Car Hire
in Canada

EASTER  45% OFF   

Hola Car Rentals is a premium partner of the leading car hire companies in Canada, giving you exclusive access to our All Inclusive+ rate. This rate includes extra benefits that no other company can match:

• Full vehicle coverage with no excess (applies only to certain rates and itineraries)
• Toll cashback: get back up to 5% of your total booking value for tolls charged during your hire
• Premium travel medical assistance for up to 5 passengers in case of emergency, covering up to CAD 200,000 (pre-existing conditions excluded)
• 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 at no additional cost, ensuring a unique hire experience with complete protection and peace of mind during your trip in Canada.

No. With Hola Car Rentals, all costs and charges for your booking in Canada 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 in Canada 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)

To pick up a hire car in Canada, you must bring the following physical documents to the counter:

• A valid, original driver’s licence in the main driver’s name
• A major credit card with the driver’s name printed on the card (debit and prepaid cards are not accepted for the excess)
• A valid passport or government-issued photo ID
• Your booking confirmation or printed voucher
• Round-trip flight or cruise tickets if you are visiting from abroad

If your driver’s licence is not in English and does not use a Latin alphabet (for example, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, or Cyrillic script), an International Driving Permit (IDP) is mandatory in Canada. 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 at all times.

All documents must be physical originals. Digital copies shown on a phone or tablet are not accepted at the counter in Canada.

It depends on your licence. In Canada, a foreign driver’s licence is generally valid for hiring a car, but an International Driving Permit (IDP) is required if your licence uses a non-Latin alphabet, such as Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, or Cyrillic (Russian). For licences in other non-English languages, an IDP is strongly recommended even if not strictly mandatory.

The IDP is a translation document only. It is not a standalone licence and will not be accepted in Canada without your original driver’s licence presented alongside it.

If you think you may need an IDP, obtain it in your home country before travelling to Canada. Issuers such as AAA in the United States do not issue IDPs to non-US licence holders, so plan ahead.

At the counter in Canada, present your passport, original driver’s licence, and IDP together to avoid any delays at pickup.

When you pick up a hire car in Canada, the hire company places a temporary authorisation hold on your credit card. This is not a charge, but it reduces your available credit until the hold is released after you return the vehicle.

Typical hold amounts in Canada range from CA$ 300 to CA$ 500 for standard vehicles. Some locations may require a hold of approximately CA$ 750. Premium or speciality vehicles may carry higher holds.

• Only a major credit card with the driver’s name printed on the card is accepted for the deposit in Canada
• Debit cards, prepaid cards, and virtual cards are not accepted
• The card must be in the main driver’s name
• Bring a backup credit card in case your primary card is declined

After you return the car in Canada, the hold is released. Your bank controls how quickly it reappears in your available balance, which can take up to 15 business days. Notify your bank of your travel to Canada before you arrive to prevent fraud blocks on the authorisation.

Yes, toll roads exist in Canada, though most highways are toll-free. The main toll road is the Highway 407 ETR, a 108 km all-electronic highway crossing the Greater Toronto Area in Ontario. Other tolls apply on select bridges and roads in Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.

All tolls in Canada are fully cashless. There are no cash booths. Licence plates are photographed and bills are sent to the vehicle owner, which for a hire car means the hire company charges you.

When hiring a car in Canada, you have several options for handling tolls on the 407 ETR:

• Flat-rate unlimited toll programme: approximately CA$ 10 to CA$ 15 per day, covering all tolls during the hire
• Pay-per-use: actual toll amount plus an administrative fee per transaction
• No enrolment: the hire company bills you the toll plus high processing fees after the hire ends, often weeks later

A 25 km peak-period trip on the 407 ETR without a transponder can cost approximately CA$ 30 including camera and trip charges. If you want to avoid tolls entirely in Canada, set your GPS to avoid toll roads and use free 400-series highways such as the 401 or the QEW.

All Hola Car Rentals bookings include Tolls Cashback, which reimburses up to 5% of your total booking value for tolls paid during your Canada hire. See the next FAQ for details.

