Downtown Austin is where a car is least useful on a Tuesday and most useful on a Saturday. From a Congress Avenue hotel you can walk to the Capitol, Sixth Street and the Convention Center, and a scooter covers the rest. Then the weekend arrives: a Hill Country drive, an afternoon at the lake, dinner in South Austin, relatives staying up at the Domain. That is when we bring a car to your hotel, apartment tower or West Campus building, and pick it up when you are finished.
It is the same fleet and the same rates as our economy car rental Austin service: recent automatics with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, basic liability included, minimum age 21 with no young-driver surcharge, and no airport concession fee.
Cars we deliver downtown, 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.
Where we deliver
Free delivery anywhere downtown and around the university, including:
- The Capitol and Congress Avenue
- Rainey Street and the Convention Center hotels
- The Warehouse District and the 2nd Street District
- Seaholm and the Central Library area
- Hotels along Lady Bird Lake and Cesar Chavez Street
- The UT Austin campus and the Moody Center
- West Campus, North Campus and Hyde Park
Why rent downtown instead of at the airport
Many downtown visitors need a car for only part of the trip. Three days of a conference at the Convention Center followed by two days of exploring does not call for five nights of hotel parking. Book the car for the days you will drive and we bring it to the hotel entrance on the first of those mornings. When you are done, we collect it at the same curb, or you return it at the AUS arrivals curb on the way to your flight.
Downtown hotel garages charge by the night, and the valet line on a Friday evening can be long. If you want the car for the whole stay anyway, ask the hotel for its garage rate before you book and weigh it against what you would spend on rides. Our rideshare vs rental cost guide runs that math for a typical Austin week.
What downtown and UT rent
Downtown bookings fall into a few patterns that repeat every month:
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Conference and business travelers at the Convention Center hotels and the towers along Cesar Chavez who need to visit clients in North Austin or Round Rock. The Honda Accord or similar is the usual pick; for teams and company billing see corporate car rental.
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High-rise residents who do not own a car and rent one for a weekend, a big grocery run or a drive home to Houston or Dallas. Most take the Toyota Corolla or similar.
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UT students and parents around West Campus, North Campus and Hyde Park: move-in weekend in August, parents in town for a game, graduation in May. Our UT Austin car rental page covers that in detail, and drivers aged 21 to 24 pay the same rate as everyone else (see renting under 25).
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Groups staying near Rainey Street for a bachelorette or a birthday who want one 12-passenger van for the out-of-town parts of the weekend, with one person who stays sober behind the wheel.
Getting around from downtown
The airport is about 15 minutes away without traffic, by I-35 south or Cesar Chavez east to US 183, then SH 71 east. Allow more time on weekday afternoons and while the I-35 rebuild keeps closing lanes and ramps through the middle of the city. The AUS airport rental page explains the curbside handoff if you would rather start the trip there.
From downtown, Zilker Park and Barton Springs are five to ten minutes west along Barton Springs Road, and South Congress is just across the river. The Domain is about 20 minutes north on MoPac, Round Rock about 25 minutes up I-35 outside rush hour, and Lake Travis 35 to 40 minutes west. Fredericksburg is roughly an hour and a half out on US 290.
Driving inside downtown takes a little patience. Many streets are one-way, Sixth Street east of Congress closes to cars on weekend nights, Congress Avenue closes for parades and festivals, and the blocks around the Moody Center and the football stadium fill up on game and concert days. A smaller car makes tight garages easier; the Honda Civic or similar fits almost anywhere.
Handoffs at hotels, towers and campus buildings
Send us the address and a time. At a hotel we meet you at the front drive or the valet stand. At an apartment tower, it is the lobby door or the garage entrance. On campus we pick a spot you can reach on foot, since most UT lots require a permit. The handoff takes about ten minutes: license, card, a walk-around of the car, keys. You get a call to confirm the booking within the hour.
At the end, we collect the car wherever suits you. Guests flying out often leave it at the AUS arrivals curb on the way to the terminal, which also saves the ride to the airport.
Event weekends
Downtown carries the busiest calendar in the city. SXSW takes over the Convention Center and Sixth Street, usually in March. ACL Festival fills Zilker Park over two weekends, usually in October, and the Formula 1 race at Circuit of the Americas fills downtown hotels every fall. Longhorns home games pack the blocks around Texas Memorial Stadium on autumn Saturdays. Cars book out early on those weekends. See Austin events car rental, the SXSW and ACL guide and the Longhorns game day guide, or call or text 512-851-0490 to hold a car.
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: a home, hotel or office in Downtown Austin, 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 is downtown Austin from the airport?
About 15 minutes without traffic, longer at rush hour or when I-35 has lane closures. We can hand you the car at the AUS arrivals curb, or bring it to your downtown hotel on the morning you first need it.
Can you deliver to my hotel's front drive or valet stand?
Yes. We meet you at the entrance of any downtown hotel, including the Convention Center hotels and the ones along Lady Bird Lake. Overnight parking is arranged with the hotel, so ask about its garage rate before you book.
Can UT students rent a car?
Yes, from age 21 with no young-driver surcharge. You need a valid driver's license and a major credit or debit card. The UT Austin page covers move-in, game weekends and graduation.
Which car is easiest to park downtown?
The compact sedans, the Toyota Corolla or similar and the Honda Civic or similar. They fit tight spaces in older garages and apartment towers. If you need more room, the Mazda CX-5 or similar is still a small footprint.
Can I rent only for part of my stay?
Yes. Book the days you will actually drive. We deliver on the first of those mornings and collect at the end, at the hotel or at the AUS arrivals curb on your way out. Three days or more cost less per day.
Also serving Greater Austin
We also cover Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston. En español: renta de autos económicos en Austin.
Book your car in Downtown 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 →
