Notices
General Trip Planning Other Holiday Planning.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Old 5 Feb 20, 04:56 PM  
Link to this Post
#1
DisBloke
A Guest at All-Stars
 
Join Date: Apr 18
Driving from Canada to USA in Hire Car

Plan is to rent a car at Toronto airport and we will then be travelling to Niagara, then over into the US and down to Cleveland and then back to Toronto over the space of about 10 days. We're then dropping the car off and spending some time in Toronto.

Any advice or things to be aware of? Not sure if taking the car into the US adds any complications or not?

Have never hired a car over in the US or Canada before - have been too used to using the Mickey bus!

Thanks,

Paul.
DisBloke is offline Click to view Members Trip Plans Add Member to Ignore List
Old 5 Feb 20, 05:48 PM  
Link to this Post
#2
janey2000
Excited about Disney
 
Join Date: Feb 11
We went this summer, it was vancouver to seattle but I assume it’s much the same. Be aware of the time to cross the border if you fly into Toronto. I read you dont need an esta (just the eta to fly into canada) but to be on the safe side I renewed ours anyway. When we got to the border after waiting in the queue we were questioned about our trip plans then asked to park up and go into the border control hall. There was a family frantically filling out esta forms as they too had read they werent needed. When we got to the front they took our prints and photo and charged us $6 each for a paper 30 day visa in our passports. I asked the officer if there was anything I should/could have done to avoid this and he said no. The payment was an admin fee for processing us and as we came in via land then this was the process, took us about 1.5 -2 hours. Thankfully our cruise wasn't leaving until the next day!
__________________
Smoky Mountains - Williamsburg -DC - NYC 2017https://www.thedibb.co.uk/forums/sho... php?t=1015546 http://www.thedibb.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=965851

Pre trip report - Aug 2014 Florida and Georgia
http://www.thedibb.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=794593
janey2000 is offline Girl Mouse Click to view Members Trip Plans Add Member to Ignore List
Old 6 Feb 20, 01:28 PM  
Link to this Post
#3
sotagals
Imagineer
 
Join Date: Dec 09
Mobile

I'm driving from the USA into Canada but one thing I did notice when I was trying to do online check in with alamo and opening random pages was a list of the groups of cars you are allowed to take over the border.

Suvs weren't on the list. It might be worth checking the small print with whoever you have your car with.

I wasn't aware there were any restrictions.
sotagals is offline Girl Mouse Click to view Members Trip Plans Add Member to Ignore List
Old 6 Feb 20, 01:50 PM  
Link to this Post
#4
kiwiinabd
Very Serious Dibber
 
Join Date: Jan 12
We flew into Toronto, drove to Niagara and then entered USA via the rainbow bridge at Niagara before driving down to Indiana to my wife's family home.

Check the car rental can be taken into all of the States you plan to visit and also check that you have unlimited miles. We used Alamo, some car rental companies only offered limited mileage or restricted the USA states that bordered directly to the border crossing that you took. As another poster said check the T&Cs before you rent that it covers what you require !

My wife and kids have USA passports so no issues. At the USA immigration we had to park up and go inside, fill out a form, pay a fee and wait to be seen by an immigration officer. I guess it took 30 minutes, although they were not busy. Although an ESTA is not required the officer did ask if I had one (I hadn't one as it had expired) so I am not sure if it would have been quicker with an ESTA or avoid me paying the fee ?

On driving back into Canada 2 weeks later we just stopped at Kiosk at the bridge and the Canadian officer checked the passports quickly and we were on our way in a few minutes. This was before the Canadian ETA existed.
kiwiinabd is offline Boy Mouse Click to view Members Trip Plans Add Member to Ignore List
Old 7 Feb 20, 12:46 PM  
Link to this Post
#5
neilhd
Imagineer
 
Join Date: Feb 08
No need for ESTA or ETA.

Getting one won't speed things up or save you a fee at the US border.
__________________
My Previous Trip Reports
neilhd is offline Boy Mouse Click to view Members Trip Plans Add Member to Ignore List
Old 7 Feb 20, 02:26 PM  
Link to this Post
#6
folkie
Loves sailing in the sun!
 
folkie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 08

theDIBB Guidebook
Guidebook Photos: 170
Mobile

Originally Posted by neilhd View Post
No need for ESTA or ETA.

