Car Hire at San Francisco Airport

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San Francisco Airport, San Francisco, USA - California
Unable to find any location
Driver's country of residence is United States of America (USA) and age is 30-65
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Trustpilot
700+ Trusted Suppliers:

Cheapest Car Hire Rates

Standard
Kia K5 or comparable
Kia K5
  • 5
  • 2
  • 4
  • A/C
  • Auto.
Thrifty
£36.99 per day
Compact
Compact (Nissan Versa) or comparable
Compact (Nissan Versa)
  • 5
  • 1
  • 4
  • A/C
  • Auto.
SIXT
£38.96 per day
Intermediate
Hyundai Elantra or comparable
Hyundai Elantra
  • 5
  • 3
  • 4
  • A/C
  • Auto.
Alamo
£39.53 per day
Full-size
Chevrolet Malibu or comparable
Chevrolet Malibu
  • 5
  • 2
  • 4
  • A/C
  • Auto.
Dollar
£40.53 per day

Most Popular Car Hire Deals

Economy
Mitsubishi Mirage or comparable
Mitsubishi Mirage
  • 4
  • 2
  • 4
  • A/C
  • Auto.
Enterprise
£40.70 per day
Premium
Nissan Maxima or comparable
Nissan Maxima
  • 5
  • 2
  • 4
  • A/C
  • Auto.
Avis
£48.64 per day
Full-size Elite
Audi A5 Sportback or comparable
Audi A5 Sportback
  • 5
  • 2
  • 5
  • A/C
  • Auto.
National
£49.03 per day
Standard Elite SUV
Audi Q3 or comparable
Audi Q3
  • 5
  • 4
  • 4
  • A/C
  • Auto.
Alamo
£48.79 per day
The above prices are only approximate and were last updated at 00:53 on 11/07/2025. Prices may vary based on the booking dates, length of rental, and car class.
Why book with us?
Special offers
As a market leader, we get special offers like contactless pick-ups, great prices, and free upgrades.
Award-winning
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Highly-rated
A combined rating of 4.5 with 200k+ total reviews on platforms like Trustpilot, Google, and Review Center.
4M users
Have already booked on one of the fastest-growing car rental booking websites.

Travel information

Languages
English, Spanish
Currency
USD
Drive on
Right-hand side
Dialing code
+1
Average car hire price
£43 per day
Average car hire length
7 days
Speed limit within city centre
40 - 48 km/h or 25 - 30 mph
Speed limit out of city centre
88 - 104 km/h or 55 - 65 mph
Acceptable limit of BAC
0.08%
Score
9.0 / 10
Average petrol price
£0.96 per litre or £3.62 per gallon
Lowest petrol price
£0.85 per litre or £3.21 per gallon
Highest petrol price
£1.14 per litre or £4.32 per gallon
San Francisco Airport

Airport travel guide

Hire a car at San Francisco Airport! Then head to the city and drive over the famous Golden Gate Bridge. From there, go to Fort Mason and the Presidio—the views are beautiful, and there’s plenty to explore, from museums and a wildlife sanctuary to hiking trails and culture and history walks. Then eat at a seafood restaurant in Fisherman’s Wharf and tour turn-of-the-century ships at Hyde Street Pier. Check out the art scene and neighborhood bars in the Mission District and Bernal Heights and the panoramic views in Nob Hill.

The city’s surrounded by water, so how about some beach time? You can easily drive your rental to Ocean Beach, China Beach, or Baker Beach. Up for a museum? The M.H. de Young Memorial Museum exhibits contemporary and indigenous art, and everyone will enjoy the hands-on science fun at the Exploratorium. 

San Francisco’s a great destination, but the surrounding area has even more to offer. If you've hired your vehicle for a longer period, you can head south to Monterrey and even Los Angeles, explore inland California, or take a road trip to the Pacific Northwest. Picking up your car at San Francisco Airport and dropping it off at a different location is easy. Start planning your vacation today!

San Francisco Airport, first known as Mills Field Municipal Airport, was built in 1927 on a 150-acre cow pasture.

Top international routes

  • Los Angeles
  • New York City
  • Seattle
  • San Diego
  • Las Vegas
  • Denver
  • Chicago
  • Santa Ana
  • Boston
  • Portland

Main airlines

United Airlines, United Express, Southwest Airlines, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, and Delta Air Lines

Terminals

The four terminals (T1, T2, T3, and International) are all connected by AirTrain, with station departures every 4–5 minutes. It’s also possible to walk between terminals, although parts of T1 are currently under construction.

Location

The airport is 13 mi (21 km) from downtown San Francisco. Highway 101 is the main road connecting San Francisco Airport to the city.

