Car Rental at Palm Springs Airport

Hola Car Rentals is the only premium partner of the top car rental brands operating at Palm Springs 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 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 rental experience and peace of mind throughout your trip at Palm Springs Airport.

No. With Hola Car Rentals, all costs and charges for your booking at Palm Springs 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 Palm Springs 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 rental 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)

All major rental car counters at Palm Springs Airport are located inside the terminal, directly across from baggage claim. No shuttle, people mover, or walkway is required. The rental cars are parked immediately outside the glass doors from baggage claim, typically within 100 feet of walking distance.

Brands operating on-site at Palm Springs Airport include Avis, Budget, Enterprise, National, Alamo, and Hertz. The shared address for on-site counters is 3400 E Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262.

Counter hours (subject to change) are approximately:

• Budget and Avis: 7:00 AM to 12:00 AM daily
• Enterprise: 5:30 AM to 11:00 PM daily

Counters close after midnight, so after-hours pickup is not available. However, after-hours returns are possible: park the car in your brand's designated row, lock it, enter the 24-hour terminal, and drop the completed contract and keys in the brand-specific drop box at the counter.

For international arrivals at Palm Springs Airport, the realistic time from landing to driving away is approximately 45 to 90 minutes total, broken down as follows:

• 15 to 45 minutes for U.S. immigration and customs processing
• 10 to 20 minutes to collect baggage
• 5 to 10 minutes at the rental counter to present documents, sign the agreement, and receive keys
• About 5 minutes to walk to the car, which is parked directly outside the glass doors from baggage claim

Because all rental counters at Palm Springs Airport are located inside the terminal directly across from baggage claim, there is no shuttle or transfer time to factor in. Add extra time during peak travel periods when counter queues may be longer.

To pick up a rental car at Palm Springs Airport, you must present the following physical documents at the counter:

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

If your driver's license uses a non-Latin alphabet (for example, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, or Cyrillic), an International Driving Permit (IDP) is mandatory and must be carried alongside your original license. For licenses in other non-English scripts, an IDP is strongly recommended. The IDP is a translation only and is not valid without the original license.

All documents must be physical. Digital copies are not accepted at Palm Springs Airport rental counters.

Yes, renting at Palm Springs Airport adds several compulsory fees on top of the base rate that do not appear in initial search results but are applied at checkout when you select Palm Springs Airport as your pickup location.

The main airport-specific charges include:

• Customer Facility Charge (CFC): US$10 per contract, funding airport infrastructure improvements
• Airport concession recovery fees: charged because rental companies pay the city a percentage of gross revenues for the right to operate on-site
• City-specific rental taxes: approximately 9.2% rental tax plus an additional 5% rental fee, on top of standard California sales taxes

Combined, these fees can make on-site Palm Springs Airport rentals 20 to 30% more expensive than the base rate shown. Off-airport locations nearby avoid the concession fees and the CFC, which is why off-site rates can be 15 to 25% lower. If you choose an off-airport location, confirm whether a shuttle is available from the terminal to reach the car.

Most highways near Palm Springs Airport are toll-free. However, if you drive toward Los Angeles or Orange County during your rental, you may encounter toll roads and express lanes that use California's statewide FasTrak electronic system. All tolling is cashless, and out-of-state transponders such as SunPass or E-ZPass are not compatible.

At the Palm Springs Airport rental counter, you will typically have two options for handling tolls:

• Unlimited toll package: a fixed daily fee of approximately US$11 to US$25 per day, depending on the rental company, covering all toll usage during the rental period
• Pay per use: if you decline the package, the rental company charges you the actual toll amounts plus administrative processing fees, which can be 30 to 50% higher than FasTrak rates. These charges often appear on your card days or weeks after the rental ends

You may also opt out entirely and pay tolls directly through the toll agency's website or app, or use your own compatible FasTrak transponder. If you bring your own transponder, inform the counter agent so they can deactivate the vehicle's default toll device and prevent duplicate charges.

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 rental at Palm Springs Airport or on any route you drive.

Yes, a major credit card in the main driver's name with the driver's name printed on the card is required at Palm Springs Airport. Debit cards, prepaid cards, and virtual or single-use card numbers are not accepted for the security deposit hold.

At Palm Springs Airport, Avis specifically requires a credit card hold of the estimated rental charges plus US$200. For prepaid debit cards, the hold increases to US$250. Prepaid charge cards are not accepted at all.

Even if you have already prepaid your booking online, you must still present a physical credit card at the Palm Springs Airport counter to cover the security hold. The hold is a temporary authorization that reduces your available credit until it is released after the vehicle is returned. Your bank controls the release timeline, which can take up to 15 business days.

Bring a backup credit card in your name in case your primary card is declined, and notify your bank of your travel dates to prevent fraud blocks on in-person authorizations.

The security deposit at Palm Springs Airport is a temporary hold placed on your credit card at pickup, not a charge. For standard vehicles in the United States, typical holds range from approximately US$300 to US$400, though the exact amount varies by rental brand, vehicle class, and season.

At Palm Springs Airport, Avis places a hold of the estimated rental charges plus US$200 on a standard credit card, or US$250 for prepaid debit cards. Premium or specialty vehicle classes may carry higher holds.

