Cheap Car Rental in Salt Lake City

Tips for renting a car inexpensively in Salt Lake City

Looking for a cheap car rental in Salt Lake City? With Economybookings, you can easily compare multiple providers to find the best possible deal in Utah. With so much to see and do across the Wasatch Front and beyond, a quick comparison can save you time and money on a car that will help you reach it all.

• Compare pickup locations – Select the broader city instead of a specific location to unlock more deal options, including off-airport savings.
• Slightly adjust pickup times and dates – Even changing your booking by an hour can reveal lower rates.
• Choose economy or compact cars – Unless you’re planning a longer road trip deep into Utah’s backcountry regions, a compact car is probably all you need to get around Salt Lake City (SLC) and other popular destinations like Park City.
• Book early – Salt Lake City tends to be a year-round destination, but rental demand spikes during popular travel times like winter ski season and other large events like sports games and business conventions. Booking in advance helps secure lower prices and better vehicle selection.

Tips When Renting and Driving a Car in Salt Lake City

• Rent a car if you plan to explore anywhere away from SLC’s urban core, where public transport options tend to be quite limited.
• Avoid rush hour traffic on the I-15, I-80, and I-215 freeways.
• You can pick up your car at Salt Lake City International (SLC) Airport and various storefronts in and around town.
• Choose a small car for better mileage and easier parking around town.
• Pick a car with four-wheel drive for longer drives into the mountains and other rural areas.
• Inspect the car and take photos before and after rental.

Driving Tips in Salt Lake City

• Drive on the right side of the road, and prepare to wait your turn when you need to turn left.
• Look out for stop lights—green means go, yellow signals that you must prepare to stop, and red is stop. At most intersections with stop lights, there will also be dedicated stop lights for left-turn lanes.
• In recent years, Salt Lake City has been converting some neighbourhood street intersections into roundabouts. To navigate these roundabouts, give way to traffic coming from the left.
• Utah law requires nighttime headlight use, as well as whenever visibility falls below 1,000 feet.
• Horn use should be reserved for emergencies or warnings.
• Traffic usually moves faster in the left lanes on highways.
• Expect to pay around $3.50 per hour for parking downtown and in other central neighbourhoods. When in the city, you can use the Park SLC smartphone app for contactless payment.
• NEVER cross a set of double yellow lines.
• Try the GasBuddy app to locate area gas stations and check prices. If you have a Costco membership, you can refuel there and take advantage of their very cheap gas.
• Keep your driver’s license, rental papers, and proof of insurance with you at all times.
• The I-215 freeway mostly encircles the urban core, while I-80 is the central east-west freeway, I-15 is the central north-south freeway, and SR 154 and SR 85 are alternative north-south routes to reach SLC’s southern suburbs. These major highways can be useful for reaching more of the Wasatch Front, but expect heavy traffic during weekday rush hours (7:00 to 9:00 AM, and 4:00 to 7:00 PM).

Speed Limits

Utah state law sets maximum speed limits of 80 mph (or 128 km/h) on select rural stretches of interstate highway, 70 mph (112 km/h) or 65 mph (104 km/h) on most urban freeways in the SLC/Park City region, 55 mph (88 km/h) on other highways and major roads (or “stroads”), 25 mph (40 km/h) in urban residential and commercial districts, and 20 mph (32 km/h) in designated school safety zones.

In addition to Utah’s statewide speed limits, Salt Lake City has been implementing programs to make local streets safer for the community, including lowering speed limits to 20 mph in various residential neighbourhoods. Wherever you drive, always watch for posted signs, as limits can vary.

Road Signs

US road signs are typically noticeable and well-placed. They are almost always in English and use symbols for quick understanding. Speed limit signs are in miles per hour (mph). In Salt Lake City, look out for signs marking dedicated rail crossings, bus lanes, bike lanes, and school lanes, which may have special speed limits and other restrictions.

Tolls, Fees, and Restrictions

In recent years, the Utah Department of Transportation has designated pay-to-use Express Lanes along I-15 between Spanish Fork (near Provo) and Riverdale (near Ogden). As of 2026, UDOT utilises dynamic pricing and charges a range of $0.25-$2.00 per zone.

Utah offers their ExpressPass electronic transponder to use the I-15 toll lanes, and it’s now required to access these lanes. Wherever you plan to go during your Utah trip, check with your rental car agency in advance to see if they provide an ExpressPass transponder, and ask about their toll road coverage policies.

