European traveler driving a rental car across Canada/US border and back

European traveler driving a rental car across Canada/US border and back - Back view of unrecognizable person driving modern car on road amidst lush autumn trees during trip in countryside

I'm a citizen of an EU member state traveling to a small city in Vermont. Looking at flight data, it seems that it would be quite a bit quicker to fly into Montreal (Canada) and then drive a rental car to my final destination in Vermont (and back), rather than getting a connecting flight into a small local US airport. I am slightly worried about the trouble I might get myself into by crossing a land border twice, though.

Can anyone give me an idea of what I'd be getting into in terms of:

  • Crossing time
  • Discomfort
  • Additional paperwork required

For both the outbound (Canada/US) and the return leg (US/Canada) of my journey, when compared to crossing the border at an international airport?

Also, do I need to take any special actions when I'm arranging a rental car if I intend to drive it over to the US and back?






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Can you drive a rental car across the Canada US border?

Canadians can drive a U.S. rental car across the border into Canada without paying GST, HST, or Green Levy taxes if they meet all of the following requirements: You have been out of Canada for more than 48 hours. The vehicle is for non-commercial use. You return the vehicle to the U.S. in no more than 30 days.

Can you rent a car in Canada and drive to the US and back?

There are no are restrictions for driving the vehicle to either the U.S. or Canada. For example, picking up the vehicle in the U.S. and driving to Canada or Canada to the U.S.).

Can you cross international borders in a rental car?

A cross border fee is applied to your rental in order to cover the additional insurance necessary to drive the vehicle outside of the country which you rented it from. Paying the fee guarantees your insurance will remain valid and the rental company can supply you with the correct documentation.

Can you cross European borders with a rental car?

Can you cross any European border in your rental car? Most of them, yes. It's not common for car hire companies to forbid crossing borders, but it does happen. It's always worth checking the Ts & Cs for your deal and asking the counter staff where you can take the car.



The Places Where Sneaking Over the US-Canada Border is Legal




Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Marta Wave, Amir Esrafili, Erik Mclean, Adrien Olichon