Budget Car Hire
in San Antonio

Hola Car Rentals is the only premium partner of the top car hire brands operating in San Antonio, 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 in San Antonio.

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

The Budget counter at San Antonio International Airport (SAT) is located inside the consolidated hire car facility at 9559 Airport Boulevard, Suite R-352, San Antonio, TX 78216. No shuttle is required to reach it.

From the terminal, take the lift or escalator to the Mezzanine Level in Terminal B, then cross the Sky Bridge directly into the consolidated hire car facility. The facility spans five levels and includes 2,600 parking spaces for ready-to-pickup and returning vehicles.

Budget counter hours at San Antonio International Airport are:

• Sunday through Friday: 7:30 am to 11:00 pm
• Saturday: 7:30 am to 9:00 pm

If you arrive outside these hours, review your booking confirmation for after-hours instructions. Plan your arrival accordingly, especially on Saturdays when the Budget counter in San Antonio closes earlier than on other days.

To pick up your Budget hire car in San Antonio, you must present the following physical documents at 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, used for the authorisation hold
• A passport or valid government photo ID
• Your booking confirmation or printed voucher
• Round-trip flight or cruise tickets (required for international visitors)

If your driver’s licence is not in English and does not use a Latin (Roman) alphabet, such as Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, or Cyrillic script, an International Driving Permit (IDP) is mandatory. 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.

All documents must be physical. Digital copies shown on a phone or tablet are not accepted at the Budget counter in San Antonio or at any other hire location.

Yes, a physical major credit card in the main driver’s name is required to pick up a Budget hire car in San Antonio.

At the counter, Budget will place a temporary authorisation hold on your card, typically around US$300 to US$400 for standard vehicles in the United States. This hold reduces your available credit until it is released after you return the vehicle, which can take up to 15 business days depending on your bank.

Important points to keep in mind:

• The card must have the driver’s name printed on it
• Debit cards, prepaid cards, and virtual cards are not accepted for the deposit
• Even if you prepaid your booking online, you must still present a physical credit card at the Budget counter in San Antonio
• Bring a backup credit card in case your primary card is declined
• Notify your bank of your travel plans to prevent fraud blocks on in-person authorisations

Yes, San Antonio has toll roads that can affect your Budget hire car costs, and the entire Texas toll network is cashless.

Toll costs in the San Antonio area are generally lower than in Dallas or Houston, typically ranging from approximately US$2 to US$10 per day depending on the routes you use. Texas toll roads use overhead gantries that read transponders or capture licence plates (toll-by-plate). There are no cash booths on most facilities.

Your Budget hire vehicle in San Antonio will already include an electronic toll device. At pickup you have two options:

• Unlimited toll package: approximately US$11 to US$25 per hire day, covering all toll usage during the rental period
• Pay per use: the actual toll amount plus daily or administrative processing fees billed by Budget or a third-party processor, sometimes weeks after your rental ends

If you plan to drive primarily within San Antonio and use toll roads only occasionally, the pay-per-use option may cost less. If you will be driving frequently on toll express routes, the unlimited package may offer better value.

Texas has no congestion charges, emissions zones, or city-centre driving fees.

Yes, all bookings made through Hola Car Rentals, including Budget hires in San Antonio, include Tolls Cashback of up to 5% of your total booking value for tolls paid during your rental.

San Antonio toll costs typically range from US$2 to US$10 per day, so this benefit can meaningfully offset your toll expenses, especially if you drive on toll express routes or travel to other Texas metros such as Austin or San Antonio's surrounding highways.

To claim your Tolls Cashback:

• Email [email protected] within 30 days of returning your Budget vehicle in San Antonio
• Use the subject line: Tolls Cashback, followed by your reservation confirmation number
• Attach your Hola Car Rentals booking confirmation, the signed hire agreement, and a toll receipt or statement showing charges paid during your rental

Refunds are issued to the original payment method used for your reservation and typically process within 7 to 10 business days after approval. Late submissions received after 30 days are not accepted.

Hiring a Budget vehicle at San Antonio International Airport (SAT) involves several local fees and taxes on top of the base hire rate. These can add 20% to 30% to your total cost and include:

• Airport concession recovery fee: up to 12.5% of the base rate, charged because Budget operates within the airport facility
• Customer facility charge: approximately US$4.50 to US$5.50 per hire day, covering the consolidated hire car facility at SAT
• City hire car occupancy tax: approximately 6%
• State and local surcharges that may apply depending on the hire period

Your booking confirmation will show which fees are included in your prepaid rate and which are listed as payable at pickup. If your confirmation shows taxes and fees as included, you should not be billed again for those items at the Budget counter in San Antonio. If you are charged for something not disclosed on your confirmation, contact Hola Car Rentals support after your hire is complete.

Hiring from a Budget location off-airport, such as near Loop 410 in north-west San Antonio, can reduce costs by avoiding the airport concession fee, though you will need to factor in travel time from SAT.

Yes, you can add an additional driver to your Budget hire in San Antonio, but the additional driver must be present at the counter at the time of pickup with a valid driver’s licence.

Whether the additional driver fee is included or charged at the counter depends on the rate you booked. When the fee is not included, Budget in San Antonio charges approximately US$13 per hire day plus taxes, with a maximum charge of US$65 plus taxes.

Important conditions for additional drivers at Budget in San Antonio:

• The additional driver must be at least 25 years old at the time of pickup for Budget locations
• Both the main driver and the additional driver must sign the hire agreement
• If the additional driver’s licence is not in English and uses a non-Latin alphabet, an International Driving Permit is required
• Only drivers listed on the hire agreement are covered by the vehicle’s protections

Check your booking confirmation before arriving at the San Antonio counter. If it states additional driver is included, you should not be charged the daily fee. If you are charged incorrectly, keep all paperwork and contact support after your hire ends.

