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Pick-up location | South Lake Tahoe |
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Car types | Compact, Economy, Full-size, Full-size SUV, Intermediate, Intermediate SUV, Minivan, Pickup truck, Premium, Premium SUV, Standard, Standard SUV |
Rental locations | 4 |
Airport locations | 2 |
Popular agencies | Turo, Enterprise Rent-A-Car |
Economy | $47/day |
Compact | $47/day |
Intermediate | $51/day |
Standard | $40/day |
Full-size | $39/day |
Minivan | $53/day |
Full-size SUV | $53/day |
Premium | $55/day |
Pickup truck | $48/day |
Premium SUV | $59/day |
Intermediate SUV | $44/day |
Standard SUV | $47/day |
Snow and ice are inconstant weather conditions in South Lake Tahoe, and driving may need a powerful off-road rental vehicle. Choose a compact 4x4 SUV if you’re traveling as a family/group or a winter-ready truck if you’re hauling your snow toys. An AWD car provides the required traction for stability on the road and comfort on off-road tracks. It also alleviates the need to mount chains on tires. During warm seasons, you can opt for a compact or mid-sized car for easy navigation and parking in the streets.
It is critical to adhere to South Lake Tahoe's speed limits to ensure safety and stay on the safe side of the law. On Highway 50, motorists must maintain 35mph to 40mph. In summer, the speed limit of the passing lane at Tahoe Ski Resort is 55mph, as the lane heads downhill. If you drive on Highway 89 between the Y intersection of H-50 and Camp Richardson, you must not exceed 35mph. Drivers using Highway 50 (as it approaches Meyers) must quickly lower their speeds to 40mph because it is a downhill drive. Before this section, the limit is above 55mph.
The city of South Lake Tahoe manages the Heavenly Village Parking Lot at 1 Bellamy Court. With a ride from South Lake Tahoe car rentals, parking will cost you about $1.25/20min, $3.75/h, and about $25 per day. The facility has an online charging system that bills drivers using their license plates and phone numbers.
On average a rental car in South Lake Tahoe costs $63 per day. But prices differ between operators and you can save money through a price comparison of car rental deals from different agencies. The cheapest price for a car rental in South Lake Tahoe found in the last 2 weeks is $56.
In the past 72 hours, the cheapest rental cars were found at Enterprise Rent-A-Car ($47/day).
The average gas price in South Lake Tahoe is $4.12 per gallon over the past 30 days. Filling up a gas tank costs between $49 and $66, depending on the car size.
Standard (Subaru Impreza or similar) is the most frequently booked rental car type in South Lake Tahoe.
Car rental companies onsite at Reno airport include Hertz, Dollar, Alamo, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Budget, Thrifty, Avis, Rent-A-Wreck and National.
Car rental companies that offer shuttle or pick-up services from Reno airport to off-airport locations include Hertz, Dollar, Alamo, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Budget, Thrifty, Avis, Rent-A-Wreck, and National.
Take a look at our extensive car rental location map to find the best rental cars near you.
A Standard car rental in South Lake Tahoe costs $52 per day, on average.
A Compact car rental in South Lake Tahoe costs $53 per day, on average.
An Intermediate car rental in South Lake Tahoe costs $60 per day, on average.
On average a rental car in South Lake Tahoe costs $444 per week ($63 per day).
On average a rental car in South Lake Tahoe costs $1,903 per month ($63 per day).
Most car rental providers in South Lake Tahoe offer insurance but the level of protection can differ substantially. If you're unsure whether to get extra protection for your car rental in South Lake Tahoe, check out KAYAK's car rental insurance guide.
KAYAK has deals for you to compare from 4 car rental agencies in South Lake Tahoe.
Some car rental companies in South Lake Tahoe which have updated their car rental health and safety policies due to COVID-19 to make sure vehicles are clean and disinfected include Hertz, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Avis
Finding the right price, understanding the add-ons and staying up to date with policy changes can be a challenge. That’s why KAYAK has produced the ultimate guide to renting a car to help you cut though the jargon and make the right choice for your rental car. Find tips and insights for how to book your rental, what car rental insurance you’ll need, how to deal with a car rental agency and what extra fees to expect (and avoid!).
