San Diego car hire
Search hundreds of hire car sites at once for hire car deals in San Diego
Save up to 41%Compare multiple travel sites with one search.
Free to useThere are no hidden charges or fees
Filter your dealsFilter by car type, brand and more. Instantly customise your results.
Book with flexibilityUse our "free cancellation" filter for maximum flexibility at no extra cost.
San Diego car hire information
| Pick-up location | San Diego |
|---|---|
| Car types | Compact, Compact SUV, Economy, Full-size, Full-size SUV, Intermediate, Intermediate SUV, Luxury, Minivan, Standard, Standard SUV |
| Hire locations | 132 |
| Airport locations | 61 |
| Popular agencies | Hertz, Thrifty, Dollar, Europcar |
Cheap car rentals in San Diego
| Economy | ₹ 1,968/day |
| Compact | ₹ 2,053/day |
| Intermediate | ₹ 2,053/day |
| Standard | ₹ 2,230/day |
| Full-size | ₹ 2,624/day |
| Minivan | ₹ 4,775/day |
| Full-size SUV | ₹ 4,355/day |
| Luxury | ₹ 3,297/day |
| Compact SUV | ₹ 2,297/day |
| Intermediate SUV | ₹ 2,971/day |
| Standard SUV | ₹ 3,005/day |
Top tips for hiring a car in San Diego
- 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 ₹ 5,268 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 25% cheaper than airport locations on average
- Economy rental cars in San Diego are around 21% cheaper than other car types, on average
FAQs about renting a car in San Diego
What type of car is recommended for driving in San Diego?
An automatic lower car, such as a Ford Mustang, is the best option when navigating both the city and the coastal roads. A convertible is a great option to enjoy the scenic rides along the coast when the weather allows it.
What’s the speed limit in San Diego?
The speed limit in the city is 25 miles per hour, but on urban highways it is set at 55 mph, and on rural highways it is between 65 and 70 mph. Generally, the speed limit on multi-lane freeways is 65 mph.
Where are the best places to park in San Diego?
Street parking in downtown San Diego is usually available, but it tends to be quite pricey, costing around $3 for one hour, and between $10 and $30 for 24 hours. Parking laws are strictly enforced throughout the whole city, so make sure you always pay for parking. Parking in beach areas is tougher to find, but pay lots are an option.
How much does it cost to hire a car in San Diego?
On average a rental car in San Diego costs ₹ 5,677 per day.
What is the cheapest car hire company in San Diego?
In the past 72 hours, the cheapest car hires were found at Hertz (₹ 1,968/day), Thrifty (₹ 2,209/day) and Dollar (₹ 2,478/day). In the last 72 hours the cheapest hire car price was found at Hertz 1 Market Place 92101 (1 kilometres from the city centre).
What is the best car hire company in San Diego?
Based on ratings and reviews from real users on KAYAK, the best car hire companies in San Diego are Alamo (8.9, 185 reviews), Enterprise Rent-A-Car (8.0, 254 reviews), and Sixt (7.1, 215 reviews).
How much is the price of fuel in San Diego?
The average price of fuel in San Diego is ₹ 346 per litre over the past 30 days. Filling up a petrol tank costs between ₹ 4,146 and ₹ 5,528, depending on the car size.
What is the most popular car hire in San Diego?
Economy (Toyota RAV4 or similar) is the most frequently booked car hire type in San Diego.
How can I find car hires near me in San Diego?
Take a look at our extensive car hire location map to find the best car hire deals near you.
How much does an Economy car hire cost in San Diego?
An Economy car hire in San Diego costs ₹ 4,444 per day, on average.
How much does a Standard car hire cost in San Diego?
A Standard car hire in San Diego costs ₹ 8,068 per day, on average.
How much does a Compact car rental cost in San Diego?
A Compact car rental in San Diego costs ₹ 3,700 per day, on average.
What is the most popular rental car location in San Diego?
In San Diego, cars are most frequently rented at Hertz 3355 Admiral Boland Way (3 km from city centre ).
How much does it cost to hire a car for a week in San Diego?
On average a car hire in San Diego costs ₹ 39,741 per week (₹ 5,677 per day).
How much does it cost to hire a car long term for a month in San Diego?
On average a car hire in San Diego costs ₹ 170,321 per month (₹ 5,677 per day).
Which car hire companies in San Diego have updated their vehicle cleaning and safety policies because of coronavirus (COVID-19)?
Some car rental companies in San Diego which have updated their car rental health and safety policies due to COVID-19 to make sure vehicles are clean and disinfected include Hertz, Alamo and Thrifty
San Diego car rental reviews and directory
Hertz
5.9
Fair
1105 reviewsCleanliness
6.7
Comfort
6.6
Pick-up/Drop-off
5.8
Value for money
6.0
13 locations in San Diego
Locations in San Diego
Filters
Show reviews that mention
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
1416 reviewsCleanliness
5.3
Comfort
5.2
Pick-up/Drop-off
5.3
Value for money
4.6
One location in San Diego
Filters
Show reviews that mention
Reviews
2.0 Poor
Sep 2023
2.0 Poor
Jun 2023
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.Alamo
8.9
Very Good
577 reviewsCleanliness
9.0
Comfort
8.9
Pick-up/Drop-off
8.9
Value for money
8.5
One location in San Diego
Filters
Show reviews that mention
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
663 reviewsCleanliness
8.2
Comfort
8.2
Pick-up/Drop-off
7.8
Value for money
7.9
14 locations in San Diego
Locations in San Diego
Filters
Show reviews that mention
Reviews
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
7.1
Good
286 reviewsCleanliness
7.5
Comfort
7.5
Pick-up/Drop-off
7.1
Value for money
6.9
2 locations in San Diego
Filters
Show reviews that mention
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
Dollar
6.8
Okay
508 reviewsCleanliness
7.8
Comfort
7.5
Pick-up/Drop-off
6.7
Value for money
6.8
2 locations in San Diego
Filters
Show reviews that mention
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.Thrifty
6.8
Okay
471 reviewsCleanliness
7.5
Comfort
7.4
Pick-up/Drop-off
6.8
Value for money
6.9
2 locations in San Diego
Filters
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 costsAvis
6.6
Okay
541 reviewsCleanliness
7.2
Comfort
7.3
Pick-up/Drop-off
6.6
Value for money
6.6
11 locations in San Diego