Car Rental in Denver – Best Tips to Save & Not Make a Mistake

Petr Novk

Cheap car hire in Denver is a breeze, with at least one branch at the local airport or in the city centre of each major car rental company. Compared to other places in the USA, Denver car rental prices are slightly above average.

Car Rental in Denver – Best Tips to Save & Not Make a Mistake

  1. Best Price for Car Rental in Denver – How to Get It?

    The price for car rental in Denver is made up of several components. In addition to the length of the rental or the company chosen, the following factors also influence the price.

    🗓️ How Far in Advance?

    The time in advance you book the car also affects the price. Based on my research, I recommend booking your car 1-3 months in advance.

    The price for car rental is calculated for every 24 hours started for all companies. So always keep in mind that the pickup and return time of the car is the same. If you picked up the car at noon, but didn’t return it until 1pm, you would be paying an extra whole day unnecessarily.

    You can get a good deal on a rental car at RentalCars.com, which offers free cancellation. The way it works in practice is that you rent a car on the date you want and then cancel the reservation if your plans change. RentalCars also offers a lowest price guarantee.

    ⏳ Current Demand for Cars

    The demand for cars is not the same throughout the year. It can be higher during the summer holidays or around public holidays, which can result in higher rental prices.

    🗺️ Car Rental Locations

    There may be some differences in rental prices at the airport and in rental agencies in the city centre. In my experience, airport rentals tend to be cheaper. In addition, choosing an airport car rental will save you the cost of travelling to the city centre.

    🏎️ Class of Rental Car

    Economy cars are the best value for money in most cases, with the disadvantage of a small boot and only a basic level of equipment. For longer journeys, cars in the Intermediate and Large categories are better suited, and you’ll usually pay an extra 10% of the base price for more comfort.

    SUVs offer even more comfort thanks to more space and a higher chassis, and you’ll usually pay around 25% more than the entry-level economy class. Convertibles and similar cars in the premium classes tend to cost up to 100% more.

    The price of cars is also influenced by the current stock availability of cars at individual branches. It happens quite often that cars from higher classes are cheaper than small ones, or that the customer gets a free upgrade to a higher class.

    When booking cars, think about price comparisons, the first Denver car rental company you come across will probably not be the cheapest. I recommend booking cars through RentalCars.com, which compares prices from over 200 rental companies while guaranteeing customers the lowest price.

    Economy Large SUV Convertible
    Economy Car Rental Car Rental Medium or Large Size SUV Car Rental Convertible Rental
    from $30 from $28 from $29 from $75
    🔁 Update Price 🔁 Update Price 🔁 Update Price 🔁 Update Price

    🔞 Driver’s Age

    Drivers aged 21 to 24 years inclusive are charged $16.00 to $37 per day. The specific amount varies from rental company to rental company, the fee is related to the higher risk of a young driver causing an accident.

    Drivers aged 18 to 21 will either not rent a car at all or pay even more in fees.

    ☂️ Car Insurance Included

    Car rental companies in Denver already include liability and collision insurance in the total rental price. Check the contract to make sure the insurance is arranged with a zero driver deductible so that you pay nothing in the event of damage.

    If some risks are not covered (for example, theft of the vehicle or windscreen damage), I recommend paying for additional insurance.

    🛰️ Accessories at Extra Cost

    You can pay extra for additional accessories and services when you book your car. The most useful one is an additional driver who will be entitled to drive the car. The price varies from rental company to rental company, with the usual price being $13.00 to $15.00 for each day of rental. However, Avis, for example, has set a maximum charge of $65 for the whole period. If a driver not listed in the contract causes damage to the car, the insurance will not be valid.

    If you will be traveling with smaller children in the Denver area, you may pay extra for a child seat or booster seat. All rental companies offer it and it usually comes in several sizes.

    I consider a wi-fi modem with cellular internet to be a completely unnecessary add-on, which you can replace cheaply with an eSIM from Airalo. Also indispensable is GPS navigation, for which you can use your phone and the Google Maps app again.

