San Diego car rentals
Same drop-off
Driver's age: 26-65
Tue 13/6
Noon
Tue 20/6
Noon
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San Diego car rental information
| Pick-up location | San Diego |
|---|---|
| Car types | Compact, Compact SUV, Convertible, Economy, Full-size, Full-size SUV, Intermediate, Intermediate SUV, Minivan, Standard, Standard SUV, Supplier choice |
| Rental locations | 131 |
| Airport locations | 61 |
| Popular agencies | Ace, Economy Rent a Car, NU Car, U-Save, Thrifty |
Cheap car rentals in San Diego
| Economy | C$ 23/day |
| Compact | C$ 27/day |
| Intermediate | C$ 27/day |
| Standard | C$ 29/day |
| Full-size | C$ 25/day |
| Minivan | C$ 46/day |
| Full-size SUV | C$ 59/day |
| Convertible | C$ 99/day |
| Supplier choice | C$ 24/day |
| Compact SUV | C$ 26/day |
| Standard SUV | C$ 28/day |
| Intermediate SUV | C$ 41/day |
Top tips for renting a car in San Diego
- Before driving your San Diego car rentals around, make sure you know the main rules and driving tips of the city and the surrounding areas. The carpool lanes on freeways (H.O.V. lanes) can only be used with two or more occupants in the car, and accessing only at the designated entry and exit points, where there are broken lines. In the state of California, you’re able to make a right-hand turn on red. Also, keep in mind that it’s prohibited to smoke while in the car with a minor, as well as driving while under the influence of alcohol, with a BAC of 0.08% or over.
- Locate the toll roads in San Diego and know how to pay them. There is one toll road in San Diego, the State Route 125, also known as the South Bay Expressway. You should know this before you find yourself driving along it. It’s possible to pay with the FasTrak system. You can check beforehand with your agency if this feature is available for your cheap car rentals in San Diego. Nonetheless, it’s also possible to pay with cash or a credit card at the toll booth, or within four days using the Pay-by-Plate option which has an extra processing fee.
- When you’re planning to drop off your cheap car rentals in San Diego, know that at the airport, the car rental agencies are located out of the terminal and consolidated at the Rental Car Center. This is the same place as the pick-up location for those who got their rental cars from the San Diego Airport. The Rental Car Center is located right off the Pacific Highway, adjacent to the San Diego International Airport (SAN). Nonetheless, the airport offers a free shuttle service to get you from your drop-off location to your departure terminal. These buses run 24/7 stopping at both of the airport terminals.
- Driving around San Diego is the most convenient and comfortable way of getting to know all corners of the region, as the freeway system is fairly easy to navigate and traffic is manageable (aside from during rush hour). Because public transportation services are unreliable in the city, staying mobile by renting a car is the best option. It is also ideal for travelers looking to explore other destinations outside the city, such as the wine country of nearby Temecula, or those who want to embark on a road trip along the California coast.
- All the big car rental agencies can be found in the San Diego International Airport (SAN), at the Consolidated Rental Car Center just outside the airport. The Rental Car Center is accessible via free shuttle bus services that stop at all terminals.
- Although the freeway system isn't generally complicated, always have a map or a GPS on hand to help you. When driving downtown, beware of tourists or other reckless drivers who may be too used to driving in the city. If you’re interested in hopping across the border to Mexico, make sure you talk to your rental agency, as they may need to provide specific documentation, such as car insurance that is also valid in the neighboring country. But if your plan includes a day trip to Tijuana, it's easier to just park your car on the U.S. side of the border and walk across.
- Although traffic is manageable, roads are usually fairly busy throughout San Diego, so avoid rush hours both in the morning (between 6:30 and 10 a.m.) and afternoon (between 3:30 and 6:30 pm) if you don't want to be stuck in traffic for longer than needed. Freeways along the coast also get pretty packed on weekends, especially the I-5.
