Car Rental in New Jersey: Driving the Garden State
The garden to populated New York City, New Jersey is both the most densely populated state in the United States and one of the most beautiful. While most visitors to the eastern seaboard simply travel through New Jersey on their way from star-filled New York City to historic Philadelphia, spending some time in the natural and urban beauty of New Jersey is highly recommended! From the famous Jersey Shore and its Las Vegas equivalent at Atlantic City to Cream Ridge Wine Country to the base of a 72-mile-long Appalachian Mountain trail, New Jersey has so much to offer visitors who explore it via rental car!
Unless your primary goal is sunning yourself on the Jersey Shore – in which case the busy summer months will be the best time to visit – New Jersey is at its most beautiful in late spring (May and June) and early autumn (September and October).
The native language of the United States is English and the currency is the US dollar. Currency exchange is highly available at airports and popular tourist destinations, and credit cards are accepted at the vast majority of businesses.
New Jersey is nestled between some of the largest international airports in the United States, making it very easy to get to. Whether you arrive at the Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark just outside of NYC, LaGuardia Airport just outside of New Jersey on Long Island, the Philadelphia International Airport just outside of New Jersey in Pennsylvania, or the Atlantic City International Airport, each of these places are excellent areas to pick up your rental car. Rental is also available in the cities along any major interstate in New Jersey.
Driving in New Jersey
This beautiful state has so much more to offer you if you are mobile via automobile hire! Get out of the cities and see the incredible diversity of this small state. Travel time from the Newark International Airport to:
- the Appalachian Trailhead in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Park is a little over one hour.
- Cape May is a two-hour drive south along the beautiful Atlantic coast, via Atlantic City.
- Six Flags Theme Park is just under an hour.
Get adventuring today by booking your car now. Here are some tips for driving in New Jersey once you arrive:
Right-Hand Driving
- Traffic drives on the right-hand side of the road in New Jersey.
Typical Speed Limits
- In cities and residential areas: 25 miles per hour (circa 40 km/h)
- In school zones: 20 miles per hour (circa 30 km/h)
- On interstates: 65 miles per hour (circa 105 km/h)
- On rural roads: 50 miles per hour (circa 80 km/h)
- Expect traffic jams in all urban and metropolitan areas around morning and evening rush hour, and significant traffic congestion to and from the Jersey Shore in the summer, especially on Friday and Sunday afternoons and evenings.
Other Regulations
- While any of New Jersey’s major cities will be busy, especially during rush hour, parking is much easier than in New York City or Las Vegas. It will certainly be regulated by time and fees, so be sure to include parking expenses in your budget. Your best bet for day-long visits to any of the state’s metropolitan or shore areas are major parking lots or garages.
- You can drive on your domestic driver’s license as a tourist in New Jersey, though it is recommended to accompany your license with an international driver’s permit or a notarized English translation.
- Many of the parkways and turnpikes in New Jersey are tolled, and your final fee depends on how long you’ve traveled along them. Ask your rental company whether their cars are fitted with EZ passes; otherwise, you will have to pay cash when you exit the toll road, so be sure to have some available!
- While the minimum driving age in New Jersey is 17, you will have to be at least 21 years of age to rent a car. Drivers under 25 are likely to be charged extra, if they are permitted to rent at all.
- 38 nationalities can enter the United States as tourists without applying for a visa, though if you are among these nationalities, you are still required to fill out the ESTA in advance. Visit esta.us for more information. Everyone who enters the United States will be fingerprinted and biometrically photographed upon entry. If your nationality is not included on the visa-waiver program list, you will be required to apply for a B-1 or B-2 visa in advance of your arrival.
Other Tips
If you’re interested in visiting New York City but don’t want to spend your entire visit there, considering overnighting across the Hudson River – where you’ll have much better luck parking your rental car – and commuting into the city via subway.