada is MUCH easier than taking a rental to Mexico. I never have, but boy, do they threaten dire consequences if you do it.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Car Hire restrictions - US into Canada
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Oct 03 - 11:32 AM

Hmm. Wonder if it would be better to hire two cars...

Thanks. I expect this one will run and run...

Subject: RE: BS: Car Hire restrictions - US into Canada
From: Amos
Date: 09 Oct 03 - 11:05 AM

I think its the legal and business overhead of doing two countries rather than one -- insurance is different, recovery is difficult, doing business with repair shops is different, and all told it is a layer of overhead that doesn't add much tot he profit margin and may be a loss.

A

Subject: BS: Car Hire restrictions - US into Canada
From: GUEST,Nickp (missing cookie and too lazy to reset)
Date: 09 Oct 03 - 10:46 AM

Sometime next year I'm planning a US/Canada trip and rather that the usual favourite Asheville NC, I'm aiming to visit friends in Boston, then move on to New Brunswick and Price Edward Island.

The questions which I'm sure fellow Catters will be able to supply sensible (or otherwise) answers to are...

Why do car hire companies seem very wary about hiring cars to people who want to drive from the US to Canda (and back needless to say)?

Is it an insurance issue or is there this strange bi-national dislike?

Is there some kind of additional premium that'll be loaded or is there a (national) hire company that is more tolerant of the whims of holiday makers!!!

All thoughts welcome,

Thanks, Nick