There might be many jokes comparing Canada to its neighbor the United States, and although they might be funny, the northernmost but those who have researched a bit about the northernmost country in mainland America has thousands of miles of roads and highways that are worth traveling by car.
Canada is the second-largest country in the world but compared to its vast territory, its population is considerably low, ad it is the house of some of the most breathtaking landscapes and natural beauties, as well as some of the most vibrant and livable cities in the world.
There are many ways to explore Canada, but renting a car unlocks many possibilities, giving you the freedom to visit other cities and provinces, or stop whenever you want on your trip to take beautiful pictures.
In Canada, the options for renting a car include the most popular international car rentals, but the roads are so diverse, that you should know which are the best car rentals companies available in the country.
Whether you want to visit Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Halifax, Kelowna, Victoria, or Quebec, we have made a Ranking of the Best Car Rental companies in Canada in 2024 to help you choose your next car rental booking, which, by the way, you can do easily and at the best price on this website.
#1 – Enterprise (8.2/10) 🏆
Enterprise Rent-A-Car is one of the favorite car rental companies in the United States, and they also share this good reputation in their northern neighbor Canada, where their many locations in major cities and airports, as well as their fleet of cars and prices, making them another great option for renting a car for your trip.
Renting with Enterprise through their official Canadian website is a good experience, as it is a very clear site, and their booking engine works very well and is quite responsive.
You should make sure to know what are you choosing when booking your car, in order to choose additional damage coverage or insurance if necessary. But the price is clearly shown during the process, as well as what extra services you have selected.
Enterprise’s rates seem to be quite lower than with other companies, especially when pick-up and drop-off locations are different, which might be yet another reason to choose this company.
Enterprise is a well-reputed company, with rates that might not be the lowest, but are definitely lower than with other companies for their good service. As with any other company, make sure to ask enough questions and to take photos of the car, so that you can get your best experience renting a car in Canada.
Enterprise customer ratings:
- ✔️ Very good cleanliness of the car
- ✔️ Very good service at the rental desk
- ✔️ Quick pick-up process
- ✔️ Quick drop-off process
- ✔️ Very good overall value for money
#2 – Alamo (8.0/10) 🥈
Another car rental company that belongs to the same group as National and Enterprise is Alamo, a car rental company of a smaller reputation than its partners and fewer locations, but enough to make it probable to find deals with them for your trip to Canada.
As with its partners, Alamo’s booking process through their website is quite straightforward, offering a similar experience to those of National and Enterprise with a few differences, and the extra protection services are clear and easy to know what you can get and how much you would have to pay.
Their rates are a mix, but you should definitely consider Alamo when choosing which company to rent a car within Canada, as you could find lower prices than with Enterprise, depending on the date, the days of rent, and the locations.
If you make sure to take all of the common precautions one should take when renting a car, no matter the company, as well as taking enough photos, and reading your contract; you should have a very good experience with Alamo in Canada.
Alamo customer ratings:
- ✔️ Very good cleanliness of the car
- ✔️ Very good service at the rental desk
- ✔️ Quick pick-up process
- ✔️ Quick drop-off process
- ✔️ Very good overall value for money
#3 – Routes Car Rental (7.8/10) 🥉
Routes Car Rental is one of the best car rental companies in Canada, that prides itself on offering the very best in customer service. Having more than 10 locations throughout the most important airports and downtowns in Canada, Routes has the network for travelers wanting to visit the beautiful western shores of British Columbia, the always interesting and bustling cities of Toronto, Ottawa, Edmonton, Vancouver, or anywhere in between.
Routes Car Rental’s fleet is modern and diverse, having always the vehicle that will cover every rental need, however, they are specialized in the high-end SUVs and Minivans that every family will want to drive.
Providing value, providing a good price, providing a great vehicle, and providing excellent service, is what Routes strive for each and every time a customer rents from them.
Routes Car Rental customer ratings:
- ✔️ Very good cleanliness of the car
- ✔️ Good service at the rental desk
- ✔️ Quick pick-up process
- ✔️ Quick drop-off process
- ✔️ Good overall value for money
#4 – National (7.7/10) 🔝
For those travelers who are used to rent with Enterprise, National Car Rental is a company that belongs to the same group as Enterprise, but they offer different prices, which are often lower than with their partner, making them another option for renting a car in Canada.
The booking experience with National is as good as with Enterprise, with most things very clear and visible, and it is rather best, as you can clearly add damage waiver and other types of protection, which is not quite clear with Enterprise.
They probably have the same fleet as Enterprise does, which is a positive thing, as you might end up finding a better deal with National than with their partners.
However, you should make sure to take enough precautions, renting directly with National Canada, asking any question you might have, and taking photos of the rented car so that you can be sure that you will have the best experience in Canada.
National customer ratings:
- ✔️ Very good cleanliness of the car
- ✔️ Good service at the rental desk
- ✔️ Quick pick-up process
- ✔️ Quick drop-off process
- ✔️ Good overall value for money
#5 – Discount Car & Truck Rentals (7.5/10) 🔝
Discount is a smaller North American car rental company compared to major international brands, but Discount has a considerable presence in Canada, having locations in most major cities and some of the airports in the country.
The name of this car rental company is quite fair always that both, the pick-up and drop-off are going to be in the same location. Otherwise, the prices of the rental will escalate quite quickly to very high amounts, which is probably due to the long distances between cities and provinces in this North American country.
If you are planning to pick-up and drop-off in the same city, you might find a good deal with this company, and you can book using their website, which is not so straightforward, especially when choosing the locations, and it is a good idea to contact a representative of Discount in Canada in order to know what you are paying for when booking your car.
