Hiring a car Boston airport

[Brian Deakin]

I live in the Uk and will be visting Boston and the surounding area for a 2 week holiday in July

I plan to hire a car when we arrive at Boston Logan International airport

Questions

(1) Sugestions best map to obtain for touring area ( Cape cod,Boston, up to Bar harbour)

(2) Advice who to hire a car from

(3) Which car to hire prefferred size intermediate

(4) Any other hints and tips


regards Brian

[Lee Schierer]

You can pretty much let price be your guide. Any of the car rental agencies in the airport will have a good vehicle. Base your choice on how many people you will need to carry and how much luggage you will have to fit in the boot. Sub-compact and Compact cars will handle 1-2 medium sized pieces of luggage. Full size or standard cars will hold more luggage. Typically 4 suitcases. Some rental agencies also can provide GPS systems that will guide you to your destinations, but may be at an added cost. If you already own a GPS unit, you can likely get a chip that will have U.S. maps that will fit your unit for a small cost.

Boston is one of the worst places to drive due to traffic and poor drivers, so be careful particularly during morning and evening rush hours.

[Matt Meiser]

When I read "hiring a car" my first thought was a car service, basically a fancy taxi. Different terminology over here :)

National is my company of choice for rental. Hate renting from Enterprise. Hertz seems good. I think that's everyone I've used in probably 10 years with National probably being 95% of that. My problem with Enterprise is that it has been my experience they buy the most stripped down car they can, and as a result you may not have keyless entry, cruise control, etc. National is good about giving away their Emerald Club to businesses so that their employees are more likely to rent. I can usually be off the plane and on the road in 15-30 minutes at most airports with that, and I usually get a nicer car than I am paying to rent.

Maps...Google maps and GPS for me. Last atlas we bought at a big box store was so bad I couldn't have used it to navigate in a city I knew.

From Boston to Bar Harbor there are 2 major routes. One is Interstate up to Augusta then across to the island. The other winds its way down the coast and is much more scenic but takes considerably longer. We went up the Interstate so we could get to Bar Harbor from the western outer suburbs of Boston in one day, spent about 4 or 5 days there, then took the scenic route back, stopping at Liberty Tool Company and Lie Nielsen on the way to Freeport where we spent about 2 days. Then because there was a noreaster coming we skipped a planned day in eastern NY and instead drove from Freeport to NE Ohio in one looonnngggg day.

In Bar Harbor, definitely eat at one of the roadside lobster pounds, check out Hulls Cove Tool Barn, and take one of the cruises out on the bay. We've taken our 6th grade daughter to the Vegas area, to visit family in St. Louis and Minneapolis, to Disney in Florida and on a Disney Cruise to the Bahamas. If you ask her what vacation she wants to do again the first one she mentions is Maine.

[Wade Lippman]

All car rental agencies are the same; I just rent from whoever is cheapest.
I now am driving a rental in Charleston SC. Thrifty was cheapest, so I chose them; $58/day. Every few days I would check and change to the new lower price.... 58-48-47-46. I also checked with Priceline and bid 25. They rejected my first two offers, but got the third. Not only is it half the price but is at the terminal rather than off site like the thrifty. But the game was over because it had to be paid for in advance and can't be canceled. However, it was 1/3rd of the price they had on their website. Go figure, priceline came though.

Two weeks is a long time to spend in Boston. Drive up to Maine as you suggested, down to Boston, or even over to Vermont and Quebec.

[Steve Friedman]

Boston is one of the worst places to drive due to . . . poor drivers . . .
^ This, but I would probably have written it in red, bold, capital letters. There's a common euphemism for Massachusetts drivers that I can't post on SMC, but you may be able to figure it out. Here are some excerpts from one website describing the basic rules for driving in Boston:

The geographical center of Boston is in Roxbury. Due north of the center we find the South End. This is not to be confused with South Boston, which lies directly east from the South End. North of the South End is East Boston and southwest of East Boston is the North End. And, the Back Bay was filled in years ago.

Always look right and left before proceeding through a green light.

When on a one way street, stay to the right to allow for oncoming traffic to pass.

Always look both ways when running a red light.

Honk your horn the instant the light changes.