Most popular types of hire car

  • Convertibles - starting at £63 per day
  • Large cars - starting at £37 per day
  • Medium cars - starting at £39 per day
  • Premium cars - starting at £44 per day
  • Small cars - starting at £39 per day
  • SUVs - starting at £40 per day

Car hire desks

All car hire offices are located in the separate Rental Cars Center (RCC) that can be reached by taking AirTrain Blue Line.

Services and facilities

You’ll find many bars, cafeterias, and restaurants, some serving Mexican and Asian food, as well as a number of duty-free outlets, stores, and gift shops. There are also ATMs, eight lounges, baby care facilities, a children’s play area, a medical clinic, a reading room, a yoga room, spa, reflection room for meditation, hydration station to refill water bottles, aquarium, airport museum, and permanent art exhibitions. You’ll find luggage storage and lockers at the Airport Travel Agency in the main hall of the International terminal. San Francisco Airport is fully equipped for passengers with reduced mobility. You can find more information on the airport's official website.

Nearest petrol station

Costco Gasoline, located at 451 Airport Boulevard, is on the way to the city. It can be reached in less than ten minutes and is open from 6:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on workdays, from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Saturdays, and from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. on Sundays. There are many other gas stations near the airport.

Popular one-way hires

  • Berkeley (25 miles / 40 km)
  • San Jose (37 miles / 60 km)
  • Los Angeles (376 miles / 605 km)
  • Sacramento (99 miles / 159 km)
  • Santa Rosa (68 miles / 109 km)
  • Modesto (94 miles / 151 km)
This information was written, fact-checked, and/or translated by our content creators.
Learn more about our Editorial Policy.

Airport information

Score
7.9
  • Getting to the airport 8.2
  • Check-in and departures 8.4
  • Facilities and services 8.0
  • Wi-Fi 7.8
  • Dining and car hire services 7.5
  • Lounge 7.5

San Francisco Airport (SFO)

  • IATA: SFO
  • ICAO: KSFO
  • Name: San Francisco Airport (SFO)
  • Distance from the city centre: 8 miles / 12.9 km

Top 3 locations near San Francisco Airport

  1. Oakland Airport starting at £35.38 per day
    17.7 km / 11 miles
  2. Sacramento International Airport starting at £31.06 per day
    137.9 km / 85.7 miles
  3. Fresno Airport starting at £31.20 per day
    253.3 km / 157.4 miles

Map of Car Hire Destinations

In which month is car hire at San Francisco Airport the most affordable?

Prices for hiring a car at San Francisco Airport fluctuate depending on the time of year. This table and graph can help you find the best bargain.
Average price for hiring a car per day at San Francisco Airport
£29.01
January
£31.47
February
£30.89
March
£36.10
April
£36.42
May
£34.98
June
£45.06
July
£47.51
August
£40.48
September
£37.76
October
£27.14
November
£34.14
December
The best month to hire a car at San Francisco Airport is November — when the average price for a hire is £27.14 per day. This is 24% less than the yearly average and 43% less than hiring a car in August (when the average price is £47.51 per day).

This information can help you determine the low season. But note that these prices are only averages. The cost of your hire is determined by the type of car you select, the length of time you hire it for and how much in advance you book. Simply type in your dates in the form at the top of the page in order to find out the exact prices.

For how long do most travellers hire cars for at San Francisco Airport?

How long travellers keep their hire cars depends on the time of year: in July, the average hire length is 10 days, while in January, it is only 6 days.
Average number of hire days at San Francisco Airport
6
January
7
February
8
March
9
April
9
May
9
June
10
July
10
August
10
September
8
October
6
November
6
December

What time of year sees the highest demand for car hire at San Francisco Airport?

Given the number of users searching for a car at San Francisco Airport, there is a higher probability of travellers hiring a car in November in comparison to hiring a car in in October.
Monthly Car Hire Searches at San Francisco Airport Compared to the Yearly Average
90%
January
82%
February
93%
March
118%
April
95%
May
94%
June
83%
July
119%
August
85%
September
73%
October
145%
November
122%
December

Car hire information

Popular suppliers Thrifty, Alamo, FOX, Dollar, SIXT
Popular car categories SUVs, Large cars, Medium cars, Small cars
Lowest price £37 per day
Cheapest supplier Thrifty

Most popular car models of suppliers

Hire Agency Model Doors Luggage Type
Thrifty Ford Focus 4 2 Medium cars
Thrifty Nissan Rogue 5 3 SUVs
Alamo Nissan Rogue 5 3 SUVs
Thrifty Mazda 3 5 3 Large cars
Thrifty Volkswagen Jetta 4 2 Large cars
FOX Toyota Corolla 4 1 Large cars
FOX Kia Sportage 5 2 SUVs
Thrifty Chevrolet Spark 4 2 Small cars
Thrifty Nissan Frontier 4 5 Large cars
Alamo Hyundai Kona 4 2 SUVs

Our customers' reviews

Because we want to make sure each review listed here is left by a real customer, we don’t have the option to post a review here. Instead, we ask each and every customer to leave a review after they return their rental car. This way, you know that all reviews are authentic.

