If you are bringing children on your vacation to Russia, they will need to sit in the back of the car if they are under 12 years old. A child under 12 may only sit in the front passenger seat if they are restrained in a suitable child car seat. You can rent a car seat or booster seat from your car rental company for around 322 RUB (5 USD) per day.
Crossing the Russian border into neighboring countries is possible, provided you discuss it with your car rental company and ensure that you have applied for the appropriate visas. There may be an additional charge to take your car across the border. At Baltic and non-EU borders, you will be required to fill out extra paperwork and go through customs.
If you plan to visit an area that does not have good public transport or if you want to visit several cities, such as the Golden Ring around Moscow, it’s a good idea to rent a car in Russia. You will find that public transport costs more the larger the city; therefore, renting a car is not only comfortable, but also saves money. If you want to summit Mount Elbrus, in the Caucasus Mountains in southern Russia, driving is the best way to get there.
When you rent a car in Russia, you must carry the following documents at all times in case you are stopped by traffic police: passport and visa, migration card, a valid driver’s license, insurance, and registration papers.
25% of our users found rental cars in Russia for C$ 44 or less
Economy rental cars in Russia are around 0% cheaper than other car types, on average
FAQs about renting a car in Russia
Economy (Volkswagen Polo or similar) is the most frequently booked rental car type in Russia.
Based on car searches on KAYAK, the most popular cities to rent a car in Russia are Novosibirsk (40% of total searches of users looking to rent a car in Russia), Rostov on Don (30%) and Moscow (20%).
On average a rental car in Russia costs C$ 320 per week (C$ 46 per day).
On average a rental car in Russia costs C$ 1,372 per month (C$ 46 per day).
Before you rent a car in Russia, you will need to understand the country’s driving rules. You must drive on the right-hand side of the road and use low beam headlights at all times. Unless you use a hands-free kit, the use of mobile phones when driving is illegal, as is driving with a dirty car and driving while intoxicated. All passengers in the front and back seats must wear seatbelts. Most of the road signs are in Cyrillic characters, not English, and you will encounter toll roads on the M3, M4, and M11 highways, where you can expect to pay around 25 RUB (0.39 USD) per km.
If you plan to rent a car in Russia, the minimum age for drivers is 21 years old; however, this can vary depending on car category. You must have held a valid driver’s license for a year, and you must also hold an International Driving Permit. Drivers younger than 25 years old need to pay an additional young driver surcharge, and the maximum age for renting a car is 70 years old.
When you rent a car in Russia, you will find that the average price of gas is 45,70 RUB (0.71 USD) per liter and 2.84 USD per gallon. At gas stations, you generally pay for your gas first and then pump. If you cannot find a gas station, you can often buy gasoline in plastic tanks or bottles from roadside vendors. In rural areas, gas stations are no farther than 70 km (43 mi) apart.
When you drive on Russian roads, you will need to follow the national speed limits. In urban areas the speed limit is 60 km/h (37 mph), and outside of built-up areas, you can travel up to 90 km/h (55 mph). In some residential areas, there may be signs for 20 km/h (13 mph). On highways, the maximum speed limit is 110 km/h (68 mph).
The rates displayed include all taxes and fees for car rentals for the class listed and were found by KAYAK users in the last 48 hours. Offers are subject to change and may not be available on all car rentals listed or dates of travel. Some car rental providers charge additional fees for other services (GPS, infant car seats, etc.). Please check the car rental providers' sites.