Car Rental Question

[KandiB47]

I really think this is a dumb question but my DFIL is worried about it so I'll ask. We are going to HHI this summer. We were going to rent a car in Atlanta and drive to Hilton Head (Georgia to South Carolina). DFIL seems to think people aren't allowed cross state borders with rental cars and they can track this now with GPS I think this is silly but I'm not positive that it's not true. Anybody cross state borders with their rental cars? Anybody ever run into any problems with this?

 

[AllyBri]

No such thing as a dumb question
They can tell if you leave the state and there is an additional charge. I had read something a while back about it.

 

[ncbyrne]

DH and I rent cars all the time and drive them all over the USA and twice we took cars to Canada! Most, but not all, rental agencies will give you unlimited miles and there are not restrictions on where you can go in the states. If you live near an airport, rent a car from there. ALL airport rental locations will have a policy of no restrictions on miles and where you can drive. Airport locations will have bigger fleets to choose from and lower prices. We usually rent from either National or Dollar at Newark Airport (NJ). If you rent from a local company, just call and ask if they have unlimited miles (some will give X miles free and then charge per mile after that) and if there are restrictions on where you can take the car. When checking on price at any location, be sure to ask for the bottom line as it is much higher than the daily/weekly rates - lots of surcharges at all locations.

 

[safetymom]

Some of the smaller agencies will not allow their cars to cross state lines. I would read the fine print of any rental contract for the details.

Just because an agency is located at the airport doesn't mean it will be allowed to cross state lines. Ask the agency and read the contract.

Enterprise was a company that didn't use to allow out of state travel. I don't know about now.

 

[Tigger_Magic]

I frequently rent cars and drive over state lines. I've driven as much as 1500+ miles on some rentals with no questions asked. I rent from national/large companies like Hertz, National, Budget -- all offer unlimited free miles. JMO the idea that rental car companies track where you drive is a myth.

 

[safetymom]

Many of the smaller rental companies do have a tracking device in the car. If you have a car with a navigation system in the car they can also tell where you have been.

 

[JulieEck]

I'm not sure that I've ever seen a rental that limited me to only instate driving. Usually what I see is the state I'm renting from plus any states that have a border with the original state. Does that make sense? I'm checking on renting a car for this next week locally while my car is in the shop and Enterprise is giving me unlimited miles (unless it's a minivan or SUV) if the car stays in GA, AL, MS, TN and the FL panhandle. I'm in west GA on the AL line. SC isn't included, but MS is. I think MS is just as far, if not further than SC. It states if traveling outside of those areas, the mileage is 200 miles/day and .20/add'l miles. Alamo is saying unlimited miles and doesn't state any restrictions.

When you check for rates online, it'll usually state any restrictions and the page that details the amounts. Good Luck!

 

[KandiB47]

I got several different answers so I contacted Alamo. Here's is what they emailed me:

Thank you for contacting Alamo Car Rental regarding this matter. All of our
rentals include free out of state travel, along with unlimited miles.

Sincerely,

Christine Meekins
Alamo Customer Service

 

[snowy76]

Many people rent cars specifically to drive out of state, because they don't want to put the wear on their own cars. Just check the terms of the contract from the rental agency you choose to make sure there are no additional charges.