United Kingdom
Toyota Corolla
21/09/2024
Visited Yosemite and drove down pacific coast. Great experience
United Kingdom
Nissan Maxima
14/08/2023
Pacific Highway 1 and Dutch town of Solvang

Car Hire Statistics

Highest-rated company
Enterprise
9.3 / 10
)
Lowest-rated company
Europcar
6 / 10
)
Total number of reviews
28
Total rental companies
12
Average daily price
£42.89
Lowest daily price
£36.99
Total cars available
374

Top 12 suppliers at San Francisco Airport in 2025

Enterprise
Enterprise
Exceptional 9.3 / 10 reviews
+18336350431
780 N McDonnell Rd, San Francisco, CA 94128
£40 - £206
Working hours
Mon:
06:00 - 23:59
Tue:
06:00 - 23:59
Wed:
06:00 - 23:59
Thu:
06:00 - 23:59
Fri:
06:00 - 23:59
Sat:
06:00 - 23:59
Sun:
06:00 - 23:59
Alamo
Alamo
Exceptional 9.2 / 139 reviews
+18443708302
780 N McDonnell Rd, San Francisco, CA 94128
£40 - £184
Working hours
Mon:
06:00 - 23:59
Tue:
06:00 - 23:59
Wed:
06:00 - 23:59
Thu:
06:00 - 23:59
Fri:
06:00 - 23:59
Sat:
06:00 - 23:59
Sun:
06:00 - 23:59
National
National
Very good 8.9 / 9 reviews
+18443708301
780 N McDonnell Rd, San Francisco, CA 94128
£41 - £218
Working hours
Mon:
06:00 - 23:59
Tue:
06:00 - 23:59
Wed:
06:00 - 23:59
Thu:
06:00 - 23:59
Fri:
06:00 - 23:59
Sat:
06:00 - 23:59
Sun:
06:00 - 23:59
SIXT
SIXT
Very good 8.6 / 26 reviews
+18887498227
San Francisco Int. Airport Rental Car Center 780 N McDonnell Rd 94128 San Francisco
£39 - £145
Working hours
Mon:
06:00 - 23:59
Tue:
06:00 - 23:59
Wed:
06:00 - 23:59
Thu:
06:00 - 23:59
Fri:
06:00 - 23:59
Sat:
06:00 - 23:59
Sun:
06:00 - 23:59
Budget
Budget
Very good 8.1 / 6 reviews
+16508770998
San Francisco Intl Airport, 780 McDonnell Rd, San Francisco, CA, 94128, United States
£43 - £204
Working hours
Mon:
00:00 - 23:59
Tue:
00:00 - 23:59
Wed:
00:00 - 23:59
Thu:
00:00 - 23:59
Fri:
00:00 - 23:59
Sat:
00:00 - 23:59
Sun:
00:00 - 23:59
Thrifty
Thrifty
Very good 8 / 108 reviews
+18772830898
780 N McDonnell Rd, San Francisco, CA 94128, United States
£37 - £208
Working hours
Mon:
00:00 - 23:59
Tue:
00:00 - 23:59
Wed:
00:00 - 23:59
Thu:
00:00 - 23:59
Fri:
00:00 - 23:59
Sat:
00:00 - 23:59
Sun:
00:00 - 23:59
Hertz
Hertz
Average 7.9 / 7 reviews
+16506246600
780 N McDonnell Rd, San Francisco, CA 94128, United States
£37 - £208
Working hours
Mon:
00:00 - 23:59
Tue:
00:00 - 23:59
Wed:
00:00 - 23:59
Thu:
00:00 - 23:59
Fri:
00:00 - 23:59
Sat:
00:00 - 23:59
Sun:
00:00 - 23:59
Avis
Avis
Average 7.4 / 15 reviews
+16508776780
San Francisco Int'l Airport, 780 McDonnell Rd, San Francisco, CA, 94128, United States
£45 - £69
Working hours
Mon:
00:00 - 23:59
Tue:
00:00 - 23:59
Wed:
00:00 - 23:59
Thu:
00:00 - 23:59
Fri:
00:00 - 23:59
Sat:
00:00 - 23:59
Sun:
00:00 - 23:59
FOX
FOX
Average 7.1 / 161 reviews
+14159172713
435 S Airport Blvd, South San Francisco, CA 94080
£64 - £65
Working hours
Mon:
05:00 - 00:30
Tue:
05:00 - 00:30
Wed:
05:00 - 00:30
Thu:
05:00 - 00:30
Fri:
05:00 - 00:30
Sat:
05:00 - 00:30
Sun:
05:00 - 00:30
Dollar
Dollar
Average 7 / 99 reviews
8664342226
780 Mcdonnell Rd
£39 - £210
Working hours
Mon:
00:00 - 23:59
Tue:
00:00 - 23:59
Wed:
00:00 - 23:59
Thu:
00:00 - 23:59
Fri:
00:00 - 23:59
Sat:
00:00 - 23:59
Sun:
00:00 - 23:59
NUCarrentals
NUCarrentals
Below average 6.8 / 5 reviews
6506517145
1409 Rollins Rd
£39 - £210
Working hours
Mon:
07:00 - 16:00
Tue:
07:00 - 16:00
Wed:
07:00 - 16:00
Thu:
07:00 - 16:00
Fri:
07:00 - 16:00
Sat:
07:00 - 16:00
Sun:
07:00 - 16:00
Europcar
Europcar
Below average 6 / 78 reviews
+14159172713
435 S Airport Blvd, South San Francisco, CA 94080
£47 - £196
Working hours
Mon:
05:00 - 23:59
Tue:
05:00 - 23:59
Wed:
05:00 - 23:59
Thu:
05:00 - 23:59
Fri:
05:00 - 23:59
Sat:
05:00 - 23:59
Sun:
05:00 - 23:59

