Is it worthwhile to book a rental car in Ontario?

This Canadian province contains Canada’s largest city, Toronto, and also the national capital, Ottawa, so there is plenty to see and do. Toronto is the beating, pulsating cosmopolitan heart of Canada, while Ottawa is the cultured centre full of government institutions and great places of learning. As the second-largest country on earth, Canada is the epitome of wide open spaces, and this makes it very desirable to hire a car in Ontario. The province also borders the United States, with easy access to upstate New York, so check with the company doing your car hire whether you will be allowed to cross the border. The famed Niagara Falls, which also straddle the United States-Canada border between Ontario and New York, are relatively close to Toronto and can be easily accessed with a cheap car rental.

What are the driving conditions like in Ontario?

Like its neighbour to the south, the United States, Canada’s road system is generally good, with high-order and high-volume roads that traverse the province of Ontario, especially in the south. The 400-series roads are the most important in the province – specifically highways 400, 401 and 417. Highway 401, which is the busiest highway in North America, links Detroit to Montreal via Toronto (although, the road changes names between provinces along this route). This makes car hire in Ontario something to keep in mind. Road conditions are much poorer in winter because of the snow and ice, so you will need to factor that in when you look to hire a car in Ontario; it may also affect the cost. It is advisable to have emergency supplies such as extra food, water and some blankets in case you get caught in a blizzard.

What laws should I be aware of when driving in Ontario?

Laws between provinces in Canada are quite similar and are also not dissimilar to US states, but be aware that distances are given in kilometres rather than miles. This is especially important to remember when calculating the speed at which you travel in the vehicle that you choose for car rental. Road signs may appear in English and French, even in Ontario, and smoking is banned in cars where minors are present. HOV lanes may not be used unless there are at least two people in the car, while seatbelts are compulsory for all car occupants. Canada has almost draconian laws on drinking and driving, so when you’re looking at cheap car hire in Ontario, be sure that what you save on the car rental doesn’t get blown on fines (or even an arrest) due to alcohol. A designated driver who doesn’t drink might be an idea to consider.

What documents do I need to hire a car in Canada?

In order to procure car rental in Ontario, Canada, you will need to be at least 21 years old, and you must have a valid driver’s licence in either English or French (failing which, you will need an international driver’s permit in English). If your licence does not have photo identification, then be sure to present your passport in addition to your licence, which may be requested. You may also be required to show your return airline ticket, and you must be at least 21 years old for car hire in Canada.

Cheap Car Hire in Ontario from just £15

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Best deals found for Ontario car hire

Find great deals below on a variety of popular hire cars in Ontario

Toyota Aygo

or similar Economy

Up to 2 passengers

£15/day

22 May - 31 May

See offer

Vauxhall Astra

or similar Intermediate

Up to 5 passengers

£15/day

22 May - 31 May

See offer

MG ZS

or similar Compact

Up to 4 passengers

£17/day

23 May - 11 Jun

See offer

Skoda Superb

or similar Full-size

Up to 5 passengers

£19/day

22 May - 31 May

See offer

Vauxhall Corsa

or similar Economy

Up to 2 passengers

£19/day

22 May - 29 May

See offer

Volkswagen Golf

or similar Compact

Up to 4 passengers

£21/day

3 Jun - 13 Jun

See offer

Vauxhall Corsa

or similar Economy

Up to 2 passengers

£21/day

3 Jun - 13 Jun

See offer

Citroen C3

or similar Compact

Up to 4 passengers

£22/day

22 May - 29 May

See offer

Toyota Aygo

or similar Economy

Up to 2 passengers

£22/day

22 May - 29 May

See offer

Car hire insight and trends in Ontario

Useful insights to help you book the perfect car hire in Ontario

What is the best car hire company in Ontario?

With an average review score of 9.2/10 from 116 reviewers, Alamo is rated the best car hire company in Ontario by our users. Alamo has 5 locations in Ontario including the popular city of Thunder Bay.

What is the most popular type of car to hire in Ontario?

SUV or similar cars are the most popular type of car to hire in Ontario, with 37% of our users choosing this type over other options. Renting SUV cars in Ontario costs, on average, £60/day. Keep in mind that prices may fluctuate based on when you visit, what city you stay in, and what agency you're hiring from.

Ontario car hire deals found on momondo

Find the car hire in Ontario that's right for you

	Small cars	£30 - £58
	All Car Types	£40 - £71

The average price of a small car hire in Ontario is £40. The cheapest time to hire a small car in Ontario is in April. The price is 25% lower than the rest of the year at just £30 per day. A small car rental is typically 24% less expensive than the average rental car in Ontario. The average price of a car hire in Ontario can vary based on a number of factors including supply, popularity of the vehicle, and how far out you book your car hire. Below are the best prices for Ontario small car hire found on momondo in the past week.

