Washington, D.C. car hire
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Washington, D.C. car hire information
| Pick-up location | Washington, D.C. |
|---|---|
| Car types | Compact, Economy, Full-size, Intermediate, Intermediate SUV, Luxury, Premium, Standard, Standard SUV |
| Hire locations | 56 |
| Airport locations | 8 |
| Popular agencies | Hertz, Budget, Avis |
Cheap car rentals in Washington, D.C.
| Economy | $141/day |
| Compact | $147/day |
| Intermediate | $140/day |
| Standard | $151/day |
| Full-size | $175/day |
| Premium | $154/day |
| Luxury | $164/day |
| Intermediate SUV | $180/day |
| Standard SUV | $198/day |
Top tips for hiring a car in Washington, D.C.
- Travelers flying into Washington, D.C. will want to consider renting a car, as cars offer the best access to many of the popular sites and day trips around D.C. For instance, FedExField, home to the Washington Redskins, takes over an hour to get to on public transportation, but only takes 30 minutes in a car. Popular tourist spots such as Shenandoah National Park and Mount Vernon are also easily reached in a hire car.
- Fortunately for would-be hire car drivers with flights to Washington, D.C., all of the airports in the greater metropolitan area have easily accessible hire car centers. In Washington Dulles Airport, shuttles outside of the Baggage Claim Area will take travelers to the hire lot, while at Reagan National Airport, travelers will find the hire shuttle outside of Door 4 on the ticketing level.
- Rush hour is no joke in Washington, D.C. and travelers should plan accordingly. Morning rush hour lasts from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and evening rush hour lasts from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. During those times, Key Bridge, Southeast Freeway, Chain Bridge, and New York Avenue should all be avoided as they number among the most congested spots in D.C.
- Visitors to Washington, D.C. should be prepared to deal with the city’s famed traffic circles. Traffic circles such as Dupont Circle, Logan Circle, and Thomas Circle are notoriously difficult to navigate for first-time visitors, but with a bit of pre-planning and appropriate route planning, they should be no problem.
- 25% of our users found rental cars in Washington, D.C. for $129 or less
- Book your rental car in Washington, D.C. at least 1 day before your trip in order to get a below-average price
- Off-airport rental car locations in Washington, D.C. are around 12% more expensive than airport locations on average
- Intermediate rental cars in Washington, D.C. are around -21% cheaper than other car types, on average
FAQs about renting a car in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C. car rental reviews and directory
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
7.7
Good
136 reviewsCleanliness
7.8
Comfort
7.8
Pick-up/Drop-off
7.8
Value for money
7.6
9 locations in Washington, D.C.
Locations in Washington, D.C.
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Reviews
8.0 Very Good
May 2021
Pros:
Staff was friendly and car was really clean.Cons:
The location is not where it says it is so I had to look around for it. Gotta update the address.8.0 Very Good
Jan 2021
Cons:
Instructions for when we return the car. (There was no one present, we never had any proper instruction on how to retrn the car, where to park, leave the keys etc10.0 Wonderful
Dec 2020
Pros:
Great car - thank you! Friendly representatives too!9.2 Wonderful
Oct 2020
Pros:
Easy to pick it up, drop it off,Cons:
The "needs maintenance" announcement always turned on when I started the car - very annoying10.0 Wonderful
Oct 2020
Pros:
Very friendly staff and very easy drop off6.0 Okay
Sep 2020
Pros:
Convient location.Cons:
Tires slid in the rain; staff were not very courteous in addressing my questions; funny smell in the car and cupholders, etc., were a bit dingy; extended time waiting for my vehicle to be ready during pickup time.Avis
6.7
Okay
161 reviewsCleanliness
7.3
Comfort
7.3
Pick-up/Drop-off
6.6
Value for money
7.0
6 locations in Washington, D.C.
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Reviews
10.0 Wonderful
Feb 2021
Cons:
Great service! Friendly staff! Gave me a free upgrade since there was going to be a snow storm and they wanted me to stay safe!10.0 Wonderful
Jan 2021
Pros:
Friendly and efficient staff both in Washington and Queens.Cons:
Nothing.2.0 Poor
Dec 2021
Pros:
I had to wait an hour outside after arriving on time for my pickup. Once I was inside the agent was awful: rude, unaccommodating, eager to stick me with a pickup truck. What is the point of reserving a particular kind of car if I'm just given what's available after the small car I needed and requested is nowhere to be found, nor, as I was told, is a particular kind of car even guaranteed? I drove the SUV I was given as little as possible while I had it because it was nearly impossible to park it in the city.Cons:
Customer service, wait time, availability, respecting the reservation that i had made.2.0 Poor
Dec 2020
Pros:
Horrible service... additional charges for no obvious reasons. WTH!!!Cons:
Charge what they said10.0 Wonderful
Nov 2020
Pros:
Great staff9.6 Wonderful
Jul 2020
Pros:
The staff was great, and the car ran well.Cons:
The EZ-Pass fees were horrendous! Easier to pay cash.Budget
6.4
Okay
337 reviewsCleanliness
6.9
Comfort
7.0
Pick-up/Drop-off
6.2
Value for money
6.5
6 locations in Washington, D.C.
