first time hiring a car in usa

hi new to the forum what a little goldmine it is i will be going to the states in september california (not orlando what a fraud using this site;)) starting in san francisco and road tripping south visiting monterey san diego and wherever takes our fancy before flying back from la. have looked around and the car hire on this site seems to be the most reasonable and up front so will probably book with them. any way just after helpful tips and advice on general things from paper work insurance etc to things like driving on the wrong side of the road an anything else that would help a furst time driver

Hi Scott, welcome to the forum :D You are right, this site is a goldmine! I also used the carhire when we went to the west coast and received the usual great service.

If you are going down route one along the coast, I would prebook your accomodation and plan to spend a day or two in different coastal places so you can stop and do some sight seeing.

Good choice! The drive along Highway 1 is spectacular.

If I could offer a couple of tips:

Firstly, gas stations are much less plentiful in the US and on some parts of the Highway 1 there's quite a distance between them. I'd strongly advise filling up at every opportunity. Lovely as it is, running out of fuel won't be fun.

Secondly, it's a long way and you'll be missing a lot if you try to do too many miles in a day. I'd advise taking your time and seeing as much as you can. I see Santa Barbara and Montecito aren't on your list - for me that's a shame.

Finally, a convertible would really enhance the trip although less so if there's more than 2 of you. (and don't forget the Beach Boys CD [msnwink])

http://dmv.ca.gov/top_nav/top_nav_pdf_link.htm

Think this link will help you

Welcome to the forum! You're right it's a gold mine.

Driving is very easy in the US, although sometimes in LA it can be ... hair-rising... no more than in any big city I guess but is there a bigger city? :D I drive on the right side of the road (litterally guys ;)) so I don't know how long it takes to get used to the other side. All cars being automatic it helps probably. Most highways and streets are oriented North/ South and East/West, with street names for one orientation and numbers for the other. Once you get accustomed to it you can't get lost if you know where the sun is .:D

I lived some time in the US and here are some humble hints and tips:

Be very respectful of speed limits, they always seem to be hidden somewhere. If you do something wrong (sh.. happens) and a cop stops you: never, ever, ever get out of the car (and I'm not kidding). And I think in California they are very very strict about drink and drive (and they're right to be). By the way remember to have any alcoholic beverage in a paper bag and in the trunk. It includes beer.

They have in the US crossroads with 4 stop signs. Law says priority to the one on your right. In reality you look at who was there before you arrived and when they've passed it's your turn. Very very disturbing for a French driver (we're not exactly known for our courtesy on the roads, unfortunately[:I]). Don't know if you have those in the UK, maybe you do. We don't, I can't even imagine what a disaster that would be.

You can turn right on the red light if there's a sign that allows it. Again, we don't have those here, so didn't know when I was first there. A pedestrian actually stooped to tell me [msnembarrased]. And the lights can be hanging in the middle of the intersection: my husband ended up stopping at the red light... in the middle of traffic!

I did a lot of road trips by myself there and one thing I always did was stop at Welcome Stations on the road: you get great deals on hotels, restaurants and visits. There I always asked which sides of the city I was going to visit I should avoid. You can also ask this at your hotel, or to any cop you'll encounter. In the US like anywhere else, there are places you don't want to be.

That's all I can think of right now, I'm sure there will be plenty of other advices coming in.

Driving in the US can be the easiest thing in the world. Wide roads, straight roads and automatic cars; piece of cake. As previously said, city drivng is city driving. As Katys Grandad has posted, the distances can be large. We once drove from Vegas to the Grand Canyon and back in a day; too much.

I agree about Santa Barbara don't miss it. There's a cafe on the main street that sells the biggest puddings i have ever seen-even by american standards!---anyway i digress- i hit LA at 5pm on a Friday afternoon-I was in a nose to tail traffic jam on a 6 lane highway when my petrol light started-I survived-the usual things apply though i suppose-be courteous, patient and don't lose your concentration on highway 1.Enjoy!

nothing is set in stone for the road trip so quite open to suggestions this will be our honeymoon so part of it will just be going where we feel like and maybe stopping some places for a few days all we know is we have 11 days to get 500 odd miles so we won't be rushing too much the other half fancies a winery tour and we would like to see the great red wood trees. not too concerned with la as no one sems to have many good things to say about it so might spend a little longer in san diego

We did some of this route last October and loved Monterey and watching the seals and otters. In San Diego the views from Point Loma national park are fabulous and you can see for miles, including Mexico and watching the sunset over the sea is a sight not to be missed.

Have a great holiday.

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Katys Grandad
Good choice! The drive along Highway 1 is spectacular.

If I could offer a couple of tips:

Firstly, gas stations are much less plentiful in the US and on some parts of the Highway 1 there's quite a distance between them. I'd strongly advise filling up at every opportunity. Lovely as it is, running out of fuel won't be fun.

Secondly, it's a long way and you'll be missing a lot if you try to do too many miles in a day. I'd advise taking your time and seeing as much as you can. I see Santa Barbara and Montecito aren't on your list - for me that's a shame.

Finally, a convertible would really enhance the trip although less so if there's more than 2 of you. (and don't forget the Beach Boys CD [msnwink])
[/quote]

If you decide to go to Montecito you also must take in Carmel and pop into the Hogs Breath the pub that used to be owned by Clint Eastwood. Seventeen Mile drive is also a must for beautiful scenery.

You aren't confusing Montecito with Monterey are you Roger? I agree both are well worth visiting.