The average price of a medium car hire in Ontario is £46. The cheapest time to hire a medium car in Ontario is in April. The price is 29% lower than the rest of the year at just £33 per day. A medium car rental is typically 12% less expensive than the average rental car in Ontario. The average price of a car hire in Ontario can vary based on a number of factors including supply, popularity of the vehicle, and how far out you book your car hire. Below are the best prices for Ontario medium car hire found on momondo in the past week.

The average price of a large car hire in Ontario is £62. The cheapest time to hire a large car in Ontario is in January. The price is 24% lower than the rest of the year at just £48 per day. A large car rental is typically 18% more expensive than the average rental car in Ontario. The average price of a car hire in Ontario can vary based on a number of factors including supply, popularity of the vehicle, and how far out you book your car hire. Below are the best prices for Ontario large car hire found on momondo in the past week.

The average price of a SUV hire in Ontario is £53. The cheapest time to hire a SUV in Ontario is in January. The price is 30% lower than the rest of the year at just £38 per day. A SUV rental is typically 4% more expensive than the average rental car in Ontario. The average price of a car hire in Ontario can vary based on a number of factors including supply, popularity of the vehicle, and how far out you book your car hire. Below are the best prices for Ontario SUV hire found on momondo in the past week.

The average price of a van hire in Ontario is £68. The cheapest time to hire a van in Ontario is in January. The price is 40% lower than the rest of the year at just £41 per day. A van rental is typically 24% more expensive than the average rental car in Ontario. The average price of a car hire in Ontario can vary based on a number of factors including supply, popularity of the vehicle, and how far out you book your car hire. Below are the best prices for Ontario van hire found on momondo in the past week.

The average price of a pickup truck hire in Ontario is £69. The cheapest time to hire a pickup truck in Ontario is in January. The price is 52% lower than the rest of the year at just £34 per day. A pickup truck rental is typically 26% more expensive than the average rental car in Ontario. The average price of a car hire in Ontario can vary based on a number of factors including supply, popularity of the vehicle, and how far out you book your car hire.

The average price of a luxury car hire in Ontario is £73. The cheapest time to hire a luxury car in Ontario is in November. The price is 37% lower than the rest of the year at just £47 per day. A luxury car rental is typically 30% more expensive than the average rental car in Ontario. The average price of a car hire in Ontario can vary based on a number of factors including supply, popularity of the vehicle, and how far out you book your car hire. Below are the best prices for Ontario luxury car hire found on momondo in the past week.

The average price of a convertible hire in Ontario is £101. The cheapest time to hire a convertible in Ontario is in February. The price is 33% lower than the rest of the year at just £69 per day. A convertible rental is typically 50% more expensive than the average rental car in Ontario. The average price of a car hire in Ontario can vary based on a number of factors including supply, popularity of the vehicle, and how far out you book your car hire.

Toyota Aygo

or similar Economy

Up to 2 passengers

£15/day

22 May - 31 May

See offer

Hyundai Ioniq

or similar Compact

Up to 4 passengers

£17/day

23 May - 11 Jun

See offer

Vauxhall Corsa

or similar Economy

Up to 2 passengers

£19/day

22 May - 29 May

See offer

Ontario car hire directory

All major car hire suppliers in Ontario

Enterprise Rent-A-Car

8.3

Very Good

693 reviews•99 locations

Check prices

Overview

Recent reviews

10.0

Wonderful|Sept 2023

To be able to pick up the car in Ottawa and drop it off in Grimsby was fanatasgic, i was able to brinbg back my new motorhome.

10.0

Wonderful|Sept 2023

None

10.0

Wonderful|Sept 2023

Very good service, nice car and great location

8.0

Very Good|Sept 2023

Good. Easy, clean car. Good service

2.0

Poor|Aug 2023

The car wasn’t ready had to wait 30 mins. Told me I am getting an upgrade but it was a 10 year old Mitsubishi suv with no mats and patches on the floor. Extremely bad to run - worst experience so far.

10.0

Wonderful|Aug 2023

Excellent experience at the rental locations we dealt with (Toronto, Quebec city and Fredericton). Did have issues with car (back brakes were completely worn out and both pads and disks needed to be replaced). While dealing with Enterprise central staff and call in numbers was very time consuming and difficult, the individual rental offices were exceptions.

1 out of 231

Enterprise Rent-A-Car Locations in Ontario

Avis

7.7

Good

137 reviews•47 locations

Check prices

Overview

Recent reviews

4.0

Mediocre|Sept 2023

I booked a dodge challenger but given a ford escape. The ford interior had not been vacuumed and had dirt and food debris in the console/gear shift. The exterior of the vehicle had not been washed and the windshield was covered with dead bugs. However, the drop-off at Toronto Pearson Airport was smooth and efficient

10.0

Wonderful|Aug 2023

Easy to work with!

