Car hire in San Fran - any advice

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ava1

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we are travelling to san francisco in a few months time and wondering if anyone has used fox hipre or if there are any tips you may have on car hire for there

Kind Regards
ava1
 
Book in advance. Saves the money big time. Get all the insurance you can for the car. I have used Hertz numerous times and never had a problem. Go for Neverlost sat nav also unless you like reading maps and you like a challenge.
 
A colleague of mine always seems to blag a "free" upgrade just in case that's of any use to you and you want to try it.
 
always use the US sites and when asked what country you live in say, US. It will give you a cheaper rate
 
Really, I never knew that. Would you not be sunk when you go to enter your address details?
 
ClubMan said:
A colleague of mine always seems to blag a "free" upgrade just in case that's of any use to you and you want to try it.
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I routinely get free upgrades when using hertz. I always choose the smallest car which they never have available and they will offer you the next size up free of charge.

In the unlikely event they have the smallest car available, I would pay the $2 (the stated cost is a lot higher but it can be haggled down) a day to upgrade. :)
 
Have never been let down by Hertz and, as experienced by others, usually get an upgrade when you order Neverlost as the smaller cars don't come with sat nav generally.
 
My experience of car hire in SF was about 10 years ago.
Didn't book in advance but got fixed up with Hertz I think it was.
The only problem for me was that the car was automatic which I hadn't used before so that along with the other side of the road thing left me a tad nervous ! I have to say though that I had no problem at all driving in the city and environs. Typically the city is laid out in blocks and if there are no traffic lights you must yield at every junction.
Didn't have sat nav back then so I was going to say do your research re route planning etc.
Did a good bit of driving maybe 1000 miles in a week going both north and south of the city - took in Lake Tahoe, Reno, Yosemite, Carmel, Pebble Beach etc. Had a fantastic time. I hope you do too.
An old trick is to pretend you are on honeymoon and you might get a free upgrade to say a soft top sports - weather permitting of course !!
 
Slightly off topic but... although a car is fantastic for the area around San Fransisco, I think it'd be as much of a hinderance as a help for actual city sightseeing. We were there in August and the public transport is good - in fact taking the street cars and the trams is an intrinsic part of the San Fran tourist experience!!! It's also very hilly and difficult to drive around and impossible to park in I beleive - both guide books we bought said don't bother with the car until the day you decide to explore the outskirts. HTH.
 
Parking in downtown San Francisco runs at $25 an hour and on street parking is non existant. If you think that the clampers in Dublin are tough they are soft compared to the SFPD traffic enforcement department who will tow away your car for any parking violations.

When I was last there parking was $15 a day in the hotel but it is best to use public transport until you are ready to go to the outskirts.
 
I'd agree - San Francisco is like New York unusual for a US city in that a car is more of a liability than an asset, if you're in the city itself.

There's loads of areas around though where you really need one to get around. My advice would be to not bother with getting one if your in and around the city centre for a few days, and then hire one for venturing further afield.

I've also always used Hertz with no problems. I'd highly recommend Sat Nav as an option.
 
Used Fox in San Diego - found them to be good, cheap and reliable - would agree with those who say that car is a liability in San Fran - the only time we used on was when we ventured north to Russian River Valley - and the parking charges are outrageous also
 
This summer I used Budget in L.A. and drove to San Fran. I highly recommend getting a Sat. Nav. system with the car. I paid 10 dollars a day for this and couldnt have managed the freeways without it.
 
I'd echo comments about needing the car in SAn Fran.

I drove there and only hung onto the car for a day and drove around to places I couldn't get to my public transport which is very few.

Parking was $35 in the hotel so I got ride of the car as soon as I could.
 
I had a car for travelling around California, a couple of years ago. Stayed 3 days in San Francisco. Ended up leaving it at the hotel, for the whole stay and used the public transport system which is excellent.

But if you are going out of the city e.g. to Yosemite or Napa Valley, definitely get a car. If you book online ahead of the trip, you will get a much better price. I usually use Hertz, they are quite good. Never got a free upgrade but usually they would offer it for a small markup fee which works out less expensive than if you got the larger car in the first place.
 
redchariot said:
But if you are going out of the city e.g. to Yosemite or Napa Valley, definitely get a car. If you book online ahead of the trip, you will get a much better price. I usually use Hertz, they are quite good. Never got a free upgrade but usually they would offer it for a small markup fee which works out less expensive than if you got the larger car in the first place.
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I'd also recommend getting at least a 2 litre engine, not very eco friendly but there are a lot of hills in Yosemite!
 
Stifster said:
I'd also recommend getting at least a 2 litre engine, not very eco friendly but there are a lot of hills in Yosemite!
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In the USA, a 2L engine is a small car. Last time I hired a car over there, it tuned out to be 3.8L, that is crazy but jeez there was some acceleration
 
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