Updated 11/16/2023
Do you have thought of booking a cheap one way car rentals somewhere in America? You can dig out tones of attractive proposals for returning a car to different location in the US or nearby territory. We have reviewed cheap one way car rental deals from the most popular suppliers, and found that the lowest deals are provided by Thrifty and Dollar. However, there are other agencies, that may waive the one way fee with different memberships like Enterprise, and companies like Thrifty that don’t ask for this penalty in certain US states. So, which one to choose and how to find cheap one-way rentals?
Table of content:
What do you call a one-way trip?
Planning your journey, you must have probably thought of one way car rentals. It means that you pick up a booked vehicle at one spot and return it at another location (city, state or even country).
But be aware of a one-way charge or so-called drop-off charge that all the companies takes! How comes it? The extra money is charged to make up the expenses of delivering a vehicle back to the spot where it was taken, so that you can continue your tour or put it on pause. The one-way extra charge is included in the base rental bill that makes your one-way car rental deal costly:
Final price = (price for your car + one way penalty) * amount of days + state taxes + chosen extras.
Pick one of many available vehicles, including economy or midsize cars, minivans, pickups, luxury vehicles on Rental24h.com. We make it possible to compare deals from different companies, checking out their policy about one-way deals and location restrictions. Read more useful info about popular routes, cheapest one-way car rental fees, ways to waive them, and book with ease on our page!
When should I think of car rental for one way?
It is recommended to book a one-way car rental across the US if:
- You are planning to start from one spot and leave your transport somewhere else.
- You want to rent a car in one state and drive to another.
- Territory limitations are not what you are going to think about.
- You can forget about taking the car back at the primary location and do not worry about it.
- You prefer focusing on the road and driving experience, not on the drop off time.
Wherever you go, just pass the car to the car supplier when you have an intention to change the route or vehicle.
US best rental car company for one way trip
Such car rental giants as Enterprise, Hertz, National, Budget, Avis, Thrifty, Dollar are practically the same in one-way rental rates. You can find attractive prices, cooperating with small vendors, such as Fox or Advantage. They send the lowest one-way car rental rates over the US territory if compare with such big and competent vendors as Avis, National, and Hertz.
| Company | Daily price | Daily one-way price | Mileage policy |
| Alamo |
$59.50 |
$84.45 |
unlimited |
| Budget |
$98 |
$110 |
unlimited |
| Dollar |
$44 |
$76 |
unlimited |
| Enterprise |
$66 |
$94 |
unlimited |
| Hertz |
$77.93 |
$99 |
unlimited |
| National |
$119 |
$115.56 |
unlimited |
| Thrifty |
$44.20 |
$76.94 | unlimited |
Prices in this table are indicated for economy car class, with no extras and additional charges, and applicable to a deal from Orlando Airport MCO to Miami Airport MIA.
Start your own search and get the most attractive car rental offers and the cheapest one-way US car rentals. If you finally received the coupon discount, check if it applies to a one-way ride.
Make a search and check if a one-way fee is included!
Review the following table and find who has the cheapest one way car rentals across the country and the lowest fees (all prices are updated in 2023):
Rental car pick-up location: New York John F Kennedy Intl (JFK) Airport, US
Drop off spot: Greater Buffalo Intl (BUF) Airport, US
| Suppliers | One-Way Fee |
 Alamo |
$150/day
-5% off for Alamo Insiders |
 Avis |
$100/day
|
 Budget |
$75/day
|
 Dollar |
Not indicated in the policy. One way rentals within Florida, California and Nevada locations are free. |
 Enterprise |
The exact penalty is not indicated in the policy. Only $50 for Emerald Club members |
 Hertz |
Not indicated in the policy.
Tesla reservations are not allowed to return one way. |
 National |
$92/day, discounts for Emerald Club members |
 Thrifty |
The exact penalty is not indicated in the policy. One way rentals within Florida, California and Nevada locations are free. |
Note: many companies don’t show you the exact drop off fee unless you start the reservation, so be attentive! In case you want to see the whole price all at once, you can visit Rental24h.com – all taxes and fees are already included in the displayed price, so that you will easily find the best car rental company for one-way trip.
One way car rental US to Canada
There exist a number of specific agencies which hold attractive rates for one-way rides when traveling to another country. Cross border one-way deals are costly – the charge for a one-way international ride to Canada from America depends on the peculiar terms of your supplier and drop-off locations. Most international companies counts up to 15 locations all over the US territory, which allow car hire with leaving it in neighbor Canada.
The most popular routes for one way car rental to Canada include:
In order to find a deal with the cheapest car rental drop off at a different location, take a look at the T&Cs of your particular agency, find fees for crossing the border with Canada and check out the available locations for this type of rentals. Keep your papers in order when passing the border: you need a valid ID, rental agreement, insurance papers and the documents specified by your particular car rental provider.
Save money and get the best oneway car rental in the USA
One-way rides are the fastest but not the cheapest methods of traveling between locations. It is often a money-taking process. The drop-off tax is usually added to a standard rental price. It is not difficult to cut extra money down by making two tricky steps.
Simple ways to receive the cheapest price for a one-way ride:
- Prepay for the car hiring
To cut down the rates, you should PREPAY for the car hire! Do you know which location is preferable for you to start driving? Make your search in that location first: Hertz, Budget, and Payless make tasty discounts to all who pay in advance for their reservations. The discount can reach up to 30%!
Attention: prepayment is generally non-returnable!
- Use coupon codes
US car rental companies provide special discounts for you to save on hiring. It makes one-way rental deals in USA location possible with no fees.
Bottom line
One-way extra fee may add up to $300 per day to your contract rate. The sum you give for the car consists of important elements: the daily rental price (depends on time, vehicle class, distance), age taxes (if you are a young or overage driver), and a drop off charge (depends on take-return location, time of year). The total price varies from one car hire agent to another. Also, the prices are lower for customers supported by their membership in AAA, Costco, or USAA.