Thrifty Car Rental
in Calgary

EASTER  45% OFF   

Hola Car Rentals is a premium partner of the leading car rental companies in Calgary, including Thrifty, 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 Thrifty rental experience with complete protection and peace of mind during your trip in Calgary.

No. With Hola Car Rentals, all costs and charges for your Thrifty booking in Calgary 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 Thrifty 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 Thrifty counter in Calgary 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 Thrifty 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 Thrifty counter at Calgary International Airport is located at 2000 Airport Road Northeast, Calgary, AB T2E 6Z8. After collecting your baggage, follow the car rental signs to the Thrifty shuttle pickup area. A shuttle connects the terminal to the Thrifty facility at that address.

Counter hours at the Calgary airport Thrifty location run approximately 07:00 to 23:59 daily, though hours can vary slightly by season. Plan to arrive during those windows to ensure staff are available for your paperwork and vehicle handover.

Allow at least 30 to 60 minutes from baggage claim to driving away, accounting for the shuttle ride, queue at the counter, document review, and vehicle inspection. Have your booking confirmation, driver's license, and a major credit card ready before you reach the Thrifty desk in Calgary.

To collect your Thrifty rental in Calgary, bring the following physical documents to the counter:

• Your original, unexpired driver's license in the main driver's name
• A major credit card with the driver's name printed on the physical card, for the security deposit hold
• Your 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 at the Thrifty Calgary counter. For licenses in English or a Latin alphabet, an IDP is recommended but not strictly required.

All documents must be physical originals. Digital copies shown on a phone are not accepted by Thrifty or any partner counter in Calgary. Obtain your IDP in your home country before traveling, as it cannot be issued abroad.

No, there are no toll roads anywhere in Alberta, including Calgary. Thrifty customers driving in and around Calgary will not encounter any toll booths, cashless toll gantries, or congestion charges. Alberta has no toll system province-wide, so there are no transponder programs, daily toll passes, or related fees to worry about during your rental.

There are also no emissions zones or city-center driving charges similar to those found in some European cities. All roads in Calgary, including the Stoney Trail ring road, Deerfoot Trail, and the Trans-Canada Highway (Hwy 1), are completely toll-free.

If your Thrifty itinerary takes you from Calgary into other Canadian provinces that do have tolls, keep your receipts. Hola Car Rentals includes Tolls Cashback on all bookings, so you can claim reimbursement for tolls paid in other regions after your rental ends.

Yes, Thrifty offers one-way rentals from Calgary, allowing you to drop off the vehicle in other Alberta cities such as Edmonton or Red Deer, as well as locations in other provinces.

A one-way drop-off fee may apply depending on the route. This fee is set by Thrifty and varies by distance, vehicle class, and season. When booking through Hola Car Rentals, the drop-off fee for your Calgary Thrifty reservation will be shown under the "To pay at destination" section during checkout, so you will know the cost before confirming.

A few important points to keep in mind:

• The drop-off fee is paid at the Thrifty counter in Calgary at pickup, not prepaid online
• Cross-border one-way rentals (for example, Calgary to a US city) may be restricted or carry higher fees; confirm availability when booking
• Changing your drop-off location after booking may reprice the rental and recalculate the fee

Always verify the drop-off fee on your booking confirmation before heading to the Thrifty counter in Calgary.

When you pick up your Thrifty vehicle in Calgary, the counter will place a temporary authorization hold on your major credit card. For rentals in Canada, this hold is typically in the range of CAUS$ 300 to CAUS$ 500, though some Calgary locations may require a minimum authorization of approximately CAUS$ 750 depending on the vehicle class or season.

This hold is not a charge. It temporarily reduces your available credit and is released after you return the vehicle. Your bank or card issuer controls how quickly the hold disappears from your statement, which can take up to 15 business days after the Thrifty Calgary rental closes.

• Only a major credit card with the driver's name printed on the physical card is accepted for the deposit
• Debit cards, prepaid cards, and virtual cards are not accepted
• Even if you prepaid your booking online, you must still present a physical credit card at the Thrifty counter in Calgary

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 the authorization.

Thrifty operates several city locations in Calgary in addition to the airport counter. Hours vary by branch:

• 114 5th Avenue Southeast (near Calgary Tower): Monday to Friday approximately 08:00 to 17:30, Saturday 09:00 to 13:00, closed Sunday
• 4101 Macleod Trail Southeast: Monday to Friday approximately 08:00 to 17:30, Saturday and Sunday 09:00 to 13:00
• 927 6th Avenue Southwest (downtown): Monday to Friday approximately 07:30 to 18:00, Saturday 09:00 to 13:00, Sunday 10:00 to 16:00

City center Thrifty locations in Calgary do not require a shuttle. You go directly to the counter at the listed address. These branches have shorter hours and smaller vehicle inventories compared to the Calgary International Airport location, so they are best suited for renters who are already in the city rather than arriving by plane.

Hours can change on public holidays, so confirm directly with the Thrifty Calgary branch before your pickup date if you are traveling around a holiday period.

Yes, when you rent from Thrifty in Calgary, provincial law requires every rental vehicle in Alberta to carry third-party liability coverage. This statutory liability is included by default with your rental in Canada.

However, the included statutory minimum may not be sufficient for all situations. You can purchase supplemental liability insurance (LIS/ALI/SLI) to increase your coverage limits, which protects you against bodily injury and property damage you may cause to other people while driving the Thrifty vehicle in Calgary or elsewhere in Canada.