The minimum age to hire a car in Canada is generally 21, though some hire companies and provinces set the minimum at 25 for certain vehicle categories. In Saskatchewan, the minimum age is 18 at select locations.

Renters aged 21 to 24 in Canada are subject to a daily young driver surcharge. This fee varies by hire company and location. In addition, drivers in this age group may face restrictions on vehicle types, typically excluding luxury cars, minivans, and large SUVs.

• Avis and Budget: the additional driver must be at least 25 years old at pickup in Canada
• Saskatchewan: minimum age is 18 with no underage surcharge at some locations
• Graduated or provisional licences (such as Ontario G2 or Alberta GDL Class 5) may be accepted at some Canada locations with an additional daily surcharge

If you are under 25 and planning to hire a car in Canada, check the specific surcharge and vehicle restrictions with your chosen hire brand before booking, as amounts and rules vary by province and company.

Yes, all Hola Car Rentals bookings include Tolls Cashback, and it applies to toll charges you pay during your Canada hire, including on the Highway 407 ETR in Ontario and any other tolled roads or bridges you use.

The benefit reimburses the lesser of the total tolls you paid or up to 5% of your Hola Car Rentals booking total. For example, if your Canada booking totals US$600, the cap is US$30. If you paid US$18 in tolls, you receive US$18 back. If you paid US$50, you receive US$30.

To claim your Tolls Cashback after your Canada hire:

• Email [email protected] within 30 days of returning the vehicle
• 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 statement showing charges paid during the hire period
• Include your full name, travel dates, and the last 4 digits of the card used for the booking

Refunds are issued to the original payment method and typically process within 7 to 10 business days after approval. Claims submitted after 30 days are not accepted. This benefit does not mean tolls are included in your Canada hire rate. You still pay tolls normally and claim reimbursement afterwards.

Yes, when you hire a car in Canada through Hola Car Rentals, basic third-party liability cover is included by default. Canadian provincial law requires every vehicle on the road to carry third-party liability insurance, and this statutory cover follows the hire car automatically.

This means you are covered for bodily injury and property damage you may cause to others while driving the hire car in Canada. However, the statutory minimum may be lower than what is recommended for full protection.

• Ontario requires a minimum of CA$ 200,000 in third-party liability
• Many experts recommend at least CA$ 1,000,000 in cover for driving in Canada
• You can purchase supplementary liability (LIS/ALI/SLI) to increase your cover limit above the provincial minimum

Third-party liability does not cover damage to the hire vehicle itself. For that, you need Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) or Loss Damage Waiver (LDW). Review your booking confirmation to confirm exactly what is included in your Canada rate before you arrive at the counter.

Yes, you can add an additional driver to your hire car in Canada, either at the time of pickup or later by visiting a branch with both the main driver and the additional driver present.

Requirements for adding an additional driver in Canada:

• The additional driver must be physically present at the counter with a valid driver’s licence
• For Avis, Budget, and Payless hires in Canada, the additional driver must be at least 25 years old
• The additional driver must meet the same document requirements as the main driver, including an IDP if their licence is not in English or uses a non-Latin alphabet
• Both the main driver and the additional driver must sign the hire agreement

Additional driver fees in Canada vary by hire brand. If your Hola Car Rentals confirmation states "Additional driver free of charge," no fee applies for the first extra driver. Otherwise, typical daily fees are approximately CA$ 12 to CA$ 15 per day depending on the hire company, often with a maximum cap per hire.

Only drivers listed on the hire agreement in Canada are covered by CDW/LDW and liability protections. Never allow an unlisted person to drive the vehicle.

Hiring a car at a Canadian airport involves several taxes and fees on top of the base rate. These charges can add 25% to 40% to the total cost, so it is important to understand what to expect.

Common charges when hiring at a Canadian airport include:

• GST or HST: federal and provincial sales tax ranging from 5% to 15% depending on the province
• Airport Concession Recovery Fee (ACRF): typically 10% to 15% of the base rate, charged at airport locations in Canada
• Customer Facility Charge (CFC): approximately CA$ 10 to CA$ 20 per day at major airports
• City or tourism surcharges: for example, approximately 4% to 7% in Vancouver

If your Hola Car Rentals confirmation shows "Taxes and Fees: Included," you should not be billed separately for those items at the counter in Canada. If the desk charges you for something already marked as included, the No Extra Charges© guarantee applies. Keep all paperwork and contact support after the hire ends.

