Like many cities in the U.S., Albany is best explored with a car. There simply is no better way to get around town, especially if you plan on going out and taking in the sights. For instance, if you are staying outside of downtown Albany and you want to get downtown, it is a simple 10 to 15-minute drive, but via public transportation it can easily take 30 or 40 minutes. This is especially the case at night when bus service slows down.
Planning on beginning your trip in Albany with a stop at the rental car counter? For travelers with flights landing at Albany International Airport, you will find the rental car offices located next to Baggage Claim and the cars themselves in the airport parking garage.
Albany’s downtown area is chock full of pedestrians and bikers. This is particularly the case during evenings in the summer when the weather is especially pleasant. During such times, jaywalking can become very common and traffic has to slow down as a result. This is also because Albany has a high density of attractions in the downtown area, so people often walk between them.
Rush hour in Albany, while not as severe as it is in New York City, can still pack a punch. The morning rush hour usually starts up at 6:00 a.m. and lasts until 9:00 a.m. The afternoon rush hour is when the real traffic builds up, though, and drivers are advised to avoid many of the major avenues and highways from 4:00 p.m. until 6:30 p.m., when traffic begins to die back down.
25% of our users found rental cars in Albany for C$ 65 or less
Book your rental car in Albany at least 1 week before your trip in order to get a below-average price
FAQs about renting a car in Albany
Some car rental companies in Albany which have updated their car rental health and safety policies due to COVID-19 to make sure vehicles are clean and disinfected include Enterprise and Alamo
On average a hire car in Albany costs C$ 85 per day.
In the past 72 hours, the cheapest rental cars were found at Dollar (C$ 58/day), Hertz (C$ 61/day) and Avis (C$ 151/day). In the last 72 hours the cheapest rental car price was found at Hertz 737 Albany Shaker Rd. 12211-1001 (11 kilometers from city center).
Based on ratings and reviews from real users on KAYAK, the best car rental companies in Albany are Enterprise (8.9, 127 reviews), Alamo (8.8, 182 reviews), and Dollar (7.9, 105 reviews).
The average gas price in Albany is C$ 5.81 per litre over the past 30 days. Filling up a gas tank costs between C$ 70 and C$ 93, depending on the car size.
Car rental companies onsite at Albany Intl airport include Enterprise and Alamo.
Car rental companies that offer shuttle or pick-up services from Albany Intl airport to off-airport locations include Enterprise and Alamo.
A Full-size car rental in Albany costs C$ 28 per day, on average.
A Intermediate car rental in Albany costs C$ 119 per day, on average.
In Albany, cars are most frequently rented at Dollar 737 Albany Shaker Road (12 km from city centre ).
On average a rental car in Albany costs C$ 595 per week (C$ 85 per day).
On average a rental car in Albany costs C$ 2,548 per month (C$ 85 per day).
Albany’s streets are similar to many others in the Northeast in that many of them predate the automobile. As a result, the roads can often be winding and rather small, and because of this, smaller vehicles are recommended for would-be renters. Larger cars will fit on the roads, of course, but they may sometimes be tough to park, and you may have to stop to let others pass on the narrower roads.
Drivers can expect speed limits ranging from 25 to 45 mph on residential streets and from 35 to 55 mph on larger urban roads. Highways and freeways in Albany, on the other hand, typically feature speed limits of 55 mph in urban areas and 65 mph in rural areas in between cities.
Parking garages are plentifully available in Albany and drivers should have no issue finding spots in them. Additionally, parallel streetside parking is highly available throughout the city. In general, drivers will find that streetside parking is predominantly popular in the less dense urban areas and peripheral residential areas of Albany.