Almos all renters from out of state pick up their rental car at the airport which they fly into. Orlando International Airport has thousands and thousands of rental cars. Miami and Fort Lauderdale airports aren't far behind. All of these airports are major international airports with flights arriving from cities all around the country and world.

In addition to airports, it is also possible to pick up rental cars at different other locations like downtown offices and hotels. This might be useful if you plan to spend some time on the beach and don't need a car for those days. Some rental car providers offer a meet-and-greet service. It is possible to pick up or drop off a rental car at locations in many Florida cities that don't have a major airport.

You can also make a one-way trip. Say you begin at the beaches of South Florida and travel to Orlando for the theme parks. Most rental companies offer one-way rentals. Simply enter your desired drop-off location when searching and you'll see what's available.

Keep in mind: Most car rental companies charge a fee for one-way rentals, but this will be included in the total if you searched using your desired drop-off location.

You probably know that Spanish is heard quite often in certain parts of Florida, but may not know that nearly a quarter of Florida's population are native Spanish speakers. Many of these reside in the Miami area. This makes a great place to practice your Spanish.

Don't worry if you don't speak Spanish, though. You're highly unlikely to run into any situation where you won't be able to get buy speaking English.

Everglades National Park. Most don't go to Florida for national parks, but Everglades National Park is a can't miss destination being the third-largest national park in the country. Venture southeast from Miami to Homestead and then Ingraham highway to reach the park. Most of the park is only accessible via boat, but guided tours are available. The park also hosts various trains for hiking or cycling. There only lodging in the park comes in the form of campsites. Note that the park's operations are heavily curtailed during South Florida's wet season between June and October.

Miami is the second-most popular destination to rent a car in the state (this goes not just for Florida but in the US in general).

Finally, Fort Lauderdale is also a popular rental car destination.

Of course, outside of these destinations, it's perhaps even more necessary to rent a car when visiting. As in other parts of the US, public transportation is sparse and inconvenient outside of these cities.

There are many gas stations all over Florida, though like anywhere else in the world, they are mainly located in and near populated areas. Unless you plan to travel on country roads in the center or panhandle of the state, you won't ever be very far from a station.

Prices at Florida's gas stations are shown per gallon (1 gallon = 3.79 liters).

As of June 18, 2024, the average price in Florida is $3.22 per gallon for regular (or about .85 per liter). Gas prices in Florida are usually a little lower than the national average. It's also worth noting that gas is cheaper in the Panhandle and gets more expensive as you head south, generally.

The simple answer to this is probably for as long as you plan to stay in the state. The more complicated answer is that you'll have to figure out what you plan to do to know when you'll need a car and when you won't.

If you are planning to spend time at Disney World or another resort and stay in an on-property hotel, then you probably won't need a car during that part of your trip. Likewise if you plan to stay at a resort on the beach in South Florida. Either way, you're likely to want to venture away for some side trips, in which case you'll almost certainly need a car. So in these cases, you might rent a car for only part of your trip.

If you plan to go between resorts in Orlando, or see everything South Florida has to offer, then you'll want a car the whole time. Most people tend to rent a car for their entire stay.

Different destinations in Florida have different price dynamics, depending on the number of tourists, time of the year, and other factors. With that in mind, here are some average numbers to give you an idea of the cost of a rental car in the state.

Rental cars average $36 per day in December making it the most expensive month to rent in. The summer months also see higher prices, with prices averaging $30 a day in July.

The cheapest months are May and September when prices average $22 per day.

In 2024, prices have finally come back down from the surges seen in the years after the pandemic. Car rental companies have been able to secure more vehicles and thus the supply has bounced back, finally.

Keep in mind these are just averages and how much it'll cost to rent will vary widely based on the size of car you rent, which supplier you rent from, where they are located (in the airport or outside of it), whether there is coverage included, and so on.

There are many cheap rental car companies in Florida. On the whole, the country's car rental prices are lower than those in the rest of the United States. You may end up being able to find a car for as little as $15 a day — though be sure to see the caveats below.

Obviously, your destination also influences the price — cars tend to be more pricey around popular tourist destinations. However, that conventional wisdom doesn't hold in Florida. Prices are generally lower in the most popular places — Miami and Orlando — due to the sheer number of cars available there.

