If you plan to travel with your young child to West Virginia and you’d like to rent a car, you should know that there are specific laws concerning the transportation of children in this state. For example, the law requires that any child under eight who rides in a car must be front-facing; because some car seats face backwards, you would not be allowed to use these in West Virginia. It also requires that children between eight and twelve have reliable booster seats (check with the rental company about this). So when you’re looking for a rental car that’ll be perfect for you and your kids, make sure you consider these specific state laws.
Before finalizing your rental-car agreement in West Virginia, familiarize yourself with everything about the car, especially all the functions on the dashboard. Many people find it hard to drive rental cars because they are already so accustomed to having all the functions, switches, buttons, etc., in a certain place on their own car’s dashboard. For this reason, if you’re renting a car, make sure you know how to do basic things with your rental car before leaving the dealer, such as popping the hood, turning on the windshield wipers, and turning on (and off) the fog lights. If you understand the car’s controls before you start driving, you’ll find driving a rental car to be an enjoyable adventure.
After identifying your rental car of choice, you should consider insuring it with a short-term insurance plan. Purchasing short-term insurance coverage for your rental car would be a wise move because if you happen to be involved in an accident, you won’t have to pay nearly as much in repair costs—and maybe nothing at all. Additionally, you’ll be able to drive with absolute confidence knowing that you’re well covered.
FAQs about renting a car in West Virginia
While many places in West Virginia are walkable, and even though there is significant public transportation coverage in the state, a rental car will offer you unmatched flexibility and convenience. With a rental car, you can go anywhere you want at any time, following nobody’s schedule but your own. With a rental car, you can also travel easily with your luggage. Furthermore, if you’re hoping to save yourself a lot of time, you should rent a car; if you’re the one driving, you won’t have to wait around for other means of transportation to arrive.
West Virginia takes pride in their well-designed and well-maintained roads. You’ll find driving to be quite easy in this state, as you will encounter numerous road signs placed alongside roads wherever you go. You’ll also find that it’s possible to share the road with diverse travelers, as there are many constructed pathways for pedestrians and cyclists. If you rent a car from one of the top West Virginia car-rental agencies, you’ll be able to travel confidently knowing you’ll be able to find parking spots wherever you go. West Virginia is particularly helpful in providing secure parking areas catered to travelers.
Although the legal driving age in West Virginia is sixteen, most car-rental companies have a minimum age requirement of twenty one years old to rent and drive their cars. Other companies have twenty five year-old minimum requirements for renting cars, while certain companies will charge an extra fee to anyone older than twenty one but younger than twenty five. If you’re younger than twenty one years and you’d like to rent a car, it is still possible: you will need to list a professional driver as your designated driver. Because local car-rental companies usually know how to contact such drivers, there is a good chance you can find one to drive you around in your rental car by asking the rental-car dealer.
Supplier choice (Class Special Car or similar) is the most frequently booked rental car type in West Virginia.
Based on ratings and reviews from real users on KAYAK, the best car rental companies in West Virginia are Enterprise (7.7, 118 reviews), and Hertz (7.6, 89 reviews).