Car Hire
at New York Airport

EASTER  45% OFF   

Hola Car Rentals is the only premium partner of the top car hire brands operating at New York Airport, giving you exclusive access to our All Inclusive+ rate. This rate includes benefits that no other company can match:

• Free liability coverage starting at US$ 300,000 in case of an accident (applies only to certain rates and itineraries)
• Toll cashback: recover up to 5% of the reservation's total value for toll charges incurred during your hire period
• Premium travel medical assistance providing up to US$ 150,000 in coverage for a maximum of 5 passengers in case of a medical emergency, excluding pre-existing conditions
• No Extra Charges© guarantee: if the counter charges you for something not listed on your confirmation and not an optional add-on you accepted, Hola Car Rentals will work to remove or reimburse the charge after verification

All of this comes at no extra cost, ensuring a fully protected car hire experience and peace of mind throughout your trip at New York Airport.

No. With Hola Car Rentals, all costs and charges for your booking at New York Airport are clearly shown at the time of reservation and in your confirmation email, so you know exactly what you are paying before you arrive at the counter.

On top of that, every Hola Car Rentals booking includes the No Extra Charges© guarantee. This is a pricing guarantee (not insurance) that protects you if the counter at New York Airport charges you for something that was not listed on your confirmation and was not an optional add-on you accepted. If that happens, Hola Car Rentals will work with the hire partner to remove or reimburse the charge after verification.

The only costs outside this guarantee are:

• Optional add-ons you choose at the counter (GPS, child seats, prepaid fuel)
• Usage-based charges (tolls, fuel shortfall, traffic fines)

At New York Airport (JFK), hire car counters are not inside the terminals. All major brands operate from the Federal Circle facility, located at approximately 305 to 312 Federal Circle, Jamaica, NY 11430. You must take the AirTrain to reach them.

Here is the step-by-step process after landing:

• Complete immigration (passport control), baggage claim, and customs in your arrival terminal.
• Follow overhead signs for AirTrain or Ground Transportation to the AirTrain station inside your terminal.
• Board the free AirTrain and ride to Federal Circle station. The AirTrain runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and the ride takes roughly 10 to 20 minutes including wait time.
• Exit at Federal Circle and follow Rental Cars signs to the covered counter area. Some brands also run branded shuttles from Federal Circle every 10 to 20 minutes.
• Present your licence, booking confirmation, and credit card at the counter or kiosk to complete check-in.

Brands available at Federal Circle include Avis, Budget, Hertz, Alamo, Enterprise, National, and Dollar, among others. There are no on-terminal hire counters at New York Airport.

At New York Airport, the time from landing to driving away is longer than at most domestic airports, primarily because international arrivals must clear immigration, baggage claim, and customs before reaching the AirTrain.

Realistic time estimates:

• Immigration, baggage claim, and customs: 25 to 60 minutes or more, depending on flight volume and queue length.
• AirTrain ride to Federal Circle: 10 to 20 minutes including wait time.
• Counter check-in and vehicle inspection: 10 to 20 minutes.

In total, plan for a minimum of 45 to 90 minutes from gate exit to driving away under normal conditions. During peak afternoon and evening international arrival windows, the full process can take 90 to 150 minutes. If you are travelling with a large group or significant luggage, allow extra time for elevator access and shuttle boarding at New York Airport.

To pick up a hire car at New York Airport, you must present all documents in physical form. Digital copies are not accepted at the counter.

Required documents:

• Valid driver’s licence (original, unexpired, physical) in the main driver’s name.
• Passport or valid government-issued photo ID matching the name on your licence.
• Major credit card with the driver’s name printed on the card, in the main driver’s name, for the authorisation hold. Debit and prepaid cards are not accepted.
• Your booking confirmation or printed voucher.
• Round-trip flight tickets or itinerary (required for visitors from outside the United States).

If your driver’s licence uses a non-Latin alphabet (for example, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, or Cyrillic), an International Driving Permit (IDP) is mandatory at New York Airport. For licences in other non-English scripts, an IDP is strongly recommended. The IDP is a translation only and must be carried alongside your original licence.

Obtain your IDP in your home country before travelling, as it cannot be issued to non-US licence holders inside the United States.

Toll roads around New York Airport and the greater New York and New Jersey area are almost entirely cashless. You cannot pay with cash at most bridges, tunnels, or highway toll points. Your hire vehicle will include an electronic toll device by default.

