The University of Texas at Austin brings families to town several times a year: move-in in August, home football weekends in the fall, Family Weekend, campus visits, and commencement in May. Each of those visits involves a car problem. The campus is busy, parking is limited, and the airport rental lot is a long way from Guadalupe Street. We deliver the car to your hotel, to a dorm, to an apartment in West Campus or to the AUS arrivals curb, and we collect it when you leave.
This page covers UT trips. For our whole fleet and how delivery works across the city, see economy car rental Austin.
Cars for UT 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.
Move-in in August
Move-in is the busiest car weekend of the year around campus. Residence halls run timed check-in slots in mid-August, the streets around Jester, Kinsolving and the West Campus towers fill with unloading cars, and every family needs to make at least one run to a big-box store for the things nobody remembered to pack.
What works best is a car with a big, flat cargo area. The Hyundai Santa Fe or similar takes a semester of clothes, bedding and a mini fridge with the rear seats folded. The Ford Explorer or similar adds a third row if siblings are coming along. When two families share the trip, the Ford Transit Van or similar carries everyone and the boxes in one go, and the van rental Austin page explains the 12 and 15-passenger options. Book early: August cars go fast.
Family Weekend, game days and graduation
Family Weekend has been held in the spring in recent years, and it draws thousands of parents to campus at once. Home football weekends at DKR, the stadium on the east side of campus, do the same in the fall, with road closures and full garages around San Jacinto Boulevard. The Longhorns game day guide covers parking and timing for those Saturdays.
Commencement in May is the biggest of all. Grandparents, siblings and family friends arrive together, hotels near campus are booked months ahead, and many families end up staying downtown, in the Domain area or out in Round Rock. That makes a car close to essential. A sedan like the Honda Accord or similar handles four people; the Ford Explorer or similar seats seven; the 12-passenger van gets a large family to the ceremony and the dinner afterwards without a convoy. The UT parents weekend and graduation guide walks through the planning.
Visits, recruiting and internships
Not every UT trip is a family event. Prospective students and their parents come for campus tours and stay two or three days to see the neighborhoods. Graduate students and recent graduates fly in for interviews, and summer interns arrive for ten or twelve weeks at offices downtown, at the Domain or out at the large employers on the east and north sides of the metro.
For a visit, a compact such as the Toyota Corolla or similar or the Honda Civic or similar is usually enough, and it is the least expensive car we rent. For an internship, a longer rental makes more sense than rideshare every day. Three days or more cost less per day and a week less again; for a full summer, see monthly car rental Austin.
Age, cards and paperwork
Every driver must be 21 or over, and from 21 there is no young-driver surcharge. That makes us a practical option for juniors, seniors and graduate students who are often charged extra elsewhere. The details are on the car rental Austin under 25 page.
You need a valid driver's license and a major credit or debit card. Many students do not carry a credit card, so the debit card car rental page explains how that works. Basic liability coverage is included, and the refundable deposit and coverage options are explained before you pay. If your student is under 21, a parent books and drives the car.
Delivery and parking around campus
We deliver to the residence halls, to apartment buildings in West Campus and North Campus, to houses in Hyde Park, and to the hotels along Guadalupe, around the Capitol and downtown. The downtown Austin car rental page covers that whole central area.
Parking near campus takes some planning. The university runs visitor garages, and there are paid lots and meters along Guadalupe and in West Campus, but many residential blocks nearby are restricted to permit holders, and the signs change from block to block. On game days, during move-in and at commencement, garages fill early and some streets close. Leave extra time, read every sign, and check the university's parking information before you go.
Driving home after the semester
A lot of UT students come from Houston, Dallas and San Antonio, and the end of the semester often means a drive home with a car full of belongings. Houston is about two and a half to three hours by SH 71 or US 290, Dallas about three hours up I-35, and San Antonio about an hour and a half south. For a student who is 21 or over, a rental for a weekend home and back can be simpler than a parent driving to Austin twice. If your plan involves leaving the car anywhere other than Austin, call or text 512-851-0490 before you book and we will tell you what applies.
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
Can a UT student under 21 rent a car?
No. The minimum age is 21 for every driver. If your student is younger, a parent or another adult 21 or over books the car and drives it. From 21 there is no young-driver surcharge.
Do you deliver to the dorms and West Campus?
Yes. We deliver to the residence halls, apartments in West Campus and North Campus, homes in Hyde Park and hotels near campus or downtown. Tell us the address and a time and we meet you there.
Can I pay with a debit card?
Yes, a major credit or debit card works with a valid driver's license. The refundable deposit is explained before you pay. Read car rental in Austin with a debit card for details.
Which car is best for move-in day?
For one student's things, the Hyundai Santa Fe or similar or the Ford Explorer or similar with the rear seats folded. If two families are moving in together, the Ford Transit Van or similar carries people and boxes in one trip. Book early for August.
How early should we book for graduation in May?
As soon as you know the dates. Hotels near campus fill months ahead for commencement and cars follow. Booking early also lets you choose the size you want, especially SUVs and the 12-passenger van.
Can my student keep the car for a summer internship?
Yes, if they are 21 or over. Three days or more cost less per day and a week less still. For a full summer, call or text 512-851-0490 and we quote it directly.
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 →
