San Clemente car rentals

San Clemente car rentals

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Cheap car rentals in San Clemente

Economy$22/day
Compact$24/day
Intermediate$25/day
Minivan$50/day
Full-size SUV$57/day
Premium$43/day
Convertible$94/day
Supplier choice$23/day
Intermediate SUV$28/day
Standard SUV$34/day
Best rates found by KAYAK users in the past 48 hours.

Top tips for renting a car in San Clemente

  • Whether you're visiting San Clemente for pleasure or business, renting a car is your best bet. When compared to public transportation, renting a vehicle from one of the reputable car rentals in San Clemente will allow you to navigate and get to your desired destinations faster. You can drive within the city to the Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, a Spanish-style home with community events. You can drive less than 30 minutes outside the city to San Clemente State Beach, a windy beach with several campgrounds and scenic views.
  • You can rent a car upon arrival at John Wayne Airport, the primary airport serving San Clemente, as the airport has on-site and off-site car rental providers. The car rental desks are located on the arrivals level of the main terminal, directly across from the John Wayne monument. If you choose to rent a car from an off-site agency, most will provide a free shuttle service from the airport's ground transportation center to the off-airport car rental facility. Remember to check with your off-site rental provider ahead of time to see if they offer pick-up services before making your reservation.
  • Driving your rental car in San Clemente is a pleasurable experience thanks to the city's excellent highways and freeways. You must drive cautiously, especially when approaching the central business district, which is always congested because it is the main commercial and entertainment hub. On its major roads, the city also has high-occupancy vehicle lanes, which require at least two people to be in the car when driving in these lanes. Pay more attention to the weather in the winter because the city gets a lot of snow. It is recommended to carry a flashlight and a supply kit in case of an emergency because the cold and wet conditions create black ice, increasing the risk of an accident.
  • Even though traffic in San Clemente is rarely severe, major roads leading into the city are frequently congested during rush hour. The city's rush hour is usually from 6 am to 8:30 am, with peak congestion from 7 am to 7:30 am, and rush hour in the evening is usually from 5 pm to 7 pm. When approaching major interchanges, keep an eye out for traffic lights, as most of them are equipped with cameras to catch reckless or overspeeding drivers.
  • 25% of our users found rental cars in San Clemente for $39 or less
  • Book your rental car in San Clemente at least 1 day before your trip in order to get a below-average price
  • Mini rental cars in San Clemente are around -43% cheaper than other car types, on average

FAQs about renting a car in San Clemente

San Clemente car rental reviews and directory

Hertz

7.8

Cheapest deal
Most popular

Cleanliness

8.0

Comfort

8.1

Pick-up/Drop-off

7.8

Value for money

7.7

2 locations in San Clemente

Show locations
from $38/day

Locations in San Clemente

25135 Park Lantern

+1 949 661 1104

Monday13:00 - 17:3007:30 - 12:00
Tuesday13:00 - 17:3007:30 - 12:00
Wednesday07:30 - 12:0013:00 - 17:30
Thursday13:00 - 17:3007:30 - 12:00
Friday07:30 - 12:0013:00 - 17:30
Saturday08:00 - 13:00
Sunday09:00 - 13:00
View deals

63 Via Pico Plaza

+1 949 498 7710

Monday08:00 - 13:00
Tuesday08:00 - 13:00
Wednesday08:00 - 13:00
Thursday08:00 - 13:00
Friday08:00 - 13:00
Saturday09:00 - 13:00
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Reviews

10.0 Wonderful

Mar 2021

KAYAK

Pros:

Clean car and exactly what I wanted

Cons:

It was as good as expected

2.0 Poor

Feb 2020

KAYAK

Cons:

Although I was confirmed for a call at noon, when I arrived at the site, the agent advised that no car would arrive until 1pm and that she could not promise that she could fulfill our rental reserve.

10.0 Wonderful

Jan 2020

KAYAK

Cons:

Nothing. The agent was great. Fast service. Great car

10.0 Wonderful

Jul 2019

KAYAK

Pros:

Pick up and drop off quick and easy.

4.0 Mediocre

Dec 2018

KAYAK

Pros:

Clean car, ran well.

Cons:

This location is hidden in the back of a shopping center and very hard to find. When I showed up they told me they did not have the car or class of car that I had reserved. They gave me a small SUV instead of a midsize. Whatever, but I wanted the lower gas mileage. When I returned the vehicle, they charged me an extra $28 for being 14 minutes 'late' ($2/minute is a bit ridiculous). This was after one of their employees had told me by phone that it would not matter if I picked up or dropped off the vehicle a little bit late or a little bit early. I would look around to avoid picking up at this location again.

4.8 Mediocre

Apr 2018

KAYAK

Pros:

Pick up and drop off of the car was easy and I had nuxe customer service.

Cons:

The car was horrible and it was extremely expensive with a lot of hidden fees.

1 out of 6

Enterprise Rent-A-Car

8.7

Very good

16 reviews
Best rated

Cleanliness

8.7

Comfort

8.7

Pick-up/Drop-off

8.7

Value for money

8.7

2 locations in San Clemente

Show locations
from $57/day

Locations in San Clemente

1002 N El Camino Real

+1 949 366 1161

Monday08:00 - 13:00
Tuesday08:00 - 13:00
Wednesday08:00 - 13:00
Thursday08:00 - 13:00
Friday08:00 - 13:00
Saturday00:00 - 00:00
Sunday00:00 - 00:00
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26181 Avenida Aeropuerto Ste B

+1 949 487 9075

Monday07:30 - 12:00
Tuesday08:00 - 13:00
Wednesday08:00 - 13:00
Thursday08:00 - 13:00
Friday08:00 - 13:00
Saturday09:00 - 13:00
Sunday00:00 - 00:00
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Show reviews that mention

Reviews

10.0 Wonderful

Sep 2020

KAYAK

Pros:

The staff was fantastic both at the beginning and at the end of the rental. My husband left his sunglasses in the car and they called within 30 minutes of drop off to tell us. They are fantastic - will definitely rent from them again.