Breakdown lanes are not for breaking down, but for speeding, especially during rush hour. Breakdown lanes may also end without warning causing traffic jams as people merge back in.

Never use directional signals when changing lanes. They only warn other drivers to speed up and not let you in.

To signal a lane change, look in the direction you're about to go, as you do so. Wearing a baseball cap is considered an extra safety measure.

Making eye contact revokes your right of way.

Whenever possible, stop in the middle of a crosswalk to ensure inconveniencing as many pedestrians as possible. And if a pedestrian ahead of you steps into the road, speed up loudly and chase them up on the curb. Pedestrians have no rights.

On a multi-lane highway, always drive in the left lane, even if there are others wanting to pass. Stay in the left lane until the last possible instant before cutting across all lanes to the exit.

When road conditions are hazardous, swerve in and out of lanes, to pass slower moving vehicles.

Communicating with other drivers and pedestrians is important. Gesture often.

The furthest right lane is reserved for passing. The furthest left lane is reserved for slower moving vehicles.

If you miss your exit, stop abruptly and back up.

When another car pulls up close behind you and "flashes their brights", slam on your brakes.

Taxi Cab drivers are highly trained professionals. Observe and learn from their masterful techniques and driving skills.

I'll add that Boston taxi drivers are the worst in the world. They all drive as if it's their first day in the city - none of them have a clue as to where anything is or how to get there. Make sure you have a GPS device with you before getting into a Taxi. Only problem is GPS doesn't work when you're in a Tunnel.

By the way, you don't need (or want) a car when you're staying in the city. Boston is a very walkable city and the mass transportation system (the "T") is excellent. I wouldn't rent a car until you're ready to start your out-of-town trips. There are lots of car rental places downtown - try Enterprise. If it's cheaper to rent at the airport, you can always take the Silver Line (subway) to the airport to pick up a rental when you need one.

Size of car depends on where you're driving and how comfortable you want to be. I always like renting large SUVs when on vacation because I like having the extra space. Gas (petrol) is expensive, but much cheaper than in the U.K.

Have fun.

Steve

[Curt Harms]

I doubt this will be an issue but be certain that renting with a (presumably) UK credit card is okay. The rental agents will likely push insurance coverages. I generally decline because my normal auto insurance covers rentals, your situation may warrant some sort of coverage. Which leads to -- driving in Boston, yeah the only place I've been where driving is considered a contact sport.

[Brian Deakin]

A huge thank you to everyone for your advice

In summery is it best to rent a car using priceline.com rather than hire the car at the airport

if so which off site hire company would you use

regards Brian

[Matt Meiser]

I would go right to the rental company of your choice. A lot of stuff like Priceline is prepaid and if you have to change plans the bargain suddenly isn't. You'll pay a premium (or maybe even be out of luck) if you don't reserve in advance.

On site vs off site usually just depends on the airport. Some have onsite rental, some have a consolidated offsite facility and some are offsite privately owned locations. Don't know what Logan has.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Before you rent, today for example, contact directly an onsite airport car rental company, ask about a specific model car and ask price. Then contact the same company at an off airport location, ask about the same car and get quote. In some airports like DFW, the airport tax charged if you rent at the airport vs away from the airport can make a significant difference in the overall rental expense. A taxi might cost you a few dollars twice...once each way to the off airport location. The airport taxes can often be significantly more than taxi fare.

[Brian Deakin]

My reaserch to date has identifed this as the best deal

Weekly Rate:
$176.49 (1 x $176.49)


Extra Daily Rate
$49.98 (2 x $24.99)


Taxes and Fees: (details)
$49.46


Total Amount Due at Pick-Up:
prices are in US dollars
$275.93






plus

purchase collision damage coverage for $11.00 per day.

for a compact car collecting from



Mariott Copley Place, 110 Huntington Avenue,
Boston, MA 02110

I would have cost of the $8 for subway travel 4 people

total cost $8 (subway) +$276 (car hire) + $99 (insurance) =$383 for 9 days compact car

[Brian Elfert]

One issue to consider with off-site car rentals is the hours of operation. Off-site rentals tend to be open mostly during the business day. Some are open weekends. Airport operations are usually open until at least midnight and sometimes 24 hours a day. If your flight arrives outside business hours the off-site rental is an issue.

