Palo Alto car rentals
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Palo Alto, CA, United States
29 May — 5 Jun
Same drop-off
Palo Alto, CA, United States
Sun 29/5
Noon
Sun 5/6
Noon
Driver's age:
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Cheap car rentals in Palo Alto
| Mini |
| Economy |
| Compact |
| Intermediate |
| Standard |
| Full-size |
| Luxury |
| Minivan |
| Passenger Van |
| SUV |
| Commercial |
| Pick-up truck |
Palo Alto car rental reviews and directory
Hertz
5.9
Okay
106 reviewsBest rated
Cheapest deal
Most popular
Cleanliness
6.5
Comfort
6.3
Pick-up/Drop-off
5.3
Value for money
5.7
4 locations in Palo Alto
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Reviews
2.0 Mediocre
Nov. 2021
2.0 Mediocre
May 2021
Cons:
The rental cars office closes at 12pm. We booked a rental at 12pm, but no one told us we have to be there exactly on time or earlier. We got to the rental station a bit after 12. Everything was closed, we had to get a rental somewhere else for a ridiculous expensive last minute price. You should tell püeople that the rental car station in Los Altos closes at 12pm6.0 Good
Apr. 2021
Cons:
I needed to clean the windshield but there was no washing fluid in the tank. Next time I will check. I wasn’t told the office is closed on Saturday and since there were two notes in the window, one saying Open 9 -12 the other one Closed Saturday and Sunday I wasted half hour waiting9.6 Excellent
Oct. 2020
Pros:
Staff was friendly and helpful5.2 Okay
Oct. 2020
Cons:
Staff at Hertz Palo Alto were quite unhelpful. Among other things, they failed to provide minimum docs needed for drop-off.6.8 Good
Sep. 2020
Pros:
The priceCons:
I spoke to Hertz at 8am and 1pm to confirm my reservation and let them know I would be picking the car up close to 5pm, and a guy called me at 3pm to tell me they do not have a car for me. I was irate. He was very easy going and basically said 'sorry, my hands are tied and there is nothing we can do.' I made this reservation a week in advance, and paid in advance to be sure I would have a car. This was unacceptable. I eventually was put in touch with the manager at this location and he found me a vehicle (mid size SUV, not full size) that I was able to pick-up at 5pm. Mani was helpful and he did find a vehicle, but this should not have happened. Mani said that he asked the 3rd party rep to shut-off reservations a week in advance because they were not going to have enough cars. They had 70 reservations and only 40 cars available. That's 30 people who had their days ruined due to the overbookingAvis
8.4
Excellent
2 reviewsCleanliness
8.0
Comfort
8.0
Pick-up/Drop-off
10.0
Value for money
8.0
2 locations in Palo Alto
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Reviews
8.4 Excellent
Sep. 2016
Pros:
We arrived after the Business had closed down (5 to 10 minutes) and the manager reopened the business to facilitate our rental.8.4 Excellent
Sep. 2016
Pros:
We arrived after the Business had closed down (5 to 10 minutes) and the manager reopened the business to facilitate our rental.Budget
6.1
Good
16 reviewsCleanliness
6.6
Comfort
6.6
Pick-up/Drop-off
4.6
Value for money
6.6
2 locations in Palo Alto
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Reviews
7.2 Good
Dec. 2016
Pros:
the car was a great size for our trip to the snow.Cons:
there was not owner's manual in the glove box, and the tires were a little on the low side.9.2 Excellent
Nov. 2016
Pros:
Service and car were greatCons:
initial pick up was difficult with the hertz counter being so far and there was a long lineup which made out wait longer2.0 Mediocre
Sep. 2016
Pros:
I booked a car on Kayak for my trip to San Jose, not knowing that Mountain View is far from the airport.Cons:
There is no shuttle, or ride offered, from the San Jose Airport to the Budget Office in MV. When I called them they were unfriendly and unhelpful.7.2 Good
Dec. 2016
Pros:
the car was a great size for our trip to the snow.Cons:
there was not owner's manual in the glove box, and the tires were a little on the low side.9.2 Excellent
Nov. 2016
Pros:
Service and car were greatCons:
initial pick up was difficult with the hertz counter being so far and there was a long lineup which made out wait longer2.0 Mediocre
Sep. 2016
Pros:
I booked a car on Kayak for my trip to San Jose, not knowing that Mountain View is far from the airport.Cons:
There is no shuttle, or ride offered, from the San Jose Airport to the Budget Office in MV. When I called them they were unfriendly and unhelpful.Enterprise
5.7
Okay
16 reviewsCleanliness
6.6
Comfort
5.6
Pick-up/Drop-off
5.6
Value for money
5.3
2 locations in Palo Alto
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Reviews
9.6 Excellent
Aug. 2020
Cons:
Not having to go to another store because the car they were suppose to have Waiting for me at their store Was not available10.0 Excellent
Jul. 2020
Pros:
Pick-up & drop-off were perfect! The site manager easily adjusted my pick-up time to match emerging changes in my travel plans.....and when one of our group developed a medical emergency which cancelled our trip outright, management re-did our One Way drop-off Weekly rate to become a 2 Day Local contract with no issues. The car was perfect and our travel would have been perfect as a result!5.2 Okay
Oct. 2018
Cons:
I requested a more fuel-efficient sedan, but they only had an SUV left for me.6.0 Good
