CAR HIRE IN THE USA

Rental Period
The price is dictated by the start date of the hire. Hire periods are calculated on a 24 hour basis, e.g. if a car is collected at 3pm on Saturday for 1 week's hire, it must be returned the following Saturday no later than 3pm. If your car is returned later than the time specified on your rental agreement, you will be charged for an extra day's hire. The maximum hire period is 56 days per rental.

Driver Identification
Drivers (including additional drivers) must present a credit card in their own name, passport and a full valid driver's licence (an Australian licence is acceptable but an International Driving Permit is not), and proof of a homeward flight ticket when picking up the car. If the licence is not in English, it must be accompanied by an International Driving Permit.

Collision Damage Waiver (CDW)
This is included and eliminates responsibility for damage to or loss of your rental vehicle with a zero excess, subject to the terms of the rental agreement not being violated.

Liability Protection (LP)
Australian motorists are accustomed to having unlimited 3rd party liability insurance, but this is not the situation in the USA. Some states have limits of liability as low as US$10,000 per person for bodily injury, US$20,000 total per accident and US$5,000 for property damage. Trailfinders therefore sells Alamo's inclusive prices, which increase 3rd party liability cover to US$1 million and also include uninsured or underinsured motorist cover up to US$100,000.

24hr Roadside Assistance
This covers most eventualities should the vehicle break down due to no fault of the driver. 'Roadside Plus' cover is not compulsory and can be taken out locally at US$5.99 per day, to protect against additional items not covered under the standard Roadside Assistance including key replacement, fuel delivery, jump start and towing.

The Right Car for You
It is important to book the right car according to your needs and party size. A smaller vehicle may be fine for a city stay, but a larger, more powerful vehicle with ample space to store all of your luggage out of sight may be better for a self drive holiday. It is also important to consider that luggage space will be greatly reduced if all seats are occupied and not as shown in the vehicle details section above.

Upgrading
It is more convenient and cheaper to do this in advance. If you have booked and paid for a particular car type and on arrival you are offered ‘an upgrade’ which you decide to take, you will be required to pay extra for it. You would also pay more for the upgrade locally than if you had originally paid for the bigger car.

Fuel
Clients must pay for a full tank at the time of pick up (except the 1st tank of fuel is FREE with our Alamo Gold prices - see above). You can return the car empty and there is no refund on unused fuel.

Young Drivers
The minimum age for hire of all vehicles is 21 years (18 years in New York State and Michigan), although a young driver surcharge of US$25 per person per day (or US$60.00 per day in New York State and Michigan) must be paid locally for drivers 24 years and younger.

Additional Drivers
Cost for additional drivers is US$10 per person per day payable locally, not applicable for California rentals or when you choose Alamo Gold. Each driver must be present to show their valid driving licence and credit card at the time of rental.

Infant/Child Seats
Infant and child seats are required by law in most states for children under 6 and must be requested in advance at US$6.99 per day plus a local refundable deposit of US$50.

Ski Racks, Roof Racks & Snow Chains
Ski racks must be requested in advance. As roof racks and snow chains invalidate the CDW, they are not recommended.

One Way Hires
One way hires must be confirmed in advance and may be subject to locally paid drop off charges. Your Trailfinders consultant will quote the one way fee valid at the time of booking (this can change without notice). Economy cars cannot be booked for one way rentals. See Special Offers for FREE one way hires in certain areas of the USA.

Driving Areas
Cars can be driven in the USA & Canada and dropped off at select Alamo depots across the border subject to additional one way charges. Cars cannot be driven into Mexico. Cars picked up in Alaska must be returned within Alaska. Cars must not be driven on unpaved roads, in which event the CDW and LP will become void. During the winter months, driving restrictions apply in national parks. Park Rangers may only allow cars fitted with snow chains into the park. As snow chains invalidate the CDW, the vehicle may have to be left and a park entered on a shuttle/tour. Please check driving restrictions with Alamo at the time of vehicle pick up.

Alamo Terms & Conditions
All car hires are subject to the legal terms, conditions and pricing procedures of Alamo Rent A Car in effect at the time of the hire. The above information is correct at time of printing. In the event of subsequent enactment of any law in the United States, whether federal, state or local, which restricts or prohibits any of those terms, conditions or pricing procedures, Alamo's terms, conditions and prices will be subject to adjustment to the extent necessary to compensate for such restriction or prohibition (includes the introduction of new Customer Facility Charges and/or Homeland Security Fees). Alamo will advise any taxes applicable to local charges at time of vehicle pick up.

Please note: all insurance coverage will be void should Alamo's Terms & Conditions as stated in your Rental Agreement be violated. Please ensure that you have read & understood the terms and charges (if applicable) that have been applied to your Rental Agreement prior to leaving the Alamo Rent a Car location. All locally payable charges quoted in the Important Information section are subject to State/localtaxes & fees and can change at any time.