Our clients highly recommend us

11 Jul 2025
Easy to book
Easy to book
Kim Oestergaard Sorensen
11 Jul 2025
NICEEE
Fast fast fast fast
Tiago De Almeida
11 Jul 2025
Quick and easy.
Good and quick sevice.
Marika
11 Jul 2025
Nice experience
Nice experience
MUHAMMED AFSAL KARATTUCHALI MU
11 Jul 2025
Good experience
Good experience
Federico Tarragoni
11 Jul 2025
Everything is very fast and simple
Everything is very fast and simple
Andrej Jachno
11 Jul 2025
Fast and easy
Fast and easy
Louise Loenvig
10 Jul 2025
Competitive price and simple process
Competitive price and simple process
Agnieszka WOZNIAK
10 Jul 2025
It was quite easy
It was quite easy, Thanks !
Jambo
10 Jul 2025
Car lover I would rent again
Love it super easy
Yamilier Castillo
10 Jul 2025
Very very good
Very very good
Antonio Sardanelli
10 Jul 2025
Very good but no details of car…
Very good but no details of car manufacturing year
MOHAMMAD ALHARBI
10 Jul 2025
Will definitely use again
Easy and quick, good choice of cars amd times to suit. Good price.
S. WARREN
10 Jul 2025
Great Discover agent and service Appalling EXER Paphos service
I booked a vehicle via Discovery from EXER Paphos Airport. The experience we had with EXER is by far the worse I have ever had with a rental company. I travel frequently to all Continents. Firstly we had to wait 15 minutes for them to meet us at the airport and then it was a further 15 minutes to collect the car. It was after nightfall and the rental place was up an ill-lit dirt track in the middle of nowhere. The rental company said that they would not let us have the rental SUV (which was smaller model to the one we booked) as we had too much luggage. I said to them that I still wanted the vehicle and that I would book a taxi to take the additional luggage with some of the passengers to our villa. They still refused to let me have the vehicle and said that they would not honor the booking. They were extremely rude and became aggressive and that troubled me and my family due to the isolated location of their showroom. They refused to further engage with me at all and they only agreed to take us back to the airport after my mother in law, who is in her mid 80s, pleaded with them. However, on a positive note, Mario, who is an agent with Discover, efficiently processed my claim and today indicated that the full payment would be refunded. I give the above five stars to Mario (dependent on the funds being placed in my account over the next few day) and zero stars for EXER. Discover Cars should never use EXER Paphos Airport again due the traumatic experience we encountered which has similarities to what other persons who have written reviewed about the appalling service they have had to endure at EXER Paphos.
R Williams
10 Jul 2025
I love how you make carbooking so easy
I love how you make carbooking so easy, thank you very much / Anna
Anna Borg
10 Jul 2025
Ease of use
Ease of use, good pricing and reliable
Seow Yin EDALENE Lee

San Francisco Airport (SFO)

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Driver's country of residence is United States of America (USA) and age is 30-65
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