Jan. 2017
Pros:
From check-in, pick-up, and a personal drop off at our departure gate, the customer service was spectacular. I would definitely recommend this company.Cons:
The rental car was a Jeep SUV and it was a horribly uncomfortable gas guzzler. I would definitely not recommend this car.2.0 Mediocre
Dec. 2016
Pros:
I don't have any problems with other enterprise but just this enterpriseCons:
this enterprise just treat customer so cruel because they cancelled the customer reservation without any contact until we came to their office the 2 days before pick up day and they said our reservation been cancelled, with the reason that they called us (only 1 time without leaving any messages ) but we don't pick up phone. How about my email? Why don't they send us an email to confirmed? If this is the way enterprise serve customer then .... nothing to discuss. Thank you.1.9 Horrible
Jul. 2021
9.6 Excellent
Aug. 2020
Cons:
Not having to go to another store because the car they were suppose to have Waiting for me at their store Was not available10.0 Excellent
Jul. 2020
Pros:
Pick-up & drop-off were perfect! The site manager easily adjusted my pick-up time to match emerging changes in my travel plans.....and when one of our group developed a medical emergency which cancelled our trip outright, management re-did our One Way drop-off Weekly rate to become a 2 Day Local contract with no issues. The car was perfect and our travel would have been perfect as a result!5.2 Okay
Oct. 2018
Cons:
I requested a more fuel-efficient sedan, but they only had an SUV left for me.6.0 Good
Jan. 2017
Pros:
From check-in, pick-up, and a personal drop off at our departure gate, the customer service was spectacular. I would definitely recommend this company.Cons:
The rental car was a Jeep SUV and it was a horribly uncomfortable gas guzzler. I would definitely not recommend this car.2.0 Mediocre
Dec. 2016
Pros:
I don't have any problems with other enterprise but just this enterpriseCons:
this enterprise just treat customer so cruel because they cancelled the customer reservation without any contact until we came to their office the 2 days before pick up day and they said our reservation been cancelled, with the reason that they called us (only 1 time without leaving any messages ) but we don't pick up phone. How about my email? Why don't they send us an email to confirmed? If this is the way enterprise serve customer then .... nothing to discuss. Thank you.140 travellers who rented a car in Palo Alto gave the car agency they used an average rating of 5.9
Car rental locations in or near Palo Alto
Good to know
Most popular agency | Hertz |
|---|---|
Most popular car type | Compact |
Average price | C$ 113/day |
Good deal | C$ 82/day |
When to book a rental car in Palo Alto
Average daily price per month
Rental car prices as pick-up date approaches
Top tips for renting a car in Palo Alto
- Consider renting a car during your stay in Palo Alto to experience the convenience and flexibility of exploring the city and getting a feel of the culture, rather than dealing with expensive taxis or fixed routes using the public transportation system. There are a few airports near Palo Alto, with the closest one being around 13 miles away from the town center, which is a short drive for anyone who rents a car from one of the car rentals in Palo Alto. You can also choose to visit some of the popular tourist destinations near Palo Alto, such as Baylands Nature Reserve, which borders the San Francisco Bay, or the Pearsin-Arastradero Preserve, located south of the city opposite Interstate 280.
- There are a few airports near Palo Alto, such as the San Jose (SJC) Airport, which conveniently has several Palo Alto car rentals on-site, such as Enterprise, Avis, Budget, and Hertz. The Rental Car Center is located across the street from Terminal B, and from Terminal A can be accessed via the bus shuttle which picks you up from baggage claim. San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is approximately 18 miles away and has multiple car rental agencies on site as well, situated at the SFO Rental Car Center on the first and fourth floor. Off-airport agencies are served by free shuttle services, which stop at the south curb of the car rental center.
- Like most busy cities, there are a few people who opt to not follow traffic rules. Drivers are warned to be cautious of jaywalkers who hop on busy roads without warning, as well as pedestrians and cyclists who don’t use their respective lanes. There are also a few cases of distracted driving. Visitors who opt for car rentals in Palo Alto are advised to consider getting vehicles that have built in GPS monitors to navigate through unacquainted roads.
- The rush hour in Palo Alto city is not the worst, since it is a primarily residential area. In the morning when people are heading to work, rush hour starts at around 7am to 10am with people spending an average of around 45min on the road. It usually picks back up at around 3pm. Since the climate is mostly warm, there are usually no cases of weather-related accidents.
- 25% of our users found rental cars in Palo Alto for C$ 82 or less
- Book your rental car in Palo Alto at least 1 day before your trip in order to get a below-average price
- Compact rental cars in Palo Alto are around 48% cheaper than other car types, on average