10.0

Wonderful|Aug 2023

Everything was good.

10.0

Wonderful|Aug 2023

Muy buen servicio

10.0

Wonderful|Aug 2023

Extremelly good.

10.0

Wonderful|Aug 2023

Excellent experience at the 333 College St location. Thank you Sandy and Sam for all the great and super friendly service provided. My second time renting from you. Hope to continue. Cheers

1 out of 46

Avis Locations in Ontario

Budget

7.4

Good

261 reviews•42 locations

Check prices

Overview

Recent reviews

10.0

Wonderful|Sept 2023

Very good customer service

8.0

Very Good|Sept 2023

No thanks

10.0

Wonderful|Sept 2023

Remove the bird poop from the car

2.0

Poor|Aug 2023

We asked and needed a full sized car and were given a mid sized car which had done 82,000Ks and had maintenance issues. We managed to swap it out at our next stop and could only be provided with the same type of car which had done 83,000ks and as we discovered later had a bald front tyre and some steering issue which made it very hard to stay in our lane and could not be driven over 95 ks/h. We were stuck with the thing for 16 days. The car was not "road worthy"..........NOT HAPPY.

2.0

Poor|Aug 2023

The original price quoted went up by 50% after it was returned. From $400 to over $600. Will not make this mistake again.

10.0

Wonderful|Aug 2023

Great service for pick up and drop off

1 out of 87

Budget Locations in Ontario

Hertz

7.4

Good

421 reviews•30 locations

Check prices

Overview

Recent reviews

10.0

Wonderful|Sept 2023

Pick up was faultless - easy to find at terminal 3 Toronto, and also return was easy to find, park and hand over car. Reported a few issues with the car to ensure the next person didn't have same problems - basically wiper needed renewing and service!, otherwise all good! Staff were helpful and curtious.. 10 out of 10!

2.0

Poor|Aug 2023

I was robbed of my money Hertz canceled 2 hours before pickup time and I cant get back my $776.74 to date. I cannot get anyone to talk to.

2.0

Poor|Aug 2023

I arrived to the car rental facility and they didn’t have cars, even with my confirmed reservation. Very poor service. The attended was also rude when I asked for a solution. Very bad service. Had to pay a taxi to find another way out

8.0

Very Good|Aug 2023

Good but the receipt is hard to understand. I’m still not sure what I paid as there are three different amounts. Make it simpler to understand

2.0

Poor|Aug 2023

Never using hertz ever again

6.0

Okay|Jul 2023

Long wait to collect car, wasn’t clear what insurance was included in the pre-booked price

1 out of 141

Hertz Locations in Ontario

Dollar

7.1

Good

124 reviews•19 locations

Check prices

Overview

Recent reviews

8.0

Very Good|Aug 2023

Good car, nice upgrade. Had to wait a long time for the pick up

2.0

Poor|Aug 2023

Poor pick-up experience: - I arrived to the counter at 10:30AM, waited in line 30 minutes until 11:00AM and was told to come back one hour later at 12:00PM as they had no cars available - I got back in line once more at 11:30AM and waited until 1:30PM to be served - While checking-in, CX advised they do not have the car I paid for and offered me smaller class sizes (they did not adjust the price to reflect the smaller size). Even worse drop-off experience, with privacy concerns: - When I parked the vehicle in the drop-off lane, several staff (about 3-4 in total) members began opening and closing the doors before I started collecting my belongings from the car. - One staff member then *sat inside the passenger seat and closed the door while I was still in the driver seat* trying to collect my belongings - I had to ask the staff member to leave the car because I wanted to check if he was sitting/blocking any of my personal items This is a massive breach of privacy and respect. I hadn’t cleared the vehicle of my property and staff members were already trying to enter the vehicle.

4.0

Mediocre|Jul 2023

It was a disaster. They didn’t have the cars we got. We have to wait for almost one hour at the airport!

2.0

Poor|Jun 2023

Didn’t have a comparable car. Gave me a compact.

2.0

Poor|May 2023

They gave an inspection sheet and told me to annotate any damages. I did. During the return, they tried to tell me that it should have been on the white sheet of paper not the blue one. I told the lady that the person who gave me the car took thr white sheet that was on top. They tried to have us stand by and wait for. a manager until I brought up a video of my car inspection during pickup that detailed the damages I found. Also, the car was not clean when we picked it up.

4.0

Mediocre|May 2023

Over 2 hours waiting before we got the car. Poor knowledge of the program by staff at the Airport.

1 out of 42

Dollar Locations in Ontario

Alamo

9.2

Wonderful

99 reviews•5 locations

Check prices

Overview

Recent reviews

10.0

Wonderful|Jan 2024

Great. Return was easy.

