California car rentals

Search hundreds of rental car sites at once for car rental deals in California

Same drop-off
Wed 6/7
Noon
Wed 6/14
Noon

Cheap car rentals in California

Economy$21/day
Compact$21/day
Intermediate$26/day
Standard$29/day
Full-size$28/day
SUV$469/day
Minivan$50/day
Full-size SUV$45/day
Premium$29/day
Passenger van$124/day
Luxury$46/day
Pickup truck$40/day
Premium SUV$35/day
Standard SUV$25/day
Supplier choice$27/day
Compact SUV$31/day
Intermediate SUV$32/day
Premium coupe$46/day
Luxury coupe$53/day
Luxury SUV$68/day
Open air all terrain$86/day
Best rates found by KAYAK users in the past 48 hours.

Car rental locations in California

Car rental directory

  • enterprise

    Enterprise Rent-A-Car car rental locations in California

    44 Locations

  • hertz

    Hertz car rental locations in California

    25 Locations

  • budget

    Budget car rental locations in California

    15 Locations

  • avis

    Avis car rental locations in California

    14 Locations

  • thrifty

    Thrifty car rental locations in California

    6 Locations

  • easirent

    Easirent car rental locations in California

    5 Locations

  • sunnycars

    Sunnycars car rental locations in California

    5 Locations

  • airportvanre

    Airport Van car rental locations in California

    4 Locations

  • alamo

    Alamo car rental locations in California

    4 Locations

  • dollar

    Dollar car rental locations in California

    4 Locations

  • national

    National car rental locations in California

    4 Locations

  • europcar

    Europcar car rental locations in California

    3 Locations

Good to know

Most popular agency

Kyte

Most popular car type

Standard

Average price

$52/day

Good deal

$40/day

When to book a rental car in California

Average daily price per month
Rental car prices as pick-up date approaches

Top tips for renting a car in California

  • California is an incredibly vast and geographically diverse state, so there are some important things to remember when deciding about renting a car here. One thing to keep in mind is the type of driving you'll be doing in your rental car. If you will be staying in a major city, such as Los Angeles or San Francisco, a compact car is a great idea for traveling short distances and being able to find places to park when you arrive. If you will be traveling over long distances or you will be taking part in many of the outdoor adventures you can find in the state, a van or an SUV would be a better choice. There are some parts of the state that can have snowy and icy roads during wintertime, especially in some of the mountainous regions, so plan your rental accordingly if you are renting during this time of the year.
  • When you are driving a car in California, it is important to remember the laws governing children riding in cars. In California, if a child is two years old or younger, they must ride in a car seat that is rear-facing. The exception to this rule is if the child weighs more than 40 pounds or is more than 40 inches tall. For any children that are under the age of eight, they must sit in a car seat or a booster seat in the backseat. Any passenger in a vehicle that is over sixteen years old is subject to California's Mandatory Seatbelt Law.
  • Because California sits right on the border with Mexico, a question that often comes up is if a rental car can be driven into Mexico. Most rental car companies will let you take your car into Mexico but the rental will have certain restrictions, such as the need to purchase additional insurance to legally drive the car in Mexico. It is also important to remember that most rental car companies will not allow you to book one-way rentals into Mexico.
  • 25% of our users found rental cars in California for $40 or less
  • Book your rental car in California at least 1 day before your trip in order to get a below-average price
  • Off-airport rental car locations in California are around 14% more expensive than airport locations on average
  • Intermediate rental cars in California are around 66% cheaper than other car types, on average

FAQs about renting a car in California