- 25% of our users found rental cars in San Diego for C$ 48 or less
- Book your rental car in San Diego at least 1 day before your trip in order to get a below-average price
- Off-airport rental car locations in San Diego are around 24% cheaper than airport locations on average
- Intermediate rental cars in San Diego are around 4% cheaper than other car types, on average
FAQs about renting a car in San Diego
San Diego car rental reviews and directory
Hertz
6.1
Okay
1053 reviewsCleanliness
6.8
Comfort
6.7
Pick-up/Drop-off
5.9
Value for money
6.2
13 locations in San Diego
from C$ 52/day
Locations in San Diego
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Reviews
2.0 Poor
Nov. 2022
2.0 Poor
Nov. 2022
2.0 Poor
Nov. 2022
2.0 Poor
Nov. 2022
10.0 Wonderful
Nov. 2022
4.0 Mediocre
Oct. 2022
Payless
4.6
Mediocre
1384 reviewsBest rated
Cleanliness
5.3
Comfort
5.1
Pick-up/Drop-off
5.3
Value for money
4.5
One location in San Diego
from C$ 49/day
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Reviews
6.0 Okay
Mar. 2023
10.0 Wonderful
Mar. 2023
2.0 Poor
May 2021
Pros:
Drop off was easy, but no one inquired about my level of satisfaction so I did not have the opportunity to tell them that the car reeked of cigarettes and was overdue for maintenance (according to the maintenance required info on the display).Cons:
Everything was terrible. I was overcharged. My stated rate for two days was about $92. When I picked up the car, I was charged about $105. I requested clarification from the Payless rep, but he just kept repeating the amount he said was owed in a manner clearly intended to beat me into submission. There was a line of customers, so I gave in. When I got to the car, it was a compact even thought I had ordered intermediate. Even more disturbing, it had a strong perfume-ish scent. It’s been so long since I rented a car that wasn’t fresh and clean that it didn’t immediately occur to me that Payless was trying to cover a nasty odor. They were. Within a few minutes of leaving Payless, there was an overwhelming stench of cigarette smoke that permeated the car and even my home garage once I got the car home. And, the car’s display said it was overdue for service by over 40 days. All around awful.2.0 Poor
May 2021
Pros:
Nothing.Cons:
Our flight landed 3 hours late. By the time I got to the rental place they had sold my reserved car to someone else. (Personally, I think that if you pay and reserve a car it should be there when you get there. Either way they get the money whether you show up or not.) The guy at the counter told me that they didn't have any more cars to rent. Then he suddenly found one, but it was a small size SUV instead of an economy car. There was an up charge for this. By the time I was out of there it was late and I was exhausted. I signed because I needed a car to get the family to the hotel. During my time there I witnessed this same thing happen to 3 other customers. At the time it didn't occur to me that something wasn't right. I just needed to get the wife and kids to the hotel. When I woke up the next morning I realized that I had paid over $100/ day for a car rental. When I called back to clarify my bill the gentleman told me that everything looked right on their end, but that I could return the car, and they would reimburse me for the un used days. Still waiting for that reimbursement. Totally felt scammed. After I dropped off the car at Payless the next day(11 hours after picking it up) I ended up renting a car from Alamo for $37.75/ day. Missed out on 3 hours of beach time with the family, but worth the savings for me to return the rental and go somewhere else.2.0 Poor
May 2021
Pros:
NothingCons:
The prices, the upgrades, and the knowledge of vehicles2.0 Poor
May 2021
Pros:
Luis was friendly but felt like he was trying to scam me into “upgrading” my car.Cons:
Lack of clarification on website on what car you are paying for and additional fees that you pay when you pick up the car but not expressed before. I will not use Kayak or Payless againAlamo
8.8
Very good
570 reviewsCleanliness
9.0
Comfort
8.9
Pick-up/Drop-off
8.9
Value for money
8.5
One location in San Diego
from C$ 101/day
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Reviews
10.0 Wonderful
Mar. 2021
Pros:
I was able to pick up the car the night before and saved money10.0 Wonderful
Nov. 2020
Pros:
Great service, fast easy courteous. employees seemed happy. rental car employees not usually that way.10.0 Wonderful
Oct. 2020
Pros:
The staff were great. They showed us how to work some of the new features on the car. The car was in excellent condition; it was brand new!Cons:
Nothing9.6 Wonderful
Oct. 2020
Pros:
Alamo was great. But it was my second choice, after my first choice -- some no name rental agency called Mex, selected initially via Kayak, which routed me through Rentcars.com -- was a friggin disaster. I landed at 6 pm, the time of my reservation, only to discover that the rental office was already closed. There was no one to help me, no number to call, no customer service from anyone in that chain, including Kayak. It was a friday evening at 6. I tried 4 other rental agencies; they were either out of cars or were asking insane amounts of $$ for them. I had to get a ride from the airport, and come back the next morning to rent from Alamo. (Which was great.)Cons:
Alamo was great. Avoid Mex Rent a Car and Rentcars.com at all costs. No one picks up the phone at Mex and you can't leave a voicemail. The number for Rentcars doesn't work, and the email responses are all in Portuguese. I'm not kidding. Why Kayak continues to use these vendors is a mystery to me. Makes me reconsider my choice in travel apps.7.6 Good
Oct. 2020
Pros:
Staff was helpful in securing a gas discount for me when the car I reserved wasn’t available.Cons:
Don’t oversell cars! If I book a pickup, giving me a dodge caravan minivan because you oversold pickup trucks isn’t providing excellent service.5.6 Fair
Sep. 2020
Pros:
Drop off was greatCons:
Have the selected class or better available. I don’t consider an infinity to be the same class as an EscaladeEnterprise Rent-A-Car
8.0
Very good
654 reviewsCleanliness
8.2
Comfort
8.2
Pick-up/Drop-off
7.8
Value for money
7.9
14 locations in San Diego
from C$ 40/day
Locations in San Diego
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10.0 Wonderful
May 2021
Cons:
Everything was super easy, picking up and dropping off.10.0 Wonderful
May 2021
Pros:
YesCons:
All fine8.0 Very good
Apr. 2021
Pros:
Nice carCons:
I had to stand in line for 90 minutes (no exaggeration) to get my rental.8.0 Very good
Apr. 2021
Cons:
Not the car i reserved no choice but to get it8.0 Very good
Apr. 2021
Cons:
It should be a full tank not empty gas when i got it2.0 Poor
Apr. 2021
Pros:
I didn’t like anything, because there was nothing to like. I went to get my rental at the time that you told me to. But you didn’t have any cars available and didn’t allowed me to have one. I had to buy me a ticket on Amtrak. For the money that you took from me, get prepare, I’m going to sue you. An less you put that money back on my card😡 you should not had made the reservation if you didn’t have a car to rent.Cons:
To have an available car to be rented. You charged me knowing that you were sold out😡😡😡😡😡Sixt
7.2
Good
283 reviewsCleanliness
7.5
Comfort
7.6
Pick-up/Drop-off
7.1
Value for money
7.0
2 locations in San Diego
from C$ 52/day
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Reviews
10.0 Wonderful
Mar. 2023
10.0 Wonderful
Oct. 2022
10.0 Wonderful
Oct. 2022
10.0 Wonderful
Oct. 2022
2.0 Poor
Sep. 2022
6.0 Okay
Aug. 2022
Thrifty
7.2
Good
466 reviewsMost popular
Cleanliness
7.9
Comfort
7.7
Pick-up/Drop-off
7.2
Value for money
7.2
2 locations in San Diego
from C$ 53/day
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Reviews
4.0 Mediocre
May 2021
Pros:
The staff was helpful and courteous, but the process was too long.Cons:
More staff, better communication4.0 Mediocre
May 2021
Pros:
The vehicle was excellent. Brand new. Returning the car was very fast with not problems.Cons:
Have more notifications to take a CREDIT CARD. Small print on some customer agreement page is worthless. This was even more critical in San Diego, "Sorry, sir, We're so close to the border." If you wanted to use a debit card you need to have a flight... if not ... sorry too bad. I had to drive back and forth to get my credit card (my fault for not having it). When I was standing in line I saw about 12/18 people have an issue with CREDIT CARD / Debit Card. Update your policies modernize to use other payment methods. The people at the counter had no solutions for me and pointed me to curb to get an UBER. I cant imagine being out of town and being told that.4.0 Mediocre
May 2021
Pros:
Dealt with one Staff member in pick up, she was very helpfulCons:
Car “clean sticker” was broken. Found trash and a hair in the seat when we opened it. LOTS of damage to the car, dents, tears in the seat that Took us about 30 minutes to document, so that was a time constraint I wasn’t expecting. We rented a convertible on the top could not function on our way out and so we had to go back, it took for employees to figure out why it wouldn’t work. We laying our trip another 45 minutes. It took us almost 2 hours to rent a car not because of the checkout people but because of the vehicle itself being poorly maintained.4.0 Mediocre
May 2021
Cons:
Time to stand in line for pickup was an hour. Unacceptable, care smelled like cigarettes8.0 Very good
Apr. 2021
Pros:
The staff was helpful great customer service. Drop off was easy.Cons:
They could have cleaned the inside of the car, made sure there was no left overs from the previous drivers.4.0 Mediocre
Apr. 2021
Cons:
Car was poorly maintained...too many hidden costsDollar
6.9
Okay
505 reviewsCleanliness
7.8
Comfort
7.6
Pick-up/Drop-off
6.9
Value for money
6.9
2 locations in San Diego
from C$ 63/day
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Reviews
2.0 Poor
Jun. 2021
Cons:
I took over 70 minutes waiting in line to pick up the car. Ridiculous. Never again.2.0 Poor
May 2021
Pros:
A hertz employee ended up helping us because the line was so longCons:
Horrible experience. Will never rent from dollar again.8.0 Very good
Apr. 2021
Pros:
Car was comfortable, clean and drove easily - lousy mileage, but we got the sense that Californians dont care much, given the number of gas guzzlers we saw on the road at over $4.00/gal in most service stations - mixed in with Tesla's and Prius's. Odd contrast.Cons:
All good with exception of Drop-Off. Unclear directions in the final stretch of the exercise (needed to turn up a lane in the garage that was hidden behind other cars). No staff present and when a fellow eventually showed up, he did not check the car, just told us to leave the keys in the car and all else would be dealt with - whatever that means - if there is any disagreement on gas (we filled up), damage (there was none), etc., how would one verify it after the fact?4.0 Mediocre
Apr. 2021
Pros:
The staff was helpful and friendly.Cons:
I reserved a Nissan Pathfinder only to show up and get a Kia Sorrento. 6 people with luggage will not fit in a Kia. We had to pay a lot extra to get a Ford Expedition because they didn't have a Nissan or any SUV similar. The guy was really nice and gave us a discount for having to upgrade. I don't appreciate paying for one vehicle on this site only to show up having to pay hundreds more for a vehicle that will actually work. I will never book through here again.10.0 Wonderful
Mar. 2021
Cons:
It was perfect4.0 Mediocre
Mar. 2021
Cons:
Hard to find the car rental. Another family was lost at the airport rental site. The car had been smoked in.Avis
6.8
Okay
525 reviewsCleanliness
7.4
Comfort
7.5
Pick-up/Drop-off
6.8
Value for money
6.8
11 locations in San Diego
from C$ 59/day
Locations in San Diego
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2.0 Poor
Sep. 2022
2.0 Poor
May 2021
Pros:
The staff was friendlyCons:
I’m a US born citizen, living overseas (military), and needed to use my military USAREUR license as well as my international drivers license as my US was stolen (stolen wallet). I called ahead of time to ensure I would be able to make a reservation and was told by customer service that I would. I booked my rental via prepay. When I arrived to the rental office, however, I was told that because I used my international license that I would have to do a second deposit of $250 but it would have to be via credit card. I was not told this beforehand, so I didn’t bring a credit card with me. The agent told me I could call the customer service hotline and get a refund do to the situation. However, I called and was told “well our policy is you need an additional credit card, so you will not be refunded, is there anything else I can do for you”. Now, I’m out $171 because of missing information and being told I could get my money back when apparently I can’t.8.0 Very good
May 2021
Pros:
Staff was great and everything was super easyCons:
The car smelled of marijuana and smoke and floor mats were ripped, could have been cleaner2.0 Poor
Mar. 2021
Cons:
I have reserved with Avis three times now and theee times they have no car available when I got there. The third time I had called to confirm they were not out of cars. They said as long g as I arrive by 1pm I would get a car. I was there at 11:30. No cars available. I will never ever use Avis Budget again.2.0 Poor
Mar. 2021
Pros:
There was NOTHING to like, horrible experience with Avis. Avis (Suzanne, the location manager: San Diego, CA Miramar Rd Location, (858) 271-0018) rented out all of their cars and told me they would not be able accommodate my reservation I made and secured with a credit card days before arriving, ultimately leaving my family of four stuck without a car. I then called Avis' main number, talked to Maggie, they were not able to offer assistance to find a replacement car either and basically told me tough luck. To add to the frustration, a day later they charged my credit card a $50 "No Show" fee for not picking up the car I reserved that they didn't have. From talking to others at the hotel it sounds like they do this often. Live and learn for me, no more Avis car rentals.Cons:
Obviously Avis should have managed the situation better. (1) have a car for the reservation, (2) make arrangements for when Avis over-rents and fails to provide a car for a reservation, (3) not charge a $50 to a family that didn't get a car in the first place.6.0 Okay
Mar. 2021
Pros:
The pick up and drop off was pretty easy.Cons:
Old food left from previous renter. This shows how they didn't clean the car beforehand. Also, the previous renter left their paperwork with all of their information in the glove compartment. I shouldn't be able to know the details of the previous renter. Again, shows how they didn't clean or look through the car.Budget
6.7
Okay
320 reviewsCleanliness
7.3
Comfort
7.3
Pick-up/Drop-off
6.6
Value for money
6.6
11 locations in San Diego
from C$ 66/day
Locations in San Diego
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Reviews
2.0 Poor
Oct. 2022
10.0 Wonderful
Sep. 2022
2.0 Poor
Sep. 2022
2.0 Poor
Sep. 2022
2.0 Poor
Sep. 2022
2.0 Poor
Sep. 2022
Economy Rent a Car
6.5
Okay
133 reviewsCheapest deal
Cleanliness
7.3
Comfort
6.9
Pick-up/Drop-off
6.3
Value for money
6.7
2 locations in San Diego
from C$ 29/day
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Reviews
10.0 Wonderful
Mar. 2021
Cons:
Nothing. Great value and great service!2.0 Poor
Mar. 2021
Cons:
I never got the car. The car rental place was closed by the time I tried getting the car. I had to rent else where for my trip.8.0 Very good
Feb. 2021
Pros:
Staff was great. ease of return. good dependable car at good price.Cons:
Came at about 7:00 in the evening and took a while to get the shuttle from the car rental center to the Economy car rental location. May need better staffing in the evenings and nights.10.0 Wonderful
Feb. 2021
Pros:
Staff friendly. Efficient service. Straight to the point.10.0 Wonderful
Jan. 2021
Pros:
Drop off was fast, got lyft ride back to house took 5 minutes to get there. Great rental price10.0 Wonderful
Dec. 2020
Pros:
Very nice and professional stuff.Cons:
They should put a sign on their office.Fox
6.4
Okay
484 reviewsCleanliness
7.1
Comfort
6.7
Pick-up/Drop-off
6.0
Value for money
6.1
One location in San Diego
from C$ 57/day
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6.0 Okay
Aug. 2020
Pros:
Staff was friendlyCons:
My vehicle was not ready on time so I had to return later. When I returned I was given the wrong vehicle, much less than I had paid for. The manager was not able to give discount because the rental was purchased thru Kayak. Will most likely never use Kayak or Fox again.5.2 Fair
Jan. 2020
Pros:
Drop off and pick up was very easyCons:
We had our rental car broke into and staff that I called laughed at me saying my claim number was wrong. They also told me that if we needed to be picked up they couldn’t do it because we had a family of 5 and they could only take up to 4 people. So stayed that we had to find a ride to the airport ourselves or just drive it back in the condition it was in. They also told me that even though we had a bad situation happen if our car was not back on time we would get charged for it being late and entire extra day. We also we supposed to get a gull size car and we did not get that. Very disappointed and will not rent from them again!!!!6.0 Okay
Jan. 2020
Pros:
friendly staffCons:
took awhile to get through the line at the counter for pick-up. And, when I needed to change the credit card I initially used, I couldn't do it at drop-off. it took quite a process to get it switched.2.8 Poor
Jan. 2020
Cons:
Fox refused to honor the price agreed upon through Kayak. They were going to charge me $65 more per day. I will never rent with Fox and may never use Kayak again.4.4 Mediocre
Jan. 2020
Pros:
staff was ok, but far from friendly. pickup guy failed to note the car was smashed in the side and repaired (evidenced by the non factory two tone paint work) and the return guy barely looked up from his device...Cons:
it sure would have been nice to get the car i reserved (Toyota RAV4) or Better instead of the POS Mitsubishi Outlander (Sport(!) no less!!) i got for my family of four. poor comfort, lousy handling, acceleration, fit AND finish. an otherwise outstanding two week trip ended up be a series of non stop jokes over what a lousy vehicle we had.6.4 Okay
Dec. 2020
Cons:
No children's car seats, had to purchase one myself. The rental agent lied to me about local gas prices to get me to purchase gas through Fox.Ace
4.2
Mediocre
167 reviewsCleanliness
4.9
Comfort
4.7
Pick-up/Drop-off
4.0
Value for money
4.4
3 locations in San Diego
from C$ 39/day