Car Hire
in Illinois

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

No. With Hola Car Rentals, all costs and charges for your booking in Illinois 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 Illinois 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 Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) in Illinois, hire car collection does not occur inside the terminals. All major brands, including Alamo, Avis, Enterprise, and Hertz, operate from the centralised Multi-Modal Facility (MMF) at 10255 W. Zemke Blvd.

To reach the MMF, follow these steps after collecting your luggage:

• Look for Airport Transit System (ATS) signs in any terminal's baggage reclaim area
• Board the ATS train, which runs 24 hours a day
• Travel to the Multi-Modal Facility stop
• Follow signs to your hire company's counter inside the MMF

Allow an extra 10 to 15 minutes beyond baggage reclaim for the ATS journey and walking to the counter. Off-site companies not located inside the MMF may require an additional shuttle from there, so confirm your brand's exact location on your booking confirmation before travelling to Illinois.

To collect your hire car in Illinois, you must present the following physical documents at the counter:

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

If your driving 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. 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 during your Illinois hire.

All documents must be physical. Digital copies shown on a phone or tablet are not accepted at any Illinois hire counter.

Illinois has an extensive toll road network managed by the Illinois Tollway, and hire car drivers will almost certainly encounter tolls, especially around the Chicago area.

The main electronic toll systems in Illinois are I-Pass and E-ZPass. Most modern gantries are cashless and automatically capture your vehicle's licence plate if no transponder is present.

As a hire car driver in Illinois, you have two main options:

• Purchase the hire company's daily toll programme (typically US$11.99 to US$25 per day depending on the brand and location), which covers all tolls incurred on Illinois Tollway roads during that day
• Decline the programme and rely on the Illinois Tollway's pay-by-plate system, which photographs your licence plate and bills tolls at the standard plate rate, which is slightly higher than the discounted I-Pass rate

If you drive an Illinois toll road without enrolling in any programme, the toll is still recorded and eventually billed to the hire company, which will recharge you plus an administrative fee. Common Illinois toll roads include the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90), the Tri-State Tollway (I-294), the Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88), and the Chicago Skyway (I-90/I-94). Illinois has no congestion charges or city-centre driving fees beyond these toll roads.

Yes, all bookings made through Hola Car Rentals include Tolls Cashback, which allows you to recover up to 5% of your total booking value for tolls paid during your Illinois hire.

This benefit is especially useful in Illinois, where toll roads like the I-90, I-294, I-88, and the Chicago Skyway can add up quickly, particularly if you are driving between Chicago and other parts of the state.

To claim your Illinois toll cashback:

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

The refund is calculated as the lesser of the actual tolls paid or 5% of your booking total. For example, if your booking total is US$500, the cap is US$25. If you paid US$18 in Illinois tolls, you receive US$18 back. If you paid US$40, you receive US$25. Refunds are issued to the original payment method and typically process within 7 to 10 business days after approval. Late submissions received after 30 days are not accepted.

When you pick up a hire car in Illinois, the hire company will place a temporary authorisation hold on your credit card. This is not a charge but reduces your available credit until the hire is concluded and your bank releases the hold.

For standard vehicles rented in the United States, including Illinois, typical holds range from US$300 to US$400. Premium or specialised vehicles may carry higher holds. The exact amount is set by the hire desk and can vary by brand, location, and vehicle class.

Important requirements for the deposit in Illinois:

• You must present a physical major credit card with the driver’s name printed on it
• The card must be in the main driver’s name
• Debit cards, prepaid cards, and virtual cards are not accepted for the excess
• You must have sufficient available credit to cover the hold plus any expected charges

After you return the vehicle in Illinois, the hold is released. Your bank or card issuer controls when the credit reappears on your account, which can take up to 15 working days. Bringing a backup credit card is always advisable.

Yes, after-hours returns are widely supported at the Multi-Modal Facility (MMF) at 10255 W. Zemke Blvd., which serves all major hire brands at Chicago O'Hare Airport in Illinois.

To complete an after-hours return at the Illinois MMF:

• Drive to the MMF and park in the designated return area marked with your hire brand's signs
• Document the vehicle's condition thoroughly with photos before leaving it
• Lock the vehicle and deposit the keys in the secure drop box provided by your hire company
• Keep a copy of your hire agreement and any fuel receipts

Confirmation of the return is typically sent by email the next working day. Note that some brands at Illinois airport locations also offer self-service kiosks or online check-in for after-hours collection, but availability varies by provider, so confirm this on your booking confirmation before your travel date. For after-hours collections specifically, check whether your chosen brand supports this at the ORD MMF, as not all Illinois airport counters guarantee unstaffed access outside standard hours (typically 5 AM to 1 AM).

If you drive through an Illinois toll road without enrolling in the hire company's toll programme, you are not automatically avoiding the charge. The Illinois Tollway's pay-by-plate system photographs your hire vehicle's licence plate and bills the toll at the standard plate rate, which is slightly higher than the discounted I-Pass or E-ZPass rate.

