USA rental car in Canada

PeterL wrote:
"najob" wrote in message
om...
I've looked for some info on what is necessary for travel in Canada
by
an USA rental car, but without much sucess.

I plan on renting a car in Seattle and visiting Vancouver. Is anybody
familiar with what is required (if anything) by the USA and/or
Canadian side?

Thanks in advance.

Not much. I just did that in August. Just make sure the rental car
company knows you are going to Canada. They rent cars for travel to
Vancouver all the time. Your own insurance should cover you.

http://www.gonorthwest.com/Visitor/p...der/border.htm

.... and just hope the car has never used to haul a few bags of fertilizer
(or an illegal substance) at any time in the past, otherwise you *might* get
the opportunity to play 20 questions with US Immigration on the way back...
that is if they have Rover out sniffing around at the time.

;-)

Make sure you have third-party liability insurance -- not just collision
coverage. In many US states, little or no third-party liablity (3PL)
coverage is required by law, and rental car companies typically charge a
significant daily fee to provide it as an optional add-on. You want to
make sure you have 3PL in effect during your rental, whether through the
car rental company or your own private auto insurer, because in Canada
you must be able to produce evidence of valid 3PL insurance upon demand
by a police officer. Failing to do so can net you a hefty fine.

-----------------------------------------------

najob wrote:
I've looked for some info on what is necessary for travel in Canada by
an USA rental car, but without much sucess.

I plan on renting a car in Seattle and visiting Vancouver. Is anybody
familiar with what is required (if anything) by the USA and/or
Canadian side?

Thanks in advance.

You can enjoy the same fine experience with Canada Customs. I rented a
car in Canada, drove down to the US, and then on the way back they had a
sniffer dog on duty, who found a few flakes of marijuana in the back of
the ash tray, courtesy of a previous renter and a none-too-fussy car
cleaner. Two very unpleasant hours of detention while they took the
rental car apart and interrogated me.

TNSAF wrote:
PeterL wrote:

"najob" wrote in message
.com...

I've looked for some info on what is necessary for travel in Canada
by
an USA rental car, but without much sucess.

I plan on renting a car in Seattle and visiting Vancouver. Is anybody
familiar with what is required (if anything) by the USA and/or
Canadian side?

Thanks in advance.

Not much. I just did that in August. Just make sure the rental car
company knows you are going to Canada. They rent cars for travel to
Vancouver all the time. Your own insurance should cover you.


http://www.gonorthwest.com/Visitor/p...der/border.htm

... and just hope the car has never used to haul a few bags of fertilizer
(or an illegal substance) at any time in the past, otherwise you *might* get
the opportunity to play 20 questions with US Immigration on the way back...
that is if they have Rover out sniffing around at the time.

;-)

My Name wrote:
You can enjoy the same fine experience with Canada Customs. I rented
a car in Canada, drove down to the US, and then on the way back they
had a sniffer dog on duty, who found a few flakes of marijuana in the
back of the ash tray, courtesy of a previous renter and a none-too-fussy
car
cleaner. Two very unpleasant hours of detention while they took the
rental car apart and interrogated me.

Although I am sorry you had to go through the experience I am glad Canadian
Customs have stepped up their security since 9/11. Previous to that the
Canadian side was a little to casual (at least in all my experience).

I guess the US side stands out more for me because of an incident that
happened about 4 years ago.

My ex-stepdaughter's boyfriend was driving my (now) ex's van down into the
States to pick his girlfriend up from work (they were all Americans). At the
border a dog indicated a problem in the van and he was asked to pull off to
the side for inspection. He was having trouble with the seatbelt so they
opened the door and forcibly dragged him out.

He was taken inside and told to sit and wait. One of the guards told another
to "Watch him he looks like a druggie...".

A little while later they all came back in looking very surprised because
the van was totally clean.

They let him go and he continued on to pick up his girlfriend and then
returned.

My Ex and I went back to the border to get an explanation, where a bunch of
guilty looking guards (3 or 4) went into an office leaving only the one
guard in the booth at the time. When they returned with one version of the
story we vented about the treatment he had received and pointed out some
minor damage to the van's interior. Knowing now it was futile to push it any
further we left.

I felt very sorry for him as he was probably treated so rough because of is
colour (African American). The guards appeared a little caught off guard
when we came in as we were Caucasian and also by the fact that my ex was a
daily commuter across the border and was very well known to them at the
time!

