Austin has a handful of weekends every year when the whole city fills up at once. Hotels sell out, rideshare prices climb, the airport rental lots run short, and the roads near the venue close or slow to a crawl. If you are coming in for one of those weekends, the car is part of the plan, not an afterthought. We deliver to your hotel, rental house or the AUS arrivals curb, and we collect the car at the end, so you skip the counter on the busiest days of the year.
For the everyday side of renting with us, see economy car rental Austin.
Cars and vans for Austin event weekends, live daily rates
Prices are per day before multi-day and weekly discounts. Three days or more cost less per day and a week less still; for a month or longer call or text 512-851-0490 and we quote it directly.
The Austin event calendar
Dates move from year to year, so check each event's official calendar. The usual pattern looks like this:
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Austin Marathon, usually in February, with a Sunday morning course that closes streets downtown and through central neighborhoods.
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SXSW, every March, spread across downtown, the convention center and venues on Red River and East Sixth.
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Rodeo Austin, usually in March, at the Travis County Expo Center in east Austin.
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MotoGP and NASCAR at COTA, in the spring in recent years, at Circuit of the Americas southeast of the airport.
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Austin FC home matches through the season at Q2 Stadium in north Austin, near the Domain.
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Longhorns home games on fall Saturdays at DKR on the UT campus.
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ACL Festival, two weekends every October at Zilker Park.
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The F1 United States Grand Prix, every October at COTA, the biggest car weekend of the year.
Why booking early matters
On a normal week, you can book a car with us the day before and get the size you want. On F1 weekend, the ACL weekends or SXSW, that stops being true. Visitors arrive from all over the world at the same moment, and the larger cars go first: 7-seat SUVs like the Ford Explorer or similar and both vans. Groups who book late end up splitting into two smaller cars or relying on rideshare during surge pricing.
The price you see when you book is the price you pay, with no airport concession fee and no facility charge, and three days or more cost less per day. What early booking buys you is choice.
Delivery instead of the airport counter
On the Thursday and Friday before a race or a festival, the airport is at its worst: long security lines on the way out, long waits at the rental counters on the way in, and the shuttle to the rental facility running full. We meet you at the arrivals curb instead. Send the flight number and we track it; the handover takes about ten minutes. See Austin airport car rental for how that works.
Many event visitors are better off with delivery to where they are staying. If you land on Thursday night and do not need a car until Friday morning, we bring it to the hotel downtown or the rental house in Travis Heights or East Austin when you are ready. On race weekends, visitors staying southeast of the city can look at car rental in Del Valle and Manor, the area closest to COTA.
Groups and vans
Event weekends are when the vans earn their keep. A group of ten staying in one house for ACL or F1 spends a lot on rideshares, and they rarely arrive together. The Ford Transit Van or similar seats twelve with room for about ten bags; the Ford Transit 15-Passenger Van or similar seats fifteen with room for about twelve. One sober driver, one vehicle, everyone leaves at the same time. The van rental Austin page covers which one to book.
For a family or a group of four or five, the Hyundai Santa Fe or similar or the Mazda CX-5 or similar is enough. For two people going to a match or a show, the Toyota Corolla or similar or the Honda Civic or similar is easier to park and the least expensive car we rent.
Parking and road closures
Every venue in town has its own parking story, and none of them is simple on a sellout day. COTA sells parking passes for race weekends and gets heavy traffic on the roads around it; plan to arrive early. ACL has very little public parking near Zilker, and the streets around the park narrow or close, so most groups park farther away and walk or get dropped off. Game days fill the garages around campus by mid-morning. SXSW and the marathon both close downtown streets, which matters if your hotel is inside the course or the festival footprint.
Check each venue's official parking and road closure information before the weekend, and decide on a drop-off spot and a parking plan in advance.
Event guides
We have written longer guides for the biggest weekends:
How it works
- Pick the vehicle category and your dates in the form at the top of this page, or call or text 512-851-0490.
- Tell us where to bring it: your hotel, home, office, venue or the AUS arrivals curb.
- We confirm by phone within the hour and deliver the car clean and fueled at the time you chose. About ten minutes for license, card, walk-around and keys.
- When you are done, we collect it from the same place.
What you need
A valid driver's license and a major credit or debit card. Minimum age is 21, with no young-driver surcharge. Basic liability coverage is included; the refundable deposit and the coverage options are explained before you pay anything. There is no airport concession fee and no facility charge. Every car is recent, automatic, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and "or similar" means you reserve the category and get that model or one of the same class, seats and price.
Common questions
How far ahead should I book for F1 or ACL?
As early as you can. Those weekends sell out hotels across the city, and the same happens with cars, vans first. Booking early also keeps your choice of size open. We confirm every booking by phone within the hour.
Can you deliver to an Airbnb or rental house?
Yes. Delivery is free anywhere in Greater Austin: hotels, rental houses, apartments, offices or the AUS arrivals curb. Give us the address and a time, and we collect the car from the same place or another one you choose in the area.
Is a van a good idea for a festival group?
For eight to fifteen people staying in one house, usually yes. The Ford Transit Van or similar or the Ford Transit 15-Passenger Van or similar replaces several rideshares each way. Remember the driver stays sober and parking near the venue is limited, so plan a drop-off point.
Can I park at the venue with a rental car?
It depends on the event. COTA sells parking passes for race weekends, ACL has very little public parking near Zilker, and game days fill the garages near campus. Check each venue's parking information before you go.
Are there extra fees on event weekends?
No hidden ones. The rate you see when you book is the rate you pay, with no airport concession fee or facility charge. Availability is what changes on big weekends, so the earlier you book, the more choice you have.
Is there a minimum age for event rentals?
Every driver must be 21 or over, with no young-driver surcharge. That includes the vans. You need a valid driver's license and a major credit or debit card.
Also serving Greater Austin
We also cover Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston. En español: renta de autos económicos en Austin.
Book your car in Austin
Use the short form at the top of the page, or call or text 512-851-0490 and we will sort it out in a couple of minutes. Browse the Austin fleet →
