National Car Hire
in Philadelphia

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

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

National car hire at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) is not located inside any terminal. Instead, all hire brands including National operate from a consolidated Rental Car Centre located approximately 1.5 miles from the terminals on Island Ave.

After collecting your luggage at baggage claim, follow the overhead signs for Ground Transportation and Rental Car Shuttles to Zone 2 on the arrivals roadway. Board the free, clearly marked hire car shuttle, which runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every 5 to 10 minutes. The journey to the Rental Car Centre takes approximately 4 to 15 minutes depending on traffic and time of day.

Once at the Rental Car Centre, proceed to the National counter or kiosk to complete check-in, then collect your vehicle from the adjacent bays. There is no option to walk directly from any Philadelphia terminal to the hire facility, so the shuttle is the only way to reach the National counter.

From the moment your plane lands at Philadelphia International Airport to driving away in your National hire car, expect to spend roughly 45 to 90 minutes in total.

• Baggage claim: 25 to 45 minutes if you have checked bags, or 15 to 25 minutes with carry-on only
• Walking to Zone 2 on the arrivals roadway and waiting for the shuttle: 5 to 10 minutes
• Shuttle ride to the consolidated Rental Car Centre: 4 to 15 minutes
• National counter check-in and vehicle inspection: 10 to 20 minutes

During peak travel periods, such as holiday weekends or summer months, allow extra buffer time at both baggage claim and the National counter. The Philadelphia shuttle service runs around the clock, so late-night or early-morning arrivals are not a concern for reaching the Rental Car Centre.

To pick up your National hire car in Philadelphia, you must bring the following physical documents. Digital copies are not accepted at the counter.

• A valid, unexpired driver’s licence in the main driver’s name (physical original, not a digital version)
• A major credit card with the driver’s name printed on the card, in the main driver’s name, for the authorisation hold
• A passport or valid government-issued photo ID (required for international visitors)
• Your booking confirmation or printed voucher
• Round-trip flight tickets or itinerary showing your return date (required for foreign visitors at airport locations)

If your driver’s licence is not in English and does not use a Latin alphabet (for example, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, or Cyrillic script), you must also carry an International Driving Permit (IDP) alongside your original licence. The IDP is a translation only and is not valid without the original licence.

At the National counter in Philadelphia, all documents must be physical. Name on the credit card, licence, and passport must match the main driver on the hire agreement.

Yes, all Hola Car Rentals bookings include Tolls Cashback, which applies to your National hire in Philadelphia and any toll roads you use in the region.

Philadelphia sits near the Pennsylvania Turnpike, one of the most heavily used toll corridors in the north-eastern United States. The Turnpike is predominantly cashless, using E-ZPass transponders and a Toll By Plate system. Typical passenger vehicle tolls range from around US$1.94 per short segment with E-ZPass to US$3.88 with Toll By Plate. A longer trip such as Philadelphia to Harrisburg can total US$8 to US$12 or more.

With Tolls Cashback, Hola Car Rentals reimburses the lesser of the total tolls you paid or up to 5% of your total booking value. To claim:

• Email [email protected] within 30 days of returning your National vehicle
• Include your Hola Car Rentals reservation confirmation, the signed hire agreement, and a toll receipt or statement showing charges paid
• Refunds are processed to your original payment method within 7 to 10 business days after approval

This benefit does not mean tolls are free. You still pay tolls normally during the hire and claim reimbursement afterwards.

Philadelphia and the surrounding Pennsylvania region use a predominantly cashless toll system. Your National hire car will already have an electronic toll device installed, and most toll roads including the Pennsylvania Turnpike no longer have cash booths.

When you drive through a toll gantry, the charge is recorded either via the vehicle’s transponder (E-ZPass) or by photographing the licence plate (Toll By Plate). You are responsible for all tolls incurred during your hire.

