Car hire prices at Washington DC Reagan Airport

For November 2026 at DCA, use £43 a day as your benchmark for an Intermediate car, such as a Volkswagen Jetta, booked around a month before your trip. At that lead time, an Economy car, such as a Mitsubishi Mirage, averages £38 a day, while a Compact car, such as a Nissan Versa, averages £41. Leave booking to the last 2 weeks and an Intermediate car averages £45 a day, £2 more a day. Use the price checker to compare your quote with prices for your exact dates.

For November 2026 at DCA, booking time barely matters: an Intermediate car averages £43 a day around a month before your trip and £45 in the last 2 weeks, so there is little reason to wait. Across the year, an Intermediate car averages £58 a day when booked around 9 months before your trip, from 3,606 prices, so you have not missed a lower price by leaving it later. Across the 395 airports we track car hire prices for, 65% of our customers book within a month of pickup.

Budget is the cheapest company at DCA for an Intermediate car, averaging £42 a day over the last 12 months from 1,872 prices, but you need a credit card at its desk. Budget scores 76/100 from 2,209 recent reviews and averages a 27-minute desk wait, so allow time for collection. Avis averages £45 a day for an Intermediate car over the last 12 months from 623 prices, £3 more a day than Budget, and scores 78/100 from 1,113 recent reviews. Avis also requires a credit card, so paying more does not solve a debit-card problem.

The cheapest company can cost you a longer queue or a bigger deposit, so check the review score and desk wait beside each car in the results before you book.

Choose National at DCA if review scores and collection time matter most: it is best-reviewed at 99/100 from 268 recent reviews, with an average desk wait of 4 minutes. An Intermediate car from National averages £76 a day over the last 12 months from 3,883 prices. Budget is cheapest for an Intermediate car at £42 a day over the last 12 months from 1,872 prices, £34 less a day than National, but scores 76/100 from 2,209 recent reviews. Thrifty and Dollar do not yet have enough reviews for a score, so do not treat their lower prices as evidence of comparable service.

Review scores are CarTrawler customers' own, from the last five months; the score and the desk wait sit beside each car in the results.

At DCA, listed deposits range from £151 with Budget or Sixt to £227 with Avis, but only 1 of the 9 companies accepts a debit card without restricting it to some cars. Thrifty accepts debit cards; 3 other companies accept them for some cars only, while 5 require a credit card. Filter for a debit card before comparing prices, then check the deposit and card rule beside your chosen car. Extras charged at the desk are listed under each car with their price.

If you bring your own child seat, check your airline's rules first: most carry one free, some charge.

At DCA, check card eligibility and allow time for collection: 5 of the 9 desks require a credit card, and Budget’s desk wait averages 27 minutes. Another 3 companies accept debit cards for some cars only, so confirm your chosen car qualifies before booking. If you need to get moving promptly, compare the collection wait as well as the price: National averages 4 minutes at the desk, while Alamo averages 10 minutes.

Only 51% of prices at Washington DC Reagan Airport are full tank out, full tank back, so read the fuel line under the car before you book.

At DCA, start with an Intermediate car, such as a Volkswagen Jetta, for 4 bags: an Intermediate car averages £43 a day for November 2026 around a month before your trip. An Intermediate car seats 5 but takes 4 bags, so reduce luggage if you fill every seat. For November 2026 around a month before your trip, choose a Compact car, such as a Nissan Versa, at £41 a day if 3 bags suffice, or a Fullsize car, such as a Chevrolet Malibu, at £52 a day if you need 6 seats but have no more than 4 bags. 100% of cars offered are automatic, so your class price already includes an automatic gearbox. Electric and hybrid cars are not offered, so do not base your choice on finding one.