rental car insurance in the U.S.?

I called Alamo again, and this time got the guy on the reservation line to say that yes, the insurance and all is included. I explained to him that I live in the UK, but my passport and driver's license are for the U.S., and he said that's fine -- but I hope he understood me, as he had a think Indian accent and was speaking fast (so maybe I didn't understand him entirely, either). But I think it's ok. He suggested I call the Atlanta terminal, which I have done in the past and no one answered even though I called a few times during business hours.

maybe i've just been lucky, but i have done holidayautouk in the US 3 or 4 times on my US license with no issue. i have a UK one but wasn't asked about it. also, my UK amex DOES have full insurance coverage, so maybe you could call them and get a temp policy to top up what you need.

maybe i've just been lucky, but i have done holidayautouk in the US 3 or 4 times on my US license with no issue. i have a UK one but wasn't asked about it.

Good to know, thanks!  Next time, if I don't find the same deal elsewhere, I'll give holidayautos a try.

maybe i've just been lucky, but i have done holidayautouk in the US 3 or 4 times on my US license with no issue. i have a UK one but wasn't asked about it. also, my UK amex DOES have full insurance coverage, so maybe you could call them and get a temp policy to top up what you need.

I'm looking into a UK AMEX now. It mentions travel accident insurance, but says exclusions apply and you get the details with the information that comes with the card. I'll try to apply, but all other cards I've tried to get in the UK won't let us have one because we haven't been here for six months (we will by Aug. 9, though, which won't be in time for us to buy airline tickets if we make this trip and want to buy tickets before prices go up more, but may will be in time for car rental if we wait until just before the trip -- if the card gets to us quickly. We may just hold off the trip as all these car rental problems on top of my mobility issues are just making it seem like it will be more stress than it's worth).

are just making it seem like it will be more stress than it's worth).

Hey thats the way I feel.
I was all set to go to the UK and got on this site and saw numerous issues. The money for a start. The pound is getting futher away and prices are got out of sight. Example. Self catering cottages 500 pounds a week. Cost of a restaurant. Fish and chips. Transportation.
I'm starting to feel like coming from the US is like coming from a third world country except we have very cheap cost of living (come to think of it so do most third world countries)

I forgot to say but:........I booked car hire in Feb for myself alone when I went home to Oklahoma for 3 weeks........thru flight network...and didn't have a problem with the car hire. The guy at the other end didn't even know I had booked it from the UK. Going thru a consolidator like holidayautos is easy really.... I think you are stressing to much on the fact of your drivers license..the guy I picked the keys up from in Oklahoma could have cared less.!

It is much cheaper for us living in the UK to book at car hire thru a consolidator than booking direct in the USA....I looked into this for my own holiday last Nov. and it worked out £450 cheaper to do it here........

Yeah, I have a feeling that the rental place couldn't care less what driver's license you're using, as long as it's valid - my concern is, what if something happens to the car and I need to claim on the insurance, but holidayautos decides that because I broke the rule about the driving license, I'm in breach of contract and wind up having to pay out of pocket?  It's a small concern, considering that I've rented about forty different cars over the past seven years and never claimed on the insurance, but since the insurance is what I'm scared to go without now that my personal auto insurance won't cover rentals (and it's what makes the cost so high!), I find myself in a bit of a catch-22 situation.   

Yeah, I have a feeling that the rental place couldn't care less what driver's license you're using, as long as it's valid - my concern is, what if something happens to the car and I need to claim on the insurance, but holidayautos decides that because I broke the rule about the driving license, I'm in breach of contract and wind up having to pay out of pocket?

Exactly my concern. It doesn't hurt them to take your money for the rental even if you don't meet the "requirements", but that will let them out of paying if there's an accident!

I'm also a tad nervous that all the car rental places say their waivers are invalid if you drive off of a paved road -- my mom lives down a dirt road! I'll be so scared driving that distance (I think it's a quarter mile or so). I've never had an accident there, but it's a narrow road and I've noticed people get in their pick-up trucks and speed recklessly down it sometimes. Because it's a rural area, even though there are a few houses out there, people drive as though they don't expect anyone else to be using the road.

I'm also a tad nervous that all the car rental places say their waivers are invalid if you drive off of a paved road -- my mom lives down a dirt road! I'll be so scared driving that distance (I think it's a quarter mile or so). I've never had an accident there, but it's a narrow road and I've noticed people get in their pick-up trucks and speed recklessly down it sometimes. Because it's a rural area, even though there are a few houses out there, people drive as though they don't expect anyone else to be using the road.

I grew up off a dirt road in Georgia - and we line-dried all our clothes.  Oh, the red clay dust.... 

I grew up off a dirt road in Georgia - and we line-dried all our clothes.  Oh, the red clay dust.... 

Ugh, we line-dried clothes, too. (Mom got a new dryer AFTER I moved out.) Going out in 90-degree heat and hanging clothes was not fun. I still wish she'd just move into town, but she loves the quiet and space she has out in the middle of nowhere. God forbid there's a heavy rain, or the road washes out!

Ugh, we line-dried clothes, too. (Mom got a new dryer AFTER I moved out.) Going out in 90-degree heat and hanging clothes was not fun. I still wish she'd just move into town, but she loves the quiet and space she has out in the middle of nowhere. God forbid there's a heavy rain, or the road washes out!

We got our first dryer when I was 15.  They finally put central heat and air into the house three weeks before I left for college.   To this day, we get 4 channels. Dial-up internet, well water, deer and possums on the back porch eating the cat food...ahh, life in the sticks. 

Holiday Autos looks brilliant for our upcoming trip to Florida, I like that the insurance is included in the price. I've still got a US license, but I'm not too concerned about that being a problem. I am only 22 though and I wonder if that would create a problem. I know most US car rental places charge an extra fee for drivers under 25, so would they do this to me even if I booked with Holiday Autos?

If anyone has some insight on this that would be great. I'll email Holiday Autos too to check their stance on it.

I'm covered in the US when I pay by Visa, but only for the loss damage waiver-about $6. I pay the $11 per day charge for comprehensive insurance.

The other thing you can do is get a friend or family member to rent a car and you drive theirs-only if they have coverage for their car no matter who drives it. In the US, most policies cover you to drive rental cars along with your own car. This saves about $16 per day and they get to drive a new car! Of course, if you have an accident, their insurance rates will probably go up, so make sure it's a good friend.