Keep in mind: Booking a car in advance is a tried and true method for getting a much lower price, especially if you plan to travel to Florida during the high tourist season. A car booked a month before the trip can cost half as much as the same car booked a couple of days before you travel.

Booking a car for a longer period of time is also a good idea — due to different commissions and other fees, booking a car in Florida for a longer period can cost significantly less per day.

Price is obviously a huge factor when choosing a car rental company, but it shouldn't be your only consideration — often, for a couple of dollars more, you can find a much better overall deal. Instead, try to look for a company that offers both a good price and has a good rating from previous renters.

Also, make sure you are familiar with the rental conditions! Different rental car suppliers will have different conditions. The rental conditions can influence the final price of the car and are important to be aware of in general.

You can find the rental conditions when searching for a rental car on our website.

Some of the most important things when picking up a rental car is knowing your rental car supplier's fuel and mileage policies along with its driver requirements.

Mileage policy :
A rental supplier's mileage policy is the maximum permitted distance that you are allowed to travel per day (or sometimes per week) with your rental car. Once you exceed the permitted distance, you will be required to pay an extra fee for every additional mile you drive. There might also be the maximum permitted mileage for the whole of the rental period.

Different rental car suppliers have different mileage rules. It's important to know about them before booking your car, especially if you plan to drive a lot or travel long distances during your trip.

Also keep in mind that many rental companies restrict the allotted mileage for residents of Florida.

You can find the supplier's mileage policy in their rental conditions:

Driver requirements:
Different rental car companies will have different requirements for drivers. These may include:

Choosing the right insurance is very important as it will protect you in case anything goes wrong during your rental period. If you have your own personal insurance, it may or may not cover your rental car — you should ask your insurance carrier to find out.

We strongly recommend you choose our own Full Coverage. Not only does it come at a reasonable price and covers most potential scenarios, but it will also give you clarity and peace of mind as you will have 24/7 support from our team for any issue that you might have.

Check the Insurance section of our Help Center to learn more about choosing the right insurance and everything related to it.

Small cars are the cheapest type of cars, costing as little as $7 per day. The lowest price is $30 for vans. Of course, this changes depending on the season and demand.

There are a number of local companies in Florida. But all of the major brands also have huge fleets at the main airports in the state. And while some of the smaller companies that you may not have heard of before may offer what looks like a lower price, be sure to find out how much their mandatory fees cost like their toll package. Also, see in advance if they will accept your car insurance as coverage as some of them only accept insurance from certain companies. If you are required to purchase the rental company's coverage, expect the total price to perhaps double.

The main factors for choosing a rental car should be the price and rating of the company. Keep in mind that the well-known large brands have been operating in Florida for decades.

To pick up a rental car, you'll need to have your booking confirmation voucher, passport, driver's license, a credit card on the main driver's name, and all the other necessary documents.

When making the reservation, you will see your rental car's pickup location, of which there are many types. Since most travelers tend to pick up their rental cars at the airport, we'll mainly focus on the pickup locations in or near the airport. These are the most popular pickup location types:

• Meet & Greet. With this type of pickup location, you'll be met by an employee of the car rental company in the arrivals hall of the airport which you normally enter right after leaving the baggage claim area. The employee will usually have a printed sign with your name on it. The employee will take you to the company's office to proceed with signing the rental contract and collecting the car's keys.
• In the terminal. In this case, you will have to find your rental car company's desk yourself. The desk will be usually located in the arrivals hall. Once you've found the desk, you can present your documents and continue with the pickup procedure. Do keep in mind that you might have to wait in line.
• Shuttle bus. In certain cases, the car rental company's desk might be located outside the airport's terminal. Sometimes you can reach it on foot, but in most cases, you need to take a shuttle bus. For this, you'll need to find the shuttle bus stop inside the airport, the location of which will be given to you when making the booking. Sometimes, the shuttle bus is shared by multiple car rental companies while others have their own shuttle service just for them. Look for the name and the logo of your rental company to make sure you take the right shuttle bus.
• Delivery service. This type of pick-up is similar to Meet & Greet but takes even less time to complete as you won't need to go to the car provider's office to sign the agreement.
• Car rental center. This means that your car rental company shares its location with other companies. The car rental center is located in the arrivals hall, in another part of the terminal, or in a separate building next to the terminal.
• Outside terminal. This pick-up location means that your car rental company has an individual desk located outside the airport's terminal, but within the larger airport complex, that can usually be reached on foot

At the pickup location: After the car rental company checks your documents and make sure you have enough deposit on your credit card, you will receive the car's keys and be taken to the rental car which will usually be parked in a nearby parking lot.