  2. Get a No-Obligation Quote for Car Rental in Denver

    Use the blue form below to get an accurate rental price. This puts all car rental companies in Denver into a comparison, as a result of which you can get the best possible price.

  3. Cheap Car Rental Brands in Denver

    ◻️ Denver Airport Car Rentals

    Denver Airport car rentals include Thrifty, Payless, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Sixt, National, Fox, Alamo, Enterprise and Hertz.

    All car rental agencies are located in a separate building, with a free shuttle bus from Jeppesen Terminal. You can board them on the 5th floor near Island 4 through doors 505-513 in the eastern part, or doors 504-512 in the western part.

    ◻️ Car Rentals in Downtown Denver

    Enterprise Rent-A-Car has the largest presence in downtown, operating several branches there. Alternatively, you can rent a car from Avis, Budget, Hertz and Sixt.

    Car rental Rating
    Alamo Rent a Car Alamo Rent a Car 8.7/10
    Avis Car Rental Avis Car Rental 8.2/10
    Budget Car Rental Budget Car Rental 8.1/10
    Dollar Car Rental Dollar Car Rental 8.3/10
    Enterprise Rent-A-Car Enterprise Rent-A-Car 8.6/10
    Hertz Rent a Car Hertz Rent a Car 8.3/10
    National Car Rental National Car Rental 8.6/10
    SIXT Rent A Car SIXT Rent A Car 8.3/10
    Thrifty Car Rental Thrifty Car Rental 8.3/10
  4. Tips for the Best Road Trips Around Denver

    1️⃣ National Parks in Colorado

    Mountain lovers and nature lovers will enjoy Colorado. Just 74 mi from downtown Denver is Rocky Mountain National Park. The Rocky Mountains are a great place to clear your head, just head to one of the 360 mi hiking trails.

    There are a good dozen national parks southwest of Denver, including the popular Grand Canyon, Arches, and Bryce Canyon. To the northwest lie perhaps the most famous national parks, Yellowstone and Grand Teton. I recommend that trips to both places be designed as multi-day trips.

    2️⃣ Aspen Ski Resort

    Aspen, Colorado is one of the most famous ski resorts in the world. This is primarily due to the high annual snowfall, which contributes to ideal conditions for skiing and a perhaps overly boisterous tourism industry. Aspen resorts have around forty ski lifts and approximately 316 mi groomed runs.

    By car, it takes about three and a quarter hours to get from Denver to Aspen, during which time you’ll cover 159 mi.

    3️⃣ Red Rocks Amphitheatre

    Half an hour’s drive and 16.78 mi west of downtown Denver lies the natural Red Rocks Amphitheatre, surrounded by deep red rocks. The amphitheatre hosts interesting concerts, film screenings and other cultural events almost every day.

    You can get some exercise before your next ride by participating in a group yoga session among the rocks or hiking one of the walking trails.

    4️⃣ Mount Evans Scenic Byway

    The journey is the destination, and that’s true of the 49 mi long Mount Evans Scenic Byway for several reasons. It’s the highest paved road in all of North America, and it will take you to the top of 14,271 ft high Mount Blue Sky. If you can adapt to the thin air, you can take a short hike at the top.

    The steep climb is made more enjoyable by several stops with breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape, and with any luck you’ll spot ibex, marmots or golden eagles. Due to snow and weather conditions, the road is only accessible in summer.

    5️⃣ Estes Park, Colorado

    The mountain town of Estes Park is located about 65 mi northwest of Denver and serves as the gateway to the aforementioned Rocky Mountain National Park.

    Contrasting the picturesque streets of the city is the historic Stanley Hotel, which inspired the famous writer Stephen King to write the psychological horror film The Shining. The book was published in 1977 and three years later the film of the same name was made. You can take a guided tour of the hotel, or check in directly.

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