Here’s how to rent a car in the USA so you have transportation in your first few days or weeks in the USA.
You definitely need transportation when you move to the USA. The biggest cities such as New York, Chicago, and Atlanta have a good bus or train system. However, in smaller cities and suburbs, you will need a car.
Check with your employer or sponsor if they will be providing you with transportation. If not, then you will need Uber, Lyft, or some other means of transportation. The other option is to rent a car.
What you need to rent a car.
In order to rent a car, you will need:
Credit card. Unfortunately, you cannot rent a car without a credit card. If you have a credit card from your home country, keep one and use it to rent a car for a few days. Just make sure to pay it.
Driver’s license. As long as your driver’s license is in English, or it has English translation, you can use it for about 30 days. In other states, you may be able to use it for a maximum of 90 days. Do check with the Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) in your destination state.
How to Rent a Car Before Arriving in the US
Go to http://CluelessintheUS.com/booking and start searching for a car.
Decide how long you’ll need a car for: a few days, or maybe a week or two. Remember that you will need a car to move around: to find an apartment, apply for your social security number, and buy groceries.
Look at the price and compare it with your budget. Depending on the time of year and the city you’re going to, you may be able to rent a car for $30 a day, or as high as $90! Just don’t go too crazy with the kind of car or SUV you’d want to rent.
Consider the rating of the car rental company. Some rental companies are better than others. Do check out the reviews and ratings left by other customers.
Choose the type of car you want. You can get a small, compact car, a small SUV, a huge SUV, or even electric cars. Just don’t go overboard and rent something too expensive!
You can choose to pay online or pay for the rental when you pick it up. My suggestion is to pay for it when you pick it up. Oftentimes, car rentals at booking.com can be canceled 48 hours the pickup date and time. So if there are changes to your schedule, you will not be charged for it when you cancel on time.
How to pick up your car rental.
When you arrive at the airport, get your luggage, and look for signs toward the car rental stations. They could be within the same airport terminal. Or it could also be off-site, which means you’ll need to ride a shuttle bus to get to the car rental office.
Just look for the signs. You can’t miss those. They would usually be near the exit and right by the ground transportation area of the airport.
Inspect your rental car before driving off! Check all sides of your rental car for any scratches or damages. Also take note if the fuel tank is full. It should be full! If not, then let the car rental staff know.
Returning your car rental.
It’s easy to return your car rental. Just fill up the fuel tank, then drive to the designated location for car rental returns. Most of the time, this is at the airport. Just drive to the airport, follow the signs for “car rental returns” and when you get there, you will just drop off the car and its keys. It’s that easy!