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Reviews
2.0 Poor
Oct 2022
8.0 Very Good
Sep 2022
4.0 Mediocre
Sep 2022
6.0 Okay
Jan 2021
Pros:
Pick up and drop off was not easy especially drop off. It’s in a mall and I have no idea where is car returns. I haven’t given any directions, all I have is the address. No signs whatsoever about car returns. I have to park in the mall and go around asking people. I found there office inside the mall and the lady said I can park anywhere in the mall. The lady wasn’t friendly. I’m not super happy about the drop off part but the price and car were great.Cons:
Better communication towards pickups and drop off locations and more instructions.2.0 Poor
Jan 2021
Cons:
They didn't have any cars, despite me having (and confirming) a reservation.10.0 Wonderful
Jan 2021
Pros:
The process at both locations was seamless.Hertz
5.9
Fair
684 reviewsCleanliness
6.6
Comfort
6.5
Pick-up/Drop-off
5.6
Value for money
5.8
6 locations in Washington, D.C.
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Reviews
10.0 Wonderful
Nov 2022
2.0 Poor
Oct 2022
2.0 Poor
Oct 2022
6.0 Okay
Oct 2022
2.0 Poor
Oct 2022
2.0 Poor
Oct 2022
Alamo
8.0
Very Good
94 reviewsCleanliness
8.3
Comfort
8.2
Pick-up/Drop-off
7.3
Value for money
7.8
2 locations in Washington, D.C.
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Reviews
6.0 Okay
Mar 2021
Pros:
Pick up was great. Drop off slow. Car smelled like smoke6.0 Okay
Jan 2021
Pros:
The car drove nicely and didn’t have any critical issues. The originally confirmed price (NOT what we were charged in the end) was wonderful.Cons:
We were hit with a $436.59 ‘’inner city fee’’ despite dropping off where confirmed by our desk agent in Atlanta. At that meeting as well, we waited over two hours as Thrifty, Hertz, and one additional rental company were all required to wait in the same line for two agents. Finally, our windshield wipers did not work on timed settings. During the hours of rain we experienced from Atlanta to New York City, our only option was to hold down the trigger manually.10.0 Wonderful
Nov 2020
Pros:
All good.Cons:
Specific vehicle availability--I requested a SUV but ended up with a minivan.3.6 Poor
Nov 2020
Cons:
We booked the car for 8:30am. We got there, the car was not ready. They tried to give us an upgrade of a V8 for a long trip when I booked an economical car. We then had to wait 45 mins for a car to arrive. It had tire pressure issues. They filled with air and said it was fine. We got down the road 5 mins and a warning light came on. We then had to find another Alamo to switch out the car which took another 40 mins as they had to do the paperwork and clean the car. 11am we were finally in the road for a 12 hour trip This is totally unacceptable10.0 Wonderful
Sep 2020
Pros:
Everything was smooth and easy. Car was very clean.10.0 Wonderful
Aug 2020
Pros:
Incredibly friendly staff, made me feel comfortable and welcome.National
8.7
Very Good
14 reviewsCleanliness
9.5
Comfort
8.5
Pick-up/Drop-off
8.0
Value for money
9.0
2 locations in Washington, D.C.
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10.0 Wonderful
Jan 2020
Pros:
Tia was really helpful and easy going.Cons:
Nothing, again, Tia was fabulous6.4 Okay
Nov 2018
Pros:
Manager at airport location was able to accommodate our reservationCons:
We were called a week in advance that our pick up location inDC would be closed that we needed to go to union station to pick up rental. However, after getting an Uber to union station, that office was closed too. Then we had to get another Uber to the Ronald Reagan airport. So more Uber drives. Very late start to our drive to Virginia.10.0 Wonderful
Oct 2016
Pros:
I booked at a place that was off the airport and they worked with me to get the car at the airport. Very nice and professional people.10.0 Wonderful
Sep 2016
Pros:
Great service, great truck9.2 Wonderful
Sep 2016
Pros:
I ordered a pickup truck and actually was given my choice of the ones they had on site, not just the one selected for me. Staff was friendly, courtesy and very helpful.Cons:
National does not pick up or drop off customers before or after rental, so you are responsible for arriving here and getting back on your own accord.9.2 Wonderful
Jul 2016
Pros:
Front desk staff was really nice and pleasant.Cons:
I didn't enjoy the car I drove. But that isn't the fault of Kayak.Dollar
2.0
Poor
2 reviewsCleanliness
2.0
Comfort
2.0
Pick-up/Drop-off
2.0
Value for money
2.0
2 locations in Washington, D.C.
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Reviews
2.0 Poor
May 2023
2.0 Poor
May 2023
Thrifty
2.0
Poor
1 reviewCleanliness
2.0
Comfort
2.0
Pick-up/Drop-off
2.0
Value for money
2.0
One location in Washington, D.C.
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Reviews
2.0 Poor
Oct 2022
Free2Move
No score available yet
10 locations in Washington, D.C.
Sunnycars
No score available yet
3 locations in Washington, D.C.
Elita Rent A Car
No score available yet
2 locations in Washington, D.C.
Kyte
No score available yet
2 locations in Washington, D.C.
One location in Washington, D.C.
Locations in Washington, D.C.
2600 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Arlington
+1 703 838 1666
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No reviews available
One location in Washington, D.C.
Locations in Washington, D.C.
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No reviews available
One location in Washington, D.C.
Locations in Washington, D.C.
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No reviews available
One location in Washington, D.C.
Locations in Washington, D.C.
2600 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Washington Reagan Airport
+1 703 838 1666
Filters
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Car hire locations in or near Washington, D.C.
Good to know
Most popular agency | Hertz |
|---|---|
Most popular car type | Intermediate |
Average price | $160/day |
Good deal | $129/day |