Car hire in California, United States

The cheapest car to rent in California is an intermediate SUV. The most popular is Economy, 4-5 doors.

The cheapest car hire companies in California are currently Alamo and Avis.

If you're looking for freedom to explore California, choose a car with unlimited mileage, or look for car hire deals with a ’full to full' fuel policy as opposed to a 'half-full to full' one.

We also clearly highlight car and van hire options in California that have free cancellation. 

Yes – you can easily find car hire companies that allow you to pick up your car in one place, and then drop it off in another. Just select ‘Return car to a different location’ when you search with us.

Public transport can only get you so far, and could be tricky to navigate with children or luggage. With your own set of wheels, you can go wherever you want, whenever you want, for as long as you want. And you'll be able to discover more outside of California.

Most places – California included – allow under 25s to rent a car as long as they provide a valid driver's license and the correct documentation. It may cost slightly more due to a higher insurance excess for young drivers. 

The cheapest price we found for an economy car is $175 per day. The average price per day is around $175.

Of course. Most major car hire companies like Dollar, National and Budget offer baby and child seats as an add-on when you book.

Other travellers rated Dollar as the best overall in terms of experience.

We search the internet for all kinds of vehicle hire deals, including vans. But at the moment, we can't find any van hire in California.