Everything you need to know to rent a vehicle in Canada

The total price you’ll pay depends on:

• The length of rental (monthly or weekly rates may be a better deal)
• The dates (supply and demand applies; you’ll pay more to rent a vehicle on a long weekend or in summer. Check when the popular holidays are!)
• The size and type of vehicle
• The driver’s age (add around CA$30/day if the driver is under 25)
• The add-on options selected

The most popular add-ons offered, usually for an additional fee, include:

• Additional driver, usually around CA$15/day.
• Extra gear, e.g. GPS (CA$10-15/day), child car seat, ski rack, snow tyres, etc.
• Insurance.

There will also be a one-way drop-off fee if you bring back the vehicle to a different location at the end of your trip. Note that not all locations offer this option and that you usually cannot drop off a Canadian car at a US office (or vice-versa).

Fuel options

It probably won’t come as a surprise that cars need fuel. There are usually three options when renting a car:

Prepaid fuel: You’re paying ahead of time for the full tank. Ideally, you bring the car back with the tank almost empty because there’s no refund for any prepaid petrol left in the tank.

Self-refuelling: You have to fill up at a petrol station close to the rental company office to return the car with a full tank. This is often the cheapest option.

Refuelling service: You leave with a full tank and come back with whatever is left. If you return the car with less fuel in the tank than when you picked it up, you will pay a service charge for the fuel used. This is a convenient option but rental companies charge far more than petrol stations, so you will pay more than if you had filled up yourself.