Car Hire
at Cape Breton Airport

Hola Car Rentals is a premium partner of the leading car hire companies at Cape Breton Airport, 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 at Cape Breton Airport.

No. With Hola Car Rentals, all costs and charges for your booking at Cape Breton 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 Cape Breton 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)

The rental car counters at Cape Breton Airport (Sydney J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport, YQY) are located directly inside the main terminal building. After collecting your luggage from baggage claim, follow the overhead signs for Ground Transportation and Car Hires. The walk is entirely indoors and no shuttle or people mover is required.

Brands operating in-terminal at Cape Breton Airport include Enterprise, Avis, Budget, and National. Rental vehicles are parked in a designated lot just outside the terminal exit, a short walk from the counters.

Because all major counters are integrated into the terminal, Cape Breton Airport eliminates the shuttle wait common at larger Canadian airports, making the pickup process straightforward even for first-time visitors.

Counter hours at Cape Breton Airport vary by brand and are generally aligned with scheduled flight arrivals. Based on available information, Enterprise at Cape Breton Airport operates Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and is closed on Saturdays and Sundays. After-hours return service is not available at the Enterprise location.

Other brands such as Avis, Budget, and National may operate different hours. Before your trip, confirm the exact hours for your specific rental brand directly, as hours can change seasonally or on holidays.

If your flight arrives outside counter hours at Cape Breton Airport, you may be able to arrange an after-hours key drop. For after-hours returns, park and lock the vehicle, then place the keys and completed contract in the drop box located at the rental counter. Always confirm this option when booking.

To pick up a rental car at Cape Breton Airport, 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, for the security deposit hold
• A passport or valid government photo ID (required for visitors from outside Canada)
• Your booking confirmation or printed voucher
• Round-trip flight or cruise tickets (required for non-residents)

If your driver’s licence is not in English and uses a non-Latin alphabet (for example, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, or Cyrillic), an International Driving Permit (IDP) is mandatory at Cape Breton Airport. For licences in other non-English scripts, an IDP is strongly recommended even if not strictly required.

All documents must be physical originals. Digital copies shown on a phone or tablet are not accepted at the Cape Breton Airport rental counter. Debit and prepaid cards are not accepted for the security deposit.

Yes, all bookings made through Hola Car Rentals include Tolls Cashback, which applies to rentals picked up at Cape Breton Airport.

Nova Scotia has limited toll roads, but if you drive beyond Cape Breton Island during your rental, you may encounter the Cobequid Pass on Highway 104, which charges approximately CAD 4.00 for passenger cars travelling in one direction. Any tolls you pay during your rental period are eligible for the cashback benefit.

Hola Car Rentals reimburses the lesser of the total tolls you paid or up to 5% of your total booking value. To claim after returning your vehicle at Cape Breton Airport:

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

Refunds are issued to the original payment method and typically process within 7 to 10 business days after approval. Late submissions are not accepted.

Yes, there is one main toll road relevant to renters departing Cape Breton Airport: the Cobequid Pass on Highway 104, a 45-kilometre section between Masstown and Thomson Station on the Trans-Canada route towards Halifax.

Key details for renters from Cape Breton Airport:

• The one-way toll for passenger cars is approximately CAD 4.00
• Nova Scotia-plated rental vehicles may be waved through at cash lanes, but out-of-province plates are charged since December 2021
• Cash lanes are available at the Cobequid Pass toll plaza; inform the attendant if your rental has Nova Scotia plates to confirm any exemption
• If you pass through a cashless lane without paying, the toll agency invoices the rental company, which then bills you the toll plus an administrative fee of approximately CAD 15 to CAD 25
• A detour via Highway 4 through Wentworth Valley avoids the Cobequid Pass entirely, though it adds travel time

The Halifax bridges (Angus L. Macdonald and A. Murray MacKay) previously used the MACPASS cashless system, but their tolls were removed in March 2025 and no longer apply. There are no congestion charges or emissions zones in Nova Scotia.

Yes, a major credit card is required to rent a car at Cape Breton Airport. The card must be in the main driver’s name with the driver’s name physically printed on the card, and it must be presented as a physical card at the counter.

The rental company will place a temporary authorisation hold on your card at pickup. For Canadian rentals, this hold is typically CAD 300 to CAD 500, though some locations may authorise up to approximately CAD 750 depending on the vehicle class and brand.

Important points to keep in mind for your Cape Breton Airport pickup:

• Debit cards and prepaid cards are not accepted for the security deposit
• Digital wallets and virtual card numbers are not accepted at the counter
• Even if you prepaid your booking online, you must still present a physical credit card at the Cape Breton Airport counter
• Bring a backup credit card in your name in case your primary card is declined
• Notify your bank of your travel plans to prevent fraud blocks on in-person authorisations

The hold is released after you return the vehicle, though your bank may take up to 15 business days to reflect the release.

Yes, one-way hires are available from Cape Breton Airport, allowing you to return the vehicle at a different location such as Halifax (YHZ) rather than driving back to Cape Breton Island.

A drop-off fee typically applies for one-way hires and is route-specific. This fee varies by rental brand, the cities involved, the season, and the vehicle class. When booking, the drop-off fee will appear on the rate details page under the section labelled To pay at destination, so you can see the exact amount before confirming your reservation.

Key things to know about one-way hires from Cape Breton Airport:

• The fee is paid at the counter at pickup, not prepaid online
• Changing your return location after booking may reprice the hire and recalculate the drop-off fee
• Cross-border one-ways (for example, driving into the United States) may be restricted or carry higher fees depending on the rental brand
• If no drop-off fee appears during booking, no fee applies to your specific route

Review your booking confirmation carefully to confirm the drop-off fee amount before arriving at Cape Breton Airport.

