Cheap Car Rental in Indianapolis

Car Rental in Indianapolis: travelling to the “Crossroads of America”

Indianapolis is a great city to visit to get the distinctive taste of the slow, comfortable pace of the American Midwest, while also being privy to a wide range of activities, not least the races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Known as the “Crossroads of America” for its seat on the intersection of Interstate 70 (east-west) and Interstate 65 (north-south), Indianapolis is well worth a pause in any traveler’s journey. Make the most of your visit by booking you rental car today!

Unless you’re visiting during the occasional cold snap, winters in Indianapolis stay comfortably around zero degrees, while summers typically linger just under 30 degrees Celsius (around 85 degrees Fahrenheit). Spring and fall are also great times to visit the area if you want to avoid the heat. To take advantage of the area’s festivals, visit between June and October.

The de facto national language of the United States is English, and the vast majority of Indianapolis’s residents speak English as a native language. About 7% of residents are native Spanish speakers. Miami and Illinois, both Algonquin languages, are the major languages of the Indianapolis area’s original inhabitants.

Indianapolis is located in the Eastern Time Zone, UTC-5.

The currency throughout the United States is the dollar. Credit cards are accepted at the vast majority of businesses and ATMs are also quite numerous.

Automobile hire is available in over 15 locations in Indianapolis, including numerous downtown locations and at the Indianapolis Airport (IND).

There are some great day and weekend trips available from Indianapolis. Take a short 45-minute drive to Morse Reservoir north of the city, for example, for some outdoor adventures. To get a real look into Midwestern farming culture, on the other hand, head to Fair Oaks Farm, about 2 hours to the northwest.

Visa Regulations

38 nationalities can enter the United States as tourists without applying for a visa, though if you are among these nationalities, you are still required to fill out the ESTA in advance. Visit esta.us for more information. Visitors to the United States will be fingerprinted and biometrically photographed upon entry. If your nationality is not included in the visa-waiver program, you will be required to apply for a B-1 or B-2 visa in advance of your arrival.

Driving in Indianapolis

With wide roads and vast urban sprawl, Indianapolis is a city best explored with a rental car. Drivers are also in luck, as the city is built on an easily navigable grid.

Right-Hand Driving

• Traffic drives on the right-hand side of the road throughout the USA. 

Typical Speed Limits

• On rural interstates: 70 mph (110 km/h)
• On urban interstates:  55-65 mph (90-105 km/h)
• In the city: 30 mph (48 km/h)
• Traffic is not typically too bad in Indianapolis, though you can save some travel time by avoiding morning and evening rush hours, from 7 to 8 am and 4:30 to 6 pm respectively.

Other Regulations

1. Parking in downtown Indianapolis is typically available, though street and lot parking alike is often metered. Be diligent about your parking time limit, particularly on the streets, as parking tickets are handed out aggressively.
2. An international driver’s permit is required in addition to your domestic driver’s license in order to drive in Indiana. Together your permit and your license are valid for up to one year.
3. The primary toll road of Indiana is the Indiana Toll Road, which parallels the northern border of the state. There are no toll roads in the direct vicinity of Indianapolis, though a number of bridges across the Ohio River southwest of the city do charge tolls.
4. While the minimum fully licensed driving age in Indiana is 18, you will have to be at least 21 to rent a car. Drivers under the age of 25 are also likely to face young-driver surcharges.

Cheap Car Rental in Indianapolis

Automobile hire in Indianapolis typically starts at around $32 a day. Here are some of the best deals in Indianapolis:

• Mitsubishi Mirage or similar (economy class) – $24/day
• Nissan Versa or similar (compact class) - $32/day
• Hyundai Elantra or similar (compact class) - $34/day
• Chevrolet Cruze or similar (standard class) - $36/day
• Chrysler 200 or similar (intermediate class) - $38/day

Note that prices vary depending on the availability of each specific car and the season in which you rent. For the most accurate offers, use the search bar above.

Tips for Renting a Car Inexpensively in Indianapolis

There is almost no seasonal variation in price in Indianapolis. Instead of planning your travels to arrive in the off-season, save the most money by booking your car from the Indianapolis Airport. Because a large number of car rental agencies are located at the airport, this is where you’re most likely to get the best offer. Dollar, Thrifty, Budget, and Alamo all offer competitive prices on rental cars. These prices are often around $30 cheaper than rental locations in the city!

You can also save around $15 a day if you extend your rental period to over a week.