Budget Car Hire
in St. Louis

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

No. With Hola Car Rentals, all costs and charges for your booking in St. Louis 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 St. Louis 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 St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) is located in the baggage claim area. After collecting your luggage, proceed directly to the counter, except if you arrive on a Southwest Airlines flight, in which case you must take the Budget shuttle from the East terminal.

Once at the counter, if you are enrolled in Fastbreak, proceed to the Fastbreak line or kiosk, present your identification, receive your hire agreement and keys, and get directions to your car. A shuttle then takes you to the Budget car lot at 10482 Natural Bridge Rd, Saint Louis, MO 63134.

Important hours to note for your St. Louis Budget collection:

• Counter service is open 24 hours, Sunday through Saturday
• Counter service closes at 10 PM daily
• Arrivals after 10 PM must proceed to the Avis counter for assistance
• Southwest customers can use the Budget shuttle until 11 PM

Before leaving the lot, inspect your vehicle and confirm the fuel level and any pre-existing damage are recorded on your hire agreement.

If you arrive after 10 PM for your Budget hire at St. Louis Lambert Airport, the Budget counter closes at that time and you will need to go to the Avis counter for assistance instead.

If you are a Southwest Airlines passenger arriving after 10 PM, you have a slightly longer window: the Budget shuttle from the East terminal operates until 11 PM.

For after-hours returns of your St. Louis Budget hire, you must return the keys and the hire agreement to the Security booth at the airport. Budget will then mail a closed hire agreement to you within 48 hours.

A few tips to avoid complications:

• Check your flight arrival time against the 10 PM counter closing before booking
• If a delay pushes your arrival past 10 PM, your booking is held for up to 24 hours from the original pickup time
• Contact support if a delay exceeds 24 hours, as changes are not guaranteed

Missouri has very few toll roads, and driving a Budget hire in and around St. Louis itself involves no toll roads at all. There are no electronic toll systems such as E-ZPass or cashless gantries operating in the St. Louis metro area.

The only toll facility in Missouri is the Lake of the Ozarks Community Bridge on State Highway MM, which is located well outside St. Louis. If your trip takes you there, note that this bridge is cash-only, no transponders or electronic payment are accepted. Typical costs for a standard hire vehicle are:

• US$3.00 during summer months (May through September)
• US$2.00 during all other months

Because St. Louis itself has no toll roads, the optional toll programmes that Budget and other hire companies offer (such as e-Toll or TollPass) are not necessary for driving within the city. If you do plan to drive to the Lake of the Ozarks area, bring cash for the booth.

Missouri also has no congestion charges, emissions zones, or city-centre driving fees of any kind.

Yes, all Hola Car Rentals bookings include Tolls Cashback, which lets you recover up to 5% of your total booking value for tolls paid during your St. Louis Budget hire.

While St. Louis itself has no toll roads, this benefit applies if your trip takes you to areas with tolls, such as the cash-only Lake of the Ozarks Community Bridge or toll roads in neighbouring states.

To claim your cashback after returning your Budget vehicle:

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

The refund is issued to the same payment method used for your booking and typically processes within 7 to 10 business days after approval. Late submissions received after 30 days are not accepted.

Example: if your St. Louis Budget booking total is US$400, the maximum cashback cap is US$20. If you paid US$12 in tolls, you receive US$12 back.

To pick up your Budget hire in St. Louis, you must bring the following physical documents. Digital copies are not accepted at the counter.

• Your original, unexpired driver’s licence in the main driver’s name
• A major credit card with the driver’s name printed on the card, in the main driver’s name, for the authorisation hold
• A valid passport or government-issued photo ID
• Your booking confirmation or printed voucher
• Round-trip flight tickets or proof of onward travel

If your driver’s licence is not in English and does not use a Latin (Roman) alphabet, for example if it is in Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, or Cyrillic script, an International Driving Permit (IDP) is mandatory alongside your original licence. For licences in English or using a Latin alphabet, an IDP is recommended but not strictly required.

Note that for Budget in St. Louis, the IDP is a translation document only and cannot be used as a standalone licence. Obtain it in your home country before travelling, as it cannot be issued abroad.

Debit cards and prepaid cards are not accepted for the security deposit authorisation at the Budget counter.

Yes, a physical major credit card in the main driver’s name is required to pick up your Budget hire in St. Louis. The card must have the driver’s name printed on it and must have sufficient available credit to cover the authorisation hold.

At the St. Louis Budget counter, a temporary authorisation (hold) is placed on your card at pickup. This is not a charge, but it reduces your available credit until the hire is closed and your bank releases the hold, which can take up to 15 business days after return.

Important points to bear in mind:

• Debit cards and prepaid cards are not accepted for the deposit hold
• Virtual or digital-wallet-only cards are not accepted; you must present the physical card
• The card must be in the main driver’s name, not a third party’s name
• Typical holds in the United Kingdom range from GBP 200 to GBP 300 for standard vehicles, though the exact amount is set by Budget at the counter

Even if you prepaid your booking online, you must still present a physical credit card at the St. Louis Budget counter for the hold.

Yes, a young driver surcharge applies to Budget hires in St. Louis for drivers between the ages of 21 and 24. The standard Budget underage fee in the United States is US$13 per hire day plus taxes, with a maximum charge of US$65 plus taxes.

Drivers under 21 cannot hire with Budget in St. Louis, as Missouri is not one of the states (New York or Michigan) where hire companies are required by law to hire to drivers aged 18 and older.

