Car Hire
at San Francisco Airport

EASTER  45% OFF   

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

No. With Hola Car Rentals, all costs and charges for your booking at San Francisco Airport 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 at San Francisco Airport 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 Airport, there is no walkable route from any terminal directly to the hire car counters. You must take the free AirTrain to reach the Rental Car Centre.

Here is the step-by-step process:

• After clearing immigration, customs, and baggage reclaim in the International Terminal (Terminal A), follow overhead signs marked "AirTrain" paired with hire car icons.
• Board the AirTrain Red Line or Blue Line towards the Rental Car Centre stop. Trains run 24 hours and are free of charge.
• Exit at the Rental Car Centre (780 N. McDonnell Road, San Francisco, CA 94128) and follow brand-specific signs to your company's counter. Hertz is on the 1st floor; Dollar, Enterprise, National, and Thrifty are on the 4th floor.
• Complete paperwork at the counter, then proceed to the adjacent garage for vehicle collection by assigned bay or row number.

Allow 20 to 35 minutes from baggage reclaim to the counter. If arriving on an international flight, the full process from landing to driving away, including immigration and customs, typically takes 1 to 2 hours or more depending on queue times.

Most hire car brands at San Francisco Airport operate 24-hour counters inside the Rental Car Centre at 780 N. McDonnell Road. This includes Avis, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Thrifty, and Fox.

Some brands have more limited hours at San Francisco Airport:

• Alamo: 5:30 am to 12:30 am
• Budget: 6:00 am to 12:00 am

Off-site brands such as Payless require a free shuttle from the south curb of the Rental Car Centre. Shuttle availability varies by brand, so confirm hours for your specific provider before booking a very early or very late collection.

If you arrive outside counter hours for a brand that closes overnight, check your booking confirmation for after-hours key drop or kiosk instructions. Most 24-hour brands at San Francisco Airport can accommodate late-night arrivals without prior arrangement.

When collecting your hire car at San Francisco Airport, you must present all documents in physical form. Digital copies are not accepted at the counter.

Required documents include:

• Original, unexpired driving licence in the main driver’s name
• Passport or valid government-issued photo ID
• Physical major credit card with the driver’s name printed on the card, in the main driver’s name, with sufficient available credit for the authorisation hold
• Your booking confirmation or printed voucher

If your driving licence uses a non-Latin alphabet such as Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, or Cyrillic, you must also carry an International Driving Permit (IDP) as a translation. The IDP is not a standalone document and must be presented alongside your original licence.

All names across your licence, passport, and credit card must match your reservation. If an additional driver is joining you at San Francisco Airport, they must also be present at collection with their own valid driving licence and photo ID.

Yes, toll roads and bridges near San Francisco Airport use California's FasTrak electronic system exclusively. There are no cash toll booths, and out-of-state transponders such as E-ZPass or SunPass are not accepted.

Key tolled routes you may encounter after leaving San Francisco Airport include:

• Bay Bridge (westbound, San Francisco to Oakland): approximately US$8.50 via FasTrak for a standard 2-axle vehicle
• Golden Gate Bridge (southbound): US$9.75 via FasTrak, US$10.75 by invoice
• Express lanes on I-10, I-110, and other Bay Area highways: dynamic pricing, FasTrak required

Your hire vehicle at San Francisco Airport includes an electronic toll device or plate-based billing. At the counter, you can choose an unlimited toll package (typically US$11 to US$25 per day depending on the brand) or pay per use. If you decline, the hire company will bill you the toll amount plus administrative processing fees, which can run 30 to 50 percent higher than FasTrak rates.

All Hola Car Rentals bookings include Tolls Cashback: receive up to 5% of your total booking value back for tolls paid during your hire. To claim, email [email protected] within 30 days of returning the vehicle, attaching your hire agreement and toll invoice.

Hire vehicles collected at San Francisco Airport incur several mandatory fees that are added on top of the base rate, which is why the final total can be 20 to 30 percent higher than the initial quote.

The main fees specific to San Francisco Airport include:

• SFO Transport and Facility Fee: a flat US$16 charge per hire, funding the AirTrain and Rental Car Centre infrastructure
• Airport concession recovery fee: typically around 10% of gross receipts, passed directly to the renter
• Tourism Assessment: 5.9% to 11.9% on hires at San Francisco Airport, implemented from 1 January 2026, supporting green transit initiatives
• Local and state sales taxes applied to both the base rate and the surcharges above

These fees are mandatory and apply to all brands operating at San Francisco Airport. Off-airport hire locations in San Francisco city centre avoid most of these charges, potentially saving 15 to 25 percent overall, though you would need to consider transfer time and any shuttle costs.

Your booking confirmation will show which taxes and fees are included in your prepaid rate versus what is payable at collection. If a fee appears at the counter that was not disclosed on your confirmation, the No Extra Charges© guarantee may apply.

Yes, a physical major credit card in the main driver’s name is required at San Francisco Airport to cover the security deposit hold. Debit cards, prepaid cards, and virtual or single-use card numbers are not accepted for the deposit.

Key points to remember:

• The card must be physical, with the driver’s name printed on it, and presented in person at the counter
• The name on the card must match the name on your driving licence and booking confirmation
• A temporary hold of approximately US$300 to US$400 is typical for standard vehicles at San Francisco Airport, though the exact amount varies by brand and vehicle class
• The hold reduces your available credit until your bank releases it after return, which can take up to 15 working days

Even if you paid your booking in full upfront, you must still present a credit card at the San Francisco Airport counter for the security hold. Bringing a backup credit card is strongly recommended in case your primary card is declined.

Yes, you can add an additional driver to your hire at San Francisco Airport, but the additional driver must be physically present at the counter during collection with their own valid driving licence and photo ID.

