Rental Cars in California

Report by Christian S.

A challenge for every international student in Southern California is undoubtedly transportation and getting from A to B. And since public transportation in San Diego is pretty much useless or non-existent, a long-term rental car is a viable option for many students. But there are some things like insurance or age restrictions that you should take into consideration before renting a car.

Requirements for renting a car

In general, the required age for renting a car in the US is 21 years and many companies will not rent cars to people that are younger than 21 (and even if they do, usually it is horrendously expensive). Drivers between the ages of 21 and 25 usually have to pay an additional fee on rental cars – how much depends on the rental company. If you’re younger than 25, keep an eye out for young driver specials or similar offers in order to avoid this extra fee. For drivers of the ages 25 and above usually the general rate applies without any extra fees. We always booked the smallest car (Ford Focus or similar) since it is big enough for 4-5 people and significantly cheaper than the class above.

Insurance

Another important thing you should take into consideration when renting a car is the insurance: Not all rental cars in the US come with a comprehensive insurance and there is a big difference between the packages. You should always get the loss damage waiver (LDW) and general liability insurance to avoid bad surprises if something happens. An accident with an uninsured or underinsured car in the US can definitely financially ruin you if you don’t have proper protection. Furthermore, you should figure out if you are allowed to drive outside of San Diego County or the state of California if you plan on leaving the city or the state (some rental companies charge extra for leaving the state).

Rent a car in advance

We always booked our rental cars through German companies (www.billiger-mietwagen.de) since it was significantly cheaper for us and we always got special rates or a very good deal compared to the prices that you would get if you would book your car via the homepage of the rental company. Naturally, long term rentals are significantly cheaper per day than short term rentals, and you should always book a couple days in advance to avoid the usual last minute increase of the prices. Additionally, you usually want to avoid picking up a rental car at the airport since extra fees apply if you pick up your car at the airport.