Budget Car Rental
in Nova Scotia

Hola Car Rentals is a premium partner of the leading car rental companies in Nova Scotia, including Budget, giving you exclusive access to our All Inclusive+ rate. This rate includes extra benefits that no other company can match:

• Full vehicle coverage with no deductible (applies only for certain rates and itineraries)
• Toll cashback: get back up to 5% of your total booking value for tolls charged during your rental
• Premium travel medical assistance for up to 5 passengers in case of emergency, covering up to CAD 200,000 (pre-existing conditions excluded)
• 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 at no additional cost, ensuring a unique Budget rental experience with complete protection and peace of mind during your trip in Nova Scotia.

No. With Hola Car Rentals, all costs and charges for your Budget booking in Nova Scotia 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 Budget 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 Budget counter in Nova Scotia 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 Budget 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)

The Budget counter at Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ) in Nova Scotia is located inside the terminal, in the baggage claim area to the right after exiting Customs. No shuttle is required; staff escort you on a short walk to the vehicle lot from there.

The Budget counter at YHZ operates Sunday through Saturday, 6:00 AM to 2:00 AM. On major holidays such as Christmas and New Year's Day, reduced hours apply: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. After-hours returns are not available at this location, so you must plan your drop-off within operating hours.

Fastbreak service is available at the YHZ Budget location in Nova Scotia. With Fastbreak, you record mileage and fuel on your rental agreement and drop it in the Budget return box without visiting the counter. Your final agreement is then mailed to you within 48 hours.

Yes, Budget has both airport and off-airport locations across Nova Scotia, giving you flexibility when booking your rental.

In addition to the airport counters at Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ) and Sydney Airport (YQY), Budget operates city locations including:

• Halifax, Hollis Street (1554 Hollis St)
• Halifax, Kempt Road (3275 Kempt Rd)
• Sydney, Welton Street (160 Welton St)
• Kentville (971 Park St)
• Dartmouth and Antigonish

Choosing an off-airport Budget location in Nova Scotia may help you avoid certain airport concession fees that are added to rentals picked up directly at the terminal. The Halifax Kempt Road location, for example, operates Monday through Friday 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Saturday 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM, and Sunday 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, which suits renters arriving by other means or staying in the city before heading out.

When picking up a Budget rental in Nova Scotia, expect several local fees on top of your base rate. These are standard charges applied at the counter and are separate from your prepaid rate.

• Customer facility charge: CAUS$ 10 per contract
• Concession recovery fee (airport locations): percentage-based surcharge for operating at the terminal
• Energy recovery fee: approximately CAUS$ 0.98 per day
• Air conditioning tax: approximately CAUS$ 0.70 per day
• Vehicle license fee: up to CAUS$ 1.15 per day
• Additional provincial surcharges totaling approximately CAUS$ 12

These fees apply uniformly across Budget locations in Nova Scotia and are charged in addition to fuel, any damage waiver, and applicable taxes. When reviewing your booking confirmation, check the "To pay at destination" section to understand which fees are already included in your prepaid rate and which will be collected at the Budget counter in Nova Scotia.

The No Extra Charges© guarantee from Hola Car Rentals protects you if any fee that was listed as included on your confirmation is incorrectly charged again at the counter.

Yes, Nova Scotia has toll roads that may affect your Budget rental, though the situation is simpler than in many other Canadian provinces.

The main toll road is the Cobequid Pass on Highway 104, a 45-km section between Masstown and Thomson Station. The one-way toll for passenger cars is CAUS$ 4.00. Nova Scotia-plated rental vehicles are often waved through at cash lanes, but out-of-province rentals must pay. To ensure you receive any applicable exemption, use the cash lane and inform the attendant of the vehicle's registration plate.

The Halifax bridges (Angus L. Macdonald and A. Murray MacKay) previously charged tolls via the MACPASS cashless system, but as of March 17, 2025, those tolls have been removed entirely. No payment is required to cross these bridges in your Budget rental in Nova Scotia.

If you drive through a cashless toll lane without a transponder enrolled, the toll invoice goes to Budget, who will bill your credit card weeks later along with a CAUS$ 15 to CAUS$ 25 administrative fee. To avoid this, use cash lanes at the Cobequid Pass or ask about Budget's toll program at pickup.

