While visiting, is it worthwhile to rent a car while visiting Columbus?

Rental cars in Columbus are recommended, they make it much easier to get around the city. Though there are taxis available, it will likely be much more cost-effective to rent a car for the duration of your stay, and a car rental will give you the freedom to go to all the attractions when you want to go without having to wait to be picked up and risk being late for an event. Rental cars are available right at the John Glen National Airport, so you can book in advance through momondo, pick up your car rental at the airport, and drive to your hotel without having to call a taxi or take the bus.

What different driving laws should I keep in mind while driving in Columbus, OH?

When driving hired cars in Columbus, It is not only illegal to drive over the speed limit, it is also illegal to drive too far below the speed limit unless directed to do so for safety reasons by law enforcement. There are also standard speed limit laws for alleys, school zones, and business districts, even if these areas aren’t marked with special speed limit signs. seat belts are mandatory for front-seat passengers, the driver, and all small children must be in an approved child safety seat. It is against the law to operate a motor vehicle with alcohol in your system, so if you’re planning to have a drink, we recommend that you don’t drive. Rules can change, so be sure and check with the department of motor vehicles for any changes in driving laws before you drive rental cars in Columbus.

Is it necessary to have a special driving license or permit to drive a rental car in Columbus if I’m visiting from another country?

Any tourist visiting the United States may use a valid driving license from their native country as long as they do not stay longer than one year. It is recommended that you also carry an International Driving Permit, but it is not required. To secure hired cars in Columbus, make sure you have two forms of identification (like your passport and your driving license) and a credit card, as debit cards are not accepted by many car rental companies.

Cheap Car Hire in Columbus, Ohio from just $87

Are you looking for cheap car hire deals in Columbus, Ohio? Search right here!

Driver's age: 26-65

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Best deals found for Columbus, Ohio car hire

Find great deals below on a variety of popular rental car types in Columbus, Ohio

Chevrolet Spark

or similar SMALL

$87/day

View Deal

Nissan Versa

or similar SMALL

$131/day

View Deal

Toyota Corolla

or similar MEDIUM

$87/day

View Deal

Chevrolet Cruze

or similar MEDIUM

$90/day

View Deal

Chevrolet Malibu

or similar LARGE

$95/day

View Deal

Chrysler Pacifica

or similar VAN

$191/day

View Deal

Nissan Pathfinder

or similar SUV

$132/day

View Deal

Nissan Maxima

or similar LARGE

$171/day

View Deal

Chrysler 300

or similar LUXURY

$152/day

View Deal

Chevrolet Suburban

or similar SUV

$328/day

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Nissan Juke

or similar SUV

$87/day

View Deal

Toyota Venza

or similar SUV

$104/day

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Volkswagen Tiguan

or similar SUV

$104/day

View Deal

Car hire insight and trends in Columbus

Useful insights to help you book the perfect car hire in Columbus

What is the cheapest car hire agency in Columbus?

The cheapest car hire in Columbus are generally found through Budget. When booking with Budget, you may be able to find car hire prices for as low as $52/day. The average price to hire a car in Columbus is $54/day.

What car hire company in Columbus has the most locations?

Enterprise Rent-A-Car has the most locations of any car hire company in Columbus, with 11 locations.

Columbus, Ohio car hire deals found on momondo

Find the car hire in Columbus that's right for you

	Small cars	$54 - $113
	All Car Types	$79 - $236

The average price of a small car hire in Columbus, the United States is $48. The cheapest time to hire a small car in Columbus, the United States is in March. The price is 12% lower than the rest of the year at just $54 per day. A small car rental is typically 60% less expensive than the average rental car in Columbus. The average price of a vehicle hire in Columbus can vary based on a number of factors including supply, popularity of the vehicle, and how far out you book your car hire. Below are the best prices for Columbus small car hire found on momondo in the past week.

The average price of a medium car hire in Columbus, the United States is $128. The cheapest time to hire a medium car in Columbus, the United States is in February. The price is 46% lower than the rest of the year at just $70 per day. A medium car rental is typically 9% more expensive than the average rental car in Columbus. The average price of a vehicle hire in Columbus can vary based on a number of factors including supply, popularity of the vehicle, and how far out you book your car hire. Below are the best prices for Columbus medium car hire found on momondo in the past week.

