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

Taking our users’ ratings and reviews into consideration, Enterprise Rent-A-Car (8.3 rating), National (8.0 rating) and Dollar (7.9 rating) seem to be the best rental car companies in Charlottesville.

What are gas prices like in Charlottesville?

The average gas price in Charlottesville is 23,714 ₫/liter over the past month, costing you anywhere between 1,067,152 ₫ and 1,541,442 ₫ to fill up a car’s gas tank.

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

Booking early can save you upwards of 51% on your rental. Booking your vehicle at least 72 days in advance can you get you a great below-average price in Charlottesville.

Can I rent a car for a month in Charlottesville?

Yes, renting a vehicle in Charlottesville for a month is certainly possible.

What car do most people rent in Charlottesville?

Mazda CX-5, which is a Intermediate vehicle, is the most popular to hire at Charlottesville according to Cheapflights users.

Cheap Car Rentals in Charlottesville

Charlottesville, VA, United States

5 Jun — 12 Jun

Same drop-off

Mon 5/6

Noon

Mon 12/6

Noon

Driver's age:

26-65Other

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

January

1,878,375 ₫

February

1,784,456 ₫

March

1,925,334 ₫

April

1,807,936 ₫

May

1,714,017 ₫

June

1,807,936 ₫

July

2,089,692 ₫

August

1,925,334 ₫

September

1,620,098 ₫

October

1,831,415 ₫

November

1,878,375 ₫

December

1,901,854 ₫

Currently, the cheapest month to rent a car in Charlottesville is September. The most expensive time to rent a car is July. 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.

Compare available car types for rental in Charlottesville

Top rental agencies in Charlottesville

Book your reservation with one of the top rental car agencies located in Charlottesville, including Budget, Hertz and Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Make sure to read reviews, pricing info, location, and other important details before choosing a rental car agency.

Budget

7.2

Good

40 reviews•2 locations

Check prices

Overview

Recent reviews

4.0

Mediocre|Mar 2023

I was charged $60 extra for being 45 minutes late in returning the car.

4.0

Mediocre|May 2023

Very difficult and slow pickup.

4.0

Mediocre|Feb 2023

Everything was great until I received my receipt showing a late fee. I was told to drop off the keys in the drop slot if no one was there. The car was due at 6pm (right at closing). I arrived right at 6pm to find no one there so I dropped the keys in the drop slot as instructed. Despite this I still got a late fee. Thankfully the customer service rep quickly offered a refund on the late charge but it's still concerning that I was sent this to begin with and had to waste my time dealing with the erroneous charge. I don't trust Budget, but I'd probably still rent from them again, but with caution.

10.0

Wonderful|Jan 2023

Good price for last minute booking. Got upgrade to SUV for the same price.

10.0

Wonderful|Nov 2022

Nothing I can think of.

2.0

Poor|Jul 2022

I received a confirmation but never had a chance to rent the car as the rental desk was out of cars. The reservation and confirmation should never have been made in the first place.

1 out of 14

Hertz

7.1

Good

55 reviews•2 locations

Check prices

Overview

Recent reviews

2.0

Poor|Mar 2021

Staff was super helpful, but he was the only person at the location working (working front desk as well as sanitizing each vehicle). We weren't able to leave with the rental until almost 2 hours late. Also, we were not able to add the extra driver even though we had the driver's license along (as indicated in the instructions in our confirmation email. This was hugely inconvenient as we were traveling through the night with infants and needed to have more drivers for safety reasons.

The instructions for adding additional drivers should be clearly indicated in the confirmation email and the staff at locations should be trained in the procedures. Also, locations should have back up staff to call when they know it will be a busy day due to the pre-reserved vehicles.

10.0

Wonderful|Mar 2023

The employees at this Hertz location are very helpful and pleasant. They made everything easy for me, including picking me up and driving me to their location. The rental rates were lower than anywhere else I found on line.

10.0

Wonderful|Sep 2022

The employees were amazing…very helpful and made sure all my questions were answered

2.0

Poor|Dec 2021

Under staffed, car was filthy,1/4 tank of gas. Paid up front and had to wait a hr to pick up cat

10.0

Wonderful|Sep 2021

The pickup location made it very easy to modify arrangements.

7.9

Good|Aug 2021

No problem with pickup - friendly staff and chosen car was ready to go when I arrived. Pleasantly surprised given all the poor reviews. Car was clean and tank was full. Dropoff was a little odd. Due to being short staffed (one of the staff mentioned this), despite a closing time of 6pm (don't book for later than this time), I arrived at 5:40pm to find the place was locked up with no one there. Another guy planning to pick up a car was furious. Fortunately, a staff person showed up around 5:50pm, only unlocking the back door and I was able to confirm the car was checked in. So it worked out no problem for me although there were some red flags for next time.

1 out of 19

Enterprise Rent-A-Car

8.3

Very good

24 reviews•3 locations

Check prices

Overview

Recent reviews

2.0

Poor|Mar 2023

They did not inform me that my car was electric. They told me to leave my keys in a box when I returned it and then proceeded to charge me an extra day.