Steps to add an additional driver at San Francisco Airport:

• Inform the counter agent at collection that you wish to add a driver
• The additional driver must present their valid driving licence and passport or government-issued photo ID
• Both the main driver and the additional driver must sign the hire agreement
• Verify the additional driver’s name appears on your printed contract before leaving the counter

Fees for additional drivers at San Francisco Airport vary by brand:

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

If your booking confirmation states "Additional driver free of charge" or "Additional driver included," no fee applies for the first extra driver. Only drivers listed on the hire agreement are covered by the hire protections.

Yes, drivers aged 21 to 24 are subject to a daily young-driver surcharge at San Francisco Airport. The minimum age to rent without a surcharge is 25.

Surcharge amounts vary by brand at San Francisco Airport:

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

In addition to the surcharge, drivers under 25 are restricted from renting most vehicle classes at San Francisco Airport. Economy, compact, medium saloon, standard saloon, compact SUV, and medium SUV categories are generally available. Premium, luxury, full-size SUV, minivan, and convertible classes typically require the driver to be 25 or older.

Drivers from Latin America and the Caribbean aged 21 to 24 may qualify for a young-driver fee waiver on eligible Avis and Budget rates. This waiver must be explicitly shown on your booking confirmation to apply at the San Francisco Airport counter.

Most Hola Car Rentals 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 from San Francisco Airport.

Core benefits typically include:

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

This cover is designed for situations such as a medical emergency on a Bay Area highway or an accident requiring legal support after collecting your vehicle at San Francisco Airport. To reach assistance 24 hours a day, contact Terrawind at +1 888 980 9992 (toll-free) or via WhatsApp at +1 208 910 1001, and provide your Hola Car Rentals confirmation number.

Important: this travel assistance benefit does not apply to residents of the United States or Canada. It covers non-North American travellers only. It also does not replace CDW/LDW for vehicle damage or LIS/ALI/SLI for third-party liability. Check your booking confirmation for the exact terms and coverage limits that apply to your reservation at San Francisco Airport.

Returning your hire vehicle at San Francisco Airport follows a straightforward process, but knowing the steps in advance saves time after a long journey.

• Drive to the Rental Car Centre at 780 N. McDonnell Road, San Francisco, CA 94128. Follow signs for your brand's designated return area in the garage.
• Park in the company's marked section and lock the vehicle. A staff member will typically inspect the car and close out your agreement on the spot.
• If returning after hours, most brands at San Francisco Airport offer a key drop. Confirm your specific provider's after-hours instructions on your rental agreement before arrival.
• After dropping off the vehicle, take the free AirTrain Blue Line from the Rental Car Centre back to your departure terminal.

Regarding fuel: the standard policy is full to full. Refuel before returning to San Francisco Airport, ideally within 10 to 15 km of the Rental Car Centre, and keep your receipt. If you return the vehicle with less fuel than recorded, the hire company will charge a refuelling fee at their rate, which is typically higher than pump prices, plus a service fee.

Off-site brands such as Payless use a shuttle from the south curb of the Rental Car Centre for returns. Check your confirmation for the correct drop-off procedure.

No, an International Driving Permit (IDP) is not legally required in California if your home country driving licence is valid and legible. However, there is one important exception at San Francisco Airport and throughout the United States.

An IDP is mandatory if your driving licence uses a non-Latin alphabet, such as Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, or Cyrillic. In that case, the IDP serves as a translation and must be carried alongside your original licence. It is not a standalone document and will not be accepted without the original.

Additional points to consider when collecting at San Francisco Airport:

• Your licence must be the original physical document. Digital copies or photos are not accepted at the counter.
• The licence must be unexpired and legible. A damaged or illegible licence may result in a refusal at the counter.
• The name on your licence must match your booking confirmation and the credit card used for the deposit.
• If you think you may need an IDP, obtain it in your home country before travelling. It cannot be issued to non-US licence holders inside the United States.

The insurance and protection options included in your booking at San Francisco Airport depend on the rate plan you selected. Check your booking confirmation for the exact coverages listed.

The main protections available are:

• Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) or Loss Damage Waiver (LDW): reduces your financial liability for damage to the hire vehicle from a collision or covered event. A deductible may apply unless your confirmation states zero deductible. This 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. In California, state-minimum liability is not automatically guaranteed on all hires, so reviewing whether this is included in your rate is important before collecting at San Francisco Airport.

CDW/LDW and LIS/ALI/SLI are separate protections. Having one does not replace the other. Neither covers your personal belongings (PEC) or your own injuries (PAI), which are separate optional extras.

At the San Francisco Airport counter, decline any optional extras you do not want and verify that the coverages on the hire agreement match what your confirmation shows. If the counter adds a mandatory package not disclosed on your confirmation, keep the paperwork and contact support after the hire.

Yes, hire companies at San Francisco Airport will generally hold your reservation if your flight is delayed, provided the delay is less than 24 hours from your original scheduled collection time.

Here is what to expect:

• Delays under 24 hours: your booking is held automatically. Ensure you arrive during the counter's operating hours, as some brands at San Francisco Airport such as Alamo and Budget close overnight.
• Delays over 24 hours: contact Hola Car Rentals support as soon as possible via WhatsApp at +1 (786) 999-8312 or by email at [email protected]. Changes are not guaranteed but the team will assist where possible.
• If your delay pushes your arrival outside a brand's counter hours at San Francisco Airport, check whether that brand offers after-hours kiosk collection or a key drop.

Most 24-hour brands at San Francisco Airport, including Avis, Enterprise, Hertz, Dollar, National, and Thrifty, can accommodate late arrivals without issue. For brands with limited hours, plan your arrival window carefully and confirm the counter schedule on your booking confirmation before departure.