The average price of a large car hire in Columbus, the United States is $100. The cheapest time to hire a large car in Columbus, the United States is in December. The price is 28% lower than the rest of the year at just $72 per day. A large car rental is typically 16% less expensive than the average rental car in Columbus. The average price of a vehicle hire in Columbus can vary based on a number of factors including supply, popularity of the vehicle, and how far out you book your car hire. Below are the best prices for Columbus large car hire found on momondo in the past week.

The average price of a SUV hire in Columbus, the United States is $97. The cheapest time to hire a SUV in Columbus, the United States is in February. The price is 30% lower than the rest of the year at just $69 per day. A SUV rental is typically 17% less expensive than the average rental car in Columbus. The average price of a vehicle hire in Columbus can vary based on a number of factors including supply, popularity of the vehicle, and how far out you book your car hire. Below are the best prices for Columbus SUV hire found on momondo in the past week.

Hyundai Accent Hatch

or similar Economy

Up to 2 passengers

$87/day

20 Jan - 22 Jan

See offer

Skoda Fabia

or similar Economy

Up to 2 passengers

$93/day

20 Jan - 22 Jan

See offer

Suzuki Swift

or similar Compact

Up to 4 passengers

$131/day

20 Jan - 22 Jan

See offer

Columbus car hire directory

All major car hire suppliers in Columbus, Ohio

Budget

6.3

Okay

100 reviews•8 locations

Check prices

Overview

Recent reviews

10.0

Wonderful|Aug 2023

All good.

2.0

Poor|July 2023

They refused my international DL because my name in English was written right to left. Yet other rental companies had accepted it without any issues

10.0

Wonderful|July 2023

I was so impressed with Budget! They overbooked our reserved vehicle, but made it right and then some! They gave us two Chrysler Pacifica Van's in place of the one big passenger van, and even provided gas for the inconvenience. The van's were clean and drove like a dream. I have never experienced such great customer service, and will be a return customer! Thank you for going above and beyond in making the overbooking right. I am so grateful and impressed with the customer service of this company!

10.0

Wonderful|July 2023

Pick up counter help great

6.0

Okay|June 2023

More staff at the Columbus office would be great. There was a huge line at the counter and two agents on duty. My wait was 50 minutes in line. The staff were nice and addressing as many customers as possible.

2.0

Poor|June 2023

Never rent from these clowns! The description says CMH but they’re not at the airport - far from it. Waste of time, money and energy. Pay the extra $5 and get a real rental company!

1 out of 34

Avis

7.0

Good

34 reviews•8 locations

Check prices

Overview

Recent reviews

2.0

Poor|Aug 2023

Would not allow rental because renter had no Drivers License but ID and credit card. Driver was to be added at rental time. Driver unable to use credit card nothing open avis charged $50 on original renters credit card. Went to Payless

2.0

Poor|Aug 2023

I rented a premium car (Passat, Altima, etc) and got the counter to hear "sorry they never brought us your car". They tried to pawn some Kia's, etc but ended up giving me a RAM truck. Truck was nice & clean but after 2 miles down the road on freeway the check engine light came on and cutoff while going 55 on freeway. I started it back up and soon cutoff again once over 50MPH. Please mind you this is a 2-ton truck with very little control when engine dies (power brakes/steering). I called the local rental co and the suggested I take it to airport since I was so close and could take side roads under 50MPH. Airport Avis was very rude and said the company I rented from was a "franchise" and we are "corporate" and that I needed to drive it back to them for the exchange. I spoke to a manager and made it clear the engine died twice on I270 over 50MPH but they could care less. I took back roads back to the local Avis but they didn't have a clean ready car. They were kind and setup a Ford Edge for me to go back to airport to exchange. Car wasn't cleaned but she knew I needed a car to get back to the wide assortment of option at Avis Columbus Airport. Finally got my "premium" Chevy Malibu at Avis airport and went on my way. 2 days later I get an alert via phone of a $106 charge for the 1-day rental of the dirty Ford Edge. I called Avis and spent 2 hours telling them the story. They finally refunded me after I threated to call my CC company and dispute. I've rented 100's of cars in my life and never had such a poor experience such as this.

10.0

Wonderful|June 2023

Got a new clean vehicle, no issues, was thrilled

8.0

Very Good|June 2023

Quick and easy

2.0

Poor|Mar 2023

Couldn’t pick it up with out a credit card

2.0

Poor|Sept 2022

The person that attended at the counter was pretty bad. I rented two cars, one for a colleague of mine and one for myself. He forced to me to pay a second driver on my colleague's rental in order to put his car under my credit card. On the second car, he tried to get me to sign a different price (much higher by the way), than the one that my reservation said. Once I showed him y reservation then he brought down the price exactly to my original reservation with the click of a button. Also, he refused to add my rewards member number because he didn't add it in the beginning. Terrible experience!!!

