Car hire prices at San Francisco Airport

A good price at San Francisco Airport is around £45 a day for an Intermediate, such as a Volkswagen Jetta, booked about a month ahead for October 2026. An Economy car like a Mitsubishi Mirage runs to £39 a day, while a Compact Nissan Versa costs £42. Wait until the last 2 weeks and an Intermediate typically drops to £40. Across the year, prices hit £44 in November 2026 and reach £80 in August 2027, so check the price checker for your exact dates.

Booking late saves about 33% at San Francisco Airport: across the year, quotes fall from £61 around 9 months before pickup to £45 in the final 2 weeks. For October 2026, waiting until the last 2 weeks cuts an Intermediate from £45 to £40 a day. Across the 395 airports we track car hire prices for, 48% of bookings on our sites happen within 14 days of travel. If you have not sorted your vehicle yet, holding off has worked in your favour.

Budget and Enterprise are the cheapest companies at SFO for an Intermediate car, both averaging £41 a day over the last 12 months. Budget comes with an on-airport desk and an average 12-minute wait, though it requires a credit card for the deposit. Alamo costs slightly more at £47 a day from 3,575 prices, but it takes debit cards and scores 93/100 from customer reviews. Enterprise does not yet have enough reviews for a score.

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.

Alamo is the best-reviewed company at San Francisco Airport, scoring 93/100 from 62 customer reviews with an average desk wait of 24 minutes. Alamo is relatively competitive on price, averaging £47 a day for an Intermediate over the last 12 months. Budget is cheaper at £41 a day and scores 82/100 from 40 reviews, with an average 12-minute wait. Dollar scores 77/100 from 40 reviews, while National does not yet have enough reviews for a score.

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 San Francisco Airport, deposits start at zero with Europcar and reach around £222 with Avis, while 4 of the 10 desks accept debit cards. Another 3 companies accept debit cards for some cars only, leaving 3 desks that require a credit card. Filter for a debit card before comparing prices so you only see vehicles you can collect. Any 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.

Three desks at San Francisco Airport turn away debit cards entirely, and counter wait times can stretch to 30 minutes when flight arrivals bunch together. Budget, Avis, and Europcar require a credit card in the lead driver's name for the deposit. Desk queues also vary sharply, taking 10 minutes at Dollar but reaching 30 minutes at Sixt. If you are landing tired after a long flight, standing in line for half an hour is an unwelcome start to your motorway drive.

Only 53% of prices at San Francisco Airport are full tank out, full tank back, so read the fuel line under the car before you book.

For highway cruising beyond the city, pick an Intermediate like a Volkswagen Jetta at SFO, which costs about £45 a day for October 2026. It seats 5 people and holds 4 bags, giving you adequate boot space for road trips. You can step down to a Compact Nissan Versa for £42, but you lose luggage space with room for only 3 bags. Every single car offered is automatic, meaning you will not pay extra for a self-shifting gearbox.