Booking the right hire car

You can also enjoy the fantastic weather in Florida during your trip if you opt for a convertible. You can even rent the legendary Ford Mustang from some hire car companies.

Insuring the car properly

When you’re driving an unfamiliar hire car on the unfamiliar roads of Clearwater, it’s easy for an accident to happen. You are well insured if you have booked a hire car with comprehensive insurance without excess. With the liability, you should make sure that the sum insured is at least one million euros.

Because if people are injured in an accident, it quickly becomes very expensive. If your rental company’s coverage seems too low, a traveler’s policy can provide further protection. Talk to your insurance company and don’t forget to mention that the trip is to the US.

Accessories

When looking for your hotel in Clearwater, a navigation device can be a great help. Just remember before you travel that you always have to order accessories separately from your rental company. To make sure the equipment you want is available on the day you pick up your vehicle, make reservations well in advance.

Tank control

Some rental companies in Tampa and Clearwater require their customers to purchase the first tank of gas for a service fee, which can be high. The car can then be returned with an empty tank. But since most customers don’t manage to roll into the rental company’s yard with the last drop of gas, the rental company can book the gas left in the tank as profit, because there are no refunds. To avoid this kind of rip-off, choose a rental company where you pick up the car with a full tank of gas and return it with a full tank.

Customer Satisfaction Hire Car

Most customers are quite satisfied with the hire car services in Tampa and Clearwater. Only some find fault with the exterior condition of some vehicles. If you notice defects such as dents or scratches when you pick up your vehicle, always get written confirmation of the damage from your rental agent. Keep the document in a safe place.

Then, when you return the car, you can prove that it was not you who caused the damage to the vehicle. There are also complaints about rental companies that try to sell more extra services on the spot. If you already made sure your car was adequately insured when you booked it, you can refuse to sign any additional policies in Tampa and Clearwater.

Sights in Clearwater

Clearwater Marine Aquarium: Swim with Dolphins
At the Clearwater Marine Aquarium the city stroll could begin. Here, you have the opportunity to step into a dolphin tank and swim with the animals. The aquarium is open daily from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. A ticket costs $19.95. It’s money well spent, as the aquarium makes it its mission to care for and then release injured sea creatures.

Florida Botanical Gardens: pure nature
You will experience dreamlike nature when you visit the Florida Botanical Gardens. They are located in the neighboring town of Largo, just 11 kilometers from Clearwater. On an area of more than 600,000 square meters you will experience the diverse flora of Florida.

Clearwater Beach: Unadulterated swimming fun
Back in Clearwater, you can cross over the Garden Memorial Causeway to the offshore island of Clearwater Beach. There, typical American beach life awaits you. The beaches are snow-white and endless, the sea is clear and pleasantly warm. Numerous bars offer cool drinks and small snacks. And after a long day of swimming you still have the opportunity to party in one of the discos until the early morning.

Find a good hotel

Many hotels in Clearwater are quite basic. But there are also exceptions like the Hyatt Regency in Clearwater Beach. You stay right on the beach and enjoy the excellent comfort of a luxury hotel.

The rooms also have a small kitchen with microwave and cooking facilities. In the in-house restaurant “Shor” you get fine seafood. You can relax at the Sandava Spa after a day at the beach.

Suggestion for a trip by hire car

Tampa: Center of the cigar production
A trip with the hire car could lead you first to Tampa. You can be there in just over half an hour. Once upon a time, Tampa was the center of the cigar industry in the South. And even today, you can still buy excellent cigars rolled by immigrants from Cuba in numerous shops in the old town of Ybor City, which is well worth seeing. In addition, if you want to learn about the art of cigar making, you can visit the Yabor City Museum State Park.

Rich works of art await you when you then direct your steps to the Tampa Museum of Art. From Greek statuary to contemporary art, there is something for everyone. Before getting back into your hire car, you could pay a visit to the city’s zoo. There, not only can you watch the animals through bars, but you get to ride a camel or feed giraffes yourself.

St. Petersburg: Discover Salvador Dalí
St. Petersburg is the name of the next stop on the trip, which you can reach in half an hour by hire car. In St. Petersburg, it is mainly the Salvador Dalí Museum that attracts visitors.

In a futuristic building, you’ll find an extensive exhibition of works by the Catalan eccentric. You can admire another worthwhile art collection if you then visit the St Petersburg Museum of Fine Art. Works of art from many centuries await guests there.

Sarasota: Experience the World of the Circus
Before you steer the hire car back to Clearwater, you should make a stop in Sarasota. You will be there in three quarters of an hour. In Sarasota you will not only find beautiful beaches but also the Ringling Museum Complex, which the ringmaster John Ringling once bequeathed to the state of Florida. Already Ringling’s house, with pompous interior decoration leaves visitors breathless.

Follow that with a visit to the John & Mabel Ringling Museum of Art, which features an extremely impressive art collection that includes works from the 14th to the 18th centuries. A visit to the Circus Museum is the crowning glory of the tour. Here you can admire numerous exhibits from Ringling’s time as a circus director. A good hour’s drive now separates you from Clearwater. There you can review the day’s events and plan your next trip with your hire car.