Travel Tips

Travel Tip: How to Rent a Car Abroad

Steering Wheel DriverIt’s a no-brainer to book a rental car here in the U.S., but renting in another country can be confusing and expensive. Keep reading for information on how to rent a car abroad.

Your regular car insurance won’t carry over internationally, but your credit card coverage might.

However, the list of exclusions on credit card coverage can be a mile long. It may not be valid in countries like Ireland, Israel, or Jamaica. It also may not apply to certain types of vehicles or terrain.

In Mexico, you’re required to carry liability coverage. Just make sure the cost hasn’t already been included in the price.

But remember, automatic vehicles aren’t the standard in many other countries. So, call to confirm and brush up on your manual driving skills, just to be safe.

Traveling with a child? Don’t assume car seats come with your vehicle. Call ahead to make sure the agency has them available, and just as important, that they’ve been installed properly. Otherwise, you may have to bring your own.

While there’s no such thing as an international driver’s license, you can pick up an International Driving Permit which contains your name, photo ID and driver information translated into 10 languages.

For more information, visit the Car Travel Archives.

Keep reading for more travel tips.