If you are planning to travel around the west of the USA, I recommend choosing one of the car rental counters in Los Angeles to rent a car in California. Rental fees are not significantly lower there, but airfare usually is, so it is more convenient to plan the whole tour with arrival to and departure from Los Angeles.
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Getting the Best Price for Car Rental in California
Car rental prices in California vary considerably, influenced by a number of factors. In addition, prices change almost constantly.
🗓️ The Best Time to Make a Car Booking
The date on which you book your car also affects the price. Based on my own research, I recommend booking the car roughly 1-2 months in advance. The price should be the lowest.
You can get a good deal on a rental car if the rental company gives you the option to cancel the reservation for free. This way you can rent a car in advance and cancel your reservation at any time if your travel plans change. For example, RentalCars offers free cancellation, which also offers a lowest car rental price guarantee.
⏳ Date and Period of Rental
During the peak season, which in California is during the summer holidays, the demand at some rental companies can be so high that prices increase. The same is usually true around national holidays, when Americans travel home to visit their families. Conversely, in months of low demand, rental rates may drop.
For all rental car companies, the rental price is calculated for every 24 hours started. Make sure that the pick-up time is the same as the return time. If you picked up the car at 11am, for example, but returned it at noon, you would be paying an extra whole day unnecessarily.
🗺️ Where the Car Rental Is Located
Car rental prices in California don’t vary much from city to city. Generally speaking, it’s more worth picking up a car at airports, where there is more competition and the rental companies are larger, so they can offer a better price.
In some situations, it is worth choosing an airport car rental company even if the price will be slightly higher. This is because the cost of travelling to and from the airport on the first day and the last day of your car rental will be eliminated.
🏎️ Class of Rental Car
Smaller economy cars are usually the cheapest, but they don’t offer enough comfort for longer road trips. There’s less space inside the car and in the boot, where you may not be able to squeeze all your suitcases. Larger cars in the Intermediate and Large classes offer more comfort, and you’ll usually only pay around 10% extra.
Even better comfort for long road trips is provided by SUVs with a high chassis, the price is usually about 25% higher than the Economy class. The biggest draw is the Premium class and the convertibles that fall into it. Cars without a roof tend to be at least twice as expensive as those in the Economy class.
The price of cars in each class is influenced by the current stock availability at individual branches. Sometimes the smallest cars are the same price as the larger ones, sometimes customers are given a free upgrade to a higher class.
The table below shows the lowest car rental prices in California for 24 hours that I could find. To get a better idea of the price, I recommend you click on the link and try a no-obligation quote.
Economy Large SUV Convertible 
from $36 from $36 from $41 from $57 🔁 Update Price 🔁 Update Price 🔁 Update Price 🔁 Update Price 🔞 Driver’s Age
Drivers between 21 and 24 years of age must pay a fee of $16.00 to $37 per day when renting a car. The specific amount of the fee varies from rental company to rental company, and was introduced to take into account the higher likelihood of a young driver causing damage.
Some rental companies will not give the car to drivers aged 18 to 21, while others charge up to double the fee.
☂️ Insurance Included
Car rental companies in California already include compulsory liability and collision insurance in the total rental price, with the driver’s deductible being zero. Over the course of a week, my friend managed to gradually break the rear window of her Ford Mustang, damaged the roof opening mechanism, and “lost” the rear bumper of her car somewhere. However, thanks to the zero deductible, she paid nothing.
Still, I always recommend reading insurance policies thoroughly when renting a car. If some risks are not included, pay for additional insurance.
🛰️ Accessories and Extra Services
You can buy additional services and extras when you book your car. From my own experience, I recommend paying extra for a second or even third driver with whom you can take turns driving the car. The fee varies from rental company to rental company, expect to pay approximately $13.00 to $15.00 per day. For example, Avis has set a cap of $65 for the entire rental period.
If a person not named in the contract causes damage during the rental, the insurance will not cover it. When traveling with children, it is wise to purchase a child car seat or booster seat in a size appropriate for the child’s age.
On the other hand, I consider GPS navigation to be unnecessary, which you can easily replace with the Google Maps app on your phone. Equally unnecessary is mobile internet, which rental companies often offer. You can get mobile data cheaply and quickly via Airalo.
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Calculate the Price of Car Rental in California for Your Dates
Never rent a car from the first company you come across, it’s hard to get the lowest rental price. It is much better to compare several car rental companies in California at once and choose the cheapest or most affordable one. For example, I’ve had good experiences with RentalCars.com, which compares 200 rental companies at once. Plus, it guarantees the lowest rental price.
