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printed—unless you’ve mastered the Jedi Mind Trick. Trust us on this one. On the other hand, parking lots charge exorbitant rates—as much as $23 for two hours (this includes an impressive sales tax of 18.375%). If you do drive, use your car sparingly in Manhattan. Instead, park it in a guarded parking garage for at least several hours; hourly rates decrease somewhat if a car is left for a significant amount of time. If you find a spot on the street, check parking signs carefully. Before leaving your car, scour the curb for that bane of every motorist’s existence, the painted yellow line that’s so faded you had better look twice to ascertain both its existence and its range.

Road Conditions

New York City streets are in generally good condition, although there are enough potholes and bad patch jobs to make driving a little rough in some areas, as on Canal Street. Road and bridge repair seems to go on constantly, so you may encounter the occasional detour or a bottleneck where a three-lane street narrows to one lane. Heavy rains can cause street flooding in some areas, most notoriously on the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Drive (known as the FDR and sometimes as East River Drive), where the heavy traffic can grind to a halt when lakes suddenly appear on the road. Many drivers don’t slow down for yellow lights here—they speed up to make it through the intersection.

Rules of the Road

On city streets the speed limit is 30 mph, unless otherwise posted. No right turns on red are allowed within city limits, unless otherwise posted. Be alert for one-way streets and “no left turn” intersections.

The law requires that front-seat passengers wear seat belts at all times. Children under 16 must wear seat belts in both the front and back seats. Always strap children under age four into approved child-safety seats. It is illegal to use a handheld cell phone while driving in New York State. Police will immediately seize the car of anyone arrested for DWI (driving while intoxicated) in New York City.

CAR RENTALS

When you reserve a car, ask about cancellation penalties, taxes, drop-off charges (if you’re planning to pick up the car in one city and leave it in another), and surcharges (for being under or over a certain age, for additional drivers, or for driving across state or country borders or beyond a specific distance from your point of rental). All these things can add substantially to your costs. Request car seats and extras such as GPS when you book.

Rates are sometimes—but not always—better if you book in advance or reserve through a rental agency’s Web site. There are other reasons to book ahead, though: for popular destinations, during busy times of the year, or to ensure that you get certain types of cars (vans, SUVs, exotic sports cars).

TIP Make sure that a confirmed reservation guarantees you a car. Agencies sometimes overbook, particularly for busy weekends and holiday periods.

Rates in New York City are around $50–$125 a day and $250–$425 a week for an economy car with air-conditioning, automatic transmission, and unlimited mileage. This includes the state tax on car rentals, which is 19.87%. Rental costs are lower just outside New York City, specifically in such places as Hoboken, New Jersey, and Yonkers, New York. The Yellow Pages are also filled with a profusion of local car-rental agencies, some renting secondhand vehicles. If you’re traveling during a holiday period, make sure that a confirmed reservation guarantees you a car.

CAR-RENTAL INSURANCE

If you own a car and carry comprehensive car insurance for both collision and liability, your personal auto insurance will probably cover a rental, but read your policy’s fine print to be sure. If you don’t have auto insurance, then you should probably buy the collision- or loss-damage waiver (CDW or LDW) from the rental company. This eliminates your liability for damage to the car. Some credit cards offer CDW coverage, but it’s usually supplemental to your own insurance and rarely covers SUVs, minivans, luxury models, and the like. If your coverage is secondary, you may