The hold is released after you return the vehicle, but your bank controls when the credit becomes available again, which can take up to 15 business days. To prepare:

• Ensure your card has sufficient available credit to cover both the hold and any expected charges
• Set a travel notice with your bank to prevent the authorization from being flagged as fraud
• Bring a backup credit card in your name in case your primary card is declined at the Palm Springs Airport counter

All bookings made through Hola Car Rentals include Tolls Cashback, which applies to rentals picked up at Palm Springs Airport. This benefit reimburses up to 5% of your total booking value for tolls you pay during the rental, whether on routes near Palm Springs Airport or on toll roads elsewhere in California such as Orange County's SR-73, SR-241, or Bay Area bridges.

To claim your cashback after returning the vehicle at Palm Springs Airport:

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

The refund is issued to the same payment method used for your original booking and typically processes within 7 to 10 business days after approval. Claims submitted after 30 days are not accepted. This benefit does not mean tolls are included in your rate; you still pay tolls normally and claim reimbursement afterward.

Yes, after-hours returns are possible at Palm Springs Airport even when the rental counters are closed. The terminal at Palm Springs Airport remains open 24 hours, which allows you to complete a drop-off outside counter operating hours.

To return your car after hours at Palm Springs Airport:

• Follow airport signs to the Rental Car Return entrance, located north of the main airport entrance
• Drive into your brand's designated lane or row in the return lot
• Lock the vehicle and take your personal belongings
• Enter the 24-hour terminal and go to your brand's counter
• Drop the completed rental contract and keys in the brand-specific drop box at the counter

Note that counter hours vary by brand. Budget and Avis operate until 12:00 AM, while Enterprise closes at 11:00 PM. Plan your return accordingly, and refuel before reaching the Palm Springs Airport return entrance since fuel stations inside the lot are not available.

It depends on your driver's license. At Palm Springs Airport, visitors can generally drive with a valid foreign license. However, an International Driving Permit (IDP) is mandatory if your license uses a non-Latin alphabet, such as Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, or Cyrillic script. In that case, you must carry both the IDP and your original license at all times.

For licenses written in other non-English scripts or issued by countries outside the EU or EEA, an IDP is strongly recommended even if not strictly required, as individual rental companies at Palm Springs Airport may request one at their discretion.

Important points to keep in mind:

• The IDP is a translation document only and is not valid without your original license
• You must obtain the IDP in your home country before traveling, as U.S. issuers such as AAA do not issue IDPs to non-U.S. license holders
• All documents presented at the Palm Springs Airport counter must be physical originals; digital copies are not accepted

When renting at Palm Springs Airport, two main types of coverage are relevant to most renters:

• Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) or Loss Damage Waiver (LDW): reduces your financial liability for damage to the rental vehicle itself, including collision, theft, and vandalism. A deductible may apply unless your confirmation explicitly states zero. CDW and LDW do not cover damage you cause to other people or their property.
• Third-Party Liability (LIS/ALI/SLI): covers bodily injury and property damage you may cause to others while driving. Some U.S. states require a minimum level of liability coverage, but not all do. At Palm Springs Airport, confirm whether liability is included in your rate or must be added separately.

At the Palm Springs Airport counter, review the rental agreement carefully before signing. Ask the agent to confirm in writing which coverages are included, what the deductible is, and what exclusions apply. Only drivers named on the rental agreement are covered.

CDW and LDW do not cover tires, undercarriage, roof damage, or personal belongings. For personal items, a separate Personal Effects Coverage (PEC) add-on would be needed.

Yes, drivers aged 21 to 24 are subject to a daily young-renter surcharge at Palm Springs Airport. The standard minimum age to rent without a surcharge in California is 25. Drivers under 21 are generally not permitted to rent.

Typical daily surcharge amounts at Palm Springs Airport vary by brand:

• Avis, Budget, and Payless: US$13 per rental day, capped at US$65 per rental period (plus taxes)
• Hertz, Thrifty, and Dollar: US$13.50 per rental day, capped at US$189 per rental period (plus taxes)
• Alamo, National, and Enterprise: US$15 per day (plus taxes)

In addition to the surcharge, drivers under 25 at Palm Springs Airport are restricted from renting certain vehicle classes. Premium, luxury, full-size SUV, minivan, and convertible categories are typically reserved for renters aged 25 and older. Economy, compact, and intermediate vehicles are generally available to younger drivers.

If you are from Latin America or the Caribbean and aged 21 to 24, certain Hola Car Rentals rates fulfilled by Avis or Budget may waive the underage fee. Check your booking confirmation to see if this waiver applies.

Yes, most bookings made through Hola Car Rentals include travel assistance coverage provided by Terrawind Global Protection, and this applies to rentals starting at Palm Springs Airport. However, this benefit is not available to residents of the United States or Canada.

For eligible renters, the travel assistance included with a Palm Springs Airport rental covers:

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

This coverage does not include damage to the rental vehicle itself (that requires CDW or LDW) or liability to third parties (that requires LIS/ALI/SLI). Pre-existing medical conditions are also excluded.

If you need assistance during your rental from Palm Springs Airport, contact Terrawind 24 hours a day 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. Always contact the assistance line before incurring medical expenses, as some reimbursements require prior authorization.