Cheap Car Rental in Manhattan

Car Rental in Manhattan, New York: the premier destination for NYC tourists

Though New York City has five boroughs, it is Manhattan that is the most famous and most visited by world travelers. Whether you’re headed to Wall Street, the Empire State Building, Central Park, Harlem, Broadway, or all the sights in between, Manhattan will certainly keep you busy. While it is not recommended to drive during your stay in Manhattan itself, a rental car is an excellent way to get out of the city and see the sights of the surrounding states.

New York State has four distinctive seasons, making winter (particularly January and February) very cold and summer (particularly August) very hot. Peak tourist season runs from July to September.

The de facto national language of the United States is English, though just over 50% of NYC locals speak English as their first language. Manhattan is a great place to immerse yourself in neighborhoods that primarily speak other languages, such as Spanish and Chinese. The major indigenous languages of the area are members of the Algonquin language family.

Manhattan is located in the Eastern Time Zone, UTC-5.

The currency throughout the United States is the dollar. Credit cards are accepted at the vast majority of businesses and ATMs are also quite frequent. For travel throughout the East Coast, you will want to have some cash on hand for the occasional tollbooth that has not yet been converted to an electronic system.

If you have the time to travel outside of the city, make the most of your rental car by heading to the natural beauty of upstate New York, particularly if you’re visiting between September through November, when the spectacular trees turn colors.

Automobile hire is available in over 40 locations throughout Manhattan, including most cross streets, in Greenwich Village, Downtown, the Financial District, and in Manhattan East.

Visa Regulations

38 nationalities can enter the United States as tourists without applying for a visa, though if you are among these nationalities, you are still required to fill out the ESTA in advance. Visit esta.us for more information. Visitors to the United States will be fingerprinted and biometrically photographed upon entry. If your nationality is not included in the visa-waiver program, you will be required to apply for a B-1 or B-2 visa in advance of your arrival.

Driving in Manhattan

Though roads are laid out in an easy-to-understand grid, driving through Manhattan is still a challenge. Both the borough and its roadways are very busy. Consider renting a car immediately before you leave the borough or the city in order to make the most of your funds, as parking will cost you a lot of money and road travel is likely to cost you a good deal of time.

Right-Hand Driving

• Traffic proceeds on the right-hand side of the road throughout the USA.

Speed Limits

• In the borough: between 25 and 30 mph (40 and 48 km/h)
• On most state highways: 55 mph (88 km/h)
• On rural expressways: 65 mph (104 km/h)
• Roadways are typically packed in Manhattan, so expect to add a good deal of travel time to any of your road adventures.

Other Regulations

1. Parking for a day in Manhattan typically costs at least $30 in a garage, which is slightly more expensive than street parking, but is considerably more convenient.
2. You can drive on your domestic driver’s license as a tourist throughout New York State.
3. Particularly if you plan on driving to and from Manhattan, make sure to have plenty of cash to pay a significant number of tolls on the expressway, bridges, and tunnels. Most of the bridges and tunnels that connect Manhattan to New Jersey, for instance, are tolled.
4. While the minimum driving age in New York is 16, you will have to be at least 18 to rent a car. Drivers under 25 are likely to be charged extra, if they are permitted to rent at all.

Cheap Car Rental in Manhattan

Automobile hire in Manhattan typically starts at around $38 a day. Here are some of the best deals in Manhattan:

• Kia Rio or similar (economy class) – $38/day
• Ford Focus or similar (compact class) - $39/day
• Hyundai Elantra or similar (intermediate class) - $40/day
• Chevrolet Cruze or similar (standard class) - $41/day
• Chrysler 200 or similar (fullsize class) - $42/day

Note that prices vary depending on the availability of each specific car and the season in which you rent. For the most accurate offers, use the search bar above.

Tips for Renting a Car Inexpensively in Manhattan

Save money on your rental car in Manhattan by booking at least four months in advance of your arrival. Prices at the Downtown and East Manhattan locations are among the best in the city, though it’s worth your time to explore a number of different locations, as Greenwich Village beats the Downtown prices from time to time. Dollar and Avis offer the most competitively inexpensive prices throughout the borough.

You can also often save up to $20 a day by extending your rental period to over a week!