New York City By Car

If you can, avoid driving in the city. Aggressive taxis, careless pedestrians, and lunatic bicycle couriers crowd the streets. Vehicles routinely jump lanes without signaling. Parking in the city is also hard to find and cost-prohibitive.

Rental Agencies

Agencies maintain varying minimum-age requirements and require proof of age as well as a security deposit. Agencies in Queens and Yonkers are often less expensive than their Manhattan counterparts, especially for one-day rentals. Most auto insurance policies will cover rented cars, and some credit cards take care of your rental insurance costs if you’ve charged the vehicle to their card (be sure to ask for details when you call). Major car-rental agencies operating in New York include: Avis (☎800-230-4898; www.avis.com), Dollar (☎800-800-4000; www.dollar.com), Enterprise (☎800-736-8222; www.enterprise.com), Hertz (☎800-654-3131 or 800-831-2847; www.hertz.com), and National (☎800-227-7368; www.nationalcar.com).

You might also consider getting a membership at Zipcar (www.zipcar.com). The company, launched in 2002, provides members with temporary cars for about $10 per hour. The cars are located throughout the city, can be reserved online, and are available for use by members for any length of time. The service pays for gas, insurance, maintenance, and parking.

Costs And Insurance

Rental car prices start at around $100 a day from national companies. Expect to pay more for larger cars and for four-wheel-drive. Be aware that cars rented on an American Express or Visa/MasterCard Gold or Platinum credit card in the US might not carry the automatic insurance that they would in some other countries; check with your credit-card company. Insurance plans almost always come with an excess (or deductible). This means you pay for all damages up to that sum, unless they are the fault of another vehicle. The excess you will be quoted applies to collisions with other vehicles; collisions with non-vehicles, such as trees (single-vehicle collisions) will cost you even more. The excess can often be reduced or waived entirely if you pay an additional charge.

National chains often allow one-way rentals (picking up in one city and dropping off in another). There is usually a minimum hire period and sometimes an extra dropoff charge of several hundred dollars.

Driving Permits And Car Insurance

International Driving Permit (Idp)

You can drive in New York if you are a resident of another state or Canadian province and carry a valid license. The minimum driving age is 16. New York State honors all valid foreign licenses; see www.nydmv.state.ny.us/license.htm or call the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles for details (☎212-645-5550; see for locations). Your IDP, valid for one year, must be issued in your own country before you depart. An application usually requires one or two photos, a current local license, an additional form of identification, and a fee. To apply, contact your home country’s automobile association. Be vigilant when purchasing an IDP anywhere other than your home automobile association. Many vendors sell permits of questionable legitimacy for higher prices.

Car Insurance

Most credit cards cover standard insurance. If you rent, lease, or borrow a car, you will need a green card, or International Insurance Certificate, to certify that you have liability insurance and that it applies abroad. Green cards can be obtained at car rental agencies, car dealers (for those leasing cars), some travel agents, and some border crossings. Rental agencies may require you to purchase theft insurance in countries that they consider to have a high risk of auto theft.

On The Road

If you do choose to drive in Manhattan, you must stay alert and know where you are going. Yellow slow lights last only about four seconds; both right and left turns on red lights are prohibited. During rush hours, certain lanes—particularly roads leading to bridges and tunnels—are closed or reversed. Most avenues and streets run one-way. Streets usually run east if they’re even-numbered and west if they’re odd-numbered. Wide transverse streets (125th, 116th, 106th, 96th, 86th, 79th, 72nd, 57th, 42nd, 34th, 23rd, and 14th St.) are two-way. Avenues run north-south, though they get complicated downtown. When traveling outside of Manhattan, make sure to bring a map. Gasoline prices vary, but currently average about $4 per gallon. Gas stations in Manhattan are hard to find and are usually more expensive than stations outside of the city.

The hassle of parking cancels any convenience of having a car in the city. Don’t be surprised if you have to park many blocks from your destination. Read the signs carefully; a space is usually legal only on certain days of the week. The city frequently tows cars, and recovering a towed vehicle can cost $100 or more. Some streets have parking meters that cost 25¢ per 15min., with a time limit of 1-2hr. Parking lots are the easiest but the most expensive option. Depending on where you park (midtown being most expensive), garage rates may range from $6 to $15 for the first hour to $40 per day. The cheapest parking lots are downtown —try the far west end of Houston St. Many garages have lower weekend rates. Break-ins and car thefts happen often, particularly if you have a radio. Never leave anything visible inside your car. You may want to use a steering wheel locking device. The AAA Automobile Club of New York, 1881 Broadway, 2nd fl. (☎212-757-2000, Emergency Service 800-222-4357; www.aaany.com) offers road service and towing.