Getting one won't speed things up or save you a fee at the US border.
They’ll need an ETA to fly into Canada though.
__________________
91 Brittany 92 Scotland 93 France 94 France 95 Dartmouth 96 Moved house 97 Terra Mare (Greece) 98 Swanage 99 Yedi Tepe (Turkey) 00 Canada/Tunisia 01 Ottawa, Antigua/Bitez 02 DLP/Cornwall 03 Antigua/Gower 04 Ottawa/Croatia/Vendee 05 BVI/Hurghada 06 Javelin (Turkey) 07 Perili (Turkey) 08 Orlando 09 Rosas 10 Orlando 11 Les Deux Alpes 12 Morocco 13 Brittany 14 Vassiliki 15 Orlando 16 DLP/New England/Ottawa 17 Ionian
folkie is offline Girl Mouse Click to view Members Trip Plans Add Member to Ignore List
Old 7 Feb 20, 08:36 PM  
Link to this Post
#7
Melbatb
Imagineer
 
Melbatb's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 13
Mobile

Do be careful about if you can drive the hire car into the USA. I know Discount didn’t allow when we hired a car in Canada (we weren’t going anyway )
__________________

Index of my trip reports
2016 Quebec - Kuala Lumpar - New York City 2017 Dubai - Eurocamps France - Ontario and Quebec - So-Cal 2018 Montreal - Bangkok - New England 2019 Argentina - Quebec City - Hong Kong - 2020 Switzerland 2022 Arizona - Costa Med Cruise - Oslo 2023 Hong Kong - Gothenburg
Melbatb is offline Girl Mouse Click to view Members Trip Plans Add Member to Ignore List
Old 8 Feb 20, 07:15 AM  
Link to this Post
#8
ChrisS
Imagineer
 
Join Date: Nov 10
Location: Durham
Originally Posted by neilhd View Post
No need for ESTA or ETA.

Getting one won't speed things up or save you a fee at the US border.
Hi Neil - as you say ESTA isn't required for US admittance via land, but eTA, introduced 1st Aug 2015, is required when arriving into Canada by air.
__________________
ChrisS is offline Girl Mouse Click to view Members Trip Plans Add Member to Ignore List
Old 9 Feb 20, 10:58 AM  
Link to this Post
#9
neilhd
Imagineer
 
Join Date: Feb 08
Originally Posted by ChrisS View Post
Hi Neil - as you say ESTA isn't required for US admittance via land, but eTA, introduced 1st Aug 2015, is required when arriving into Canada by air.
Quite right, missed the whole "flying into Toronto bit"!
__________________
My Previous Trip Reports
neilhd is offline Boy Mouse Click to view Members Trip Plans Add Member to Ignore List
Old 14 Feb 20, 01:25 PM  
Link to this Post
#10
DisBloke
Thread Starter
A Guest at All-Stars
 
Join Date: Apr 18
Thanks everyone. Will check on the car hire terms (which don't seem that easy to find online!) before we book.

So there is no benefit at all to having an ESTA?
DisBloke is offline Click to view Members Trip Plans Add Member to Ignore List
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 09:20 AM.


Powered by vBulletin - Copyright © 2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
DIBB Savings
AttractionTickets.com

Get £10 off each Disney Ticket with the code ATDIBB10

Get up to £50 off per room at Disney or Universal with the code DIBBHOTELS


theDIBB Blog
Disney announced that a new nighttime show, “Disney Dreams That Soar,” will run nightly at... Read More »
Walt Disney World Resort guests can get ready to have a “glowing’’ good time when... Read More »
Aquatica Orlando announce the grand opening of its newest attraction, Tassie’s Underwater Twist, on 15... Read More »


theDIBB Menu


Exchange Rates
US Dollar Rates
ASDA  $1.2361
CaxtonFX  $1.2302
Covent Garden FX  $1.2488
FAIRFX  $1.2365
John Lewis  $1.2391
M&S  $1.2178
Sainsburys  $1.2376
TESCO  $1.2376
Travelex  $1.2353
Updated: 08:00 28/03/2024
Euro Rates
ASDA  €1.1417
CaxtonFX  €1.1389
Covent Garden FX  €1.1490
FAIRFX  €1.1413
John Lewis  €1.1444
M&S  €1.1263
Sainsburys  €1.1434
TESCO  €1.1428
Travelex  €1.1435
Updated: 08:00 28/03/2024

DIBB Premium Membership
Did you know you can help support theDIBB with Premium Membership?

Check out this link for more information and benefits, such as...

"No adverts on theDIBB Forums"

Upgrade Now



X