Cons:

Absolutely nothing. They did an above and beyond service. Cheerful, helpful, didn't pressure us for an upgrade but let us make the decision. Very professional and I couldn't be more pleased with the rental experience.

10.0 Wonderful

Apr 2020

KAYAK

Pros:

Every step was super smooth

6.0 Okay

Oct 2019

KAYAK

Pros:

I ended up NOT renting a car. I did mot need the rental.

10.0 Wonderful

Jun 2019

KAYAK

Pros:

We rented a minivan for a family overnight visit to San Diego.Easy from the start. I was able to park my car at the location which made getting the van and returning SO much easier. Josh was friendly and helpful. Could not have gone better and plan to use them for any car rental needs in the future.

2.0 Poor

Apr 2019

KAYAK

Cons:

Enterprise would not honor your rate. I had to find alternative.

10.0 Wonderful

Jan 2019

KAYAK

Pros:

Good service, I like happy people.

Cons:

The office was pretty dirty, leafs and dirt on the floor. It’s the first thing people see when they come so in my opinion it needs some work. Same for when I returned the car, garbage on the ground and stuff you could recycle in the garbage. Cmon people you can do better then that. Vero

1 out of 4

Budget

8.0

Very good

6 reviews

Cleanliness

8.0

Comfort

8.0

Pick-up/Drop-off

8.0

Value for money

8.0

2 locations in San Clemente

Show locations
from $48/day

Locations in San Clemente

30242 Crown Valley Parkway 2b

+1 949 249 7826

Monday08:00 - 13:00
Tuesday08:00 - 13:00
Wednesday08:00 - 13:00
Thursday08:00 - 13:00
Friday08:00 - 13:00
Saturday08:00 - 13:00
Sunday08:00 - 13:00
View deals

33161 Camino Capistrano

+1 949 429 1646

Monday08:00 - 13:00
Tuesday08:00 - 13:00
Wednesday08:00 - 13:00
Thursday08:00 - 13:00
Friday08:00 - 13:00
Saturday08:00 - 13:00
Sunday08:00 - 13:00
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Reviews

2.0 Poor

Jul 2018

KAYAK

Cons:

They didn’t have the car I paid for

7.2 Good

Jul 2016

KAYAK

Pros:

Very convenient for me.

Cons:

Agent could resolve my reservation amount vs billed amount. I believe AVIS has always handled this if there's a problem.

1 out of 1

Avis

6.2

Cleanliness

8.0

Comfort

8.0

Pick-up/Drop-off

6.0

Value for money

5.6

3 locations in San Clemente

Show locations
from $71/day

Locations in San Clemente

28201 Marguerite Pkwy

+1 949 347 0016

Monday08:00 - 13:00
Tuesday08:00 - 13:00
Wednesday08:00 - 13:00
Thursday08:00 - 13:00
Friday08:00 - 13:00
Saturday08:00 - 13:00
Sunday08:00 - 13:00
View deals

30242 Crown Valley Parkway 2b

+1 949 362 9187

Monday08:00 - 13:00
Tuesday08:00 - 13:00
Wednesday08:00 - 13:00
Thursday08:00 - 13:00
Friday08:00 - 13:00
Saturday08:00 - 13:00
Sunday08:00 - 13:00
View deals

33161 Camino Capistrano

+1 949 388 3365

Monday08:00 - 13:00
Tuesday08:00 - 13:00
Wednesday08:00 - 13:00
Thursday08:00 - 13:00
Friday08:00 - 13:00
Saturday08:00 - 13:00
Sunday08:00 - 13:00
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Reviews

10.0 Wonderful

Aug 2018

KAYAK

Pros:

Friendly customer front desk.

Cons:

no complaints others than it's far from the airport and I had to take an Uber...but that's the price you pay for paying less for a rental

10.0 Wonderful

Sep 2017

KAYAK

Pros:

Customer service at pickup.

Cons:

No backup camera on vehicle.

10.0 Wonderful

Jul 2017

KAYAK

Pros:

The Agent was very friendly and accommodating.

10.0 Wonderful

Jun 2017

KAYAK

Pros:

The staff was friendly and fair

Cons:

I liked everything. This location and staff is really good!

2.0 Poor

Jan 2017

KAYAK

Pros:

They had no cars available when I arrived, they wouldn't call any other branch to see what was available. Your app would not allowed to cancel the reservation so I couldn't look for another rental company. I had to call around and end up paying double of what I wanted. Horrible experience!

2.0 Poor

May 2022

KAYAK
They told me they were open on Monday, Memorial Day, when they were not. I was left unable to leave the car and had to drop it off elsewhere. The customer service more or less accused me of lying to them. They’re a horrendous, awful company and I’ll never rent from them again.

1 out of 3

Rent-4-Less

No score available yet

One location in San Clemente

Show locations

Locations in San Clemente

1645 North El Camino Real

(949) 492-2140

Opening times not available

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Filters

No reviews available

72 travelers who rented a car in San Clemente gave the car agency they used an average rating of 7.8

Car rental locations in or near San Clemente

Good to know

Most popular agency

Hertz

Most popular car type

Mini

Average price

$48/day

Good deal

$39/day

When to book a rental car in San Clemente

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