Rental car pick up and drop off different locations

Want to rent a car in a location and return it to a different one? How about returning the car in another country? Here’s what you need to know!

Renting a car to enjoy everything a city and the road have to offer is always a great choice, but sometimes you’ll find yourself thinking returning the rental car in a different location or state may be easier than driving back to where you picked it up.

Now, can you even return it in a different location?

Different pick-up and drop-off locations FAQ

Can you return a rental car in a different location?

Yes, you can return the car in a different location. Usually, this is called “one-way rental”. However, please note that, sometimes, an extra fee may be applied to your reservation.

Does it cost more to return a rental car in a different location?

Usually, rental companies charge a return fee, but it depends on the pick-up and drop-off location, date of reservation, car category and more. A good way to know how much the return will cost is to search for the price of the rental returning the car in the same location and with different pick-up and drop-off locations.

Can you return a car in a different state?

Yes, you can rent a car one-way out of state. In the US, it’s common to pick-up rental cars with plates from different states (they must have gotten there somehow, right?).

However, generally speaking, rental companies also charge the one-way rental extra fee based on how far the drop-off is from the pick-up as they’ll have to return it to its original city. This way, the more you drive away from the pick-up address, the more expensive the fee will be.

Can you return a car in a different country?

In some cases, yes. This is most common in Europe, where crossing borders is fairly easy. Usually, rental companies will let you cross borders with the rental car, but a cross-border fee may be also applied in addition to the one-way rental fee.

As the rules vary a lot depending on the location and the rental company, we always suggest you check the specific policies of each city, country and company.

Can you rent a car without a one-way or return fee?

It’s not common, but it happens. For highly popular road trips, this may be the case. For example, a lot of people rent a car from point A to point B and vice versa. That means the rental company doesn’t necessarily have to return the car to its original city.

Renting one-way with Rentcars.com

On Rentcars.com you can search for car rentals in over 160 countries and 100 rental companies. When you do, just check the option that says “Return car to different location”, enter the information asked and look for the best options!

Attention! All efforts were made to validade the information published in this blog at the moment they were written, however, Rentcars.com does not take responsibility for inaccuracies or future adjustments that can happen as a result of different offers and conditions. The posts here published, as well as the eventual comments from its readers, are merely informative and it is the client's duty to confirm with Rentcars.com and/or suppliers any content that may affect their vacation plans.