At the National counter in Philadelphia, you will typically be offered two options:

• Unlimited toll package: a fixed daily fee of approximately US$11 to US$25 per day, covering all tolls during the hire period
• Pay per use: actual toll charges billed to your credit card after the hire, plus administrative or processing fees charged by National, often at the higher Toll By Plate rate

If you opt out of the toll programme, tolls are still captured automatically and billed to your card days or even weeks after you return the vehicle. Pennsylvania Turnpike E-ZPass rates for a standard passenger vehicle start at around US$1.94 per segment, while Toll By Plate rates are roughly double that amount.

Philadelphia itself has no congestion charges or urban emissions zones. Tolls apply only to specific roads and bridges, not to driving within the city.

Yes, Philadelphia has an unusually extensive network of automated speed enforcement cameras that can result in fines billed to the registered vehicle owner, which means they can be passed on to you as the National hire car driver.

• 30 speed cameras at 15 locations along Broad Street (Route 611) are active 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Cameras trigger at 11 mph over the posted speed limit. On streets with a 25 mph limit, driving at 36 mph or faster generates a citation
• Fines range from US$100 for 11 to 19 mph over the limit to US$150 for 30 mph or more over the limit
• Additional automated cameras operate in school zones, with enforcement active as of April 2026
• Further camera installations are planned along several major corridors throughout Philadelphia

This level of automated enforcement is significantly more aggressive than most other American cities. Speed camera fines are typically billed to the hire company and then charged to your credit card after the hire ends, often with an administrative processing fee added by National. Drive at or below posted limits throughout Philadelphia to avoid unexpected post-hire charges.

Yes, Philadelphia's downtown street network is almost entirely one-way, which can be disorienting if you are not familiar with the city layout.

Nearly every street in the central city was converted to one-way traffic decades ago. While the underlying grid is regular and easy to follow on a map, the one-way overlay means that reaching a specific address often requires driving one or two blocks past your destination and looping back. GPS navigation handles this automatically, but it is worth knowing that the route shown may seem indirect.

A few practical tips for driving your National hire car in Philadelphia:

• Always use GPS or a navigation app, as the one-way pattern is not intuitive for first-time visitors
• One-way streets tend to increase vehicle speeds because there is no oncoming traffic, so be mindful of posted speed limits and the active camera enforcement on Broad Street
• The city continues to modify traffic patterns on specific streets, so real-time navigation is more reliable than printed maps

The grid layout itself is straightforward once you understand the one-way system, and major routes in and out of Philadelphia are well signed from the motorway network.

Yes, most Hola Car Rentals bookings include travel assistance coverage provided by Terrawind Global Protection, and this applies to your National hire in Philadelphia. However, this benefit does not apply to customers who are residents of the United States or Canada.

If you qualify, the coverage includes:

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

If you experience a breakdown on a Philadelphia motorway, are involved in an accident, or face a medical emergency during your National hire period, you can reach the assistance line 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, your current location in Philadelphia, and a brief description of the situation ready. Always check your booking confirmation for the exact terms and coverage limits that apply to your reservation.

Returning your National hire car at Philadelphia International Airport follows a straightforward process using the same consolidated Rental Car Centre where you collected the vehicle.

• As you approach the airport, follow the Rental Car Return signs on the roadway leading into the airport complex
• Drive into the Rental Car Centre and proceed to the National-designated return lanes or bays
• A National agent will inspect the vehicle and close out your contract
• After completing the return, board the complimentary shuttle back to your terminal. The shuttle stops are the same as the pickup stops, including Zone 2 on the arrivals roadway

Before entering the return lanes, refuel the vehicle to comply with the Full-to-Full fuel policy. Refuel within approximately 10 miles of the airport so the tank does not drop below full before you arrive. Keep your fuel receipt in case of any dispute. If you return the vehicle with less fuel than recorded at pickup, National may charge a refuelling fee at a rate higher than the pump price, plus a service fee.

The shuttle service between the Rental Car Centre and the Philadelphia terminals runs 24 hours a day, so late-night or early-morning returns are not a problem.

When you pick up your National hire car in Philadelphia, a temporary authorisation hold will be placed on your credit card. This is not a charge but it reduces your available credit until the hire is closed and your bank releases the hold.

For standard vehicles hired in the United States, typical holds at National and similar brands range from approximately US$300 to US$400. The exact amount can vary based on:

• The vehicle class you are renting (premium or speciality vehicles may carry higher holds)
• The specific Philadelphia location (airport vs. city)
• The length of your hire period
• National's current policy at the time of pickup

You must present a physical major credit card with your name printed on the card. Debit cards, prepaid cards, and virtual card numbers are not accepted for the deposit at the National counter in Philadelphia. Even if you prepaid your booking, a physical credit card is still required at pickup.

After you return the vehicle, the hold is released. Your bank or card issuer controls how quickly the credit becomes available again, which can take up to 15 working days in some cases.

Yes, you can add an additional driver to your National hire in Philadelphia, either as part of your booking rate or by paying a fee at the counter.

For National, Alamo, and Enterprise, the additional driver fee is US$15 per day plus applicable taxes when not included in your rate. Check your Hola Car Rentals confirmation before arriving at the Philadelphia counter, as some rate plans include one additional driver at no extra cost.

Requirements for adding a driver at the National counter in Philadelphia:

• The additional driver must be physically present at pickup
• They must present a valid driver’s licence (and an IDP if their licence uses a non-Latin alphabet)
• They must meet the minimum age requirements for the hire location
• Both the main driver and the additional driver must sign the hire agreement

Only drivers listed on the National hire agreement are covered by the vehicle’s protections such as CDW/LDW and liability cover. If someone drives who is not named on the contract, cover may be void and additional charges could apply. If you need to add a driver after pickup, visit a National branch to update the agreement.

Yes, drivers under 25 years old are subject to a young-renter surcharge when collecting a National hire in Philadelphia.

In the United Kingdom, the standard minimum age to hire without a surcharge is 25. National charges US$15 per day plus taxes as an underage fee for drivers aged 21 to 24. This fee is paid at the Philadelphia counter and is not included in your prepaid booking total.

Additional restrictions that apply to under-25 renters at National in Philadelphia:

• Many vehicle classes are restricted to drivers aged 25 and older, including full-size SUVs, premium, luxury, minivans, and convertibles
• Economy, compact, intermediate, and compact SUV categories are generally available to younger renters
• The additional driver fee also applies if an under-25 driver is added to the contract

Drivers aged 18 to 20 are generally not eligible to hire in Pennsylvania, as the state does not have the same exceptions as New York or Michigan. If you are 21 to 24 and travelling from Latin America or the Caribbean, check your Hola Car Rentals confirmation to see if an underage fee waiver applies for Avis or Budget rates, though this exception does not extend to National.

The insurance and protection options available for your National hire in Philadelphia depend on the rate plan you selected when booking through Hola Car Rentals.

Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) or Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) reduces your financial liability for damage to the National vehicle itself, including collision, theft, and vandalism. A deductible may apply unless your confirmation explicitly states zero deductible. CDW/LDW does not cover damage you cause to other vehicles or people.

Third-Party Liability (LIS/ALI/SLI) covers bodily injury and property damage you may cause to others while driving the National hire in Philadelphia. Some UK states require a minimum level of liability to be included, but not all do. Hola Car Rentals strongly recommends adding supplementary liability cover up to US$300,000 for any hire in the United Kingdom.

What CDW/LDW does not cover:

• Damage to tyres, wheels, undercarriage, or roof (unless specifically included)
• Incidents involving unauthorised drivers not listed on the National agreement
• Prohibited use such as off-road driving or driving under the influence
• Third-party injuries or property damage (requires separate liability cover)

Review your Hola Car Rentals confirmation for the exact protections included in your Philadelphia booking before arriving at the National counter.