1 out of 12

Payless

5.8

Fair

38 reviews•1 location

Check prices

Overview

Recent reviews

2.0

Poor|Feb 2024

While Payless advertise a 100% smoke-free fleet rental car had definitely been smoked in. I tried to clear the air every time I got in it losing a can of febreze but could never overcome the smoking stench. Additionally, the car had numerous dings and the transmission made noise whenever it was in gear. The car definitely had mechanical, cosmetic, and smoking odor problems.

10.0

Wonderful|Sept 2023

One very small complaint...I stood in line for about 30 minutes at pickup.

2.0

Poor|Sept 2023

The rental car was absolutely filthy and the previous renter smoked in the car. I don’t believe Payless even looked at the car for cleanliness

10.0

Wonderful|Aug 2023

This was my first experience with Payless and it was outstanding. Easily the nicest and cleanest car I have ever rented. I will be definitely use them again.

2.0

Poor|June 2023

Your pickup was not at the airport. I had to pay $50 to Uber 25 miles to pickup the car and was not able to drop the car off at the airport which meant I had to drop my people off at the airport and then drive 25 miles back to the Avis location to return the car. Then I had to have a friend take me to the airport.

2.0

Poor|June 2023

The car was dirty and smelled like feet. There were also plenty of marks/scratches on the vehicle.

1 out of 13

National

8.4

Very Good

10 reviews•1 location

Check prices

Overview

Recent reviews

10.0

Wonderful|Apr 2022

Customer services was top notch. Andrea from National was great - very friendly and gave her business card in the event anything went wrong. Pick up and drop off were both easy and enjoyable.

10.0

Wonderful|July 2021

Much better price than other vendors.

7.9

Good|July 2021

National was just fine in terms of all the pick up/drop off functions, I'd use them again. But currently the price for a car is way out of proportion. It could have been due to the July 4th weekend, but I'll start looking for alternatives when I can!

1 out of 4

Enterprise Rent-A-Car

8.2

Very Good

26 reviews•11 locations

Check prices

Overview

Recent reviews

10.0

Wonderful|Sept 2023

Great!

10.0

Wonderful|Aug 2023

Everything was great. Will rent from them again thanks.

10.0

Wonderful|June 2023

Excellent car, excellent customer service

10.0

Wonderful|Mar 2023

Very fast and convenient. Everyone was friendly during the entire process.

4.0

Mediocre|Jan 2023

Beware: There is NO connection between online reservations, the customer service center, and the local offices. I made 3 separate reservations at 3 separate locations. Each time the vehicle was confirmed online, confirmed ‘available’ by customer service, but actually out of stock at each location. The local offices were very friendly and excellent at trying to help me, but I ended up not renting the vehicle. Just make sure to call the local pick-up location DIRECTLY to see what’s available. Frustrating experience.

10.0

Wonderful|Aug 2022

The customer service rep was extraordinary!!!! She was polite, kind, happy, chatty and had a great smile. She made the whole experience excellent. When going out to get the car, the gentleman helped us find the right car and made sure we didn’t have to walk far being that my dad is disabled.

1 out of 9

Enterprise Rent-A-Car Locations in Columbus

Alamo

7.7

Good

20 reviews•1 location

Check prices

Overview

Recent reviews

10.0

Wonderful|Dec 2022

The counter agent was friendly, quick and a pleasure dealing with. The car choices were good and I didn’t feel like I got the “bait and switch” treatment I have received from others before.

10.0

Wonderful|Nov 2022

The customer service is outstanding

2.0

Poor|Oct 2022

Very unrealistic policies with respect to the use of credit cards. I got a new credit card which I had forgotten to call and activate the card. While at the Alamo counter in Columbus, the card after swipe did not go through. The bank immediately sent me a text and requested I call to activate the card. I showed the text to the Alamo staff and said I was calling to activate the card and will let her swipe the card once more. She bluntly refused, and I could not have the car. A complete mess of my entire plan. While we can understand the emphasis on the use of credit cards for car rentals, however, the company should be pragmatic to serve its clients better. Thank you

6.0

Okay|Feb 2022

Wish there were a vehicle similar to what was described at time of rental. Wish car was cleaner on pickup.

