You are young and adventurous. There are so many places you want to see and so many new destinations to experience. Traveling can be your chance to see the world, meet new people, and spend some time far from your parents. So, you are ready to drive in the world and fly in the face of difficulties. And you feel great with it until you try to rent a car. Being 21-25 years old is enough to call for budget car rental in Calgary. Actually, it is not a big problem to take a car if you are 18 or older in our days. Instead, not all rental car companies trust you to drive their cars.
How old do you need to be to RENT A CAR?
The truth is, you have to be at least 20 years old. However, different companies have different rules and requirements. Of course, most of the major rental agencies base their age requirements on state regulations. Thus, if New York state allows renting car for people age 18, you will never have problems with hiring a car over there just like with booking a hotel. But, to take a car for rent in Mississippi, you have to be 21 years old minimum. One way or another, young drivers may have limitation on renting luxury cars, vans, and business class vehicles. Also, you need a valid driver’s license, credit card, and probably, a person to help you on the road, so-called co-pilot.
How to pick the car? RECOMMENDATIONS FOR YOUNG DRIVERS
- Forget about speedy cars. It is better to stay away from high horsepower. It can be dangerous to drive a speedy car for an inexperienced driver.
- Forget about minicars and small cars. As the practice shows, bigger cars are safer than small and compact cars. The best choice for you may be any of midsize cars, or small SUV so that you have a chance to survive when you suddenly crush the car. At the same time, be aware of driving vans, offroaders, trailers. Big cars can be difficult to control.
- Safety is a MUST. First of all, your car must be equipped with ESC, or electronic stability control, so that you will always feel safe and never lose control on a slippery road or on curves. Also, check the safety belts, strong roof and sides.
THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN RENTING CAR UNDERAGED
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Choice of cars
The choice of cars is always big, depending on the car rental company you are going to deal with. It is rather obvious that the choice of cars for underage drivers is limited and you can’t hire a luxury car or one of vintage cars. Of course, young drivers have no enough experience to drive the elite vehicle. Just accept it!
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Fees
You can’t avoid fees as a young driver. It is approved in the company’s rental contract and you can easily check the company’s rental policy on the website. But if you could find the older co-traveler who can drive the car instead of you or together with you, you can avoid young age fees and authorize this person in the rental contract.
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Insurance
Sometimes, you can meet insurance restrictions for young drivers. It doesn’t mean that you can’t buy any type of insurance you want, not at all! But you will not have an opportunity to reduce their liability to zero in the event of an accident, for example. It may be liable for older drivers, as well.
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License
Check your driving license before you go. It is important to have all needed documents OK in accordance with the rental procedure. International driving license with valid date is a must. By the way, don’t forget that cash is not accepted for the car rental. Check your credit card.
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Rates
It is time to become a careful driver and logical renter. Look around! There are many rental companies around you. Whenever you are, you can always find the best one with better rates! You can check the rates beforehand from home and save some time and money.
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Sales
There is a chance to rent a car for cheap! How? You may use quotes! Go to the website of the rental company and get an online quote there. Use this quote when rent a car. You can take the car you like for better price.
Finally, don’t worry if you can’t rent a luxury car. There are many interesting sport cars that are still available, such as Camaros, Mustangs. So, there is no reason to believe that you will be stuck with a minivan. The choice of lux-class models for young drivers becomes bigger day by day. It is time to check what vehicles are available for your age.