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 Nova Scotia rental. See the next FAQ for details.

Yes, every booking made through Hola Car Rentals includes Tolls Cashback, which applies to your Budget rental in Nova Scotia and reimburses up to 5% of your total booking value for tolls you paid during the rental period.

For example, if your Budget booking total is US$400, the maximum cashback is US$20. If you paid CAUS$ 4.00 at the Cobequid Pass on Highway 104 and that amount is less than the 5% cap, you receive the full toll amount back.

To claim your Tolls Cashback after returning your Budget rental in Nova Scotia:

• Email [email protected] within 30 days of vehicle return
• Use the subject line: Tolls Cashback - Reservation [Your Confirmation Number]
• Attach your Hola Car Rentals booking confirmation, the signed rental agreement, and a receipt or statement showing the toll charges paid

Refunds are issued to the same payment method used for your reservation and typically process within 7 to 10 business days after approval. Late submissions received after 30 days are not accepted.

To collect your Budget rental in Nova Scotia, you must present the following physical documents at the counter:

• A valid, unexpired driver's license with a photo, in the main driver's name
• A major credit card with the driver's name printed on the card, in the main driver's name, for the security deposit hold
• A passport or valid government-issued photo ID
• Your booking confirmation or printed voucher
• Round-trip flight or cruise tickets (required for visitors from outside Canada)

If your driver's license 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 alongside your original license. For licenses in other non-English scripts, an IDP is strongly recommended. The IDP is a translation only and cannot be used without your original license.

All documents must be physical originals. Digital copies displayed on a phone are not accepted at the Budget counter in Nova Scotia. Debit and prepaid cards are not accepted for the security deposit hold; only a major credit card qualifies.

When you pick up your Budget rental in Nova Scotia, a temporary authorization hold is placed on your major credit card. This is not a charge; it reduces your available credit until released after you return the vehicle.

For Budget rentals in Canada, including Nova Scotia, the typical hold is approximately CAUS$ 300 to CAUS$ 500 for standard vehicle classes. Some locations may require a minimum authorization of approximately CAUS$ 750, particularly for premium or larger vehicles.

The exact amount is set by the Budget counter at the time of pickup and may vary based on vehicle class, rental duration, and location. Hola Car Rentals cannot confirm the precise hold amount in advance.

To prepare for your Budget rental in Nova Scotia:

• Ensure your credit card has sufficient available credit above the estimated hold amount
• Notify your bank of travel to Canada to prevent fraud blocks on in-person authorizations
• Bring a backup credit card in your name in case your primary card is declined
• Debit cards, prepaid cards, and virtual cards are not accepted for the deposit

After you return the vehicle, the hold is released. Your bank controls how quickly it reappears in your available balance, which can take up to 15 business days.

Yes, Budget applies a young driver surcharge in Nova Scotia for renters between the ages of 21 and 24.

Under general Budget policy in Canada, drivers aged 21 to 24 pay approximately CAUS$ 27 per day as an underage surcharge. This fee is collected at the Budget counter in Nova Scotia at the time of pickup and is not included in your prepaid rate.

In addition to the daily surcharge, young drivers renting from Budget in Nova Scotia should be aware of the following restrictions:

• A higher credit card deposit pre-authorization of approximately CAUS$ 500 to CAUS$ 1,000 may be required
• Certain vehicle categories are not available to drivers aged 21 to 24, including luxury cars, minivans, full-size SUVs, premium SUVs, and 12-passenger vans

Drivers under 21 are generally not permitted to rent from Budget. If you are 25 or older, no young driver surcharge applies. Always confirm the exact surcharge amount and any vehicle restrictions with the Budget counter in Nova Scotia at pickup, as provincial variations may apply.

Yes, provincial law in Nova Scotia requires every rental vehicle to carry third-party liability coverage, and this statutory liability is included by default when you rent from Budget in Nova Scotia through Hola Car Rentals.

This means that basic third-party liability, which covers bodily injury and property damage you may cause to others while driving, follows the vehicle and is part of your Budget rental in Nova Scotia as required by Canadian provincial regulations.

