Car Hire
The
insurance options and additional charges relating to Florida Car rental can be
complicated. There are a lot of important matters concerning local charges, some
are mandatory and others optional. It is best to be aware of this information
prior to your departure.
The size of your car
A rental
car gives you the freedom to go where you want to , when you want to and with
whom you want. The state of Florida is about the size of the UK and with all the
attractions relatively far apart you will save a lot of time by being able to
drive yourself around.
The basic
economy car, normally supplied with a fly drive deal, is suitable for 2 adults.
If your party is larger than this you may need to upgrade. Remember to consider
the amount of luggage you intend to take and of course the shopping that you
will be bringing home and the amount of driving you are planning.
Upgrading in Florida can be more expensive than upgrading before
you go, but there are often some very good deals to be struck when picking up
your rental vehicle. Don’t forget to ask about these deals when you pick up your
vehicle.
Drivers
License
All
drivers must be in possession of a full UK / European drivers license, this must
be produced to the car rental company when picking up your vehicle. Photocopies
or your express reassurance that you do have a full license will not be
accepted. Ensure that you pack it in your hand luggage before your departure.
Insurance
options and additional charges
Loss Damage Waiver
(LDW)
LDW is a
waiver of all the renters’ responsibility for loss or damage to the rented
vehicle. You should have already paid for your LDW at the time of booking your
fly/drive holiday.
Basic Third Party
Insurance and Supplementary Liability Insurance (SLI)
Basic third party
insurance is included in your fly / drive holiday package. It is limited
coverage and relates to damage or injury to the property or person of a third
party with cover of up to $10,000.00 per person, $20,000.00 per accident and
$10,000.00 property damage.
The level
of coverage it provides may be inadequate, especially if you injure a third
party. Lawsuits are common place in America, so it is strongly recommend that
you purchase top up insurance (SLI) which will increase your third party cover
to $1,000,000.00 per accident.
If you have declined this cover,
your car rental company
will
ask you to sign an indemnity form.
Local charges
In Florida the following charges apply:
·
Handling fee of between $2.50 to $5.50
per day for Florida Sales Tax on pre-paid portion of rental.
·
Airport operating fee of between $2.50 to $5.50
plus ~8.6%
of all options purchased.
·
In
Florida there is a state surcharge of ~$2.05
per day.
·
Florida State Sales Tax on the other taxable items of the rental (currently
between 6% and 7%).
Additional
drivers over 25 years
The charge for additional drivers over the age of 25 years is
approximately $5.99 per day, per driver. If you are generally going to use just
one driver for the majority of your stay in Florida then do not take out this
option. Should you wish to include an additional driver, call by any office of
the car rental company and add the additional driver then and specify how long
you wish the charge to apply for.
Fuel
Your vehicle should be provided with a full tank of petrol.
Ensure that you return the vehicle with a full tank as the car rental charges
for petrol top up is far in excess of normal pump prices.
Please ensure that you check your fly/drive holiday agreement to
ensure that you have not agreed to return the car with the fuel tank empty. If
this is the case ensure that you return the car with tank as close to empty as
you feel comfortable with.
Personal Accident
and Effects (PAE)
PAE provides medical expense, death and dismemberment benefits
for bodily injury, which results from an accident. PAE also provides for some
loss of or damage to personal property while in the rented vehicle. Your
personal travel insurance may already provide this cover so please check your
policy.
Uninsured /
Underinsured Motorist Protection (UMP)
UMP covers the renters and family
members travelling together in the rented vehicles with up to
~$300,000.00
of non-stacked coverage for bodily injury sustained while driving the rental car
and caused by another driver who has no insurance or is a hit and run driver.
Your
personal travel insurance may already provide this cover so please check your
policy.
Child seats
Child seats are compulsory for children under the age of 4 or
40lbs in weight. The cost for rental is approximately
~$4.00
per day. You can bring your own from your vehicle back home, provided it is not
too cumbersome. Ensure that you check the car for built in car seats, these do
come as a built in feature on some makes and models of rental cars.
Drivers under
25
Drivers under the age of 25 incur an additional charge of
approximately ~$20
per day, per driver.
One way
rentals
There are no charges for one way rentals in Florida. All other
one way rentals are subject to a drop charge and must be requested in advance
from the car rental company.
Car hire
vouchers
Ensure that you take your car hire
vouchers
with you in your hand luggage and
have them available when you arrive at the car rental company. The value of the
car rental
voucher will be
deducted from the total cost of your rental agreement. All other charges will be
the responsibility of the car renter.
Rules of the
Road
Please keep in mind
Florida Law requirements and restrictions:
