National Car Rental
in Houston

Hola Car Rentals is the only premium partner of the top car rental brands operating in Houston, including National, 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 rental 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 National rental experience and peace of mind throughout your trip in Houston.

No. With Hola Car Rentals, all costs and charges for your National booking in Houston 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 National 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 National counter in Houston 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 National 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 Rental at Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) is not located inside any terminal. All National and other major rental brands operate from the consolidated Rental Car Center, which is approximately five minutes from the terminals by shuttle.

To reach the National counter, follow these steps after landing:

• Exit baggage claim and follow signs to Ground Transportation. Key exit doors by terminal: Terminal A south side Door A-115, Terminal C south side Door C-105 or C-106, Terminal E Level 2 Door E-203 or west side E-101.
• Board the blue and white shuttle bus marked Rental Car Shuttle. Shuttles run every 5 minutes from 7:00 am to 11:00 pm, and every 10 minutes from 11:00 pm to 7:00 am, 24 hours a day.
• The shuttle ride to the National Rental Car Center takes approximately 5 to 30 minutes depending on wait time.
• At the center, proceed to the National counter, complete paperwork (allow 8 to 25 minutes, longer during peak hours), and inspect your vehicle before exiting.

Budget 45 to 90 minutes total from landing to driving away under normal conditions at Houston IAH.

When you pick up a National rental car at Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), your base rate is subject to airport-specific fees that do not apply at off-airport National locations in Houston.

The main IAH surcharges include:

• Airport Concession Recovery Fee: 11.11% of the base rental rate, capped at US$33.33 per contract.
• Customer Facility Charge (CFC) or Vehicle License Fee: approximately US$22.81 per contract, funding the consolidated Rental Car Center that National and other brands share.

These fees are passed directly to renters and are standard for all brands operating at IAH. They are separate from state and local rental taxes.

If you want to avoid these airport-specific surcharges, National operates additional Houston locations outside the airport, such as 7600 Airport Blvd and 11730 Katy Fwy (Houston Energy Corridor). Off-airport National locations in Houston typically cost 15 to 30% less than the IAH location once concession and facility fees are factored in. Your booking confirmation will show which fees are included in your prepaid rate and which are due at the Houston counter.

Houston has an extensive cashless toll network managed primarily by the Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) using the EZ TAG system. Nearly all toll roads in the Houston area use overhead gantries that read transponders or photograph license plates. There are very few, if any, cash toll booths on Houston-area roads.

When you pick up your National rental car in Houston, you have two main options for handling tolls:

• Unlimited toll package: pay a flat daily fee (typically US$11 to US$25 per rental day, depending on the National location and package) for unlimited toll usage during your rental period.
• Pay per use: if you decline the package, National will bill the actual toll amounts plus daily or administrative processing fees to your credit card, often days or weeks after you return the vehicle.

Estimated Houston toll costs range from approximately US$5 to US$20 per day depending on which roads you use. If you plan to drive Houston freeways regularly, the unlimited package may offer better value. You may also opt out and use a personal transponder, but inform the National counter agent so they can deactivate the vehicle's default device to avoid duplicate charges.

Texas has no congestion charges or emissions zones, so tolls are the only road fee to plan for in Houston.

Yes, all Hola Car Rentals bookings include Tolls Cashback, which lets you recover up to 5% of your total booking value for tolls paid during your National rental in Houston.

Houston's toll network (operated mainly by the Harris County Toll Road Authority) is entirely cashless, so toll charges are common, especially if you use major Houston corridors. The Tolls Cashback benefit helps offset those costs.

Here is how to claim after your Houston rental ends:

• Email [email protected] within 30 days of returning your National vehicle.
• Use the subject line: Tolls Cashback - HOLA followed by your confirmation number.
• Attach your Hola Car Rentals reservation confirmation, the National rental agreement signed at pickup, and a toll receipt or statement showing charges paid during the rental period.
• Include your full name, travel dates, and the last 4 digits of the card used for your booking.

Refunds are issued to the original payment method and typically process within 7 to 10 business days after approval. For example, if your Houston National booking total was US$400, the maximum cashback is US$20. If your actual Houston tolls were US$14, you receive US$14 back. Late submissions after 30 days are not accepted.

