Cheap Car Rentals in Charleston

Charleston, SC, United States

9 Feb — 16 Feb

Same drop-off

Thu 9/2

Noon

Thu 16/2

Noon

Driver's age:

26-65Other

What is the cheapest time to rent a car in Charleston?

January

1,593,999 ₫

February

1,992,498 ₫

March

2,508,204 ₫

April

2,742,616 ₫

May

2,719,174 ₫

June

2,953,586 ₫

July

2,695,733 ₫

August

2,555,086 ₫

September

2,297,233 ₫

October

2,461,322 ₫

November

2,203,469 ₫

December

1,922,175 ₫

Currently, the cheapest month to rent a car in Charleston is January. The most expensive time to rent a car is June. The cheapest prices for each month are shown above, but prices will vary based on availability, how far out you book your rental car, and of course, car type.

Top rental agencies in Charleston

All major car rental suppliers in Charleston

Alamo

9.2

Wonderful

84 reviews•1 location

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Overview

Recent reviews

10.0

Wonderful|Jan 2023

Easy rental for a day trip to Charleston

10.0

Wonderful|Sep 2022

The hardest part of the car rental experience in Charleston air port is the long walk from the terminal to where the cars are located. Other than that, the whole car rental is a breeze !!

6.0

Okay|Jun 2022

Kristin was great getting us into a nice rental on a very busy day where our particular style was not yet available. The only problem was that after leaving the lot and arriving at our hotel a few miles away, I discovered the gas tank was only 2/5's full. Upon return, they did say they would adjust my account to make up for that. Have not seen it yet but the gentleman gave me the impression that this would be taken care of professionally.

10.0

Wonderful|Apr 2022

Both pick up and drop off (at different location) worked seamlessly. Car was in great shape. Had some air freshener smell at the beginning that was too floral/sweet for me but it either dissipated or I got used to it. I would definitely recommend Alamo based on this experience.

10.0

Wonderful|Feb 2022

Car was clean!!! Pick up and drop off we’re easy and staff was super friendly!

10.0

Wonderful|Nov 2021

Car was new and clean. Process was efficient from rental to return.

1 out of 28

Enterprise

7.9

Good

97 reviews•5 locations

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Overview

Recent reviews

10.0

Wonderful|Jan 2023

It was a great experience - friendly and helpful staff and clean car!

10.0

Wonderful|Jan 2023

Experience was great. Cost was pricey.

4.0

Mediocre|Jan 2023

You didn't ask me whether I was under 25 and just assumed I was +25, but the car I initially received a price quote for was only for +25, and the next cheapest car was >$100 more expensive.

10.0

Wonderful|Dec 2022

Severe weather warnings caused an airport change and a 2 hour drive to another city. The last minute rental through Kayak was easy. The agent at the Charleston Enterprise was very helpful.

10.0

Wonderful|Dec 2022

Great deal on one way rental. Staff at Hilton Head drop off location were especially pleasant and helpful.

10.0

Wonderful|Nov 2022

Helpful and friendly staff.

1 out of 33

Hertz

6.2

Okay

84 reviews•4 locations

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Overview

Recent reviews

10.0

Wonderful|May 2021

We did not make our pick up time, we were able to pick up at airport, Thank you Diane for helping us after a very stressful day!

6.0

Okay|Nov 2021

Pick up was great. Drop off was terrible. Awful customer service

2.0

Poor|Oct 2021

Hertz took the reservations and then didn't have a car for us!

2.0

Poor|Oct 2021

They didn't have a car after taking a prepaid reservation and I still haven't gotten my refund after several calls

1.9

Poor|Oct 2021

they did not even tell me they are only open until 12 noon, and never got my car as it was closed. would not even honor my place is line and wouldnt give a car even three days later --horrible experience

1.9

Poor|Oct 2021

Almost $200 in hidden fees!!!!! Be wary.

1 out of 28

Budget

6.2

Okay

75 reviews•2 locations

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Overview

Recent reviews

10.0

Wonderful|Aug 2022

Picking up the car took under 10 minutes. Dropping off took about 5 minutes. So easy! I really appreciated that. I thought it was a bit expensive though.

