Thrifty Car Hire
in San Diego

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

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

When collecting a Thrifty hire at San Diego International Airport (SAN), you will not find a counter inside the terminal. Thrifty operates off-airport facilities in San Diego, so after collecting your baggage you will need to take a shuttle from the designated hire car shuttle stop outside the terminal to reach the Thrifty counter.

Thrifty also has neighbourhood locations in San Diego that do not require a shuttle, including:

• 3338 Kettner Blvd, San Diego, CA 92101 (near city centre)
• 3355 Admiral Boland Way, San Diego, CA 92101
• 2667 Garnet Ave Ste B, San Diego, CA 92109 (Pacific Beach)
• 7337 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, San Diego, CA 92111 (Kearney Mesa)

At neighbourhood Thrifty locations in San Diego, pick-up is a direct walk-up or drive-up to the counter with no shuttle needed. Allow 30 to 60 minutes beyond deplaning for the airport process, including baggage claim, shuttle, and counter paperwork. Confirm counter hours directly with your chosen Thrifty location before arrival.

To collect a Thrifty hire car in San Diego, you must bring the following physical documents:

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

If your driving licence is not in English and does not use a Latin (Roman) alphabet, such as Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, or Cyrillic script, an International Driving Permit (IDP) is mandatory at the Thrifty counter in San Diego. For licences in English or using a Roman alphabet, an IDP is recommended but not strictly required.

All documents must be physical originals. Digital copies shown on a phone or tablet are not accepted. The IDP is a translation only and must be carried alongside your original licence, never as a standalone document.

Yes, a major credit card is required to collect a Thrifty hire car in San Diego. The card must be a physical card with the main driver’s name printed on it and must have sufficient available credit to cover the excess authorisation hold.

At the Thrifty counter in San Diego, the authorisation hold is a temporary authorisation placed on your card, not a charge. It reduces your available credit until the hire is concluded and your bank releases the hold, which can take up to 15 working days after return.

• Debit cards are not accepted for the excess
• Prepaid or virtual cards are not accepted
• Digital wallets such as Apple Pay or Google Pay are not accepted for the hold
• The card must be in the main driver’s name, not a third party’s

Typical authorisation holds in the United Kingdom range from GBP 300 to GBP 400 for standard vehicles, though the exact amount is set by Thrifty at the San Diego counter and may vary by vehicle class. Bringing a backup credit card is strongly recommended in case your primary card is declined.

San Diego itself has very limited toll exposure compared to other parts of California. However, if you drive north towards Orange County or Los Angeles in your Thrifty hire, you may encounter cashless toll roads including SR-73, SR-133, SR-241, and SR-261, as well as express lanes on I-10, I-110, and I-15. All Californian toll facilities use the FasTrak electronic system and do not accept cash.

Your Thrifty vehicle in San Diego will include an electronic toll device or plate-based billing system. At the counter you have two options:

• Purchase an unlimited toll package, typically US$11 to US$25 per hire day depending on the location
• Decline the package and pay per use, in which case Thrifty will charge the actual toll amount plus administrative processing fees to your card, sometimes weeks after the hire ends

You may also opt out and pay tolls directly through the toll agency’s website, or use your own compatible FasTrak transponder. If you bring your own pass, notify the Thrifty agent in San Diego so they can deactivate the vehicle’s default device and prevent duplicate charges.

Hola Car Rentals includes Tolls Cashback on all bookings, reimbursing up to 5% of your total booking value for tolls paid during your San Diego hire. Submit your claim within 30 days of return to [email protected].

The minimum age to hire a Thrifty vehicle in San Diego without a young-driver surcharge is 25. Drivers aged 21 to 24 can hire from Thrifty in San Diego but will be charged a daily underage fee on top of the base hire rate.

For Thrifty in San Diego, the young-driver surcharge is US$13.50 per hire day plus taxes, with a maximum charge of US$189 plus taxes for the hire period.

Drivers under 25 hiring from Thrifty in San Diego also face vehicle class restrictions. Categories typically restricted to drivers 25 and older include:

• Full Size and Full Size SUV
• Premium and Premium SUV
• Luxury vehicles
• Minivans and Vans
• Convertibles

Economy, Compact, and Intermediate SUV classes are generally available to drivers aged 21 to 24. A valid driving licence and a major credit card in the main driver’s name are still required regardless of age. If you are from Latin America or the Caribbean and aged 21 to 24, check your Hola Car Rentals confirmation to see if the underage fee waiver applies to your Thrifty booking in San Diego.

Yes, you can add an additional driver to your Thrifty hire in San Diego, but the additional driver must be present at the counter at the time of pick-up with a valid driving licence.

For Thrifty in San Diego, the additional driver fee is US$13.50 per hire day plus taxes, with a maximum charge of US$189 plus taxes for the hire period, unless your booking confirmation explicitly states that an additional driver is included at no charge.

• The additional driver must appear in person at the Thrifty counter in San Diego and sign the hire agreement
• They must meet the same minimum age and document requirements as the main driver
• If their licence uses a non-Latin alphabet, they will also need an International Driving Permit
• Only drivers listed on the agreement are covered by protections such as CDW/LDW

If someone drives the Thrifty vehicle in San Diego who is not listed on the hire agreement, cover may be voided and additional charges could apply. Always check your booking confirmation before pick-up to confirm whether an additional driver is already included in your rate.

San Diego has several road features that can be confusing for first-time drivers, especially in a Thrifty hire coming from another country or region.

One of the most unusual is the advisory bike lane design, trialled on streets such as Gold Coast Drive in Mira Mesa and Evergreen Street in Point Loma. These roads have a single central lane for cars flanked by bike lanes on each side. When an oncoming vehicle approaches, drivers must veer right into the bike lane to pass, which is non-intuitive and unlike standard road layouts found elsewhere in the United Kingdom.

Other driving challenges in San Diego include:

• The SR 163 and Friars Road interchange, where heavy weaving between Friars Road and I-8 on southbound SR 163 can catch unfamiliar drivers off guard, particularly during peak hours
• The I-15 corridor, which uses an Integrated Corridor Management system with 23 labelled surface street detours (A through W) activated by electronic signs during incidents, a first-of-its-kind system in the United Kingdom
• The I-15 and SR-78 interchange, which features managed express lanes requiring toll transponders for solo drivers

When driving your Thrifty hire in San Diego, stay alert to electronic signage and be prepared for road designs that differ significantly from conventional layouts.

Most Hola Car Rentals bookings, including Thrifty hires in San Diego, include travel assistance provided by Terrawind Global Protection. This benefit is particularly relevant if you experience a medical emergency, a legal issue after an accident, or a flight disruption during your San Diego trip.

Coverage typically includes:

• Travel insurance with medical cover for up to 5 passengers
• Legal assistance in the event of a road accident
• Compensation for baggage lost by the airline
• Flight cancellation insurance

If you need assistance whilst driving your Thrifty hire in San Diego, contact Terrawind 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:

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

Have your Hola Car Rentals confirmation number ready when you call. Important: this travel assistance benefit does not apply to residents of the United States or Canada. It also does not cover damage to the Thrifty hire vehicle itself (that is handled by CDW/LDW) or third-party liability (covered by LIS/SLI). Always review your booking confirmation for the exact terms and coverage limits that apply to your San Diego hire.

Thrifty hires in San Diego follow a Full-to-Full fuel policy. You receive the vehicle with a full tank and must return it full to avoid fuel charges.

• At pick-up, check the fuel gauge with the Thrifty 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 Diego counter
• Refuel within approximately 10 miles of the return location 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 Thrifty vehicle in San Diego 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 the pump price, plus a refuelling service fee.

If the vehicle was not full at pick-up, ask the Thrifty agent in San Diego to record the exact starting level on the agreement. You are then only required to return it at that same level, not necessarily full.

For after-hours returns at a San Diego Thrifty location, leave your fuel receipt in the return envelope and keep a photo of the full gauge on your phone as evidence.

Yes, one-way hires are possible with Thrifty in San Diego, but a drop-off fee will typically apply when you return the vehicle to a different location than where you collected it.

The drop-off fee for a Thrifty one-way hire from San Diego varies depending on the destination, vehicle class, and dates. It is not included in the base hire rate and cannot be pre-paid. You will see this fee listed under the "To pay at destination" section during the booking process on the Hola Car Rentals website.

• Same-city returns between a San Diego airport and a city centre Thrifty location may not incur a drop-off fee
• Returns to another Californian city or a different state will generally carry a one-way fee
• Cross-border one-way hires, such as returning to Mexico, may be restricted or carry higher fees depending on Thrifty's policy

If you need to change your drop-off location after booking, contact support as soon as possible, since route changes can reprice the hire and affect fee amounts. Always verify the drop-off fee on your Hola Car Rentals confirmation before collecting your Thrifty vehicle in San Diego.

The insurance cover included in your Thrifty hire in San Diego depends on the rate plan you selected when booking through Hola Car Rentals. Always check your booking confirmation for the exact protections listed.

Common coverages available for Thrifty hires in San Diego include:

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

CDW/LDW does not cover third parties, and LIS/SLI does not cover damage to the Thrifty vehicle itself. These are separate protections that work together.

Common exclusions from CDW/LDW at the Thrifty counter in San Diego include tyres, undercarriage, roof damage, driving under the influence, and use by an unauthorised driver not listed on the agreement.

If you have questions about what is included in your specific Thrifty booking for San Diego, review the rate details on your Hola Car Rentals confirmation before pick-up.

If you arrive later than your scheduled Thrifty pick-up time in San Diego, the Thrifty counter will generally hold your reservation for up to 24 hours from the original pick-up time. If you arrive within that window and the counter is still open, you can proceed with your hire as normal.

• If your flight is delayed by less than 24 hours, your Thrifty booking in San Diego should still be honoured, provided you arrive during counter operating hours
• If the delay exceeds 24 hours, contact Hola Car Rentals support via WhatsApp at +1 (786) 999-8312 or by email at [email protected] as soon as possible
• If you do not collect within 24 hours and have not contacted support, the booking may be forfeited with no refund

Counter hours for Thrifty locations in San Diego vary by site. The neighbourhood locations such as Kettner Blvd and Pacific Beach may have different hours than the airport-linked facility. Contact the specific Thrifty location in San Diego directly to confirm their operating schedule before your arrival, especially if arriving on a late flight or during a holiday period.

All Hola Car Rentals bookings, including Thrifty hires in San Diego, include Tolls Cashback. This benefit reimburses up to 5% of your total booking value for tolls you pay during your hire period.

While San Diego itself has very limited toll roads, you may encounter cashless toll facilities if you drive north towards Orange County or Los Angeles in your Thrifty hire. California uses the FasTrak system on all toll roads and express lanes, and all charges are electronic.

To claim your Tolls Cashback after returning your Thrifty vehicle in San Diego:

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

The reimbursement is calculated as the lesser of the actual tolls paid or 5% of your Hola Car Rentals booking total. For example, if your Thrifty booking in San Diego totalled US$500, the maximum cashback is US$25. Refunds are issued to the original payment method and typically process within 7 to 10 working days after approval. Late submissions received after 30 days are not accepted.