Car Rental in Rochester, NY: Driving in and through Kodak Town
As the major base of New York State’s Finger Lakes region, Rochester is a great city from which explore the coast of Lake Ontario and the nearby awe-inspiring sights and even better wineries. Rochester itself is a very drivable city, and retaining a rental car for the length of your stay in the area can only improve your visit. Here is a brief guide to finding the cheapest rental cars in Rochester, New York.
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Rochester rental cars are available in 10 locations throughout the city, including the Rochester Airport (ROC), in the southern part of the city, and in Rochester Greece. Rochester car hire typically starts just under $60 a day for short-term rentals. Longer-term rentals (typically ten days or more) start as low as $37 a day.
Tips for Finding Cheap Car Rental in Rochester, NY
The cheapest location from which to rent a car in Rochester is typically the Rochester Airport, otherwise known as the Greater Rochester International Airport (ROC). Located just 7 miles southeast of city center, the Rochester Airport is a convenient place from which to book your rental car—even if you aren’t arriving in Rochester via airplane. Over four well known rental car companies compete to offer the best prices for rental cars in the Rochester region at the airport, including Alamo and Budget.
Unless you are arriving to Rochester in the busy summer and early fall months (July through October, in particular), you can typically save the most money on rental cars by booking your car just 2 to 3 months in advance of your arrival. Rates typically rise the farther in advance you book a rental car in Rochester.
Particularly if you are arriving to Rochester during the peak tourist season, you will want to compare prices from a number of rental car locations throughout the city. If the availability of economy rental cars is limited at the Rochester Airport, rental car companies can often offer comparable prices from their locations in Rochester South and Rochester Greece. If you are planning on renting a car for more than 10 days, you are likely to find that the daily rate of a Rochester rental car is comparably cheap at all of the locations throughout the city!
Key Things to Remember: Driving Your Rochester Rental Car
Rochester is a highly drivable city, making it convenient—and sometimes cheaper—to retain your rental car for the length of your stay in the region. Here are some quick tips to make your self-drive tour of Rochester and the Finger Lakes region even easier:
Parking your rental car in Rochester:
- You’ll find that most stores and shopping areas located outside of downtown Rochester have their own parking lots and provide free parking for their customers.
- On-street parking costs $2 an hour throughout downtown Rochester and is payable by cash, credit card, or smart phone app.
- Parking in garages or city lots in central Rochester can cost as little as $5 a day.
Toll roads near Rochester:
- There are no toll roads in the direct vicinity of Rochester, though there are numerous toll roads in and near the Niagara Falls State Park in Buffalo and on the route to and within New York City. Buffalo is located just over one hour west of Rochester (making it an ideal day trip, particularly to see the world-renowned Niagara Falls), while New York City is located around 6 hours to the southeast. Most of the tolls you will encounter near either of these cities are now electronically monitored, meaning that you will receive your toll via the mail. Still, it will be prudent to carry at least $20 cash to pay tolls that are not yet electronic, should you choose to drive the long trip to New York City in your rental car.
- If you do plan on driving along electronically monitored tolled roads throughout the state of New York, be sure to ask your rental car company if any surcharges apply when they pass your tolls along to you after the fact.
