Renting a car in the US and driving to Canada

[Disney Princess]

We're heading to Toronto, Niagara (Ontario), Montreal, and Ottawa this summer. We are finding airfare is much cheaper to Buffalo than it is to go international to Toronto. We're planning to rent a car anyway to get us from city to city. Is there any reason we can't rent the car in the US and drive it up to Canada? We'd get a RT rental as we'd fly into and home from BUF.

I can't think of any reason that would make this impossible, but I wanted to make sure there wasn't something we weren't thinking of.

Thanks.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Many rental car companies allow this, but you'll have to check with your rental company. You also need to make sure you're covered by your own car insurance, your credit card, or other type of supplemental insurance.

 

[Starwind]

There are some weird rules re: cross-border driving of rental cars. In addition, some rental car companies will not allow it at all or will only allow it with extra fees, and they may put mileage limits.

Your best option is to contact your rental company -- both their webpage (where they may specify their relevant policies) and actually calling them.

Also, insurance is a consideration. Make sure you ARE appropriately insured, know what you are are and are not covered for and the limits, and have the proper paperwork (e.g. when I drove my US plated personal car to Canada my US insurance company gave me a special document that I had to carry as proof of insurance-in-canada (there was no extra cost to be covered in Canada as long as I was only there a certain max # of days and only visiting, and they mailed the document free, but the document was necessary as proof of insurance).

SW

 

[Muskrat191]

If you have trouble finding a car rental that allows you to drive across the border, there are a bunch of airport shuttles that regularly cross from Niagara (ON)/Hamilton to the Buffalo airport. You could use a shuttle to cross the border and have them drop you off at a rental agency on the Canadian side.

 

[JessM]

For what its worth... I rented a car this past February in Seattle (thru National) and drove it to Whistler, BC and back. No issues crossing the border and my rate included unlimited miles.