Cheap Car Rental in Durham

Car Rental in Durham, NC: Driving in the Industrial Heart of the Research Triangle

Durham has long been the industrial heart of the Chapel Hill-Raleigh area of North Carolina, though today it is also home to world-renowned researchers at Duke University and in the industries of health care and technology. Despite Durham’s recent boom, a rental car remains the best way to navigate the city. Once the home to tobacco and textile warehouses, Durham is a fascinating city to explore for its historical and contemporary importance to American wealth and the country’s economy. Stay mobile during your visit to Durham by renting a car. Here is a brief guide to finding the cheapest rental cars in Durham, North Carolina.

Get the Best Deal on Durham Rental Cars at EconomyBookings.com

Durham rental cars are available in 5 locations throughout the city, including in downtown Durham and at the Northgate Mall. Durham rental cars typically start as low as $45 a day at the cheapest locations for short-term rental car bookings. This rate drops to around $35 a day throughout Durham for rental car contracts extended to 10 days or more.

Tips for Finding Cheap Car Rental in Durham

If it is necessary for you to pick up your rental car in Durham itself, the best location at which to book your rental car is Durham’s Northgate Mall. Located 3 miles north of city center, Northgate Mall hosts the car rental company, Avis, which offers daily rates on economy rental cars starting at between $40 and $60, depending on the length of your rental contract.

The cheapest location to rent a car in the wider Durham area is at the Raleigh Airport, also known as the Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU). Located 13 miles south of Durham, the Raleigh-Durham Airport hosts over 7 rental car companies that compete to offer customers the best deals on rental cars. These companies include Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Europcar, Thrifty, and Hertz.

Unless you are travelling to Durham in the busy summer months, you can often get great deals on rental cars at Durham’s Northgate Mall and at the Raleigh-Durham Airport by booking your economy rental car last minute.

Also, keep an eye out for discounts on rental cars—typically of around 17%—that make the price of premium cars as cheap as the rate for economy cars!

Key Things to Remember: Driving Your Durham Rental Car

Rush hour in Durham:

• Particularly because Durham’s population is limited by zoning laws, the commute from Durham to the major industrial centers of the area is typically quite relaxed in the morning, and the return commute is equally comfortable in the late afternoon and evenings. In other words, avoid driving your rental car into Durham between 7 and 9 in the morning and out of Durham between 4 and 7 in the evening, and you’re likely to have smooth travels during the entirety of your stay.

Parking your rental car in Durham:

1. Parking on the street in downtown Durham costs $1.50 an hour between 8 am and 7 pm, Monday through Friday. You can park on the street for free on the weekends and after 7 pm during the week. You can pay on-street parking fees with coins or by downloading the Pay-by-Phone app to your smartphone. Time limits often apply to on-street parking spots.
2. The city of Durham also offers another 2,000 parking spots in parking garages and parking lots throughout the city. Parking in downtown, municipally owned garages and lots costs $1.25 an hour or $13.75 for the full day. These garages are a great option if you need to leave your rental car unattended for the full day.

Toll roads near Durham, North Carolina:

• The only major tolled highway in the Durham area is the Triangle Expressway, a section of highways 540 and 147 that links nearby Holly Springs to Durham. Tolls are payable by electronic transmitter or by mail, meaning that your rental car company will pass your tolls along to you after you use sections of the tolled highway. Be sure to ask your rental car company if they charge any extra frees to pass your tolls along to you after you’ve driven along these electronically monitored toll highways.