KAYAK searches thousands of car rental agencies to provide you with offers from all car rental agencies operating in South Lake Tahoe so that you can compare car rental rates, reviews and pick-up and drop-off locations to find the best deal for you.
Children under the age of 12 are usually not allowed in the front passenger seats. All babies in car rentals are required to be in rear-facing car seats. South Lake Tahoe demands all children be in their proper seats. Children under the age of 8 and below 4 feet 9 inches must be secured safely in their booster seats. When driving in South Lake Tahoe, all child seat rules should be carefully observed and followed.
Take a drive of 16 minutes to Zephyr which lies 6 miles away from the city center of South Lake Tahoe. The city provides access to summer water sports, sandy beaches, and volleyball courts. The road trip from South Lake Tahoe to Emerald Bay State Park will take about 21 minutess and lies about 11 miles away. The city is home to the National Natural Landmark and mountains with glacier forms. On the other hand, you can take a two-hour drive from South Lake Tahoe to Sacramento which lies 103 miles away. The city boasts lively arts and historical scenes and also provides fresh foods from the farm and the California gold rush.
2 locations in South Lake Tahoe
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Reviews
10.0 Wonderful
Oct 2020
Pros:
When I got to the South Lake Tahoe rental location they had a small car for me. Monday morning and lots of cars to go out. I asked for different, larger car and they were very happy to find me and my wife another vehicle. It was cleaned and ready to go in a matter of 15 minutes and we were very happy.Cons:
They did great and we recommend Enterprise to all our friends.10.0 Wonderful
Mar 2019
Pros:
Very easy to do business with!10.0 Wonderful
Mar 2023
One location in South Lake Tahoe
One location in South Lake Tahoe
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Reviews
2.4 Poor
May 2018
Pros:
The ladies at pick up were wonderful, helpful, and apologietic about the car not being the best for such a long journey.Cons:
The car has nearly 40k miles on it and is worse for the wear. It rattled and had stains on the back seat. Upon drop off, the woman at the desk informed me that I would have to pay a $259 cleaning fee because “she was not cleaning that up”. I had just had her car cleaned. I left, went to CVS, got a lint roller, and rolled someone else’s dog’s hair out of the car (the hair was short, my service dog does not shed). She made me feel awful, repeatedly, until my husband finally showed up and informed her that my dog is a licensed and registered service dog, at which point she said she “supposed she’d waive the fee, even though the car wasn’t in great shape”. This car was in better shape than when we received it. She is doing serious damage to the Budget brand just because she doesn’t want to do her job and clean cars.10.0 Wonderful
Jan 2018
Pros:
Was her name Monique? At the Tahoe branch, she was professional and also very personable, with clear communication upon picking up my car. She made it a great experience.6.8 Okay
Mar 2017
Pros:
The car was in nice condition.Cons:
Service was good. Staff was friendly and efficient.6.8 Okay
Jan 2017
Pros:
The lady working at the desk was very efficient and fast. She was also apologetic about the lack of car availability.Cons:
1) There were zero cars available when I arrived at the time of my reservation. I had to wait over an hour for a car to show up. 2) It was quite difficult to find the rental store's location, as there were no signs anywhere. 3) The cost seemed excessive ($130 for a 4-hour drive to the Bay area).2.0 Poor
Feb 2016
Cons:
Wasted our time going to pick up a reservation that was made an hour earlier. Customer service representative made no effort to fix the situation and was visibly annoyed and walked away as I was asking her if she knows of other options because I took a cab to get there assuming that I had a car because of the confirmed reservation.10.0 Wonderful
Nov 2015
Pros:
Monique was very understanding and very helpful!3 locations in South Lake Tahoe
2 locations in South Lake Tahoe
One location in South Lake Tahoe