Picking up at a downtown location in Canada rather than the airport can reduce costs by 20% to 40%, as airport concession fees do not apply off-airport.

The standard fuel policy for hire cars in Canada is Full-to-Full. You receive the vehicle with a full tank and must return it full to avoid additional charges.

To follow the Full-to-Full policy correctly in Canada:

• Check the fuel gauge with the agent at pickup and confirm the starting level is recorded on the hire agreement
• Take a photo of the dashboard showing the odometer and fuel gauge
• Refuel within approximately 15 km of the return location so the gauge does not drop before you arrive
• Keep your final fuel receipt showing the date, time, and station address
• For after-hours returns, leave the receipt in the key envelope and keep a photo of the full gauge

If you return the vehicle in Canada with less fuel than recorded at pickup, the hire company will charge you for the shortfall at their refuelling rate, which is typically higher than the pump price, plus a service fee. Fuel prices in Canada average approximately CA$ 1.50 to CA$ 2.00 per litre due to federal carbon taxes and provincial levies, so refuelling near the return point yourself is always the more economical option.

No, you cannot drive a hire car from Canada into the United States without explicit prior authorisation from the hire company. Cross-border travel between Canada and the US is not permitted by default on standard hire agreements.

If you need to cross the border, you must request permission before your hire begins. Key points to be aware of:

• Cross-border authorisation typically requires additional insurance cover, which can cost CA$ 20 to CA$ 50 per day
• One-way drop-offs in the US from a Canada pickup can incur fees of CA$ 500 or more
• Not all hire brands or vehicle classes are eligible for cross-border travel
• Driving into the US without authorisation can void your CDW/LDW and liability cover entirely

If you are planning a trip that involves both Canada and the United States, discuss this with the hire company at the time of booking, not at pickup. Confirm the authorisation is noted on your hire agreement before you drive across the border. Attempting to cross without approval can result in significant financial liability.

Yes, Canada has several driving rules and enforcement systems that can catch visitors off guard, particularly those arriving from countries where these are less common.

Key rules and enforcement details for driving in Canada:

• Speed limits are posted in km/h, not mph. Highway limits are typically 100 km/h
• Automated speed cameras operate in school zones and community safety zones in provinces including Ontario and Quebec. Fines in Toronto can exceed CA$ 700 for driving 25 km/h over the limit, and AI-assisted cameras introduced from January 2026 can issue fines of up to CA$ 1,500 for severe speeding
• Speed camera tickets in Canada are mailed to the vehicle owner (the hire company), which then passes the charge to you. No demerit points apply to camera-issued tickets, but the fine and an administrative fee will be charged to your card after the hire ends
• Mandatory winter tyres are required in Quebec and British Columbia from approximately October to April. Hire companies at Canada locations in those provinces typically provide compliant tyres, but confirm at pickup
• Headlights must be on 30 minutes before sunrise and 30 minutes after sunset across Canada
• Canada drives on the right-hand side of the road, the same as the United States

Post-hire fines for speed camera violations in Canada may appear on your credit card weeks after you return home.

Travel assistance is included with most Hola Car Rentals bookings, but there is an important restriction: this benefit does not apply to customers who are residents of Canada or the United States. If you are visiting Canada from another country, the cover is active for your hire period.

For eligible visitors hiring in Canada, the travel assistance provided through Terrawind Global Protection typically includes:

• Medical cover for accidents and non-pre-existing illnesses for up to 5 passengers
• Legal assistance in the event of a road accident in Canada
• Compensation for baggage lost by the airline
• Flight cancellation insurance

This cover does not replace CDW/LDW for damage to the hire vehicle, nor does it cover third-party liability to others. Those require separate protections confirmed on your booking.

If you need emergency assistance while driving in Canada, 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. Always check your booking confirmation for the exact terms and coverage limits that apply to your Canada hire.