Newly qualified driver in US

[jessiac]

I am a learner driver in the UK, and I expect to pass my test in around three weeks. I would like to visit the USA in around June next year, and because of all the horror stories surrounding public transport I would like to rent a car. So I have three questions

Comments

[tenebrosity]

1) i don't know
2) it depends on where you are going in the US. most places outside of large cities like nyc and san francisco don't have a system in place to get everywhere you need to be.
3)i don't know about how hard, but yes they are in the same position, just on the other side of the driver.
always remember that whatever country you are driving in, the passenger side should be between you and the side of the road. hence, in the US you are driving on the right and in the UK you are driving on the left.
sometimes when i would have to switch back and forth i would get a little confusedin the moment, yeah.

[jessiac]

Cool, thanks. I would like to visit outside the main built up areas..I have already been to New York and San Francisco and it would be nice to go off the beaten track, as it were. I was kind of hoping that the gears would all be completely reversed so the movement would be the same. Oh well, I suppose you'd get used to it! Is it hard to change with the right hand?

[jessiac]

eep! I'll take your word for it. I suppose it would just be better to go with automatic if that's what's available.

[fatenoir]

1) how old are you? rental companies here in the states vary on what age they will rent to. no clue in the international license aspects.

2) depends on the city - some cities are FANTASTIC and you couldnt pay me own a car in many of them. where are you going?

3)in my personal experience driving an automatic is a thousand times easier than driving a manual, esp in a 'foreing to you' car. im uncertain you would even be able to rent a manual here in the state tbh.

[jessiac]

I would be 19 when I took the trip. I'm kind of apprehensive about automatics because I would never have used one before and I would probably be pressing imaginary clutches and trying to move non-existant gear levers. No manual renting? bah. I suppose I would have to look it up.

[fatenoir]

i think its very easy to adjust to an automatic, as the name implie. it is automatic.

i think you are over stressing a bit.

when you first start driving im sure you would hit the break accidenatally while accelorating, as the break in automatics are where you would be used to the clutch. but its just stop. go. just use your right foot. done and done. as far as trying to change gears there maybe a the gear shift where a manual is, but most automatics require you to push a button to change anything so no harm no foul. others have the gearshift at the steering wheel so you wouldnt have to worry. all depends on make of car.

19 - you will pay around 25$ more per day as age penalty. not all rental agencies rent to the under 21 - so you would have to check around.

[dirkcjelli]

It'll be very hard to rent a car, then... and it is probably not a bright idea.

If you're going a relatively short distance, you can always take a cab... if not, then a bus is probably your best option.

[jessiac]

I would be 19.

[jessiac]

Ok, well as I would be 19 that's a bit annoying. I kind of want to get away from major cities...don't they have that 'Greyhound' bus service? Is that fairly cheap/acccessible?

[jessiac]

Ah, the key question. I was thinking of doing Camp America first, and then travelling around for a couple of weeks afterwards. Ideally, I would like to be in the midwest mainly because I have visited New York and San Francisco and I would like to get a feel of less urban parts of the US.

[_nicolai_]

1. Expect to pay more, ensure you check with the rental company. Ensure you get it in writing (email, etc), do not believe verbal promises from staff on the phone from US rental companies on this sort of thing

[jessiac]

Great information, thanks. So are we talking constant 'light touch' on the break? Do you have to use the handbreak more? Like in three point turns where you have to handbreak to balance the clutch and gas..does the car do that autmoatically for you or do you have to compensate for it?

[fatenoir]

we dont use hand brakes in automatics. that is only for parking.

in an automatic it will *automatically* move forward (very slowly from a full stop) unless the brake is depressed.

[dirkcjelli]

The handbreak is used only for parking on hills.