I have, and continue to cross frequently, but other than the time I was
questioned by immigration about why I was taking a carpet cleaner across...
Seems since 9/11 they now freak if they see "house hold appliances" crossing
southward by Canadians who do not have own property in the US. It just so
happened my wife at the time needed to clean the carpets of a rental she was
moving out of. The way the second guard yelled "We have a house hold
appliance!" out loud, I thought I had just robbed a bank or something?





TNSAF wrote:
PeterL wrote:

"najob" wrote in message
om...

I've looked for some info on what is necessary for travel in Canada
by
an USA rental car, but without much sucess.

I plan on renting a car in Seattle and visiting Vancouver. Is
anybody familiar with what is required (if anything) by the USA
and/or Canadian side?

Thanks in advance.

Not much. I just did that in August. Just make sure the rental car
company knows you are going to Canada. They rent cars for travel to
Vancouver all the time. Your own insurance should cover you.


http://www.gonorthwest.com/Visitor/p...der/border.htm

... and just hope the car has never used to haul a few bags of
fertilizer (or an illegal substance) at any time in the past,
otherwise you *might* get the opportunity to play 20 questions with
US Immigration on the way back... that is if they have Rover out
sniffing around at the time. ;-)

"najob" wrote in message
om...
I've looked for some info on what is necessary for travel in Canada by
an USA rental car, but without much sucess.

I plan on renting a car in Seattle and visiting Vancouver. Is anybody
familiar with what is required (if anything) by the USA and/or
Canadian side?

Thanks in advance.

Check with your rental company. I have had no problem with most companies
(renting at SEA and driving to Vancouver), but one time I rented from
Enterprise at the airport, and they had a restriction that you could not
drive outside of Washington or Oregon without forfeiting the "unlimited free
miles" part of the agreement. I don't think there was a problem with Canada
specifically, because driving to Idaho or California would yield the sam
result.

I plan on renting a car in Seattle and visiting Vancouver. Is anybody
familiar with what is required (if anything) by the USA and/or
Canadian side?

Are you a US citizen ? If so, no problem. Let rental Co. know in advance.
Its usually a lot cheaper to get rental car coverage from your ' at home'
Insurance agent before you leave than pay the HIGH rental Co rates unless
you have a Gold or "up" Visa Card which generally covers rental car
insurance. Check with your VISA issuer and get it "on paper" and take it
with you.

I plan on renting a car in Seattle and visiting Vancouver. Is anybody
familiar with what is required (if anything) by the USA and/or
Canadian side?

Are you a US citizen ? If so, no problem. ...

I repeat, you must not be a Canadian *resident*.
--
Mark Brader, Toronto "The walls have hearsay."
-- Fonseca & Carolino

Mark Brader wrote:
I plan on renting a car in Seattle and visiting Vancouver. Is
anybody familiar with what is required (if anything) by the USA
and/or Canadian side?

Are you a US citizen ? If so, no problem. ...

I repeat, you must not be a Canadian *resident*.

For those wondering why it because of the possible illegal importation of a
vehicle by a Canadian. Customs is afraid the vehicle will not return as
suggested by the fact it has the appearance of being a rental.'

I once accompanied my wife (at the time) to a US hospital. Unfortunately she
was admitted to emergency and I was left in the US with her car (US
registration and insurance). Now this is not a problem if she is driving or
at the least in the vehicle. It was only after they checked and double
checked the registration and all the supplemental papers we had I the car
(permission for me to take her daughter across the border) that they finally
let me pass with the understanding I would park the car and not drive it
again until she returned.

Mark Brader wrote:
I plan on renting a car in Seattle and visiting Vancouver. Is
anybody familiar with what is required (if anything) by the USA
and/or Canadian side?

Are you a US citizen ? If so, no problem. ...

I repeat, you must not be a Canadian *resident*.

For those wondering why it because of the possible illegal importation of a
vehicle by a Canadian. Customs is afraid the vehicle will not return as
suggested by the fact it has the appearance of being a rental.'

I once accompanied my wife (at the time) to a US hospital. Unfortunately she
was admitted to emergency and I was left in the US with her car (US
registration and insurance). Now this is not a problem if she is driving or
at the least in the vehicle. It was only after they checked and double
checked the registration and all the supplemental papers we had I the car
(permission for me to take her daughter across the border) that they finally
let me pass with the understanding I would park the car and not drive it
again until she returned.

Correction on my post the US has now barred car rentals into US check
with local FBI office they will tell you whether you can drive the car
back into US changed after 9-11

najob wrote:

I've looked for some info on what is necessary for travel in Canada by
an USA rental car, but without much sucess.

I plan on renting a car in Seattle and visiting Vancouver. Is anybody
familiar with what is required (if anything) by the USA and/or
Canadian side?

Thanks in advance.



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