When visiting a popular vacation destination like the Outer Banks in North Carolina, the car you choose to rent depends mostly on what you plan on doing while you are there. Because there are plenty of outdoor activities and water sports in this part of the world, having a truck, an SUV, or a van may be a good choice to get all of your passengers and their stuff to some of these outdoor adventures. If instead you just need to cruise around some of the amazing places you will find here, a nice sedan would be a perfect choice, but make sure that it has air conditioning for the sometimes hot and humid months of summer.
There are some unique laws to consider when driving with children in your rental car in North Carolina. At a minimum, children under five years old or weighing less than 40 pounds must ride in the backseat of a vehicle. The state also recommends that children ride in the backseat until they are age twelve or thirteen but this is not an absolute requirement. You cannot install a rear-facing car seat in front of an active airbag. Even if a child is riding in the front seat, you should use a booster seat when it is appropriate to make sure that the seatbelt shoulder harness is sitting properly over the child.
One thing to remember about renting a car on the Outer Banks is that because of a lack of large cities, your choice for car rentals may be somewhat limited. A better option may be to rent a car in a larger city, such as Virginia Beach, and then make the drive to the Outer Banks so that you can have a wider selection of cars to choose from that may suit your needs better.
Book your rental car in Outer Banks at least 1 day before your trip in order to get a below-average price
Intermediate rental cars in Outer Banks are around 36% cheaper than other car types, on average
FAQs about renting a car in Outer Banks
If you are going to be traveling to the Outer Banks, you almost certainly need to rent a car to make the trip here. While there are some limited public transportation options and options such as taxes and rideshare vehicles, traveling without a rental car can be inconvenient especially if you are traveling in a large group that has a lot of stuff. That is why renting a vehicle that suits your needs for your trip is an ideal solution when you travel to the Outer Banks.
Driving on the Outer Banks in North Carolina is not much different than any other state in the United States but there are some exceptions. In North Carolina, drivers will drive on the right side of the road and all of the distances and speeds you see will be in miles and miles per hour, respectively. Because the Outer Banks contain a lot of small two-lane highways, it is important to remember that you cannot park on any of these highways at any time. You must use your headlights from sunset to sunrise or if visibility is 400 feet or less. You can turn right at a red light after you have come to a complete stop unless there are signs posted saying otherwise.
Most rental car companies will expect you to be at least twenty one years old to rent a car. There may be a limitation on the type of car you can rent, such as being unable to rent a luxury vehicle if you’re under twenty five. If you plan on using a debit card to rent a car, you'll probably also need to be twenty five years old to rent the car. Some rental car companies will let someone as young as eighteen years old rent a car, but in these cases, there are most likely going to be substantial limits on the type of car you can rent.
Intermediate (Nissan Rogue or similar) is the most frequently booked rental car type in Outer Banks.