However, the statutory minimum may not be sufficient for all situations. You can purchase supplemental liability insurance (LIS/ALI/SLI) to increase your coverage limits up to CAUS$ 300,000 or more. This add-on is available at the Budget counter in Nova Scotia at the time of pickup.

Keep in mind that third-party liability is separate from damage protection for the rental vehicle itself. To cover the Budget car against collision or theft in Nova Scotia, you would also need a Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) or Loss Damage Waiver (LDW). Check your booking confirmation to see which coverages are already included in your rate.

Budget rentals in Nova Scotia 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.

To avoid fuel charges on your Budget rental in Nova Scotia:

• Check the fuel gauge with the Budget agent at pickup and confirm the starting level is recorded on your rental agreement
• Take a photo of the dashboard showing the odometer and fuel gauge at the start of the rental
• Refuel within approximately 15 km 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
• For after-hours returns, leave the receipt in the return envelope and keep a photo of the full gauge

If you return the Budget vehicle in Nova Scotia below the recorded starting level, you may be charged for the fuel shortfall at the partner's refueling rate, which is typically higher than the pump price, plus a refueling service fee. The Budget counter in Nova Scotia may also offer a prepaid fuel option at pickup; if you accept it, any unused fuel is generally non-refundable.

Yes, you can add an additional driver to your Budget rental in Nova Scotia, but fees and conditions apply depending on your rate.

If your Hola Car Rentals booking confirmation states "Additional driver free of charge" or "Additional driver included," the first extra driver is covered at no extra cost. If not included, Budget charges approximately CAUS$ 13 per rental day for an additional driver, with a maximum cap of CAUS$ 65 plus applicable taxes.

To add an additional driver to your Budget rental in Nova Scotia:

• The additional driver must be present at the Budget counter at pickup
• They must present a valid driver's license and any required ID
• Both the main driver and the additional driver must sign the rental agreement
• For Budget in Nova Scotia, the additional driver should be at least 25 years old; drivers aged 21 to 24 may face a young driver surcharge on top of the additional driver fee

Only drivers named on the rental agreement are covered by protections such as CDW/LDW. If someone not listed on the contract drives the Budget vehicle in Nova Scotia, coverage may be void and additional charges could apply.

Most bookings made through Hola Car Rentals include travel assistance provided by Terrawind Global Protection, and this applies to your Budget rental in Nova Scotia as well. However, this benefit is available only to non-North American customers. Residents of Canada and the United States do not qualify for this coverage.

For eligible renters, the travel assistance included with your Budget rental in Nova Scotia covers:

• Medical coverage for up to 5 passengers during the trip
• Legal assistance in the event of a road accident
• Compensation for baggage lost by the airline
• Flight cancellation insurance

This is particularly relevant if you experience an incident on a remote stretch of Nova Scotia highway, such as Highway 104 near the Cobequid Pass, where immediate assistance may be harder to reach.

To use the assistance, contact Terrawind 24 hours a day, 7 days a week before incurring expenses where prior authorization is required. Reach them at +1 888 980 9992 (toll-free) or via WhatsApp at +1 208 910 1001. Have your Hola Car Rentals confirmation number ready when you call.

This coverage does not replace CDW/LDW for damage to the Budget vehicle or third-party liability for damage to others.

After-hours returns are not available at the Budget counter at Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ) in Nova Scotia. You must return the vehicle during the counter's operating hours, which run Sunday through Saturday from 6:00 AM to 2:00 AM. On holidays such as Christmas and New Year's Day, hours are reduced to 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

If you are using Fastbreak at the YHZ Budget location in Nova Scotia, you can record the mileage and fuel level on your rental agreement and drop it in the Budget return box without visiting the counter, but this must still be done within operating hours.

For other Budget locations in Nova Scotia, after-hours key drop availability varies. Check your rental agreement or contact the specific Budget location before your return date to confirm whether an after-hours option exists.

To avoid issues when returning your Budget rental in Nova Scotia:

• Plan your return time to fall within counter operating hours
• Refuel before arriving at the return location to comply with the Full-to-Full fuel policy
• Take photos of the vehicle condition and fuel gauge at drop-off
• Keep all paperwork until your final receipt is confirmed