7.9

Good|Aug 2021

The first car I was assigned was too small. The associate changed me to a larger car (still in my reservation’s class) which worked out perfectly.

10.0

Wonderful|July 2021

Super easy to pick up and drop off, even at different airports.

1 out of 7

Hertz

7.2

Good

28 reviews•10 locations

Check prices

Overview

Recent reviews

2.0

Poor|June 2022

The worsed car hire I’ve ever come across, plane was 30 mins late no one on the desk when we arrived on a Saturday evening 8.30pm so was stuck at the airport with not a clue what to do, a bus driver came to our rescue, by taking us to a nearby hotel. With the extra cost of over 300 dollars which wasn’t in our budget but had to be paid, unless I’m desperate I won’t be using Hertz again when we travel. The car was fine once we got it and no discount for getting it a day later ☹️

10.0

Wonderful|May 2022

The gentleman that processed the rental return was friendly and professional. A good guy.

10.0

Wonderful|May 2022

Great customer service at the counter

10.0

Wonderful|Apr 2022

Very easy to pick up and drop off. Staff was great and friendly.

4.0

Mediocre|Mar 2022

Hertz has the tendency to rent damaged cars. They check them with you when checking out. I now take pictures of the car before I leave. On this rental the return guy was saying 'there is a dent here' at which time I showed him the picture I took before I left the pick up location. This is not the first time they have done this. BEWARE!!

2.0

Poor|Jan 2022

They inspect the car and after that they try to make u pay for something you dont do it. And report as exident damaged with no proof

1 out of 10

Hertz Locations in Columbus

Dollar

7.0

Good

16 reviews•4 locations

Check prices

Overview

Driving with a car hire in Columbus - FAQs

Learn everything there is to know about hiring a car in Columbus so you can be properly prepared for your next trip

How much will it cost to hire a car in Columbus, Ohio in January?

For a weekend in January, the best deals in Columbus start from around $97 up to around $97. $0 is a normal deal for a week-long hire in Columbus, but for January it's not uncommon to see prices as low as $0, depending on your requirements.

Is there a fee to cancel my Columbus, Ohio car hire?

The majority of the Columbus car hire agencies that we partner with do not have a cancellation fee. This means that if your plans change unexpectedly, many car hire centres in Columbus such as Budget, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and Avis often offer cancellation free of charge based on when you booked.

What is the speed limit in Columbus, Ohio?

If you are hiring a vehicle in Columbus, then be aware that the current speed limit within city or town limits is 40 km/h, unless otherwise posted. Suburban speed limits around Columbus will generally have a speed limit of 120 km/h. If you are travelling on a motorway in Columbus, then the speed limit is 120 km/h.

What is the weather like in Columbus, OH in December?

Typically, the weather in Columbus through the month of December is 1 °C and the expected precipitation is 76 mm. This is important information to know when hiring a car so you can be sure to rent the perfect car for the expected weather.

Is the weather in Columbus similar to the rest of Ohio?

The climate in Ohio during December is usually 0 °C with an expected 78.7 mm of precipitation throughout the month. Those looking to hire a car and leave from Columbus on a road trip to the surrounding area should take note of this information.

When did momondo last update prices for cars in Columbus?

Prices for cars in Columbus refresh daily.

How many operators does momondo search for cars in Columbus?

As of December 2024, there are 53 operators available to choose from for cars in Columbus.

How old do you have to be to hire a car in Columbus?

The minimum age for drivers varies by country, including Columbus. In numerous EU countries, drivers must be 18 years old. To hire a car overseas, you'll generally need to be at least 21, and if you're under 25, a young driver surcharge may be applied. We advise that you read the policy of your chosen hire company before making a reservation.

What documentation or ID do you need to hire a car in Columbus?

To hire a car in Columbus, all drivers must present a valid full driving license. If the license is written in a language other than the language of the country of hire, an International Driving Permit may be required to avoid the risk of potential fines. If you're hiring a car abroad, you may also need to provide evidence of your return travel and accommodation information during your stay. We always recommend that you verify with the specific hire company you're booking with.

Why use momondo?

Why should I use momondo to book a car hire in Columbus?

You should use momondo to book a car hire in Columbus because it could save you time and money. momondo fetches and allows you to compare car hire prices and policies from thousands of car hire websites.

How does momondo help me find the best car hire deal in Columbus?

Once you have performed a search for a car hire in Columbus, momondo will show the results and enable you to find the best deal by using our filters; here you can narrow your search down by vehicle type, price, agencies and a multitude of policies that can apply.