You can compare rental prices using the form below. It also counts dozens of different rental companies and shows you available cars of all classes.
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Cheap Car Rental Brands in California
Cheap car rental companies in California are usually based at airports, which is also convenient in that you can simply pick up your car and don’t have to deal with transport to the city centre. This eliminates the extra cost of Uber or public transport.
◻️ Los Angeles Airport Car Rentals
LAX is a huge airport, so all the major and minor car rental companies have a presence there. Their counters are located outside the terminals in a separate building, which is accessible by purple shuttle buses marked “Rental Car Shuttles”. Just follow the signs in the arrivals hall behind baggage claim.
The airport offers Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Fox, Hertz, National, Sixt, Thrifty and Zipcar.
◻️ Car Rentals at San Francisco Airport
All car rental agencies at San Francisco Airport are located in a separate building known as the “Rental Car Center”. A fully automated AirTrain train will take you from the arrivals hall to them, just take the circular blue line. Trains run 24 hours a day.
Alamo, Enterprise, Sixt, Avis, Hertz, Budget, National, Thrifty and Dollar have rental counters on the fourth floor of the building.
Car rental Rating 
Alamo Rent a Car 8.7/10 
Avis Car Rental 8.2/10 
Budget Car Rental 8.1/10 
Dollar Car Rental 8.3/10 
Enterprise Rent-A-Car 8.6/10 
Hertz Rent a Car 8.3/10 
National Car Rental 8.6/10 
SIXT Rent A Car 8.3/10 
Thrifty Car Rental 8.3/10 -
Tips for the Best Road Trips in California
Perhaps no other place in the world offers better conditions for road trips than California.
1️⃣ The Great Road Trip of the Western USA
A two to three week Grand Road Trip of 1,243 mi will take you through Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas to experience the best the West has to offer.
I’ve put together a detailed itinerary for a roadtrip through the west of the USA, during which you’ll see several national parks, the unmistakable Monument Valley, the unique Horseshoe Bend, the Alcatraz prison and the Universal Studios theme park.
2️⃣ Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe, on the California-Nevada border, may be the most beautiful alpine lake in the USA. The crystal clear lake is surrounded by mountains and the famous ski resorts of Squaw Valley and Northstar, which provide plenty of fun for visitors in the winter months.
In summer, Lake Tahoe is a good place to visit for outdoor sports enthusiasts. Kayaking or paddleboarding can be done right on the lake, and the surrounding mountains encourage hiking. The 167 mi long Tahoe Rim Trail, which circles the entire lake and offers breathtaking views, is worth mentioning. You probably won’t walk the whole thing, but will you venture on at least part of it?
3️⃣ National Parks of California
There are so many national parks in California and neighbouring Nevada that it is virtually impossible to visit them all in one trip. The most famous parks include Death Valley, Yosemite, Sequoia and the Grand Canyon.
Don’t forget to buy the America the Beautiful Pass at $80, which allows the entire car crew to visit all US national parks within 1 year without any restrictions. Near Las Vegas, there is still the Hoover Dam, where you can take a guided tour in their bowels.
4️⃣ Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is a historic pier with a small amusement park that mixes a beach atmosphere with fairground rides. Don’t worry, it’s not all boring rides and trains for the kids. There are several roller coasters, centrifuges and a free fall simulator on the pier. For me personally, the Beach Boardwalk is the symbol of summer.
The pier is located in the city of Santa Cruz just south of San Francisco. By paying the entrance fee, you can visit all the open attractions all day long without restrictions.
5️⃣ Famous California Highways
In California more than anywhere else, the journey is the destination. You can drive part of the way from Los Angeles to Las Vegas on historic Route 66, which winds through the mountains and the famous Mojave Desert.
For the trip between Los Angeles and San Francisco, you can choose the Pacific Coast Highway, which, while significantly longer and slower than the inland route, offers ocean views almost the entire way. Along the way, you can make a stop at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park.
Car Rental in USA
- Car Rental in the USA - How to Save, Tips, and Experiences
- Driving in the USA
- Gas Stations in the USA
Car Rental in…
Boston — California — Chicago — Denver — Florida — Hawaii — Las Vegas — Los Angeles — Miami — New York City — Salt Lake City — San Francisco — Washington D.C.