If you plan to drive to any of Utah’s state and national parks and public lands, note that many of these parks charge vehicle entry fees. For instance, Arches National Park typically charges $15 for a standard pass and a heightened surcharge for international visitors. (If you’re an international visitor who plans to visit multiple national parks, it might be worth paying $250 for the full annual pass.) At Utah State Parks, expect to pay $35 per vehicle and additional fees if you plan to camp at the park.

Discover Salt Lake City by Car

Since they hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics, Salt Lake City has grown into a more well-rounded major city with a fairly expansive Utah TRAX commuter rail network that spans the Wasatch Front urban corridor. With this said, TRAX trains might not reach where you want to go, especially if you want to explore any of the state’s famed ski resorts or national park lands.

Whether you're planning to hit the storied ski slopes of Park City, discover prehistoric treasures at Dinosaur National Monument, or take in the majestic views at Canyonlands National Park, a car offers flexibility and freedom to discover hidden spots that are much harder to reach via public transportation in the US.

When to Visit

Due to Salt Lake City’s location in the Great Salt Lake Valley set between the Great Basin desert to the west and the Wasatch Range mountains to the east, it can experience some harsh weather throughout the year. In winter, sub-freezing temperatures and snow storms can lead to harsh road conditions across the region. On the flip side, hot summer weather also means the potential for heatwaves and thunderstorms. And throughout the year, stagnating high pressure over the Great Basin can lead to temperature inversions that cause heavy smog to build over the region.

If you’re hoping to go skiing, Utah’s winter ski season usually lasts from November to April. Meanwhile, for the best hiking, biking, and overall explorer-friendly weather at the national parks, try the spring and autumn shoulder seasons for mild temperatures and thinner tourist crowds. Whenever you plan to go, always check road conditions in advance for potential closures.

Languages & Communication

English is spoken nearly everywhere in and around Salt Lake City. At the same time, this is also a multicultural city, so you may also hear Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, and various Polynesian languages in certain neighbourhoods. Most signage is in English, and visitors rarely face language barriers.

Currency & Payments

Since Utah is part of the United States, the US dollar ($, or USD) is used everywhere. Credit and debit cards are widely accepted, and contactless payments are pretty commonplace across Salt Lake City. ATMs are easy to find throughout the city and at ski towns like Park City and Ogden. Still, keep in mind that ATMs will charge extra fees if they are not affiliated with your bank, and that banks tend to be fewer and farther between in rural areas.

Top Driving Routes in and Around Salt Lake City

• Even if you’re not staying in the city proper, it’s still worth a drive around SLC to peruse fine local institutions like the Utah Museum of Fine Arts and the Natural History Museum of Utah, feast on all kinds of international flavours at local restaurants, and explore the city’s surprisingly vibrant nightlife scene
• Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons – About 35-50 minutes east of SLC; just east of the city is where you will find a prime concentration of ski resorts: Alta, Brighton, Snowbird, and Solitude; during warmer months, the mountains become a real hikers’ wonderland
• Ogden – About 35-50 minutes north of SLC; this might seem like a quiet college town, but Ogden actually sits at the foot of some of Utah’s most impressive mountain wilderness areas and top-tier ski resorts, including Snowbasin, Powder Mountain, and Nordic Valley
• Park City – About 30-60 minutes east of SLC; home to the world-famous ski resorts of Park City Mountain and Deer Valley, this is the place to go for Utah’s poshest ski scene with a full array of luxury resorts, tasty restaurants, colourful art galleries, and other fun activities to complement the ski slopes
• Vernal – About 3-3.5 hours north-east; drive here for a real-life “Dinosaurland” with a wealth of dinosaur fossils, prehistoric lore, and timelessly beautiful scenery at Dinosaur National Monument, Red Fleet State Park, Steinaker State Park, and the Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum
• Moab – About 3.5-5 hours south-east; this small town sits at the foot of two illustrious national parks, Arches and Canyonlands, full of gorgeous red rock scenery and world-class hike and bike trails; in addition, the Sand Flats Recreation Area, Moonflower Canyon Recreation Area, and Dead Horse Point State Park offer more opportunities for high-quality time in the great outdoors
• Torrey – About 3.5-4 hours south; drive here for the stunning grandeur of Capitol Reef National Park, and stay to discover plenty of leafy alpine beauty at the nearby Fishlake and Dixie National Forests