Car rental in San Francisco
You want to enjoy the world famous home of the Golden Gate bridge without worrying about how, so leave that to us.
Simply choose your location, name the date and we’ll prepare your hire car.
Where would you like to meet us and begin your journey?
Popular car hire locations in San Francisco
Your journey starts here
San Francisco and Northern California needs no introduction. Make the most of your time visitng and take in all the sights from the comfort of an Avis rental car.
One amazing road trip
1. Drive the Golden Gate bridge
2. Drive into Yosemite
3. Stock up on water and head into Death Valley
4. Look for aliens around Area 51
5. Cruise the strip in Las Vegas
Your hire car in San Francisco awaits … and the open road lies ahead
Plan your trip from San Francisco
As the morning fog lifts, discover a relaxed city criss-crossed with trams and challenged by surprisingly steep undulations. One stretch has a gradient over the 40 percent mark (Bradford Street), while others are uphill of 35% (Romolo Place, Prentiss Street).
Walking up the city’s steepest hills, like Corona Heights or Buena Vista Park, is a real cardio kick – but it’s well worth it for the gasp-inducing vistas.
Hit Golden Gate Park for 1,000 acres of lush terrain without the need for much climbing. Amongst the roller-bladers you may come across a Japanese Tea Garden, a reservoir ideal for paddle boating, an 18-hole Frisbee golf course and a Bison Paddock.
There are also offshore adventures to be had. Leave the car at San Francisco bay and take a cruise to Alcatraz’s island jail. Duck into D-block solitary for a hair-raising step back into life as a prisoner.
Out in the Pacific Ocean, the tranquil Angel Island is reached by Blue and Gold Fleet ferry or a kayak from Sausalito on San Francisco Bay. Walking trails here wind through shady forests of evergreen oak.
Beyond San Francisco
Trade eclectic city lights for magical vistas. Head north on Route 101 from San Francisco city, crossing the luminescent Golden Gate Bridge (it’s coated each week in 1,000 gallons of International Orange paint) and discover a world of small towns threaded with country lanes – the perfect driving ground.Alternatively, coast northwest from the city through Berkeley, stopping to look around the famous university campus or stroll past Telegraph Avenue’s organic cafés. Continue for another 80 minutes until you reach America's wine country. Napa Valley and nearby Sonoma harbour hundreds of staggeringly attractive wineries and a selection of America’s finest restaurants, several boasting Michelin stars.