IDP, registering, insurance
 

Hey. I am a complete beginner to this. In april I am flying into the US and plan on buying a car in LA, driving round US and Canada on a climbing trip for 6 months and selling the car in canada before I go home.

I was hoping I could get a bit of advice from anyone here with knowledge:

Do Australians need an international driving permit to drive in the US, or is an Australian drivers licence sufficient?

Can Australians register a car in the US without being a resident?

How do you get the car insured? any other tips on insurance?

Cheers!

Australian Drivers Licence is fine, though an IDP is helpful (apparently I have never got mine out).
Varies from state to state, very easy to do in Arizona, and I have been told New Mexico and Nevada.
Very easy online, I used Progressive.


California is expensive and more difficult than say Arizona to do this.
This means importing the car into Canada, not a simple process.
If you search under my name I have made a couple of posts outlining what I did.

Easiest to sell the vehicle in the same place you bought it. Same anywhere in the world. Should make your return air ticket cheaper too.

Most things are cheaper in the states than here.. take little and buy there?

Have a good trip - get medical insurance that covers your activity! .. that can be difficult see the links on this site for ones that might ... Always med ins is expensive in the states.

Some good advice given.
It's good to keep in mind speedometers /odometers on U.S.A. Vehicles are in MILES and Canada The speedo/odo are in KILOMETERS making cross boarder sales difficult.

Neither have I, in the USA or any other country. However there appears to be a law change in the US that means you can be jailed without one. And as they cost so little it is worth getting.