At the counter, you typically have two options:

• Unlimited toll package: a flat daily rate of approximately US$11 to US$25 per rental day, covering all toll usage during your hire period.
• Pay per use: if you decline the package, the hire company charges you the actual toll amounts plus daily or administrative processing fees after you return the vehicle. These charges can appear on your card days or even weeks after the hire ends.

Common toll costs in the New York Airport area include approximately US$15 to US$25 or more per bridge or tunnel crossing. If you drive into Manhattan south of 60th Street, a separate NYC Congestion Pricing charge of approximately US$8.99 plus taxes applies once per calendar day. This congestion fee is charged in addition to any bridge or tunnel tolls and is not covered by insurance or hire protection packages.

If you have a personal E-ZPass transponder, inform the counter agent at New York Airport so they can deactivate the vehicle's default device and avoid duplicate charges.

Hiring at New York Airport adds several mandatory fees on top of your base rate. These are charged by the airport and local authorities, not by the hire company alone.

Fees you can expect at New York Airport:

• New York State hire tax: 11% on your total hire bill, one of the highest in the United States.
• Local sales tax: approximately 8.375%, compounded with the hire tax.
• Customer Facility Charges (CFC): per-day charges that fund the Federal Circle hire facility and infrastructure.
• Concession Recovery Fees: percentage-based fees that airports charge hire companies for operating rights, passed on to renters.
• Airport surcharges: fixed or per-day charges covering shuttle operations and airport services.

These stacked fees mean the final invoice at New York Airport is often noticeably higher than the base rate shown during booking. If your booking confirmation shows Taxes and Fees as Included, you should not be billed separately for those items at the counter. If you are charged for something not listed on your confirmation, the No Extra Charges© guarantee may apply.

Yes, all bookings include Tolls Cashback, which lets you recover up to 5% of your total booking value for tolls paid during your hire, including the high-cost bridges, tunnels, and tolled highways around New York Airport.

Given the toll exposure in the New York Airport area, where a single bridge or tunnel crossing can cost US$15 to US$25 or more, this benefit can meaningfully offset your toll expenses.

To claim your Tolls Cashback after returning the vehicle:

• Email [email protected] within 30 days of vehicle return.
• Use the subject line: Tolls Cashback - HOLA followed by your confirmation number.
• Attach your Hola Car Rentals reservation confirmation, the signed hire agreement, and a toll receipt or itemised statement showing charges paid during your hire period.

The refund is issued to the same payment method used for your booking and typically processes within 7 to 10 business days after approval. Claims submitted after 30 days are not accepted. Note that the NYC Congestion Pricing charge (approximately US$8.99 plus taxes per day) also qualifies as a toll charge for cashback purposes if documented on your invoice.

Yes, a physical major credit card in the main driver’s name is required to hire a car at New York Airport. The card must have the driver’s name printed on it and must be presented in person at the counter.

Important details about the credit card requirement:

• Debit cards and prepaid cards are not accepted for the authorisation hold, even if you have already prepaid your booking online.
• Digital wallets, virtual card numbers, and single-use cards are also not accepted at the counter.
• The card must have sufficient available credit to cover the excess, which is typically US$300 to US$400 for standard vehicles at New York Airport locations.
• The name on the card must match the name on your driver’s licence and hire agreement.

It is strongly recommended to bring a backup credit card in your own name in case your primary card is declined. If you are travelling from outside the United States, notify your bank before arrival to prevent fraud blocks on in-person authorisations at New York Airport.

Yes, drivers under 25 can hire a car at New York Airport. New York State law requires hire companies to rent to licensed drivers aged 18 and older, which is an exception to the standard US minimum age of 25 that applies in most other states.

Key rules for young drivers at New York Airport:

• Drivers aged 18 to 24 are eligible to hire but will be charged a daily young-driver surcharge (also called an underage fee). The exact amount varies by hire brand.
• Most vehicle classes are restricted to drivers aged 25 and older. Economy, compact, and intermediate categories are typically the only options available to under-25 renters.
• A valid driver’s licence and a major credit card in the main driver’s name are still required, regardless of age.

If you are aged 21 to 24 and from Latin America or the Caribbean, certain Avis and Budget rates booked through Hola Car Rentals may waive the underage fee for the main driver. This waiver must appear explicitly on your booking confirmation to apply at the New York Airport counter.

Counter hours at New York Airport vary by hire brand. Not all brands operate 24 hours, so it is important to confirm your brand’s hours before booking, especially if you have a late-night or early-morning arrival.

