Everything you need to know to rent a vehicle in Canada

Main car rental companies, brokers and booking sites

Car rental companies

The main car rental companies in Canada are:

• Hertz
• Dollar
• Thrifty
• Globe car and truck rentals
• Enterprise
• Alamo
• National
• Avis
• Discount
• Budget

Some of these companies are considered “low-cost” and offer fewer conveniences, older vehicles, etc. Rates vary greatly as well. Note that Alamo and National are owned by the same company, same for Avis and Budget and for Hertz and Dollar/Thrifty.

Brokers and booking sites

Since the key is shopping around for the best price and best options for your needs, deal aggregators and booking sites are handy to compare companies and offers:

• Expedia
• Argus Car Hire
• Travel Supermarket
• Holiday Auto
• Canadian Affair
• Canada rental car

Brokers like Rental Cars typically negotiate the lowest rates for rental cars at international car rental companies like the ones mentioned earlier. They often have value packages (i.e. with common options included for no extra fee, like an additional driver or full tank of petrol). Read the fine print carefully, especially to see if insurance is included—don’t pay for it again when you pick up the vehicle!