Additional restrictions for under-25 renters at the St. Louis Budget counter include:

• Most vehicle classes are restricted to renters aged 25 and older, including full-size, SUV, premium, luxury, minivan, and convertible categories
• Eligible classes for younger renters are typically economy, compact, medium saloon, standard saloon, compact SUV, and medium SUV

One exception: if you are a main driver aged 21 to 24 from Latin America or the Caribbean, certain Hola Car Rentals rates with Budget in St. Louis may waive the underage fee. Check your booking confirmation to see if the waiver is explicitly shown.

St. Louis has some road configurations that can surprise first-time visitors driving a Budget hire. Knowing these in advance helps you navigate confidently.

On I-70, there is a 5 to 6 mile stretch of permanent one-way express lanes running from the western suburbs into downtown St. Louis. These lanes were originally reversible but are now blocked outbound by Jersey barriers, meaning there is no return access via the same express lanes. This is an unusual permanent asymmetry not found in most U.S. cities.

On I-270 North, all crossover slip ramps have been eliminated, creating a one-way outer ring road system. Unlike bidirectional setups common elsewhere, you cannot cross between directions at will, so plan your exits carefully.

Other features to be aware of in your St. Louis Budget hire:

• I-64 and I-55 split into parallel two-lane roadways to pass under a railway bridge, which can confuse drivers expecting a standard merge
• Some interchanges use left-hand ramps rather than the standard right-hand ramps, requiring extra lane-change awareness
• Raised concrete bump-outs on arterials like Kingshighway tighten turns and reduce speeds

Missouri has no speed cameras or congestion charges, so there are no additional fees to worry about beyond standard driving rules.

Yes, most Hola Car Rentals bookings for a Budget hire in St. Louis include travel assistance coverage provided by Terrawind Global Protection. However, this benefit does not apply to residents of the United States or Canada.

For eligible customers, the coverage includes:

• Travel insurance with medical cover for up to 5 passengers
• Legal assistance in the event of an accident, which is particularly useful if you are involved in an incident on St. Louis highways such as I-70 or I-270
• Compensation for luggage lost by the airline
• Flight cancellation insurance

If you need assistance during your St. Louis Budget hire, contact Terrawind 24 hours a day:

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

When you call, have your full name, your Hola Car Rentals confirmation number (format: HOLA followed by digits), your current location, and a brief description of the situation ready. Always check your booking confirmation for the exact coverages and limits that apply to your specific reservation.

Yes, you can add an additional driver to your Budget hire in St. Louis, either at no cost if your rate includes it or for a daily fee if it does not.

When the additional driver fee is not included, Budget in St. Louis charges US$13 per hire day plus taxes, with a maximum of US$65 plus taxes for the hire period.

To add an additional driver at the St. Louis Budget counter:

• The additional driver must be physically present at pickup
• They must present a valid driver’s licence and any required ID
• If their licence uses a non-Latin alphabet (Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Cyrillic), they also need an International Driving Permit
• Both the main driver and the additional driver must sign the hire agreement

For Budget in St. Louis, additional drivers must generally be at least 25 years old. Drivers aged 21 to 24 may be subject to the underage surcharge or may not be accepted as additional drivers depending on location rules.

Check your Hola Car Rentals confirmation before arriving at the St. Louis Budget counter. If it states "Additional driver free of charge," the first extra driver is covered at no cost.

Yes, one-way hires are possible with Budget in St. Louis, but a drop-off fee may apply depending on your return location, and not all routes are permitted.

The drop-off fee is route-specific and varies based on the distance between St. Louis and your return city, the vehicle class, and the season. This fee is never included in the hire rate and must be paid at the counter.

How to check if a drop-off fee applies to your St. Louis Budget hire:

• During the booking process on the Hola Car Rentals website, select a different return location
• If a drop-off fee applies, it will appear under the "To pay at destination" section on the rate details page
• Your booking confirmation will also list the fee if one applies

Cross-border one-way hires, for example returning a St. Louis Budget hire in Canada or Mexico, are often restricted or carry significantly higher fees. Always confirm cross-border permissions on your hire agreement before driving across state or national borders.

If the Budget counter in St. Louis charges a drop-off fee that was not disclosed on your confirmation, keep all paperwork and contact Hola Car Rentals support, as the No Extra Charges© guarantee may apply.

Budget hires in St. Louis follow a Full-to-Full fuel policy by default. You receive the car with a full tank and must return it full to avoid fuel charges.

Steps to follow for a smooth fuel return at St. Louis:

• 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 Budget return location at St. Louis Lambert Airport (10482 Natural Bridge Rd) 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 at St. Louis, leave the receipt in the return envelope and keep a photo of the full gauge

If you return the Budget car in St. Louis 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 retail pump prices, plus a refuelling service fee.

The fuel policy is separate from the security deposit authorisation. The deposit is a temporary authorisation that is released after return; fuel charges are a separate billing item if applicable.

The insurance coverage included in your Budget hire in St. Louis depends on the rate plan you selected when booking through Hola Car Rentals. Check your booking confirmation for the exact coverages listed.

The two main protections to look for are:

• Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) or Loss Damage Waiver (LDW): reduces your financial liability for damage to the Budget hire vehicle itself from a collision, theft, or vandalism. A deductible may apply unless your confirmation states zero deductible
• Third-Party Liability (LIS/ALI/SLI): covers bodily injury and property damage you may cause to other people or vehicles while driving in St. Louis. Some U.S. states require a minimum level of liability, but not all do

Important exclusions to be aware of for your St. Louis Budget hire:

• CDW/LDW does not cover third parties; you need LIS/ALI/SLI for that
• Neither coverage applies if an unlisted driver is operating the vehicle
• Prohibited use such as off-road driving or driving under the influence voids coverage
• Tires, undercarriage, and roof damage are often excluded unless a specific add-on is purchased

If you are unsure what is included, review the rate details on your Hola Car Rentals confirmation before arriving at the St. Louis Budget counter.