Car rental in San Diego

Looking for a rental car in San Diego? Give Express Rent A Car a call for your rental car needs!

The basic requirements for renting a car are generally:

• The driver must be 25 or older
• A valid driver’s license
• A valid credit card

Be warned, if you are under 25, you will be subject to an underage driver surcharge or be unable to rent a car yourself. You may also want to check with your insurance company or any other organizations you are affiliated with, as they may be able to offer assistance with this requirement if it affects you.

• Provided that you are over 18 and have a valid out of state driver’s license, you can drive a car in California without the need for a California license
• California’s Basic Speed Law states that you must not drive faster than current conditions allow (weather, traffic, etc.), regardless of the posted speed limit. This is particularly important in San Diego, with the amount of fog the area often receives.
• Parking is strictly enforced throughout San Diego. Be sure to obey all posted signs and colored curbs to avoid receiving a ticket.
• If you are parking on a hill in San Diego, be certain that you have curbed your wheels to avoid a runaway car. If you park with your car facing uphill, turn your wheels towards the street; if parking facing downhill, turn your wheels into the curb.

When choosing a rental car, you may wish to opt for a car with an automatic transmission. San Diego is famous (or infamous, perhaps) for its very steep hills, some of which have been gauged at more than a 30% grade. An automatic will help prevent you from rolling back when starting the car on a steep hill. If you choose a manual transmission, you may wish to avoid the steepest hills if possible and/or try starting the car with the emergency brake on and slowly ease it off as you apply the gas.

You may also want to invest in a map in order to familiarize yourself with the layout of San Diego’s streets, which can often be confusing. There are groups of numbered “streets”, and groups of numbered “avenues” and many of the streets are one-way and/or on steep hills.

Above all, be sure to plan your driving routes carefully to account for rush hour traffic, street closures and many other factors that may come into play while you’re visiting San Diego.

Good luck with a rental car in San Diego and thanks for choosing Express Rent A Car for your car rental!