Cheap Car Rentals in San Francisco from $26

For car rentals in San Francisco, you must be at least 21 years old to rent a car. Drivers under 21 can only purchase economy or compact car rentals, and to purchase any other luxury car rental in San Francisco, you must be at least 25. Additionally, younger drivers will be charged extra fees. You must have a credit card and a valid driver’s license to complete the rental transaction. If you use a debit card, your account will be charged a deposit to rent the car.

To drive rental cars in San Francisco, it’s helpful to know the driving laws. Drivers must wear seatbelts, and phone use while driving is prohibited. The city uses light cameras and other monitoring devices, so stop at all red lights and stop signs. Driving rental cars in San Francisco can be tricky, so pay attention to one-way streets and other road signs. When operating San Francisco rental cars, yield to emergency vehicles by moving over a lane if possible. Driving while under the influence of alcohol is illegal, and young children must be secured in a car seat at all times when you’re operating the car. At roundabouts, you must yield to other drivers in the roundabout and keep moving once you enter the roundabout. California's blood-alcohol limit is 0.08%.

When considering a cheap car rental in San Francisco, it’s important to research the area, the weather, and to know your reason for renting a car. The city has steep hills, and if you’re planning to travel to the rugged areas north of the city, the smart car rental in San Francisco is a larger SUV. A larger vehicle like a truck or mid-sized SUV is perfect for camping or water sports. Surfboards and kayaks will fit on roof racks, and there is plenty of room inside for all your gear. If you’re moving large items, a passenger van rental is a good choice. Since the weather is pleasant most of the year, fun San Francisco car rentals like sporty convertibles are a good option.

For your rental cars in San Francisco, parking in the city is an important thing to understand. For curb parking in San Francisco, pay attention to the color of the curb, as curb colors represent different zones. For example, white is five-minute parking and green represents 10-minute parking. Within the city limits, a curb with no color or paint generally means two-hour parking. For San Francisco car rentals, keep in mind that there are many lots along the Embarcadero close to popular sites, and these lots are often cheaper than metered parking. Long-term parking at SFO parking facilities is around $25 per 24 hours. Your best bet is to use the parking apps, as these allow you to find parking, pay, and manage your parking.

In the past two weeks, Cheapflights users have found many deals under $59/day when booking a rental car in San Francisco. The best deal a user found was for $22/day from Turo, booked on Jun. 8.

Turo offers rental cars in San Francisco for about $408 per week on average.

The length of time you can book a rental for is subject to the inventory of the supplier. When renting a vehicle from San Francisco it should be possible to rent a car for a whole month if needed.

We’ve recently found that Turo offers you prices that are 64% cheaper than the average rate available for a long-term rental. The average cost of a car rental in San Francisco for a month is $1,748. Check Cheapflights to compare pricing and options for your rental car.

$78 is, on average, how much a car rental costs for the weekend in San Francisco. To save money, consider booking a Intermediate car rental, which is the cheapest car during the weekend. If you are looking for a car rental in July, we’ve seen prices on Cheapflights for as low as $72 per day.