It is proving impossible to hire a car for our holiday travelling from
Montreal to Boston in September. All the regular car hire firms are refusing
the booking. Can you recommend a company that will allow a one-way rental,
Canada to USA or propose an alternative solution? Keith Downward, by
email
Sunday Times travel expert, Richard Green, responds: According to the
car hire companies, whether a one-way car hire is possible or not depends on
the general flow of rentals. So that if about half the people hiring cars in
Seattle say, want to drop it off in Vancouver, and vica versa (as in fact
they do) then car hire firms will offer cars for the one-way drive. Rather
murkily, this apparently means that while it is fine to drive a hire car
between Toronto and Buffalo, it isn’t so between Montreal and Boston.
However, Hertz (08708 44 88
44) can help out, and for individual rentals, has no problem you driving the
300 miles between Montreal and Boston, making a drop-off charge of about
£150, in addition to the cost of the hire, payable locally.
If you prefer a package deal, most of the big tour operators, like Virgin
Holidays, BA Holidays, and the North America Travel Service, can’t help
either. However, you might have more luck with a smaller company, like Complete
North America (0115 950 4555). It offers fly-drive packages, for example
a week from Boston to Montreal is from £699pp, with British Airways flights
from Heathrow, a car and the drop fee included, or even a 15-day tailored
trip from Boston to Toronto from £1,929pp, with flights, hotel
accommodation, and hire car. But unfathomably your trip has to be from the
US to Canada, because they say the contract – wait for it – with Hertz,
doesn’t allow them to do it the other way round.
£366 for 6 days? They saw you coming!
David Slater, New York, USA
another alternative might be to do a one way to burlington, vermont and then a one way from there to new york. alternatively there is a coach service from montreal to vermont which takes a couple of hours.
peter williams, manchester, uk
We have just returned from Boston having hired a car in New York and driven between the two cities. We rented through Budget and the six days all inclusive cost £366. This was for two drivers (we went with another couple and both men drove) and satellite navigation!! There was a one way charge for dropping off the car in a different place.
Sheena Wiffen, Horsham, West Sussex, UK