Known hours for select brands at New York Airport:

• Avis: 24 hours, with 24-hour drop-off available.
• Budget: approximately 5:30 AM to 1:00 AM daily.
• Most other brands: generally open from around 5:00 to 6:00 AM through midnight or 1:00 AM.

If your flight arrives outside counter hours, your booking will typically be held for up to 24 hours from the original pickup time. If your delay exceeds 24 hours, contact support as soon as possible. For after-hours returns at New York Airport, key drop facilities are available at some brands, including Avis. Always confirm after-hours arrangements with your specific hire brand before your trip, and keep a photo of the vehicle condition and fuel gauge when dropping off outside staffed hours.

Returning a hire car at New York Airport follows a straightforward process, but planning your fuel stop in advance will save time and money.

Steps for returning your hire at New York Airport:

• Follow Car Hire Return signs on the roads leading into the airport. All brands return to the Federal Circle facility (for example, Budget at 310 Federal Circle).
• Refuel before returning. The nearest fuel stations are along the Van Wyck Expressway (I-678) northbound. Returning the car without a full tank on a Full-to-Full policy will result in a refuelling charge at the hire company's rate, which is typically higher than pump prices, plus a service fee.
• Pull into your brand's designated lot at Federal Circle and hand the keys to an agent, or use the key drop for after-hours returns.
• Keep your final fuel receipt and take a photo of the dashboard showing the fuel gauge level.
• After dropping off the vehicle, take the free AirTrain from Federal Circle back to your departure terminal at New York Airport.

The authorisation hold placed on your credit card at pickup will be released after the contract closes. Your bank controls when the funds become available again, which can take up to 15 business days.

Yes, NYC Congestion Pricing applies to hire cars picked up at New York Airport if you drive into the designated zone in Manhattan.

The congestion zone covers most of Manhattan south of and including 60th Street, down to the southern tip of the island. Key details:

• The charge is approximately US$8.99 plus taxes per calendar day for standard passenger vehicles, regardless of how many times you enter and exit the zone in a single day.
• The FDR Drive and the West Side Highway (Route 9A) are excluded from the charge as long as you do not exit onto local streets within the zone.
• Cameras automatically detect vehicles entering the area. There are no traditional toll booths.
• This fee is separate from bridge and tunnel tolls and is not covered by any insurance or hire protection package.
• The charge is processed through the hire company's toll billing system and will appear on your final invoice or as a post-hire charge, sometimes weeks after you return the vehicle at New York Airport.

If you do not plan to drive into central Manhattan, you can avoid this fee entirely by staying on exempt routes or outside the zone.

Yes, you can add an additional driver to your hire car at New York Airport, but the additional driver must be physically present at the counter during pickup to show their valid driver’s licence and sign the hire agreement.

Important rules for additional drivers at New York Airport:

• Only drivers listed on the hire agreement are covered by protections such as CDW/LDW and liability cover. Anyone not named on the contract who drives the vehicle may void those protections.
• Some Hola Car Rentals rates include one additional driver at no extra cost. Check your booking confirmation for the line Additional driver free of charge.
• If not included, daily fees apply: Avis, Budget, and Payless charge approximately US$13 per day (capped at US$65); Hertz, Thrifty, and Dollar charge approximately US$13.50 per day (capped at US$189); Alamo, National, and Enterprise charge approximately US$15 per day.
• For Avis, Budget, and Payless at New York Airport, additional drivers must generally be at least 25 years old.
• Additional drivers must meet the same document requirements as the main driver, including an IDP if their licence uses a non-Latin alphabet.

Yes, most bookings include Travel Assistance provided by Terrawind Global Protection, which can cover certain emergencies that occur during your hire from New York Airport. However, this benefit does not apply to customers who are residents of the United States or Canada.

Coverage typically included:

• Travel insurance with medical cover for up to 5 passengers.
• Legal assistance in the event of a road accident.
• Compensation for luggage lost by the airline.
• Flight cancellation insurance.

This cover does not include damage to the hire vehicle itself (that is handled by CDW/LDW) or third-party liability to others (handled by LIS/ALI/SLI). Pre-existing medical conditions are also excluded.

If you need assistance during your hire from New York Airport, contact Terrawind 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:

• Phone: +1 888 980 9992 (toll-free)
• WhatsApp: +1 208 910 1001
• Email: [email protected]

Have your Hola Car Rentals confirmation number ready when you call. Check your booking confirmation for the exact coverage terms and limits that apply to your reservation.