Car Hire in San Francisco

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

No. With Hola Car Rentals, all costs and charges for your booking in San Francisco 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 Francisco 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 San Francisco International Airport (SFO), all major hire companies are located in the Rental Car Centre (RCC) at 780 N. McDonnell Road, not inside the terminals. You reach it by taking the free AirTrain Blue Line, which runs 24 hours a day with frequent departures.

• From any terminal, follow the signs for AirTrain and board the Blue Line towards the Rental Car Centre station
• The journey takes approximately 5 to 10 minutes, plus short walks between station and counter
• The AirTrain is wheelchair accessible and costs nothing

Once inside the San Francisco RCC, the floor where your brand is located matters. Hertz operates on the 1st floor, while Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, National, and Thrifty are on the 4th floor. Check your booking confirmation for your specific brand and proceed to that level.

If you are arriving on an international flight, Budget extra time for immigration and customs before boarding the AirTrain. Plan for 75 to 150 minutes from landing to reaching the counter.

Most hire brands at the San Francisco International Airport Rental Car Centre operate from approximately 5:00 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. daily. However, hours vary by brand, so always confirm with your booking confirmation.

• Budget and Hertz offer 24-hour service at the San Francisco airport location
• Avis also operates 24 hours at the SFO Rental Car Centre
• Dollar, National, and Thrifty offer after-hours return options

Downtown San Francisco locations, such as those near Union Square, operate on more limited schedules, typically 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Saturday through Sunday, with earlier closing on Fridays. If your flight arrives late or you have an early departure, the airport location is the more reliable choice in San Francisco.

If your flight is delayed by less than 24 hours, hire companies will generally hold your reservation. For delays beyond 24 hours, contact your booking provider as soon as possible to avoid losing the reservation.

The San Francisco Bay Area uses FasTrak, California's statewide electronic toll collection system. All major bridges and express lanes in the region are cashless, meaning there are no cash payment options at most toll points.

• Bay Bridge (San Francisco to Oakland): approximately US$8.50 per crossing with FasTrak, westbound only for 2-axle vehicles
• Golden Gate Bridge: approximately US$9.75 with FasTrak or US$10.75 by invoice, southbound only
• Express lanes on routes such as I-580 and I-680 also use FasTrak

Your hire vehicle in San Francisco will already have an electronic toll device or plate-based billing system installed. At the counter, you can choose between two options:

• Unlimited toll package: approximately US$11 to US$25 per hire day, covering all toll usage
• Pay per use: actual toll amounts plus daily or administrative processing fees billed after the hire

If you prefer to manage tolls yourself, you can opt out at pickup and pay directly through the toll agency's website. Inform the counter agent so they can deactivate the vehicle's default device and prevent duplicate charges. Toll charges often appear on your card days or even weeks after the hire ends, which is normal.

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

Given that the San Francisco Bay Area has some of the highest bridge tolls in California, including the Bay Bridge at approximately US$8.50 per crossing and the Golden Gate Bridge at approximately US$9.75, this benefit can add up meaningfully over a multi-day hire.

To claim your Tolls Cashback after your San Francisco hire:

• Email [email protected] within 30 days of returning the vehicle
• 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 itemised statement showing charges paid

The refund is issued to the same payment method used for your original booking and typically processes within 7 to 10 business days after approval. Claims submitted after 30 days are not accepted, so keep your toll receipts and submit promptly after your San Francisco trip.

To pick up a hire car in San Francisco, you must bring the following physical documents. Digital versions are not accepted at the counter.

• Your original, unexpired driver's licence in the main driver's name
• A physical major credit card with the driver's name printed on the card, in the main driver's name, for the security deposit hold
• A valid passport or government-issued photo ID
• Your booking confirmation or printed voucher if required by your rate
• 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 San Francisco and throughout the United States. The IDP is a translation only and must be carried alongside your original licence, not as a replacement.

Debit cards and prepaid cards are not accepted for the security deposit hold, even if you prepaid your booking online. Make sure your credit card has sufficient available credit to cover the hold, which is typically US$300 to US$400 for standard vehicles at San Francisco locations.

San Francisco has one of the most extensive one-way street networks in the United States, and it can be disorienting for visitors accustomed to two-way traffic. Many major corridors, including Bush Street and Pine Street, were converted to one-way flow decades ago to funnel traffic downtown, resulting in faster vehicle speeds and less predictable intersections.

• Navigation apps are essential in San Francisco, as many streets only allow travel in one direction and routes that look direct on a map may require significant detours
• Some multi-way boulevards in San Francisco feature separated local access lanes flanking central express lanes, which differ from standard UK road layouts
• HOV or diamond lanes appear on routes such as Park Presidio, Lombard, Van Ness, and Geary, and are restricted to carpools or buses during certain hours. Solo drivers using these lanes may face fines
• Protected one-way bike lanes are integrated into several corridors, requiring drivers to yield at bus stops and crossings

When returning your hire car to the San Francisco airport, plan your route in advance using a navigation app, as the one-way grid can add time to what appears to be a short drive. Allow extra buffer time, especially if you are unfamiliar with the city layout.

Yes, one-way hires are available in San Francisco, allowing you to pick up at one location and return the vehicle in a different city such as Sacramento, Los Angeles, or San Diego.

A drop-off fee typically applies for one-way hires and varies based on the route, hire company, vehicle class, and season. This fee is separate from mileage, fuel, and tolls. When booking a one-way hire from San Francisco, the drop-off fee will be shown under the "To pay at destination" section during checkout and on your booking confirmation.