2.0

Poor|Aug 2022

Will never use them again

2.0

Poor|Aug 2022

We had made our car reservation months prior but on the morning we were due to pick it up, they did not have our car available. We then had to drive to a different location but it required a great deal of time and money we weren’t planning on spending. Once we acquired the car, it was filthy, like so dirty it stained the back side of our clothes. Overall just a stressful and unpleasant experience.

2.0

Poor|Jul 2022

It was never mentioned that this pick up site was off airport and would be closed when we arrived to pick up our vehicle. When we called the number provided there was no way to talk with a person. The “computer” did verify that they had my reservation and confirmed that I would be there, but there was no way to contact anyone or to pick up the vehicle. So we never actually were able to get the vehicle that had reserved. We were fortunate that we had family in town that was able to help us with our situation, but this needs to be made clear so other people don’t have this problem- if you are at an off airport site there are limited hours and you will not be able to get (or return) your vehicle!

4.0

Mediocre|Jul 2022

The car had an animal type odor, and the wiper blades were worn out. I had to replace the wiper blades because we were in a location that rain a lot.

8.0

Very good|Jul 2022

Mitsubishi car was sub par at best. Budget rental and staff were great though

1 out of 25

Avis

5.4

Fair

39 reviews•2 locations

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Overview

Recent reviews

2.0

Poor|Oct 2022

Car was ready on time. Lots of cat hair, no damage report (had to show pics of preexisting damage to prevent charge), but worst was at no time were we informed that the drop off location did not have an after hours return thus causing massive changes to our trip.

2.0

Poor|Oct 2022

Pickup person was indifferent about being there. The big issue is no where in the reservation process (booking, confirmation, pickup, etc.) was I informed that AVIS does NOT allow after hours drop off so had to change a lot of trip stuff after that since I showed up at the drop off location thinking I could just drop off the car like at Hertz, etc. but noooo. Had to book a hotel, rearrange travel, etc. because of this. I would simply have booked with another agency that allowed after hours instead of putting a major issue into our trip.

2.0

Poor|Oct 2022

Made a reservation on line. Reservation confirmed that the car I wanted was available. The next morning after having walked to office I received a phone call, while waiting at office, that there where no cars of the class confirmed at that location. Was told on phone that another office nearby had the class car I was seeking, I called the location and was told they didn’t have the car. Was told the reservation line couldn’t call the local desks directly for me to actually confirm inventory, that I had to. Couldn’t give me a local number unless I received it through confirmed reservation. Your process sucks.

10.0

Wonderful|Sep 2022

Best and easiest pickup of a rental ever—that young lady had us down the road in a heartbeat!,

8.0

Very good|Jul 2022

I liked the value for the rental car. What could have been better was the friendliness of the person at Avis. Also, the car had been vacuumed, but the windows were filthy.

4.0

Mediocre|Jun 2022

Dirty car, mixed message from Avis that I would need to go to airport to get car dispite prepayment and a confirmation that I would pick up car at city location. Poor communication!

1 out of 13

National

10.0

Wonderful

1 review•1 location

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Overview

Sunnycars

2 locations

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Easirent

1 location

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Car Rental FAQs

Which car rental company is considered to be the best in Charleston?

Taking our users’ ratings and reviews into consideration, National (10.0 rating), Alamo (9.2 rating) and Enterprise (7.9 rating) seem to be the best rental car companies in Charleston.

What are gas prices like in Charleston?

The average gas price in Charleston is 23,207 ₫/liter over the past month, costing you anywhere between 1,044,304 ₫ and 1,508,439 ₫ to fill up a car’s gas tank.

How far in advance should I rent a car in Charleston for the best price?

Generally, for a better deal in Charleston it’s recommended to book in a timely manner (to save up to 2%). Cheapflights recommends you book around 90 days prior to your pickup date. Booking as early as you can also increases the likelihood that you’ll get the ideal car.

Can I rent a car for a month in Charleston?

Typically, how long you can rent a car for depends on the inventory of the supplier. For Charleston however, it is certainly possible to rent a car for an entire month.