The minimum age to hire a Budget vehicle in San Antonio without a young-driver surcharge is 25. Drivers aged 21 to 24 can hire but will be charged an additional daily underage fee of approximately US$13 per day plus taxes, with a maximum of US$65 plus taxes.

Drivers under 21 are generally not permitted to hire from Budget in San Antonio.

Additional restrictions for drivers under 25 in San Antonio include:

• Vehicle class limitations: categories such as full-size, SUV, premium, luxury, minivan, and convertible are typically restricted to drivers 25 and older
• Economy, compact, and intermediate vehicles are usually the available options for younger renters

One exception applies to drivers aged 21 to 24 from Latin America and the Caribbean. Certain Hola Car Rentals rates fulfilled by Budget in San Antonio waive the underage fee for the main driver when the traveller holds a Latin American or Caribbean passport or ID, the waiver is explicitly shown on the booking confirmation, and the vehicle selected belongs to an eligible category such as economy, compact, medium saloon, standard saloon, compact SUV, or medium SUV.

Always verify your confirmation before arriving at the Budget counter in San Antonio to confirm whether the underage fee applies to your booking.

Your Budget hire in San Antonio may include Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) or Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) depending on the rate plan you selected. Check your booking confirmation to confirm what is included.

CDW and LDW reduce your financial liability for damage to the hire vehicle caused by a collision, theft, or vandalism. A deductible may still apply unless your confirmation explicitly states zero deductible.

What CDW and LDW do not cover in San Antonio or anywhere else:

• Damage or injury caused to third parties, such as other vehicles or people
• Tires, wheels, undercarriage, and roof damage in most cases
• Incidents involving authorised drivers not listed on the hire agreement
• Damage resulting from prohibited use such as off-road driving or driving under the influence

For third-party liability, a separate coverage called LIS, ALI, or SLI is needed. Some US states require hire companies to include minimum liability, but this is not universal. Hola Car Rentals strongly recommends adding supplementary liability coverage to your Budget booking in San Antonio for full protection.

Review your hire agreement carefully at the Budget counter in San Antonio before signing to confirm all coverages and any applicable deductibles.

Budget hire cars in San Antonio follow a Full-to-Full fuel policy. You receive the vehicle with a full tank and must return it full to avoid additional charges.

Steps to follow to avoid fuel charges on your San Antonio Budget hire:

• At pickup, check the fuel gauge with the Budget agent 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 10 miles of the return location at San Antonio International Airport or your drop-off point before returning the car
• Keep your final fuel receipt showing the date, time, and station address
• Take a photo of the full gauge before returning the vehicle

If you return the Budget vehicle in San Antonio with less than a full tank, you may be charged for the fuel shortfall at the partner's refuelling rate, which is typically higher than the pump price, plus a refuelling service fee.

If the tank was not full at pickup, ask the Budget agent in San Antonio to record the exact starting level on the hire agreement. You are then only required to return it at that same level.

San Antonio has several road conditions and driving patterns that can catch first-time visitors off guard when driving a Budget hire vehicle.

Key things to know before driving in San Antonio:

• San Antonio features single-point urban interchanges (SPUIs) at locations such as Harry Wurzbach Road with Austin Highway and Eisenhauer Road. These allow simultaneous left turns at one signalised point, which differs from standard diamond interchanges and can be confusing if you are not expecting them
• I-35 through downtown San Antonio is undergoing a major expansion project phased through 2027, adding toll-free express and HOV lanes. Construction detours and temporary access changes are common, particularly between the airport and downtown
• Flash flood conditions in spring and autumn can cause significant accident increases, even in light rain, because roads become slippery after dry periods. Exercise extra caution during rain
• Friday evenings between 5 pm and 9 pm see significantly higher accident rates due to increased traffic and impaired driving

Texas has no congestion charges or emissions zones, so there are no special fees for driving your Budget hire into downtown San Antonio. Plan extra time for I-35 construction delays when travelling between San Antonio International Airport and the city centre.

Yes, it is possible to pick up a Budget hire in San Antonio and return it to a different city, but a one-way drop-off fee will typically apply and must be confirmed before booking.

How one-way fees work for Budget hires originating in San Antonio:

• The drop-off fee is route-specific and varies by destination city, distance, vehicle class, and season
• The fee is shown during the booking process under the section labelled as due at destination, not in the base rate
• The fee cannot be prepaid and is not covered by standard rate inclusions
• Cross-border one-way hires, such as returning a Budget vehicle from San Antonio to Mexico, are generally restricted or not permitted

Same-city returns, such as picking up at San Antonio International Airport and returning to a Budget city location within San Antonio, may not incur a drop-off fee, but this depends on the specific locations selected.

Always review your booking confirmation before arriving at the Budget counter in San Antonio to verify whether a one-way fee applies to your route and what the exact amount is. If the counter charges a different fee than what your confirmation shows, keep all paperwork and contact support after your hire is complete.

Yes, most Hola Car Rentals bookings, including Budget hires in San Antonio, include travel assistance provided by Terrawind Global Protection at no extra cost. However, this benefit does not apply to customers who are residents of the United States or Canada.

For eligible customers, travel assistance covers situations that can arise during a San Antonio hire, such as a medical emergency on I-35 or an accident on a highway outside the city. Coverage typically includes:

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

This cover does not include damage to the Budget hire vehicle itself, which is handled by CDW or LDW, or third-party liability to others, which requires LIS or SLI.

To reach assistance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:

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

Have your Hola Car Rentals confirmation number ready when you contact them. Review your booking confirmation for the exact terms and coverage limits that apply to your San Antonio hire.