10.0

Wonderful|Aug 2023

The young lady the helped us was excellent. I believe her name was Mariam. The only thing that would help would be to be able to supply or buy a map of Ontario and perhaps Quebec. We rented it in Ottawa and bought it back to Ottawa. We would of preferred to have dropped it off in Toronto but the drop off charge was horrendous. thank you

10.0

Wonderful|Jul 2023

Ankit Patel did an excellent job for us in Ottawa. Excellent customer service considering we have a 3 and 6 year old.

10.0

Wonderful|Jun 2023

Great customer service

10.0

Wonderful|Jun 2023

Everything! If only I didn't have to fill the car up at the end, that's it

10.0

Wonderful|May 2023

I love the customer service I received but the price was way too high compared to two years ago before the pandemic. I understand because if it was my business I probably would do the same to maximize profits but as a customer I feel different. But it is what it is and this survey will not change a thing.

1 out of 33

National

8.5

Very Good

48 reviews•10 locations

Check prices

Overview

Recent reviews

8.0

Very Good|Aug 2023

Pick up location was the only one available at Terminal Billy Bishop though I would have liked it to be in the city. "Change Engine Oil" sign was lit at pick up. Rates could have been better. Overall the car was clean, performing and comfortable. Up to my expectations. The drop off experience was excellent and very convenient.

10.0

Wonderful|Aug 2023

Very helpful people on staff.

10.0

Wonderful|Aug 2023

Helpful person who listened to my need of needing a bigger SUV and arranged for it

10.0

Wonderful|Aug 2023

Excellent service

10.0

Wonderful|Aug 2023

Everything went very quickly and efficiently for pick up and drop off.

10.0

Wonderful|Jul 2023

All around stress free rental experience

1 out of 16

Thrifty

7.4

Good

78 reviews•24 locations

Check prices

Overview

Recent reviews

2.0

Poor|Aug 2023

Reservation was taken, talked to Thrifty customer service twice to confirm and adjust booking. I even talked to someone at the location directly about the reservation. I was called the day before the rental (I was driving my family to NY for a wedding), and they said no van was available, and on top of it, there wasn't one available until Sept when my booking was for Aug 16. Garbage service, no accountability, poor customer relations. I would recommend that nobody uses them.. if there was a rating lower than poor, I would select that.

2.0

Poor|Jul 2023

Called company before pick up the car and company advice there's no cars available. Advice Kayak site was not reliable since not following their availability. Request no show is okay, but just in case I have cancelled the booking.

8.0

Very Good|Jul 2023

Drop off instructions clear

10.0

Wonderful|Jun 2023

Great service, given choice of car within paid for range, small issue with tyre pressure was resolved promptly. As a foreign traveller we were apprehensive but no need to be, we would use Thrifty again for sure.

8.0

Very Good|Jun 2023

The staff were great. The car exceeded my expectations The final cost was more than originally anticipated.

4.0

Mediocre|Jun 2023

They were charging me more than the amount on the bill. Also my reservation was for 7am and I got the car after 9 am. There are never enough staff and that day there were not enough cars available as well.

1 out of 26

Thrifty Locations in Ontario

Car hire in Ontario

Learn everything there is to know about hiring a car in Ontario so you can be properly prepared for your next trip

How long do people hire a car for when staying in Ontario?

Consider hiring a car in Ontario for 7 days, which is the most popular length of time people tend to spend in the region. The average daily hire cost for 7 days is £30. Weekend and 1-week-long hires will average a total of £210 and £74, respectively. For your more long-term car hire needs, a 1-month-long 7 car hire will cost £1,305 in total on average.

When did momondo last update prices for cars in Ontario?

Prices for cars in Ontario were last updated today.

How many operators does momondo search for cars in Ontario?

As of May 2024, there are 458 operators available to choose from for cars in Ontario.

How old do you have to be to hire a car in Ontario?

The minimum age for drivers varies by country, including Ontario. In many EU countries drivers must be 18 years old. As a rule, you’ll need to be 21 to hire a car abroad, and a young driver surcharge may be applied if you are under 25. We recommend reading through the policy of your chosen rental company before booking.

What documentation or ID do you need to rent a car in Ontario?

When renting a car in Ontario, all drivers must present a full valid driving license. An International Driving Permit is required if the driving license is written in a language different to that of the country of rental and may be necessary to avoid the risk of potential fines. If you are renting abroad, you may also need to provide proof of return travel and accommodation information during your stay. We always recommend checking with the individual rental company you are booking with.

Why use momondo?

Why should I use momondo to book a car hire in Ontario?

You should book a car hire in Ontario using momondo because it is quick, free and easy to use and could save you money. momondo does the hard work of finding the car hire prices and policies, all you need to do is compare and choose what works best for your trip.

How does momondo help me find the best car hire deal in Ontario?

momondo enables you to find the best car hire deal in Ontario by providing useful filters to narrow your search. Filters include, but are not limited to: price, body type, rental company and specific policies that you may want.