Hires picked up at Cape Breton Airport are subject to several mandatory fees and taxes that appear on your rental agreement in addition to the base rate. These are standard for Canadian airport hires and include:

• HST (Harmonised Sales Tax) at 15%, which is the combined federal and Nova Scotia provincial tax applied to the hire
• Airport Concession Recovery Fee, charged by the rental company to recover the percentage of gross revenue it pays to Cape Breton Airport for operating on-site
• Customer Facility Charge, remitted to the airport for facility improvements or bonds
• Vehicle Licensing Recovery Fee, a prorated daily cost covering the rental company’s vehicle registration in Nova Scotia

These charges are standard at Cape Breton Airport and at most Canadian airport hire locations. They appear as separate line items on your rental agreement and are not hidden fees.

If your booking confirmation shows Taxes and Fees as Included, you should not be billed separately for those items at the Cape Breton Airport counter. If you are charged for something not disclosed on your confirmation, the No Extra Charges© guarantee may apply. Contact Hola Car Rentals support after completing your hire with your documentation.

Most bookings include travel assistance coverage provided by Terrawind Global Protection, which can be especially useful if you encounter an emergency while driving remote roads near Cape Breton Airport, such as the winding Cabot Trail or rural sections of Highway 104.

Coverage typically includes:

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

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

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

Provide your full name, your Hola Car Rentals confirmation number, your location, and a brief description of the situation. Follow the coordinator's instructions and keep all receipts and reports.

Important: this benefit does not apply to Canadian or US residents. It is designed for travellers visiting from outside North America. It also does not cover damage to the rental vehicle (that is CDW/LDW) or third-party liability (that is LIS/ALI/SLI). Check your booking confirmation for the exact terms applicable to your Cape Breton Airport hire.

Hires at Cape Breton Airport follow a Full-to-Full fuel policy by default. You receive the vehicle with a full tank and must return it full to avoid additional charges.

Steps to follow for your Cape Breton Airport hire:

• At pickup, check the fuel gauge with the agent and confirm the starting level is recorded on the rental agreement
• Take a photo of the dashboard showing the odometer and fuel gauge
• Refuel within approximately 10 miles or 15 kilometres of the return location before dropping off the car
• Keep your final fuel receipt showing the date, time, and station address
• For after-hours returns at Cape Breton Airport, leave the receipt in the return envelope and keep a photo of the full gauge

If you return the vehicle below the recorded starting level, the hire company may charge you for the fuel shortfall at their own refuelling rate, which is typically higher than the pump price, plus a refuelling service fee.

Note that there are no fuel stations directly on the Cape Breton Airport grounds, so plan to refuel before arriving at the airport for your return. Allowing extra time for this is especially important for early morning flights, where a two-hour pre-flight arrival is recommended.

Yes, drivers under 25 years old may be subject to a young driver surcharge when picking up a hire at Cape Breton Airport. This surcharge is set by the individual hire brand and is paid at the counter, not prepaid online.

The minimum hire age and surcharge amounts vary by brand at Cape Breton Airport. As a general guide for brands operating at the airport:

• Avis and Budget: an underage fee exception may apply; the additional driver for these brands must be at least 25 years old
• Enterprise, National, and Alamo: young driver fees are charged per day at the counter

The surcharge is applied daily for the full hire period and is taxable locally. It applies to both the primary driver and any additional drivers who are under the age threshold.

If you are under 25 and planning to hire at Cape Breton Airport, check the specific brand's age policy when booking and budget for this additional counter charge. Your booking confirmation will indicate if any age-related fees are expected to be due at pickup.

Yes, you can add an additional driver to your hire at Cape Breton Airport, either as part of your rate or by paying a fee at the counter.

Some rates include one additional driver at no extra cost. Check your booking confirmation for the line Additional driver free of charge to confirm whether this applies to your reservation. If it is not included, the daily fees at Cape Breton Airport vary by brand:

• Avis, Budget, and Payless: US$13 per hire day, capped at US$65
• Hertz, Thrifty, and Dollar: US$13.50 per hire day, capped at US$189
• Alamo, National, and Enterprise: US$15 per day

To add an additional driver at the Cape Breton Airport counter:

• The additional driver must be physically present at pickup
• They must present a valid driver’s licence and any required ID
• Both the main driver and the additional driver must sign the hire agreement
• For Avis and Budget at Cape Breton Airport, the additional driver must be at least 25 years old

Only drivers listed on the hire agreement are covered by protections such as CDW/LDW. Anyone not named on the contract who drives the vehicle may void cover.

The insurance coverage included in your hire at Cape Breton Airport depends on the rate plan you selected. In Canada, provincial law requires every hire vehicle to carry third-party liability insurance by default, so basic liability cover is included when you hire at Cape Breton Airport through Hola Car Rentals.

Beyond the mandatory liability, your booking may also include:

• Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) or Loss Damage Waiver (LDW), which reduces your financial liability for damage to the hire vehicle. A deductible may apply unless your confirmation explicitly states zero deductible
• Supplemental Liability Insurance (LIS/ALI/SLI), which you can add for higher liability limits beyond the provincial minimum

CDW/LDW at Cape Breton Airport does not cover third-party injuries or property damage to others, tyres, the undercarriage, or damage resulting from prohibited use such as off-road driving. Always review the hire agreement at the Cape Breton Airport counter to confirm exactly what is included and what deductible applies.

Check your booking confirmation for the specific coverages listed under your rate. If you are unsure what is included, contact Hola Car Rentals support before your pickup date.