[Matt Meiser]

Hours, whether they'll actually have the car you reserved, the pain of actually getting there. Is the hassle or potential hassle worth maybe $100?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

The reason I am aware of the tax rates at DFW is because I experienced it by surprise and then had to answer to my manager. I traveled for 2 weeks of training in the Dallas area. When I paid for the rental car with my corporate credit card I about had a heart attack. Here's a link stating the taxes at the airport added 41% to the base price. http://articles.latimes.com/2006/aug/05/business/fi-biztravel5

I was informed by my manager that often it's cheaper to take a cab to an offsite rental agency. It can be the same company, same car but you escape the airport fees/taxes. The amount is big enough it's worth checking out.

[Von Bickley]

Be prepared for the Boston drivers..... You may want some medication.

[Chris Padilla]

Check with your current insurance carrier in the UK. Do they cover you here in the US? Insurance is typically a rip-off to get from a car rental place. If you have an American Express card, you can get pretty nice coverage from them for like $18 total. Well, at least that is available here in the US. When I took my family on vacation in Cancun, Mexico, AMEX covered me for the whole 2 weeks for $18 for my car rental there. Any of the online airline/hotel/car rental places work: expedia, priceline, hotwire, cheaptickets, etc. Anymore, they are all linked to each other and you can often visit one and you'll get prices for a few others.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

BTW Brian.....where you are going....they drive on the wrong side of the road and they talk funny!

[Jim Matthews]

I live in South Coastal Massachusetts.

I don't think it's necessary to have a car, while in Boston.
It may not be up to Tube standards, but the MBTA is a
decent underground system.

Get your car when leaving the area,
it's an unnecessary burden around town.

I recommend the Seaport Hotel, which is the South End of Boston.
http://www.seaportboston.com/Visit-Boston/getting-around.aspx

In the parking garage of the Seaport Hotel is a ZipCar kiosk.
http://www.zipcar.com/boston/check-rates

While not traditional, they're more than willing to rent on short notice - for shorter periods than the traditional car rental.

If it was me (and it isn't) I would hire a limousine to take all from the Boston hotel to your next stop,
and forgoe driving altogether. The roads between Boston, MA and Newport, RI are not what anyone will call scenic.

Avoid Massachusetts Rte. 24, it's a two-lane road notorious for aggressive driving at high speeds.
http://www.boston.com/metrodesk/2012/07/30/nine-drunk-drivers-arrested-tickets-issued-route-crackdown/nXVk25F3X23YyGJzzflqsO/story.html

[Myk Rian]

(1) Sugestions best map to obtain for touring area ( Cape cod,Boston, up to Bar harbour)
When we went to New England, we had 3 maps, and still had a hard time finding out-of-the-way places.

[James Conrad]

If you can, I would skip the car while in Boston. It will cost you as much as the daily rental to valet or self park in town. Hire a car service to get from the airport, but it is convienet to have the car if plans change on the fly. National Car Rental often has the best deals and if you join their Emerald Club, which is free, you often get additional discounted rates and specials. They offer GPS in the car for an additional fee, might be worth just buying one though. Check out their website for all the details, they are very easy to deal with. Yes, Mass drivers are aggressive and we view using a turn signal as a sign of weakness ( somewhat kidding ) but just take your time, it's not that bad, certainly no worse than driving in any busy metro area. I've got worse driving stories from NY, NJ, MD and D.C. than here.

The best maps are the DeLorme Atlas and Gazetteers, very detailed with tons of information for each state. Their HQ is in Yarmouth, ME right off Rt 95 just north of Portland. Order them online ahead of time though. You can get to Bar Harbor leaving Rt 95 in Brunswick, Augusta or Bangor. Quickest route will be up to Bangor and down to Bar Harbor, although longest by mileage. Jumping off at Augusta is ok probably second fastest depening on route, but if you are going to do that, you might as well take Rt 1 from Brunswick, more coastal scenic I suppose. Route 1 can be very busy with choke points at Wiscassett, Damariscotta and Camden areas where traffic can be high during peak travel times and on weekends during the summer. Depends on your timing really and what you want to see along the way.

[Joe Tilson]

From what these folks are saying, sounds a lot like London doesn't it?