USA car hire

Car hire USA style - compact or convertible?

In America, everything is big. From football stadiums and freeways through to amount of food served in regular portions - it's super-sized.

Although the US has much to offer, if you want to get out and explore, be prepared for some serious driving distances and hire a car that's going to provide the comfort you'll need.

Alternatively, if you're staying around the resort area, there are some great economy hire cars that are just the ticket. We say splash out on a convertible.

Car Hire USA pick up locations

We provide USA car hire at 100s of locations across the United States of America, too many in fact to list here. To find a US car rental station near your holiday or business trip destination or arrival airport, simply complete the search form at the top of the page. In the meantime here are just a few of the many locations covered:

Towns and cities	Airports
New York City, San Francisco, Las Vegas, San Diego, Chicago, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Orlando, Atlanta	Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Las Vegas McCarran International Airport, Dallas/Fort Worth airport, Denver International, San Diego International, Chicago/O'Hare, Los Angeles International Airport, Charlotte / Douglas International Airport, Houston/G. Bush Intercont'l Airport, Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport

Driving in the good ol' US of A

In the United States, you don't just 'nip down to the shops'. With the distances involved even the local take-away can mean a marathon drive. Most holidays to the USA are of the 'Fly-Drive' variety and there's good reason for this.

Huge freeways, seemingly complicated junctions and strange rules - don't panic, the mechanics of it are actually easier than you may think! Take your time, plan in advance and you'll soon find that it will all fall into place.

• For help and advice on driving in the US, why not check out usatourist.com.
• Most hire cars in the US are automatic rather than manual gear box or gear shift/shift stick. This may be daunting to some but after a while, using 2 pedals instead of 3 soon becomes second nature.
• If you are the driver, make sure you carry your driving licence and car rental documents with you at all times. You may be asked to show your documents on the spot by a Police officer.
• If you are pulled over by a police officer, stay in your car and let the officer approach you. Do not under any circumstances get out of your car.
• The drink driving laws in Florida are extremely strict and driving after drinking will invalidate your rental car insurance too. You are not allowed to have alcohol in your car either, so make sure it's stored in the boot/trunk.
• Remember, if you're heading out on the open road, make sure that you have a full tank of fuel as the distance from one petrol station to another can literally be hundreds of miles.

Speed Limits in the US

The maximum speed limits on US roads and freeways varies from state to state. The national speed limit was 55 MPH up until 1987, the speed limit now varies from between 60mph and 80mph depending in which state you're driving.

Variances apply to rural and urban roads across the states so careful attention should be paid to the speed limits in each state.

Like at home, there are speed restrictions which are sometimes enforced by radar. Make sure you are under the speed limit or you risk an on-the-spot fine. Note that some roads also have minimum speed restrictions - go too slow and you could also face a fine!

Motorway Tolls or Turnpikes

Some states have an RF tag that automatically bills the commuter's account electronically for tolls.

Examples of this are the E-ZPass electronic toll collection system used on most toll bridges and toll roads in the eastern U.S. from Virginia to Maine, and recently extended to be compatible with Illinois's I-Pass; Houston's EZ Tag, which also works in other parts of the state of Texas, California's FasTrak, Indiana's I-Zoom, and Florida's SunPass.

Traffic in these special lanes can move well with minimal slowing. Toll roads are only in 26 states as of 2006. The majority of states without any turnpikes are in the West and South.

US Places of interest

With a country as huge as the US it's difficult to know where to begin. Much of where you can go depends on if you're staying in one place and how long you're staying for. Depending on where you are, here are just some of the top US must see sites.

• Las Vegas, Nevada is the largest center for adult entertainment in the entire world. It offers gambling, glitzy entertainment and unbelievably extravagant architecture.
• Orlando, Florida is the largest center for family entertainment in the entire world. It offers Disney World, the largest family amusement complex on this planet, plus Universal Studios, Sea World, Wet and Wild and several other major attractions.
• New York City is the largest metropolitan center in the USA. It is famous for the Statue of Liberty, Empire State building, United Nations, museums, Broadway theaters, restaurants, Times Square, nightlife and shopping.
• Los Angeles, California is the second largest city in the USA and the largest metropolitan center on the west coast. It includes many different communities including Hollywood, home of the moviemakers, and Beverly Hills, home of the movie stars.
• San Francisco is the other great city in California. It is smaller than Los Angeles and does not have the warm tropical beaches, but it is much more scenic. Hillside streets lined with Victorian houses overlook a large blue bay surrounded by pastoral mountains.
• The Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona is one of the greatest natural wonders of the world. It is a mile deep (1,500 meters) and over 15 miles (20 km) wide by 100 miles (150 km) long.
• Yosemite National Park, California contains one of the most beautiful alpine valleys ever seen. 2,000-feet high vertical granite cliffs with nearly a dozen cascading waterfalls surround the glacially eroded Yosemite Valley.
• Washington DC, the capital of the USA, is a beautiful and interesting city. It is filled with numerous monuments, museums and public parks including the White House, the US Capitol and many other government buildings.
• Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming has the largest collection of geysers, hot springs and thermal phenomena in the world. This huge National Park is populated with bison, elk, bears and wildlife in great abundance.