If the toll goes unpaid entirely, the Illinois Tollway links the charge to the vehicle's registration and sends the bill to the hire company. The hire company will then:

• Pay the outstanding Illinois toll on your behalf
• Recharge the toll amount to your credit card on file
• Add an administrative processing fee on top of the toll amount

Ignoring Illinois toll bills can lead to escalating penalties and, in serious cases, debt recovery. Toll charges from Illinois roads often appear on your card days or even weeks after you return the vehicle, because toll agencies process invoices in batches. Always keep your hire agreement and any toll receipts so you can verify any post-hire charges related to your Illinois trip.

Yes, drivers under 25 hiring a car in Illinois are subject to a daily young-driver surcharge, and most vehicle classes are restricted to drivers aged 25 and over.

In Illinois, the general rules for under-25 hirers are:

• Drivers aged 21 to 24 can hire but will pay a daily underage fee at the counter
• Drivers under 21 are generally not permitted to hire in Illinois
• Restricted vehicle classes for under-25 hirers typically include full-size sedans, SUVs, minivans, vans, convertibles, luxury, and premium categories
• Economy, compact, and intermediate vehicles are usually the only classes available to younger drivers in Illinois

Daily surcharge amounts vary by hire brand in Illinois:

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

If you are aged 21 to 24 and from Latin America or the Caribbean, certain Hola Car Rentals rates with Avis or Budget may waive this fee for eligible vehicle categories. Check your booking confirmation to see if this exception applies to your Illinois hire.

Most bookings include travel assistance provided by Terrawind Global Protection, which can be valuable if you experience a medical emergency or other covered incident while driving in Illinois, including on busy motorways like I-55, I-90, or I-290.

Core benefits typically included are:

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

This coverage is designed for travellers visiting Illinois from abroad. Residents of the United States and Canada do not qualify for this benefit.

If you need assistance during your Illinois hire, contact Terrawind 24 hours a day:

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

Have your full name, Hola Car Rentals confirmation number, current location in Illinois, and a brief description of the situation ready when you call. Always contact assistance before incurring expenses, as some reimbursements require prior authorisation. Check your booking confirmation for the exact coverage limits and conditions that apply to your Illinois trip.

The standard fuel policy for hires in Illinois 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 during your Illinois hire:

• At pickup, check the fuel gauge with the agent and confirm the starting level is recorded on the hire agreement
• Take a photo of the dashboard showing the odometer and fuel gauge
• Ask the agent at the Illinois counter for the nearest petrol station to the return location
• Refuel within approximately 10 miles of the return point so the gauge does not drop before you arrive
• Keep your final fuel receipt showing the date, time, and station address

If you return the vehicle in Illinois with less than a full tank, 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 service fee. For after-hours returns at locations like the Chicago O'Hare MMF in Illinois, leave your fuel receipt in the key drop envelope and keep a photo of the full gauge as evidence.

Yes, you can add an additional driver to your Illinois hire, either at no cost if your rate includes it or for a daily fee payable at the counter.

Check your booking confirmation for the line that states additional driver free of charge. If it is not listed, the following daily fees apply at Illinois counters:

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

Requirements for adding a driver at an Illinois hire counter:

• The additional driver must be physically present at collection
• They must present a valid driving licence and any required ID
• If their licence is not in a Latin alphabet, an IDP is required
• For Avis, Budget, and Payless in Illinois, additional drivers must generally be at least 25 years old
• Both the main driver and the additional driver must sign the hire agreement

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

Yes, Illinois has several driving rules and road conditions worth knowing before you pick up your hire car and head onto Illinois roads.

Key rules and hazards for hire drivers in Illinois:

• Move-over law: Illinois requires drivers to move over or slow down for any vehicle displaying hazard lights on the roadside, including disabled vehicles, not just emergency services
• School zones: Illinois enforces school zone speed limits strictly, with fines higher than general speeding penalties
• DUI enforcement: Illinois mandates breathalyser compliance, and penalties are severe
• Aggressive lane changes: Urban Illinois motorways such as I-55, I-90, and I-290 around Chicago see frequent lane-change incidents; maintain extra following distance
• Winter conditions: Ice and snow are common across Illinois in winter months, and pile-ups on major interstates are a documented hazard; reduce speed significantly in adverse weather

Illinois does not have a blanket ban on right turns on red (it is generally permitted statewide), and there are no emission zones or congestion charges in Illinois cities. The terrain is mostly flat, unlike neighbouring Kentucky, but urban Illinois traffic density is significantly higher than in neighbouring rural states like Iowa or Indiana. Always carry your hire agreement and insurance documents while driving in Illinois.

Yes, one-way hires starting in Illinois and ending in another state are generally available, but a drop-off fee may apply depending on the route, hire brand, and vehicle class.

How one-way fees work for Illinois hires:

• The drop-off fee is route-specific and varies by the distance between the Illinois pickup point and the return city or state
• The fee is shown during the booking process under the section labelled to pay at destination
• It cannot be prepaid and is settled at the counter when you collect in Illinois
• Not every Illinois-to-another-state route incurs a fee; shorter or high-demand corridors may have no charge

Cross-border hires, such as driving from Illinois into Canada, may be restricted or require prior authorisation from the hire brand. Always check your booking confirmation for any territory restrictions before driving the vehicle across state or national borders from Illinois.

If the counter charges a drop-off fee that was not disclosed on your confirmation, keep all paperwork and contact support after the hire. Hola Car Rentals' No Extra Charges© Coverage may apply if the fee was not shown during the Illinois booking process.