Your quick travel guide to Dallas

Car Rental in Dallas: Explore Texas with Automobile

Dallas is one of the largest cities in the United States and each of its neighborhoods offers visitors a distinct feeling, from frontier ambiance to typical suburban living to excellent locally sourced dining experiences. Make the most of your visit to Dallas by exploring each of these aspects of the city thoroughly and comfortably in your rental car—and don’t forget to get out into the countryside as well!

The shoulder seasons in Dallas, while offering visitors comfortable temperatures, are very tempestuous. To avoid tornado-bringing storms, visit Dallas during its hot, arid summer or during its mild winters.

The de facto national language of the United States is English, but about one-third of Texans speak Spanish as a first or second language. The primary indigenous language family originally spoken in the Dallas area is Wichita.

Dallas is in the Central Time Zone, UTC-6.

The currency throughout the United States is the dollar. Credit cards are accepted at the vast majority of businesses and ATMs are also quite numerous.

Automobile hire is available in over 30 locations throughout Dallas, including Dallas Love Field Airport, Fort Worth Airport, and downtown Dallas.

A road trip in Texas typically requires a lot of travel time, but some trips that are well worth it include:

  • A drive to Hamilton Pool, a gorgeous grotto with a 45-foot waterfall. Hit the road early to be one of the 75 cars that can park in this limited-access area and bring your own lunch. The grotto is located 220 miles south of Dallas, just outside university-town of Austin.
  • Palo Duro Canyon, the US’s second-largest canyon after the Grand Canyon, is located 270 miles south of Dallas, just outside San Antonio, and is well worth the visit, whether you explore by car or by foot after arriving.

Visa Regulations

38 nationalities can enter the United States as tourists without applying for a visa, though if you are among these nationalities, you are still required to fill out the ESTA in advance. Visit esta.us for more information. Visitors to the United States will be fingerprinted and biometrically photographed upon entry. If your nationality is not included in the visa-waiver program, you will be required to apply for a B-1 or B-2 visa in advance of your arrival.

Driving in Dallas

Do as the Texans do and explore the region with your own automobile. The roads are wide, parking spots are plentiful, and the most interesting sights are most accessible via car or truck. Book your rental today!

Right-Hand Driving

  • Traffic drives on the right-hand side of the road in Dallas, as throughout the rest of North America.

Speed Limits

  • In the city: 30 mph (circa 48 km/h)
  • On rural state highways: 70 mph (112 km/h)
  • All other highways: 60 mph (96 km/h)
  • Expect traffic jams throughout the city and along the major highways that head into the city center (particularly I-35E and US-75) during morning and evening rush hours.

Other Regulations

  1. Parking is abundant in downtown Dallas. Street parking is metered and typically limited to 2 to 4 hours. If you’re planning on exploring the downtown area for longer than 4 hours, take advantage of numerous parking lots. The farther away from downtown you park, the cheaper your parking fees are likely to be.
  2. An international driver’s permit in addition to your valid domestic driver’s license is required to drive in Texas.
  3. Numerous highways in and around Dallas are tolled, including the Dallas North Tollway and the President George Bush Turnpike. Ask your rental company if they’ve outfitted your car with an EZ-Pass to ease your travel along these highways.
  4. While Texans can be issued a provisional driver’s license as young as 15, you will likely have to be at least 18 years of age to rent a car, and all drivers under 25 are likely to have to pay young-driver surcharges.

Cheap Car Rental in Dallas

Automobile hire in Dallas typically starts at around $25 a day. Here are some of the best deals in Dallas:

  • Toyota Yaris or similar (economy class) – $25/day
  • Nissan Versa or similar (compact class) – $26/day
  • Hyundai Elantra or similar (intermediate class) – $27/day
  • Chrysler 200 or similar (standard class) – $29/day
  • Ford Fusion or similar (fullsize class) – $33/day

Note that prices vary depending on the availability of each specific car and the season in which you rent. For the most accurate offers, use the search bar above.

Tips for Renting a Car Inexpensively in Dallas

There is little seasonal variation in rental car prices in Dallas. Instead, you can typically find the best deal on your rental by booking 1 to 4 months in advance of your arrival.

By far the cheapest locations to pick up your rental car are either of the airports in the Dallas area, where you can choose from numerous car rental agencies. Dollar and Avis typically offer the best prices at these airports.

You can also typically save over $10 a day by extending your rental period to over a week!

Experience the top locations with car rental in Dallas

Dallas Fort Worth Airport
Thrifty
8.0
Dallas Love Field Airport
Dollar
7.9

Discover the cheapest car rental in Dallas

Cheap Car Rental in Dallas Toyota Corolla
Toyota Corolla
5
2
4
A
From US$ 21.06 per day
*
Cheap Car Rental in Dallas Ford Fusion
Ford Fusion
5
3
4
A
From US$ 20.14 per day
*
Cheap Car Rental in Dallas Jeep Patriot
Jeep Patriot
5
2
4
A
From US$ 21.75 per day
*
Cheap Car Rental in Dallas Ford Focus
Ford Focus
5
2
4
A
From US$ 17.73 per day
*
Cheap Car Rental in Dallas Ford Fiesta
Ford Fiesta
5
1
4
A
From US$ 19.79 per day
*
Cheap Car Rental in Dallas Chevrolet Impala
Chevrolet Impala
5
2
4
A
From US$ 37.23 per day
*
Cheap Car Rental in Dallas Nissan Quest
Nissan Quest
7
1
4
A
From US$ 47.72 per day
*
Cheap Car Rental in Dallas Chrysler 300
Chrysler 300
5
2
4
A
From US$ 34.77 per day
*
Cheap Car Rental in Dallas Nissan Quest
Nissan Quest
7
2
4
A
From US$ 45.71 per day
*
Cheap Car Rental in Dallas Chevrolet Camaro Convertible
Chevrolet Camaro Convertible
4
1
A
From US$ 54.36 per day
*
Cheap Car Rental in Dallas FORD F150
FORD F150
4
1
A
From US$ 72.97 per day
*
Cheap Car Rental in Dallas DODGE CHALLENGER
DODGE CHALLENGER
4
2
A
From US$ 90.63 per day
*

* Disclaimer: Prices displayed may not reflect today's rates.

What our customers say

Car rental companies in Dallas

We have prepared a shortlist of top rental companies in Dallas. To save both time and money compare offers on EconomyBookings.com to find the best deal.

Thrifty
star
8.0 /372 reviews
Available in 2 locations
Time it took to drop your car off9.6
Cleanliness of the car8.1
Overall condition of the car8.0
Time it took to pick your car up7.1
Dollar
star
7.8 /136 reviews
Available in 2 locations
Time it took to drop your car off9.7
Cleanliness of the car8.5
Overall condition of the car8.5
Time it took to pick your car up5.3
SIXT
star
8.2 /6 reviews
Available in 1 location
Time it took to drop your car off9.7
Cleanliness of the car8.7
Overall condition of the car8.8
Time it took to pick your car up6.0