Car rental prices at Denver Airport

Denver Airport car hire in October 2026 runs around $61 a day for an Intermediate, the Volkswagen Jetta size, $57 for a Compact and $51 for an Economy when booked about a month ahead. A Fullsize car, the Chevrolet Malibu size, is about $74 a day. Leaving it to the last 2 weeks keeps an Intermediate at $61, while a Compact drops to $54. November 2026 is the cheapest month at $65 a day for an Economy, whereas July 2027 peaks at $117 for a Fullsize car. If your quote differs, the price checker will tell you for your exact dates.

For October 2026 at Denver Airport, waiting until the last 2 weeks costs $61 a day for an Intermediate car, matching what you pay around a month before your trip. Across the year, booking 9 months ahead averages $102 a day compared to $70 in the last 2 weeks, so booking late saves about 46% and you have missed nothing by waiting. July 2027 is the dearest month at $117 a day, while November 2026 is the cheapest at $65. Across the 395 airports we track car hire prices for, 48% of bookings on our sites happen within 2 weeks of pickup.

Thrifty is the cheapest company at Denver Airport for an Intermediate car, averaging $59 a day from 1,277 prices over the last 12 months, and its desk sits directly at the airport. Budget is next at $61 a day from 1,872 prices, but it requires a credit card and holds a $200 deposit. Thrifty takes a debit card and averages a 19-minute desk wait, though it does not yet have enough reviews for a score. Sixt and Enterprise cost more at $82 a day.

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.

Budget is the best-reviewed company at Denver Airport with enough feedback to qualify, scoring 77/100 from 35 reviews, and its desk wait averages 12 minutes. It is also among the cheapest, averaging $61 a day for an Intermediate car across 1,872 prices over the last 12 months. Thrifty is cheaper at $59 a day but does not yet have enough reviews for a score. Other desks with heavy review volume, including National with 88 reviews and Alamo with 76, do not yet have enough reviews for an overall 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.

Deposits at Denver Airport run from $0 with Europcar up to $299 with Avis, and 4 of the 10 desks take a debit card. Another 3 desks take a debit card for some cars only, while 3 require a credit card. Filter for a debit card before you compare prices rather than after, as requirements vary by supplier and model. 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.

Payment rules and desk queues catch people unprepared at Denver Airport, where some counters refuse debit cards and others keep drivers waiting over half an hour. Avis, Budget and Europcar refuse debit cards entirely, requiring a credit card in the primary driver's name. Queues also vary widely across the terminal counters: Hertz averages a 2-minute wait, whereas Alamo averages 34 minutes, which is quite a wait after a long flight to the mountains.

Only 50% of prices at Denver Airport are full tank out, full tank back, so read the fuel line under the car before you book.

Intermediate cars at Denver Airport, such as the Volkswagen Jetta or Toyota Rav4, average $61 a day in October 2026 and suit mountain driving best. It seats 5 and holds 4 bags, giving you adequate room and engine pull on steep climbs. A Compact like the Nissan Versa costs $57 a day and takes 3 bags, while an Economy like the Mitsubishi Mirage costs $51 and takes only 2 bags. Every car quoted at the airport is automatic, so you will not pay more to avoid a manual transmission, while electric and hybrid options are not currently offered.