• Third-party liability covers injury or property damage to others, not damage to the Thrifty rental car itself
• Damage to the rental vehicle is covered separately by CDW/LDW (Collision Damage Waiver)
• Your own injuries would require Personal Accident Insurance (PAI), if purchased

Review your booking confirmation to see exactly which coverages are included in your Thrifty Calgary rate and whether supplemental liability was added. If you are unsure, confirm with the Thrifty agent at the Calgary counter before signing the rental agreement.

Because Alberta has no toll roads, you will not pay any tolls while driving your Thrifty rental within Calgary or anywhere else in the province. However, if your trip takes you beyond Alberta into provinces that do have tolls, Hola Car Rentals includes Tolls Cashback on every booking, giving you up to 5% of your total booking value back for tolls paid during the rental period.

To claim your cashback after returning your Thrifty vehicle:

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

The refund is processed to the same payment method used for your original Calgary booking and typically arrives within 7 to 10 business days after approval. Submissions received more than 30 days after vehicle return are not eligible, so file your claim promptly.

Thrifty rentals in Calgary follow a Full-to-Full fuel policy. You receive the vehicle with a full tank and must return it full to avoid additional charges.

At pickup, check the fuel gauge with the Thrifty agent in Calgary and confirm the starting level is recorded on the rental agreement. Take a photo of the dashboard showing the odometer and fuel gauge before leaving the lot.

Before returning the vehicle, refuel within approximately 15 km of the Thrifty return location in Calgary so the gauge does not drop below full during the drive back. Keep your fuel receipt showing the date, time, and station address.

• If you return the car below the recorded starting level, Thrifty may charge for the fuel shortfall at their refueling rate, which is typically higher than retail pump prices, plus a service fee
• Use the correct fuel type (gasoline or diesel) as specified in the rental agreement; wrong-fuel incidents are not covered
• For after-hours returns at a Calgary Thrifty location, leave the fuel receipt in the key envelope and keep a photo of the full gauge as evidence

Yes, you can add an additional driver to your Thrifty rental in Calgary, either at the time of booking or at the counter during pickup.

Whether the additional driver is included free or carries a daily fee depends on your rate. For Thrifty rentals in Calgary, the additional driver fee is approximately US$13.50 per rental day plus taxes, with a maximum charge of US$189 plus taxes, when not included in your rate. Check your booking confirmation to see if your Calgary Thrifty rate already includes one additional driver at no extra cost.

Requirements for adding a driver at the Thrifty counter in Calgary:

• The additional driver must be present at pickup with their original, valid driver's license
• If their license uses a non-Latin alphabet, they must also bring an International Driving Permit
• Both the main driver and the additional driver must sign the rental agreement
• The additional driver must meet Thrifty's minimum age requirements for Calgary rentals

Only drivers listed on the Thrifty rental agreement in Calgary are covered by the vehicle's protections. Anyone who drives without being named on the contract may void coverage.

Calgary has several road features that can surprise first-time visitors driving a Thrifty rental in the city.

The downtown core uses a contra-flow reversible lane system on the 5 Avenue Connector (Bow Trail). During peak hours, one direction of the roadway is physically gated and converted to carry traffic in the opposite direction, controlled by LED signals from a central traffic management center. This means you may encounter left-side driving on an isolated section of road, which is unlike standard lane reversals found elsewhere.

Calgary's ring road, Stoney Trail, features numerous interchanges in close succession, including several half-interchanges that provide one-directional access only. These can force unexpected detours if you miss an exit, particularly in the southwest and west sections near Highway 1 (Trans-Canada).

• Downtown avenues are largely one-way, with 9 Avenue South and 5 Avenue South running in opposite directions four blocks apart
• Ongoing construction on Stoney Trail and Highway 1 near the Springbank area creates temporary lane configurations not shown on older maps
• No toll roads exist anywhere in Alberta, so your Thrifty rental in Calgary will not require a transponder or toll payment

Use an up-to-date GPS or navigation app when driving your Thrifty vehicle in Calgary to account for active construction zones.

Travel Assistance provided through Hola Car Rentals (via Terrawind Global Protection) is included with most bookings, but it does not apply to Canadian or US residents. If you are visiting Calgary from outside North America and renting from Thrifty, you are likely eligible for this benefit.

Coverage typically includes:

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

This is particularly relevant for a Thrifty rental in Calgary given the city's extensive highway network, including Stoney Trail and the Trans-Canada Highway, where a breakdown or accident in a remote stretch could require urgent assistance.

To reach the assistance line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, call +1 888 980 9992 (toll-free) or contact 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 Thrifty vehicle or third-party liability insurance.

If you arrive later than your scheduled Thrifty pickup time in Calgary, the reservation will generally be held for up to 24 hours from the original pickup time. If you do not collect the vehicle within that 24-hour window, the booking may be forfeited with no refund.

For flight delays arriving into Calgary International Airport, the Thrifty counter at 2000 Airport Road Northeast operates until approximately 23:59 daily, which provides flexibility for late-arriving flights. If your delay pushes arrival beyond counter hours or beyond the 24-hour hold window, contact Hola Car Rentals as soon as possible.

• For delays under 24 hours: proceed to the Thrifty counter in Calgary as soon as you land and arrive during operating hours
• For delays over 24 hours: contact Hola Car Rentals via WhatsApp at +1 (786) 999-8312 or email [email protected] to explore options

City center Thrifty locations in Calgary have shorter hours than the airport branch, so a late arrival is more likely to cause an issue at those counters. Always confirm counter hours for your specific Thrifty Calgary location before travel.