Inspect the car: Upon picking up the car, you will have to sign a document called the check-out form. If your rental car has any scratches or other types of damage, they should be listed on the form. Inspect the car carefully — if it has any scratches or other issues that are not listed, make sure to point them out to the employee before signing the check-out form. The form will also list the mileage and the amount of fuel the car has at the pickup time.

Take photos: It is generally a very good idea to take photos of the car before picking it up, preferably from multiple angles and including the inside of the car with the odometer showing the previous mileage on the car and of the amount of fuel in the tank (read more about fuel on our Fuel Policy section above). The photos should have a timestamp to show the date and time when they were taken; most pictures taken with mobile and digital cameras have them.

Find out the drop-off location: Before leaving with the car, make sure you find out the exact drop-off location and the directions to get there. While it will often be the same as the pickup location, it might also be in a completely different part of the airport (this is especially the case with the larger airports that have multiple terminals).

Returning the car: When dropping off the car at the end of your trip, carefully check the vehicle in the presence of an employee of the rental company. If any new scratches or damages are found, the company employee should point them out in your presence. If there are none, the car's check-in form should state that the car has been returned in the same condition. The same applies to the cleanliness of the car (if you return a car that is not clean, the company might later charge an extra cleaning fee). Make sure to check the car's trunk and the glove compartment to avoid leaving any personal belongings in the vehicle.

You might also want to add some extras for your rental car such as a GPS system, a child's seat, second-driver permission (if you're traveling with a friend or a family member who can and wants to drive). it goes without saying that winter equipment like snow chains is never needed (nor available) in Florida. Be sure to search for them in advance and add them before making the booking. Not every rental car supplier will have all of these extras available. Adding extras will influence the final price of a car and different car rental companies offer them for different prices.

Unlike in many places in Europe, speed cameras are not used much in the United States. Speed is typically controlled by patrolmen. However, a recent law was passed in Florida to allow speed cameras to be used in school zones. So be careful and slow down when you pass through a school zone. In addition to the already higher fine, expect the rental company to also charge a significant administrative fee for handling any fines that are charged based on the car's license plate.

Your best bet to avoid being charged with drunk driving is to not drink at all before getting behind the wheel. That being said, anything over .08% BAC is a DUI in Florida. Having a BAC of .15% or more is deemed "aggravated DUI" and can lead to stiffer penalties.

Yes, there are many toll roads in Florida including Florida's Turnpike which connects I-75 north of Orlando with Homestead south of Miami. In the Orlando area, either the Beachline Expressway or the Central Florida Greenway would be of use for traveling between the airport and Disney World or the resorts near it. Yes, you will need to take a toll road to leave the airport.

In South Florida and in addition to Florida's Turnpike, there are also express lanes on I-95 and I-595 which are usable only with a SunPass transponder (avoid these lanes if your rental does not have one, otherwise you will be charged a $25 dollar fee along with other likely fees from the car supplier). The Sawgrass Expressway is another toll road in the area and travelers might use it to connect to I-75 from north of Ft. Lauderdale.

The toll roads in South Florida do not have toll booths. The only way you can pay for these toll roads is by electronic means, either a SunPass transponder or toll-by-plate, a system that captures your license plate number and sends you an invoice in the mail. In some cases, your rental car will have a SunPass transponder. In other cases, there will be a way of using pay-by-plate through your rental contract. Either of these will also incur a fee from the rental car provider. The only alternative is if you have your own SunPass transponder and add the rental vehicle to your account. This is only possible with some rental companies.

Now on to the bad news. In Orlando, even though you can pay for most tolls in cash, many rental companies will force you to use their toll packages. While in other states you can turn off the transponders in the cars, or use your own, there is a type of SunPass transponder that can neither be removed nor switched off. Important: If your rental car has a sticker-type transponder, you will be charged for each toll used and an additional administrative fee which can be quite hefty. Be sure to find out about this ahead of time, as it can make what seems like a cheaper rental cost more in the end.

For those rental companies that have transponders that can be removed or turned off, you can actually pick up a free visitors transponder at the airport in Orlando.