Rental Cars - San Francisco

Get a great San Francisco rental car...

Want an auto rental in San Francisco?  You can get a cheap car rental in San Francisco to fit your budget.  San Francisco automobile rentals include top companies such as Hertz, Avis, Dollar Rent a Car, and Budget Rent a Car.   We really like the service that we get from Hertz on our San Francisco car rentals including a great selection of Fords and consistently good service.   We often get a better rental car from Hertz than we paid for and the service is consistent, efficient, and reasonably priced.  

Use our car rental top-10 car rental tips below to save you money and improve your quality -- wherever you rent a car.   Wherever you choose your San Francisco rental car from - drive carefully on those huge San Francisco hills!  You may also consider a local rental to just use (and pay to park) a rental car for a few days of your trip to visit outlying attractions like Napa Valley's wine tasting or Sausalito. 

Top 5 National Rental Car Companies and Vehicles:

1.)  Hertz Auto Rentals - One of San Francisco's most popular rental car companies with preferred service, great support, and a wide selection of Fords and other makes.  Recent intermediate airport quote around $325 per week with all taxes. (415-771-2200 @ Union Square near hotels).  We have seen an increasing number of really modern Hyundai sedans and SUV's with Hertz which is good if you like to try out imports.

2.)  Dollar Car Rentals - A great discount provider, focused on Chrysler's.  Excellent discounts on rental cars available for the San Francisco area.  Recent intermediate airport quote around $250 per week with all taxes.(415-771-5302 @ Union Square near hotels).  We rented from Dollar on our last trip and got a minivan for our family - Dodge Grand Caravan / Chrysler Town & Country - (our choice) for a week for under $200 before tax (see our car renting tips below.)  The service was average, but the deal made it worth it.  Here are some typical cars you would get at Dollar:

Dollar Compact - Dodge Neon Seats 5 with 3 suitcases.	Dollar Intermediate - Chrysler PT Cruiser Seats 5 with 5 suitcases.
Dollar Minivan - Dodge Grand Caravan Seats 7 with 5 suitcases	Dollar Luxury - Chrysler 300 Seats 5 with 5 suitcases.

3.)  Enterprise Rent a Car - Focused on local rentals but with an expanding airport presence.  Offers pickup / drop-off service in some situations.  Recent intermediate quote around $190 per week (non-airport) with all taxes. (415-441-2100 @ Union Square near hotels)

4.)  Budget Car Rental - Good discounts around San Francisco and a wide variety of cars.  Recent intermediate airport quote around $240 per week with all taxes.  (415- 928-7864 @ Union Square near hotels)

5.)  Avis Rental Cars - Focused on General Motors products including Hummer SUV's!  Higher priced, premium business-focused service.  Recent intermediate airport quote around $325 per week with all taxes.   (415- 885-5011 @ Union Square near hotels).  Here are some typical cars you might receive at Avis with their key stats on fuel economy, passengers, and luggage.

Avis Economy - Chevy Aveo Seats 4 with 2 suitcases.	Avis Intermediate - Pontiac G6 Seats 5 with 3 suitcases.
Avis Standard SUV - Chevy Trailblazer Seats 5 with 4 suitcases	Avis Convertible - Chevy Camaro Seats 4 with 2 suitcases.

6.)  Alamo - Alamo is one of our favorite discount car rental places for vacations.  They cater to leisure travelers and have great rates - particularly if you are renting for an entire week.  They provide generally good service and have a free frequent renter program to get you through the rental counter quicker (we always recommend joining these programs versus hassling with paperwork on your trip).  Here are some typical cars you might get from Avis rentals - check out their very good discounts.  Alamo is primarily a GM shop with Chevrolets, Pontiacs, and other GM brands.  They're located in downtown San Francisco's Union Square area at 320 O'Farrell Street and can be reached at (415) 292-5353

Alamo Compact - Chevrolet Cobalt Seats 4 with 3 suitcases.	Alamo Minivan - Chevrolet Uplander Seats 6 with 4 suitcases.
Alamo Midsize SUV - Chevrolet Equinox Seats 4 with 4 suitcases	Alamo Full Size - Pontiac Grand Prix Seats 4 with 5 suitcases.

7.)  Luxury Rental Cars - A luxury car in San Francisco can be a real treat.  The coastal, curving drives and steep hills are made to show off sport sedans like Lexus, Infiniti, Volvo, Audi, BMW, and Acura -- all of which you can get for the right price. 

Top-10 Car Rental Tips:

• Check Out the Fees:  Make sure you know all the fee's that are part of online car rental bookings.  Click through to the screen that shows the total price with taxes and fee's and print out your confirmation screen.   Keep in mind that a rental car is more than just the car - it's the service and how you are treated also.  Don't buy a rental car just on price or prepare to be treated like crap.  Use your experiences, our reviews, and friends experiences to pick the best company.  Better companies are also more likely to upgrade your vehicle for free when they are out of the smaller models.
• Confirm Your Price:  When you pick up the car -- make sure that the price, fee's, and taxes match what you were quoted on the web, with the confirmation printed out from your web booking.   And it goes without saying - Make a reservation at least one week in advance.  You don't want to be rental car shopping upon arrival.
• Check the Vehicle's Condition:  Take a good walk around the vehicle - checking for any damage, scratches, and dings.  Many companies (definitely Dollar and Thrifty) will ask you to sign off on the vehicle's condition before leaving the lot.
• Off-Airport Rentals:  You can save money by renting a car away from the airport.  All airports have a multitude of special fee's and taxes.  By renting off-airport, you can save 10% - 20% or more.  There are often discount car rentals just a few short miles from the airport's "tax zone".
• Dropoff Location / Time:  Check into the fee's before you drop off a car anywhere besides where you rented it.  There are often fee's for drop off of the car at another location.  Make sure you return on time.  After 1-2 hours over a 24 hour rental day -- you're paying for an entire additional day at most companies.
• Car Seats:  Consider bring along your own children's car seats rather than renting them from the car rental company at a high price.  You can often pay for a brand new car seat with the price of a car seat rental.
• Drivers and Fuel:  It always costs extra for a registered second driver (even a spouse) and if you don't fill the car with gas.   Avoid both and you'll save money.  Make sure to fill your car up with gas on the way back to the airport or the night before.  Make sure any actual vehicle drivers are on the contract or you can expose yourself to risk.  
• Insurance:  Make sure you understand what your auto coverage handles on rental cars.  If you're unsure at the rental counter-- they'll push you hard for the upsell.
  • Christine writes... "I didn't know that CA has a policy that you need to bring your insurance with you when you rent a car in San Francisco or else you have to get extra insurance. If I knew that I would have brought my info with me."

Do You Really Want One?

M.C. writes, The bus passes/cable car passes are a best buy and I think you might want to tell other tourists like myself to think twice about renting a car if you're just going to stay in town...

W.L. writes, "I quickly realized that parking is almost impossible in SF and the buses are too slow.  I rented a scooter for around $20 per day and it was a blast!  They are a little slow climbing steep hills, but parking is a cinch.  It took me 2 days to run out of gas and filled it up for only $1.  Scooters are a great way to get around SF.