Around San Francisco

They charged me over 200 dollars extra for services I didn't use or select.

We picked up the car at San Francisco Airport. They tried to upsell us on a vehicle upgrade but failed, and then kept pushing insurance. I blame myself for not explaining things clearly to my husband, which caused him to be harassed by the Avis clerk for a long time. They even got a Chinese-speaking employee to push the insurance. I finally managed to get away by firmly refusing all insurance options.

Returning the car with Avis was pretty easy. Sometimes, if you rent from younger staff, they might suggest upgrades. For an extra $10 a day, I upgraded to a GMC YUKON, which was worth it. But occasionally, you get an older staff member who doesn't offer upgrades and lacks knowledge. They equated a Ford Expedition with a Chevrolet Tahoe, which is clearly smaller. While the Expedition handles better, if handling was my priority, I wouldn’t rent the largest car. The office staff were generally friendly, but the Mexican or Asian staff inspecting cars at the parking lot were quite arrogant. Definitely a bad experience. Why put on airs when you're just inspecting cars? I will never rent from Avis again. Most expensive, yet the service isn't that good!

A broken-down Hyundai for $600 a day?

Picking up the car in San Francisco was very convenient, possibly because it was early and there were no queues. Chrysler's Town and Country has immense space; it fit our group of 5 people, 5 large suitcases, and 2 small suitcases. Truly an American car—big!