This Is the Most Expensive City for a Fall Car Rental, According to a Study

13.09.2024 - 16:18 / travelandleisure.com / Bill Clinton

As fall road trip season is officially underway, a new study shows just how different car rental prices can be around the country.

When it comes to the most expensive city to rent a car, travelers will find the highest price ins Little Rock, Arkansas, according to a new study from Cheapcarrental.com, which compared prices at 100 different U.S. airports from September to November. The average rate for the cheapest car at Little Rock’s Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport (LIT) came in at $95 per day.

Car rental rates in Little Rock have actually risen by about 20 percent compared to fall last year, according to the study. It’s also much higher than the national average at all 100 airports surveyed where rates have increased by just 0.5 percent compared to last year.

Beyond Arkansas, the city of Charleston was found to be the second-most expensive destination to rent a car with an average daily rate of $91, followed by Madison, Wisconsin, where travelers will find an average daily rate of $87.

Large California cities San Francisco and Los Angeles rounded out the top 10 on the list with average daily rental rates of $82 and $80, respectively. 

On the other end of the spectrum was Raleigh, North Carolina, which came in as the least expensive place to rent a car this fall. There, travelers will pay an average daily rate of just $41 for the least expensive rental car.

Road trippers hoping to score a better deal on a rental car can save by not renting at the airport, searching for rates through membership sites like Costco Travel and AAA, searching for discounts through frequent flyer programs, and more.

While car rentals may be a pricey endeavor, the good news for fall road trippers is gas prices are continuing to fall, according to AAA. As of Thursday, the national average for a gallon of gas was $3.24.

“There are now ten states with gasoline averages below $3 a gallon, which means thousands of retail outlets east of the Rockies are selling gas at similarly low prices,” Andrew Gross, a AAA spokesperson, said in a statement last week. “With hurricane season remaining weak and disorganized, this trend of falling pump prices will likely continue.”