• Same-city trips, such as San Francisco airport to a downtown San Francisco location, often carry no drop-off fee
• Routes between different cities or regions, such as San Francisco to Los Angeles, typically include a drop-off fee
• Cross-border one-way hires, such as from San Francisco into Mexico or Canada, may be restricted or require special authorisation depending on the hire partner

If the counter charges a drop-off fee that differs from what your confirmation shows, keep all paperwork and contact support after the hire. Changes to your booking after confirmation, such as switching the return city, may reprice the hire and recalculate the fee.

In San Francisco and throughout California, the standard minimum age to hire a car without additional surcharges is 25. Drivers aged 21 to 24 can hire but will be charged a daily young-hire surcharge, and most vehicle classes are restricted to drivers aged 25 and older.

• Vehicle classes typically restricted to 25 and older include full-size sedans, SUVs, minivans, convertibles, luxury, and premium categories
• Drivers aged 21 to 24 in San Francisco are generally limited to economy, compact, intermediate, and compact SUV categories
• Drivers under 21 cannot hire in California outside of New York and Michigan, which have specific state laws

The young-hire surcharge amount varies by hire brand at San Francisco locations:

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

Hire from Latin America and the Caribbean aged 21 to 24 may qualify for a young-hire fee waiver on eligible Avis or Budget rates in San Francisco. Check your booking confirmation to see if this waiver is included.

Yes, most bookings include travel assistance through Terrawind Global Protection, which can help in the event of a breakdown, accident, or medical emergency during your San Francisco hire. However, this benefit does not apply to customers who are residents of the United States or Canada.

Coverage typically included for eligible renters in San Francisco:

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

If you experience an emergency during your San Francisco hire, contact the assistance line immediately before incurring expenses, as some reimbursements require prior authorisation:

• Phone (toll-free or collect): +1 888 980 9992, available 24 hours a day
• WhatsApp: +1 208 910 1001
• Email: [email protected]

Have your full name, Hola Car Rentals confirmation number, current location in San Francisco, and a brief description of the situation ready when you call. This cover does not replace CDW or LDW for damage to the hire vehicle itself.

Hire cars in San Francisco 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.

• At pickup, verify 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 before leaving the San Francisco pickup location
• Refuel within approximately 10 miles of the return location, whether that is the San Francisco airport Rental Car Centre or a downtown location
• Keep your final fuel receipt showing the date, time, and station address

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

Some San Francisco counter locations may offer a prepaid fuel option at pickup. If you accept it, any unused fuel is generally non-refundable, so it is usually better value to refuel yourself near the return point. Ask the agent at the San Francisco counter about the nearest fuel station to the Rental Car Centre if you are unsure where to stop before returning the vehicle.

When you pick up your hire car in San Francisco, 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 hold is released after you return the vehicle.

• Typical hold amount in San Francisco and across the United States: approximately US$300 to US$400 for standard vehicles
• Premium or specialised vehicles may carry higher holds
• The hold is released after drop-off, but your bank controls when it appears back on your account, which can take up to 15 business days

Important requirements for the security deposit in San Francisco:

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

Even if you prepaid your booking online, you are still required to present a physical credit card at the San Francisco counter. Bring a backup credit card in your name in case your primary card is declined, and notify your bank of your travel dates to prevent fraud blocks on in-person authorisations.

If you drive through a cashless toll facility in or around San Francisco without enrolling in the hire company's toll programme, the toll authority will bill the hire company by licence plate, and the company will then charge you for the toll amount plus administrative or processing fees.

• Invoice rates for bridge tolls in San Francisco are higher than FasTrak rates, sometimes by 30 to 50 per cent
• The hire company may add its own administrative fee on top of the toll authority's invoice rate
• Express lanes in the San Francisco Bay Area require a FasTrak transponder for solo drivers. Driving in these lanes without one may result in a violation, not just a higher toll

To avoid unexpected charges after your San Francisco hire:

• Enroll in the hire company's toll programme at pickup if you plan to cross any Bay Area bridges or use express lanes
• Alternatively, opt out and pay tolls directly through the FasTrak website or app, and inform the counter agent so they can deactivate the vehicle's default device
• Keep all toll receipts, as you can claim up to 5% of your booking total back through the Hola Car Rentals Tolls Cashback benefit

Toll charges in San Francisco often appear on your card days or weeks after the hire ends, which is normal processing behaviour.

Yes, you can add an additional driver to your San Francisco hire at the counter, but the additional driver must be physically present at pickup with a valid driver's licence and any required identification.

Whether the additional driver is included at no cost depends on your rate:

• Some rates explicitly include one additional driver free of charge. Check your booking confirmation for the line "Additional driver free of charge"
• If not included, a daily fee applies at the San Francisco counter, varying by brand: Avis, Budget, and Payless charge US$13 per day (capped at US$65); Hertz, Thrifty, and Dollar charge US$13.50 per day (capped at US$189); Alamo, National, and Enterprise charge US$15 per day

Additional requirements for adding a driver at a San Francisco location:

• The additional driver must meet the minimum age requirement (25 in California, or 21 to 24 with a young-hire surcharge)
• For Avis, Budget, and Payless in San Francisco, additional drivers must generally be at least 25 years old
• If the additional driver's licence is not in English or uses a non-Latin alphabet, an IDP is required
• Both the main driver and the additional driver must sign the hire agreement

Only drivers listed on the hire agreement are covered by protections such as CDW and liability cover during the San Francisco hire.