Driving into San Francisco, CA

San Francisco, CA · San Francisco International (SFO)

San Francisco car rental for coast roads and wine country

EVs with free charging, convertibles for Highway 1, and crossovers for Tahoe. Curbside at SFO or delivered to your hotel in SoMa or the Marina.

Call San Francisco+1 (815) 991-4848 · Open daily, 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM local time

Renting a car in San Francisco

San Francisco is small and steep, and the reasons to rent here almost always sit outside the city: Napa and Sonoma an hour north, Big Sur three hours south, Tahoe four hours east. We set the car up for the trip you are actually taking rather than the seven miles of city driving on either end.

Electric makes particular sense here — charging is dense, the HOV lanes matter on the bridges, and our EV rates include charging. If you are heading to the mountains in winter we will put you in something with all-wheel drive and chains in the trunk.

Where we deliver in San Francisco

  • SoMa
  • Marina
  • Mission
  • Financial District
  • Oakland
  • Palo Alto

Drives worth the miles

Highway 1 to Big Sur

Three hours of cliff road to Bixby Bridge and beyond. Fuel up in Carmel; services thin out fast after that.

Napa and Sonoma loop

An hour over the Golden Gate and up through Sonoma, back down the Silverado Trail. Plan a designated driver or a long lunch.

What people rent in San Francisco

Three picks from the fleet that make sense for this city specifically.

Estimate your San Francisco rental

From $132 / day

Pick your dates, car and pickup location — we apply the exact San Francisco taxes, location fees and deposit so the number you see is the number we quote on the phone.

Airport counters

Neighbourhood branches

Delivery

One-way drop-off

Select pickup and drop-off dates to see your San Francisco total, including local taxes and fees.

SFO facility charge included. EV charging is included in the daily rate.

Cheap Car Rentals averages 15% below national rental companies in San Francisco. Compare company-by-company pricing on any vehicle page.

Browse the fleet

Compare the San Francisco picks side by side

Rates shown include the San Francisco daily adjustment, before taxes and fees.

Feature, seat and price comparison of rental cars in San Francisco
FeatureTesla Model YPorsche 911 CabrioletToyota RAV4Lowest daily rate
Price per day$132$506$87
Seats545
Bags413
CategoryElectricSpecialtySUV
TransmissionSingle-speedAutomaticAutomatic
Fuel economy310 mi range20 mpg combined30 mpg combined
Rating4.9 (254)4.97 (44)4.88 (391)
310 miles of rangeIncludedNot availableNot available
All-wheel driveIncludedNot availableIncluded
Supercharging includedIncludedNot availableNot available
Power liftgateIncludedNot availableNot available
Glass roofIncludedNot availableNot available
76 cu ft max cargoIncludedNot availableNot available
Power soft top at speedNot availableIncludedNot available
Sport Chrono packageNot availableIncludedNot available

Search the whole fleet for San Francisco

Filter by vehicle type, pickup point or price — then call to hold the car.

What San Francisco renters say

5.00· 2 reviews in San Francisco

5 out of 5 stars
Charging included and full when it arrived. Did Napa and back twice and never paid a cent beyond the rate.
HCHannah C.SoMa · August 2026 · Tesla Model Y
5 out of 5 stars
Big Sur in a 911 was the whole point of the trip. Handed over at SFO curbside in under ten minutes.
TRTomas R.Portland, OR · May 2026 · Porsche 911 Cabriolet

No surprises

What you can count on in San Francisco

Local CA taxes, deposits and protection options are on the table before you book — and roadside help covers you across metro San Francisco and anywhere the road takes you after.

Insurance & protection

Every car leaves with liability cover. Add more only if you want it.

  • State-minimum liability included on every rental
  • Standard: collision damage waiver, $500 excess, $19/day
  • Full: zero excess, no deposit hold, $34/day
  • Bring your own cover or a credit-card waiver — we won't upsell you

Clear policies

The rules in plain English, the same ones our quotes are built on.

  • Refundable deposit from $200, released at return
  • Drivers 21+; under-25 young-driver fee shown before you confirm
  • Free cancellation up to 24 hours before pickup
  • Return it empty — fuel at the local pump average, no refuel fee

24/7 roadside help

If something goes wrong in San Francisco, one call sorts it.

  • Jump starts, flat tires, lockouts and tow dispatch
  • One number, day or night — no ticket queue
  • Replacement vehicle within 4 hours on Full protection
  • Breakdown time credited back to your rental

Real humans, real hours

No app, no chatbot maze. A person answers and confirms your car.

  • Phone bookings, changes and extensions handled live
  • Written confirmation by email and SMS with your reference number
  • Downloadable PDF confirmation with your pickup instructions
  • Same team handles the booking and the pickup

No hidden fees — here's everything that can be added

Taxes and recovery fees are set locally, not by us. We show them on the call and on your written confirmation.

San Francisco rental tax & surcharges
14.25% of the rental subtotal
Airport concession recovery
$30 per rental
Curbside or hotel delivery
$15 flat
Mileage
Unlimited on 3+ day rentals

Support hours: Open daily, 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM local time · Roadside assistance answers 24/7 on +1 (815) 991-4848.

San Francisco rental questions

Explore more from San Francisco

Browse the rest of our network — nearby cities, every vehicle type, and the models San Francisco travelers book most.

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