meet the team, faq's and more

The minimum age to rent a car is 21 in the United States or Canada, although, in addition, any drivers under 25 years of age will normally incur a surcharge.

All of our cars come with an automatic gearbox, and the option of a GPS system and as such getting around is pretty easy. The roads are usually well maintained, wide and less busy than the roads in the UK and thus they’re easy to drive on. Your Road Trip Pack comes packed with loads of top tips on driving stateside.

Your quoted price usually includes unlimited mileage, collision damage waiver, theft protection, premium location fees & local taxes. Sometimes though, you’ll need to pay for certain things locally. These may include one way fees (where applicable), additional extras requested at time of booking or purchased locally (for example child seats), deliveries & collections and supplementary insurance to cover injuries to drivers &/or passengers.

Many of our trips have a different end destination to the starting point, so yes this is not a problem. Please note a fee sometimes applies for one-way rentals between different regions or states, which will be paid to the supplier directly when collecting the vehicle. We’ll endeavour to inform you of this charge within your quote.

As experienced “road trippers” we know how annoying it can be to be unsure of what is and isn’t covered in your car insurance. Furthermore, it can be a tad annoying when faced with expensive insurance “top-ups” when collecting the car. When you book with The American Road Trip Company you can be confident you will have satisfactory cover for you and your family or friends, often with little or no excess to pay in the event of an accident. Please check your booking details within your individual Road Trip Pack for full details.

When collecting the vehicle the principal driver will need to bring the rental voucher from within their Road Trip Pack, their full driving license and a credit card in their name. It is often useful to bring a further means of identification – e.g. a passport.

In the event of any mechanical difficulties or accidents involving your car, it is important you advise the local car rental company as soon as possible (within 24 hours). In the case of an accident the local police should be advised and a police report completed, and the full details of the 3rd party should also be taken. You will need to complete a full accident report form when returning the vehicle to the supplier. The car rental company must give authority to replace or repair a vehicle. It is important you retain a copy of all documentation for your records.

Your car rental voucher within your Road Trip Pack will clearly state the address of your vehicle supplier.

It may still be possible to rent a car, depending on what the points are for and when they were received. Please contact a member of our team on 01244 342 099 or info@theamericanroadtripcompany.co.uk who will be able to check with our car rental partners whether they will accept a booking with your endorsements.

When requesting a road trip quote from us, you’ll be asked your preference from a list of car sizes or classes. Exact models can’t be guaranteed, however our team will be happy to talk you through the options and the best ways to help you secure a car that you’re pleased with.

It is normally possible to reduce the excess on the vehicle by purchasing additional products from the supplier locally. These products are sometimes called ‘Master Cover’ or ‘Super CDW’ and can reduce the excess down to anything as low as zero in some cases. Alternately, you can also request that a ‘Damage Excess Refund Product’ is added to your quote.

A facility charge has recently been introduced at both airports to contribute towards building new facilities. This charge, if not included in your rental, is payable to the supplier locally when collecting the vehicle.

In the event of any mechanical difficulties it is important you advise the local car rental company as soon as possible, (within 24 hours). The car rental company must give authority to replace or repair a vehicle. In the event of any unresolved difficulties, please do not hesitate to contact a member of our team. Please note it is not advisable to leave your vehicle in the event of a break down as contents are often not covered. Lastly, please remember that breakdowns are very rare indeed, the cars we rent are often less than 1 year old and they are serviced regularly.

In almost all cases your rental will include unlimited mileage, however, with some speciality/prestige vehicles and rentals in remote Canada there will be a limit to the miles above and beyond which a charge will be levied. The mileage policy will be clearly shown at the time of booking and on your rental documentation. Should you have any further questions regarding this, please do not hesitate to contact a member of our team.

No, far from it. We work with a range of properties from 3* to 5* so can adapt the trip to match most budgets. We have access to rooms in more than 800 hotels, motels, lodges and B&Bs across North America.

Not a problem. If you are lucky enough to have extra time to explore more places or add more rest days, then just let us know and we’ll adjust your trip to match your preferred timescale.

We have preferred hotels that we use regularly, these have been tried and tested by our team and we work with the hoteliers to ensure standards remain high. If we are looking to book a room somewhere new, then we’ll always put in the time and effort in to ensure the accommodation has a reputation of the highest order.

We try to ensure that any and all costs are included in your quoted price. Although sometimes fees may be payable locally, these can include resort fees or occasionally car parking fees.

Upon landing in the United States or Canada, you’ll need to clear Customs and Immigration, before either leaving the airport or catching a connecting flight to your final destination.

You’ll ususally get a single free checked bag and a bag for the cabin, however this will vary depending on the class of travel and ticket type you book. Please check your quote or Road Trip Pack for your specific allowance. You can take extra bags with you for an additional charge and save money when you pay online before you fly. Any bag that is heavier than the free weight allowance may incur an overweight baggage charge, payable at check-in.

If you are checking baggage on a domestic flight, checking in at least 90 minutes prior to departure time is recommended. International travel requires check-in two to three hours prior to departure. Check with the airline you are travelling on. You may want to allow more time if you’re travelling out of a major airport during peak periods.

We strongly advise that you purchase travel insurance for your holiday to cover you against medical expences, theft and other financial costs. Should you need to cancel prior to travelling, then some insurance policies may pay out for any loss of funds which have been paid to us and which cannot be refunded under our cancellation policy.

Yes, any trip containing a flight is protected by The American Road Trip Company’s ATOL licence. This means that in the unlikely event that we stop trading prior or during your trip, the CAA will ensure that your adventure isn’t affected and that you return home safely. Flights bought directly from Airlines don’t enjoy this same backup, so it pays to go via an ATOL holding tour operator like us.

Should you prefer to buy your own flights and you are resident in either the UK or EU, then any funds given to us are protected by a Total Payment Protection Policy provided by Travel & General Insurance.

This policy is provided by Travel & General Services Limited (t&g), registered number 02527363 and underwritten by Accelerant Insurance Europe SA(Accelerant), an insurance company, which is authorised and regulated by the National Bank of Belgium and related by the Financial Services and Markets Authority (Ref. 3193) acting in the UK under the Freedom od services.

A deal is a deal, so it is extremely unlikely that your price would be subject to any change, and whenever possible, The American Road Trip Company will be happy to absorb any cost increases. However, surcharges are permitted to allow for increases in transportation costs, taxes or fees for certain services, and exchange rates. Please review our T&Cs for more information.

Your price will usually include the packaged elements of flights, accommodation, car hire and some activities.

Some local hotel fees such as “resort fees”, very occasional local taxes and parking (if applicable) will sometimes be payable locally. Fuel isn’t included too. Petrol in the U.S. sells for around 60% less than in the U.K. so you can explore without worrying too much about the bill.

You can talk to any of our experts from Monday-Friday 09:00 AM -19:00 PM or Saturday from 09:00 AM -16:00 PM , give us a call on 01244 342 099! Out of hours? Drop us an email and we will get back to you promptly.

You can write to us at: The American Road Trip Company, Steam Mill, Steam Mill Street, Chester, CH3 5AN