Car Rental

artemis · #1 01-15-2006, 03:44 PM

All the guide books say driving in the DR is very scary. My sister-in-law who has been there and driven there says it's not so bad. A friend of a friend who's married to a local says renting a car now compared to 25 years ago is a piece of cake. So, biting our nails ...we've decided to rent a car. I'd love advice as to the best car rental deals and companies from the airport in Santiago. Many thanks.

rellosk · #2 01-15-2006, 04:31 PM

Santiago is on e of the more sane place to drive in the DR. As far as rental companies, stick to the main ones (National, Avis, Hertz, Budget). They may not have the best rates, but they will be the most reliable.

A smaller company that many posters on this board have used and swear by is Presitge, but I'm not sure if they service Santiago.

http://dr1.com/directories/car_renta..._rentals.shtml

jackquontee · #3 01-15-2006, 06:14 PM

Artemis, from someone who made a decision to drive internationally for the first time this past November, please do yourselves a favor and rent a car. I was glad I did. I was always concerned about driving in another country primarily because I considered that I didn't know where I was going while in other countries. Well, I finally decided if I wanted to know, I needed to start driving myself and learn how to get where I needed to go, rather than rely on the taxis.

Additionally, when I considered the cost of a taxi versus what it would cost to rent a vehicle, it made sense for me economically.

I also found that driving on the North Coast is no more difficult than in many US cities. I admit that you will see some unusual things along the way, but I assure you it will make for some interesting and fun table talk. Be as careful and defensive in your driving as you would anywhere else.

And, finally, if I recall correctly, Prestige Car Rentals does provide service in Santiago, among a host of other cities/towns. I have used them In POP, so I cannot comment on the quality of service in other places, but I can certainly vouch for their service in POP. I first used them in November, again this past December, and I will continue to use them until I decided to purchase a car there. Also, after first being made aware of them on this site I did some Internet research, and actually found that they are just as competitive in their rates as most of the other rental companies in POP. There is always a less expensive route to take but, I believe you pretty much get what you pay for.

In any event, enjoy your trip.

p.s. I assure you that I am not a paid employee, just a satisfied customer.

The Voice · #4 01-16-2006, 01:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by artemis

All the guide books say driving in the DR is very scary. My sister-in-law who has been there and driven there says it's not so bad. A friend of a friend who's married to a local says renting a car now compared to 25 years ago is a piece of cake. So, biting our nails ...we've decided to rent a car. I'd love advice as to the best car rental deals and companies from the airport in Santiago. Many thanks.

For those that are interested:

Interesting information I found out from Visa this past week. Did you know that if you rent a car using your Visa card, Visa will provide you with car rental insurance (LDW/CDW). All you have to do is decline the insurance coverage the rental company offers you. Once you decline it, Visa will automactically provide you with coverage at no extra charge. I'm going to DR in May for 16 days. Instead of paying almost a thousand dollars for the rental, I am only paying $712 for the rental. That's more money for beer.

Rocky · #5 01-16-2006, 05:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Voice

Did you know that if you rent a car using your Visa card, Visa will provide you with car rental insurance (LDW/CDW). All you have to do is decline the insurance coverage the rental company offers you. Once you decline it, Visa will automactically provide you with coverage at no extra charge.

Is that with any Visa card, or Visa Gold?
Does it apply to Visa card holders from all banks, from all countries?
Do you happen to know?
This would be very useful information for other travelers.

rellosk · #6 01-16-2006, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Voice

For those that are interested:

Interesting information I found out from Visa this past week. Did you know that if you rent a car using your Visa card, Visa will provide you with car rental insurance (LDW/CDW). All you have to do is decline the insurance coverage the rental company offers you. Once you decline it, Visa will automactically provide you with coverage at no extra charge. I'm going to DR in May for 16 days. Instead of paying almost a thousand dollars for the rental, I am only paying $712 for the rental. That's more money for beer.

Are you sure that applies to international rentals. At one point they were only doing it for domestic (US/Canada) rentals.

HOWMAR · #7 01-16-2006, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Voice

For those that are interested:

Interesting information I found out from Visa this past week. Did you know that if you rent a car using your Visa card, Visa will provide you with car rental insurance (LDW/CDW). All you have to do is decline the insurance coverage the rental company offers you. Once you decline it, Visa will automactically provide you with coverage at no extra charge. I'm going to DR in May for 16 days. Instead of paying almost a thousand dollars for the rental, I am only paying $712 for the rental. That's more money for beer.

Will Visa arrange for your release from police custody while they are determining that you are in fact insured? An accident here involving a foreigner usually involves a trip to the police station until compensation for the damages are arranged. Along with police costs of course.

ricktoronto · #8 01-16-2006, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HOWMAR

Will Visa arrange for your release from police custody while they are determining that you are in fact insured? An accident here involving a foreigner usually involves a trip to the police station until compensation for the damages are arranged. Along with police costs of course.

No and another important thing is that they do not provide any liability insurance at all - it is a waiver of the damage coverage for the rental car itself, nothing more. And unless your credit card agreement says specifically you have it and provides a certificate, you don't have it. Low cost, free Visa cards, non-premier are not likely to.

If you damage something else or hurt or kill someone you have no protection unless your own auto coverage extends to rentals or you buy local liability coverage which in some Latin American countries is mandatory and grossly overpriced.

The Voice · #9 01-16-2006, 10:20 AM

Actually, it does apply to all Visa cards. If you want to make sure that your Visa card is covered, call 1-800-VISA-911. They will provide you with all the information you need. Check out this link: http://usa.visa.com/personal/cards/b...20-%20Personal

This insurance does cover you for international rentals. Now, you are right that it does not cover you for liability, but usually liability is like $6US a day while CDW is like $15US a day. You can still choose to purchase liability insurance, while declining the CDW/LDW option. If you do this, you will still save money.

The Voice · #10 01-16-2006, 10:24 AM

Now in all honesty, the best thing to do if you want to use Visa as your insurer is to rent from the big boys like Avis, Budget, Hertz, etc. These companies know about the insurance and they will honer it.

I was surprised too when I first read the above-mentioned info., but trust me, it's no scam. I'm saving a lot of money on my next trip, and you can't beat that.

Quick note, if you are in an accident, they will settle your claim within 15 days.