For a more local experience, Discount Car & Truck Rentals can be a good choice for you. However, make sure to ask enough questions and to be informed about mandatory insurance in Canada, as well as taking photos of the car during pick-up and drop-off, to make sure that you will get the best experience with Discount.
Discount Car & Truck Rentals customer ratings:
- ✔️ Very good cleanliness of the car
- ✔️ Good service at the rental desk
- ✔️ Quick pick-up process
- ✔️ Quick drop-off process
- ✔️ Good overall value for money
#6 – Budget (7.4/10) 🔝
As a company that belongs to the Avis Budget Group, Budget is an important and trusted car rental company, and it also has several locations across Canada, mostly the same as Avis does, as they rented their fleet of cars.
One reason to go for Budget over AVIS is the fact that they do tend to offer considerably better rates than Avis on the same cars. However, do take into account that cars with Avis automatically include the Loss Damage Waiver (LDW), while it is not the case with Budget, so take this into account when renting with them.
There was a long thread on the internet with bad practices from Budget, apparently especially at Vancouver’s airport, especially by charging extra fees to costumers either by adding extras they didn’t ask for or by found damages.
This happened five years ago, and the situation might have improved. However, do make sure to ask all of the necessary questions about car insurance in Canada, as well as renting directly with the company and taking photos during pick-up and drop-off.
Overall, Budget belongs to a company with an important reputation in the car rental industry, and many customers use them in Canada. If you take enough precautions and get informed before renting with Budget, your experience in Canada should be a great one.
Budget customer ratings:
- ✔️ Good cleanliness of the car
- ✔️ Good service at the rental desk
- ✔️ Quick pick-up process
- ✔️ Quick drop-off process
- ✔️ Good overall value for money
#7 – Hertz (7.3/10) 🔝
Hertz is one of the most well-known international car rental companies, with many locations around the world, and in Canada, they have a good reputation, with locations in all major cities and airports in the country, and a fleet of cars in very good conditions.
Booking your car directly with Hertz Canada is a good experience through their website, where you can find their available options for your pick-up and drop-off locations, dates, and times.
One thing that might put some people off when considering renting with Hertz is the price, which is considerably high, especially if pick-up and drop-off locations are not the same, and the prices increase more if they are different provinces.
However, they have an overall good reputation, cars in very good conditions, and you might expect to pay for what you booked, which is something important for your peace of mind during your trip to Canada.
As with any other car rental, do make sure to take precautions, ask as many questions as you need, try to rent directly through Hertz Canada’s website or with a certified Hertz Canada representative, preferably in the location of your pick-up, and take photos of the car.
Hertz is a big car rental, so you should expect a very good service from them, a good car, and no surprises at the counter or once you have a flight back home.
Hertz customer ratings:
- ✔️ Good cleanliness of the car
- ✔️ Good service at the rental desk
- ✔️ Quick pick-up process
- ✔️ Quick drop-off process
- ✔️ Good overall value for money
#8 – Avis (6.7/10) 🔝
As one of the most important car rental companies worldwide, Avis Rent a Car has an important presence in Canada, where they offer locations in all major airports in the country, as well as locations in several cities of the Canadian territory.
Avis Canada provides a good fleet of cars, ranging from smaller cars, up to SUVs and minivans, which might better suit your needs on your trip to Canada.
Booking a car directly through the website is a good experience, as it is interactive and responsive, and it is easy to know what things you are opting for and what comes by default with the car.
Do be aware that if you are choosing a pick-up destination in one province of Canada, and a drop-off in another, you will most likely get an alert that those locations are sold-out, but this is probably a restriction due to the distance between provinces and territories in this North American country.
As with any other car rental company, Avis in Canada has received some negative comments from customers who had some negative experiences. However, these can be avoided if booking directly with the company, being informed in regards to the mandatory insurance, and take photos of the car just in case of a claim for damage.
Being such an important international car rental, Avis has an image to maintain also in Canada, where they provide a very good service, with several cars available, and good enough rates if compared with the overall service.
Avis customer ratings:
- ✔️ Good cleanliness of the car
- ✔️ Good service at the rental desk
- ✔️ Quick pick-up process
- ✔️ Quick drop-off process
- ✔️ Good overall value for money
#9 – Thrifty (6.2/10) 🔝
Thrifty is a car rental of smaller size and one that is often less known than its competitors, but it continues to have a fair market share in the car rental sector, and it is a company you might also want to consider when renting a car in Canada.
This company has fewer locations than others, but they still have locations in all major cities and airports in Canada, and their rates are rather varied, as sometimes you might get considerably better prices with Thrifty, and others they would be either average or more expensive.
If you are unsure on whether to choose Thrifty, take them into account, and if their deal is much better, go with them, always that you take the common precautions, such as asking all of your questions to an official representative, booking directly with them, and taking photos of the car during pick-up and drop-off.
There have been some negative reviews of people who rented from them in their location at Vancouver’s airport. If you are renting from this location, taking the precautions from above should be enough for you to have a good time in Canada, and not to have problems with your rented car.
Thrifty customer ratings:
- ✔️ Good cleanliness of the car
- ✔️ Good service at the rental desk
- ✔️ Quick pick-up process
- ✔️ Quick drop-off process
- ✔️ Good overall value for money
#10 – Dollar (6.1/10) 🔝
Dollar Car Rental is a low-cost car rental brand owned by Hertz.
Dollar customer ratings:
- ✔️ Good cleanliness of the car
- ✔️ Good service at the rental desk
- ✔️ Quick pick-up process
- ✔️ Quick drop-off process
- ✔️ Good overall value for money
We hope you liked this article. Now you can continue reading our article about the differences between Avis, Budget, Hertz, Europcar, Payless, Sixt, Thrifty, Dollar, Alamo, National, and more, or use our search engine below to book your car.