The city of Los Angeles was designed with the automobile in mind, as such renting a car seems to be the best way to get around. The city of LA sprawls over such a large area that getting around without a car can be frustrating and time consuming. The complex network of freeways connecting the sprawl can be intimidating, especially for those not used to driving in big cities, but with a GPS or good directions, hiring a car is the best and most popular way to see LA.
At Los Angeles International Airport, rental car offices are located away from the airline terminals. Approximately 40 rental car companies operate out of LAX, but only ten rental car companies are permitted to pick-up and drop-off their customers directly from the airline terminals using courtesy shuttles. Rental car courtesy shuttles pick up passengers under the purple sign Car Rental Shuttles.
| Los Angeles Airport Car Rental Companies | ||
| Advantage | Dollar | Payless |
| Alamo | Enterprise | National |
| Avis | Hertz | Thrifty |
| Budget | Fox | |
To get to the Off-Airport Rental Car Terminal adjacent to Parking Lot C, board free LAX Shuttle buses marked C-96th Street under the blue sign LAX Shuttles-Airline Connection
The first thing you need to know is that all car rental companies are located off-site, about a mile drive from LAX International Airport. You will need to take a courtesy shuttle to an offsite location to pick up your rental. The courtesy shuttle arrive every 5 -10 mins.
Los Angeles is a high competitive car rental market. This works out in the visitors favor. More than a dozen rental-car companies have fleets in Los Angeles, so shop around for the best rates.
When picking up your rental vehicle, make sure to get a map of the area and ask the agent to mark the best route to your destination.
Make sure there is no charge for mileage. This becomes an important issue because you will end up doing a lot of driving, since LA area is really spread out.
Contact your insurance company to find out what the policy is regarding Los Angeles car rentals. If you have full coverage then you may not need to purchase additional coverage from an Los Angeles car rental company. If you don't have full coverage, you should consider purchasing a supplement.
Make your reservation online. Some rental companies offer discount coupons on their website.
Compare rates among several Los Angeles car rental companies to see who has the lowest rate for the time you will be visiting.
Keep checking the rates offered by your preferred rental company because they change constantly. You may find that the rates drop daily, the closer you get to your travel date. Book the lowest rate you find but don't wait too long because it may shoot up again the day before you travel.
| Getting Around Los Angeles | LA Metro Bus |
| LA Taxi | Car Rental in LA |
| Metro Rail | Metrolink |
| Airport Shuttle Vans | LAX FlyAway Bus |