To collect your National rental car in Houston, you must present the following physical documents at the counter:

• A valid, original driver's license in the main driver's name (not a digital copy).
• A major credit card physically printed with the main driver's name, for the security deposit hold. Debit cards and prepaid cards are not accepted for the deposit.
• A passport or valid government-issued photo ID.
• Your booking confirmation or printed voucher.
• Round-trip flight tickets or travel itinerary showing your return date (required for visitors arriving internationally at Houston IAH).

If your driver's license 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 alongside your original license. For licenses in English or other Latin-alphabet languages, an IDP is recommended but not strictly required at most National locations in Houston.

All documents must be physical originals. Digital versions shown on a phone or tablet are not accepted at the National counter in Houston. Bring a backup credit card in your name in case your primary card is declined during the deposit authorization.

Houston has a road layout that surprises many first-time visitors, and it directly affects how you navigate your National rental car in the city.

The two most important features to understand are:

• Frontage roads: Nearly every Houston freeway has parallel service roads running alongside the main lanes. Traffic constantly weaves between the frontage road and the freeway mainlanes. If you miss a freeway exit, you may need to use the frontage road to loop back, which is different from most cities outside Texas.
• Multilevel stack interchanges: Houston has more multilevel freeway-to-freeway interchanges than any other city in the United States. Some ramps rise over 100 feet. There are no cloverleaf interchanges. The I-45 and I-69 downtown interchange has single-lane ramps that can cause significant delays, and some exits require navigating traffic lights and feeder roads rather than direct ramps.

Additionally, downtown Houston and Midtown have extensive one-way streets with four to six lanes, which can be disorienting if you are used to two-way grids.

Using a GPS or navigation app is strongly recommended when driving your National rental car in Houston, particularly around the downtown interchange areas and when transitioning between frontage roads and mainlanes.

Returning your National rental car at Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) is straightforward. The National return area is located at the consolidated Rental Car Center, the same facility where you picked up the vehicle.

Follow these steps when returning your Houston National rental:

• Drive to the Rental Car Center and follow National signage to the return lane. A National agent will meet you to collect the keys and inspect the vehicle.
• Refuel before arriving. Refuel within approximately 10 miles of the return location so the tank does not drop below full before you arrive. Keep your fuel receipt as proof.
• After returning the vehicle, board the correct return shuttle to your departure terminal. Separate shuttle buses serve Terminal A and B, Terminal C and D, and Terminal E. Shuttles run every 5 minutes from 7:00 am to 11:00 pm, and every 10 minutes from 11:00 pm to 7:00 am.
• After-hours return is available at the Houston IAH National location. If returning outside staffed hours, follow the key drop instructions provided in your rental agreement.

Allow extra time before your flight, as the shuttle ride adds approximately 5 to 30 minutes depending on wait time and terminal distance.

Yes, a major credit card in the main driver's name with the driver's name physically printed on the card is required for the security deposit hold at the National counter in Houston. Debit cards, prepaid cards, and virtual or digital-only cards are not accepted.

At pickup, National will place a temporary authorization hold on your card. For standard vehicles in Houston, typical holds range from approximately US$300 to US$400, though the exact amount depends on the vehicle class, rental duration, and the specific National location. The hold reduces your available credit until your bank releases it after the rental ends.

Key points to keep in mind:

• Even if you prepaid your Houston National booking in full, you must still present a physical credit card at the counter for the deposit hold.
• The hold is not a charge. It is released after you return the vehicle, but your bank may take up to 15 business days to reflect the release.
• Notify your bank before traveling to Houston to prevent fraud blocks on an in-person, high-value authorization.
• Bring a backup credit card in your name in case your primary card is declined.

Most Hola Car Rentals bookings, including National rentals in Houston, include travel assistance coverage provided by Terrawind Global Protection at no extra cost. This benefit is especially relevant in Houston, where long freeway distances and multilevel interchanges can make a breakdown or accident more stressful to handle alone.

The travel assistance typically covers:

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

To reach the assistance line 24 hours a day, call +1 888 980 9992 (toll-free or collect), contact WhatsApp at +1 208 910 1001, or 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 is designed for international visitors renting a National car in Houston. It also does not cover damage to the National rental vehicle itself (that is handled by CDW/LDW) or third-party liability (covered by LIS/SLI). Always check your booking confirmation for the exact terms and coverage limits that apply to your Houston rental.

Yes, you can add an additional driver to your National rental car in Houston, either as part of your rate or for a fee paid at the counter.

For National rentals in Houston, the additional driver fee is US$15 per day plus applicable taxes when not included in your rate. Some Hola Car Rentals rate plans explicitly include one additional driver at no extra cost. Check your booking confirmation for the line that reads Additional driver free of charge to confirm whether your Houston National booking includes this.

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

• The additional driver must be physically present at pickup to show a valid driver's license and sign the rental agreement.
• They must meet the minimum age requirements. In Texas, the standard minimum age is 25 for most vehicle classes, with a young-driver surcharge applying to drivers aged 21 to 24.
• If their license is not in a Latin-alphabet language, an International Driving Permit is required alongside the original license.

Only drivers listed on the National rental agreement in Houston are covered by protections such as CDW/LDW and liability coverage. Anyone not named on the contract who drives the vehicle may void those protections.

Drivers aged 21 to 24 can rent a National car in Houston but will be subject to a young-driver surcharge paid at the counter. The standard National young-driver fee in the United States is US$15 per day plus applicable taxes.

Additional restrictions apply to under-25 renters at National locations in Houston:

• Most premium, full-size, luxury, SUV, minivan, and specialty vehicle classes are restricted to drivers aged 25 and older.
• Economy, compact, and intermediate categories are generally available to drivers aged 21 to 24.
• Drivers under 21 cannot rent from National in Houston under standard policy.

Texas does not have the same exceptions as New York or Michigan, where state law requires rentals to drivers aged 18 and older. In Houston, the effective minimum age at National is 21, with the surcharge applying until the driver turns 25.

If you are aged 21 to 24 and booking a National rental in Houston, factor the daily surcharge into your total cost. The surcharge is paid directly at the Houston National counter and is not part of your prepaid Hola Car Rentals rate.

Whether your National rental in Houston includes Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) or Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) depends on the specific rate plan you selected when booking through Hola Car Rentals. Check your booking confirmation for the line that references Car Rental Insurance or CDW/LDW to confirm what is included.

If CDW/LDW is included in your Houston National booking, it reduces your financial liability for damage to the rental vehicle from a collision, theft, or vandalism. A deductible or excess may still apply unless your confirmation explicitly states zero deductible.

Important limitations to understand for your Houston National rental:

• CDW/LDW covers the rental vehicle only. It does not cover injuries or property damage you cause to other people or vehicles. For that, you need Third-Party Liability coverage (LIS/SLI).
• Coverage applies only to drivers named on the National rental agreement. Unlisted drivers void the protection.
• Prohibited use, such as off-road driving or driving under the influence, voids CDW/LDW regardless of the plan.
• Some items such as tires, the undercarriage, and the roof may be excluded. Review the National rental agreement at the Houston counter for the full list.

If an incident occurs during your Houston rental, report it to National immediately using the number on your rental agreement.

Yes, National operates multiple Houston locations beyond the George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) Rental Car Center. Choosing an off-airport National location in Houston can reduce your total cost by 15 to 30% because airport-specific fees, including the 11.11% concession recovery fee and the approximately US$22.81 customer facility charge per contract, do not apply at city branches.

Known National locations in Houston include:

• George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH): 17300 Palmetto Pines, Houston, TX 77032 (airport fees apply).
• 7600 Airport Blvd, Houston, TX 77061.
• Houston Energy Corridor: 11730 Katy Fwy, Houston, TX 77079.

If you are arriving by air at Houston IAH and plan to pick up from an off-airport National location, you will need to arrange your own transportation from the terminal to that branch, as the IAH shuttle only serves the consolidated Rental Car Center. Confirm the operating hours of your chosen Houston National branch before booking, as city locations may have more limited hours than the 24-hour airport facility. Your booking confirmation will show the exact pickup address and any fees due at the Houston National counter.