If you’re planning to hire a car in San Francisco, there are numerous agencies across the city where you can find affordable rentals deals.
A view over a parking lot towards San Francisco (Photo: soomness via Flickr / CC BY 2.0 DEED)
At just 49 square miles, San Francisco is a highly walkable city, but for visitors there’s no substitute for the convenience of having your own car – especially if you’re planning to visit any of the many attractions to be found outside of the main conurbation. There are several rental car agencies located around San Francisco where you’ll find deals that don’t hit you hard in the pocket. We’ve picked out three of them, based in specific areas of the city.
San Francisco Airport:
For those travelling to San Francisco via the city’s main international airport, there’s a 24-hour Rental Car Center located close to the arrivals terminal that can be reached via AirTrain, as well as a separate off-airport facility a little further away which can be reached by shuttle bus. Our top pick at San Francisco Airport is Dollar, whose agency is located in the rental car centre for maximum convenience. Here, they offer a wide number of economy cars at reasonable rates, including a Chevrolet Spark available for $277 per week and a Hyundai Accent for just a few dollars more.
Oakland Airport:
Located around 20 miles from downtown San Francisco, Oakland International Airport is another popular arrival point for people visitors to the city, with connections to destinations across the globe The airport also has its own Rental Car Center, reachable via shuttle bus from the arrivals terminal, where you’ll find 10 reputable car hire agency offices. Of them all, we’d most readily recommend Thrifty, who offer economy cars including a Ford Fiesta, which is available for $294 per week
Downtown San Francisco:
Many visitors to San Francisco will want to be based around the city’s buzzing downtown district and on Mason Street, close to Chinatown and all of the area’s other many attractions, you’ll find Hertz rental agency. Open from 7am to 5pm on weekdays and slightly shorter hours on weekends, you can pick up a Hyundai Veloster from Hertz’s San Fran’s downtown agency for $293 per week. Once you’ve got the keys, the glistening Financial District is just a few blocks away, while the famous Golden Gate Bridge is a 15-minute drive.