2.0

Poor|Jun 2022

I booked a car through Kayak at 8:00am for a 7:00pm pick up. I received a call 30 minutes before pick up that they had no cars available and they couldn’t remember if they called me earlier to tell me that. So, no car and no time to arrange a car with a different agency.

4.0

Mediocre|May 2022

I did not get the car I expected. The only car available was a KIA Soul, a vehicle that I would not rent if any other vehicles were available.

10.0

Wonderful|Aug 2021

Our counter person was a delight to work with!

4.0

Mediocre|May 2021

The staff was friendly and helpful. It was very easy to get to the car and then return it.

This was my first time ever renting a car I didn’t really know what to expect, but I was definitely disappointed. Once I got the keys I went to get the car and got in, I immediately noticed it smelled like smoke. It wasn’t unbearable but I wanted to report it because I didn’t want the company to think I had anything to do with it. I went back to inform the guys at the desk but they were all gone. I waited for about 10 minutes or so but no one came back. Fortunately there was a woman at another rental car company desk right there who took my information and said she would give it to the guys in the morning and to not worry about it. While driving the car around over the weekend I had the AC on and it had a mold smell at different times. I’m assuming the air filter needed changed. I’m kind of surprised This happened. I assumed rental car companies would make sure the car was clean and was maintained with new air filters. But perhaps not and this is just how it is. Also, I was incorrectly charged on my credit card and customer service is going to fix it but could not tell me why that happened.

8.0

Very good|Dec 2020

Very much so. They were friendly, professional, and prompt.

Pick up and drop off options could have been communicated more clearly.

1 out of 8

National

8.0

Very good

7 reviews•1 location

Check prices

Overview

Recent reviews

2.0

Poor|Dec 2022

Had to cancel the rental and change travel plans because National does not accept debit for one-way rentals. Extremely inconvenient. Could have been avoided if the website would have made this policy clear when booking. Had no trouble booking a one-way with Avis instead. Thank goodness for them.

6.0

Okay|Mar 2022

Strong smell of smoke in a partially cleaned car. No mechanism to report existing damage. Thankfully none major. Despite airport mask mandate, clerk did not wear one. Important to me traveling with family with lung disease. Will not use same company again if reasonable option exists.

9.6

Wonderful|Dec 2019

Friendly staff, super easy pickup, even super easier drop off.

provide a chauffeur?

9.6

Wonderful|Aug 2019

Very quick and easy process

10.0

Wonderful|Jan 2017

The agent was especially helpful!

10.0

Wonderful|Dec 2016

First time using this as opposed to going directly through rental car companies. Very easy very affordable and will use again.

1 out of 3

Dollar

7.9

Good

8 reviews•1 location

Check prices

Overview

Recent reviews

2.0

Poor|Jun 2020

Nothing

Information given at time of booking was incorrect and was not able to rent car.

10.0

Wonderful|Jun 2019

Quick service at counter on both ends of the trip. Car was a short walk from terminal. Very clean. Nice man took care of us. Not one issue. Great experience.

5.6

Fair|Jun 2019

Reserved large SUV, got open bed smaller pickup. Open bed resulted in problems due to three days of rain and I was transporting supplies for wedding and four passengers

10.0

Wonderful|May 2019

Everything was smooth sailing.

6.0

Okay|Jul 2018

Easy pick up and drop off

Car was dirty, maintenance light was on for oil change and filter when we picked it up. Tires were bare causing us to hydroplane during rain storms. Rear view mirror kept falling off.

6.8

Okay|Jun 2018

Dropping off in Charlottesville was not good. Their drop off area was completely full and cars were half-hazardly parked and a few people weren’t sure where to leave the cars. We all ended up just parking in the middle of a row.

1 out of 3

Avis

7.2

Good

9 reviews•2 locations

Check prices

Overview

Recent reviews

8.0

Very good|Oct 2021

First car at pickup reeked with cigarette smoke so bad I couldn’t use it. They did replace with same type vehicle. Was very displeased that the same car rental fee around $25 less per day at their 8 min away location. I couldn’t use them because my flight got in at 3:30 and they closed at 4:00 on Saturdays and they would not leave car for me like Enterprise rental does

7.9

Good|Sep 2021

Cars need to have some sort of navigational system

8.0

Very good|Mar 2021

Staff was friendly

Car was in terrible condition, but it was replaced with a normal car

4.0

Mediocre|Jan 2021

Car was great. Drop off was convenient.

When I got to the desk to pickup they had already closed. I had to ask a police officer to call the manager to come in.

2.8

Poor|Nov 2020

Horrible experience in Virginia. Pick up service was late and gave us a damaged car.

They need to pay more attention to your other branches.

7.2

Good|Sep 2017

There are no signs telling you where to turn on the keys. Turns out you have to go to baggage claim to find the desk. We certainly weren't the only ones walking around in the rain trying to figure that out.

1 out of 3