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Car hire in San Jose – Gateway to Silicon Valley
Despite being the third-largest city in California, and the tenth-largest metropolis in the whole of the USA, San Jose is often outshone by its more glitzy neighbour - San Francisco - which is situated less than a 90-minute drive away up the I-280 N. Known as the capital of Silicon Valley, the city celebrates all its American history and culture as much as its technological innovation, and with an average of 300 days of sunshine throughout the year it's a worthy consideration for your next warm-weather holiday destination.
Founded by José Joaquín Moraga in 1777, San Jose is true to its location in the heart of Silicon Valley and is now home to the headquarters of many major tech companies, most notably Cisco, eBay, PayPal, Netflix, Western Digital and Adobe. But it's still a place where you can find plenty of traditional Californian charm in some of its oldest quarters, such as Willow Glen and Rose Garden, as well as the palm-fringed boulevard known as Santana Row that is now a hip neighbourhood crammed with upscale restaurants, boutiques and trendy bars.
Most first-time visitors are surprised to find the city so packed with world-class attractions. You cannot miss the Winchester Mystery House (subject of the 2018 film starring Helen Mirren) and the excellent San Pedro Square Market which further enhances San Jose's bustling historic centre with a food court that reflects the city's rich diversity. Downtown is also packed with top tourist sights like The Tech Interactive where exhibits focus on computers, robotics and space exploration, while the spotlight is very much on America's best contemporary and modern art at the nearby San Jose Museum of Art.
The rolling hills that surround the city feature a valley that's ideal for exploring with a car hire in San Jose. The scenic drive along this route leads to the top of the hills where you can see vast swathes of the northern Californian countryside intersperesed with dramatic oceanscapes. Many visitors head for the Pacific Coast Highway which connects San Jose with many other key US cities, such as Los Angeles, San Diego, nearby San Francisco and Seattle in the north. Other road-trip options include the rural splendour of the Alum Rock Park wilderness and Santa Cruz, one of America's surf capitals.
With Auto Europe you can choose from a comprehensive selection of top vehicle providers to find the cheapest deal for your trip to San Diego. We offer the most competitive rates on the market and pride ourselves on having offered the lowest prices and best customer service since 1954. We currently offer more than 28,000 convenient pick-up and drop-off locations in over 190 popular destinations around the world, including California. Please feel free to get in touch with our rental specialists if you need any personal assistance with your booking and they will be more than happy to help.
For more information on renting a vehicle in San Jose, click on the car hire related topics listed below:
| Suppliers | Car Hire FAQs | Travel Guide |
Where to pick up a car hire in San Jose
As one of the world's leading car rental companies, Auto Europe works with the best vehicle suppliers to offer the widest selection of pick-up and drop-off locations in and around the San Jose area. This means that you'll be able to collect your vehicle in the heart of Downtown or from a airport a few miles away, it's your choice. To help get you on the right road, our high-tech booking engine permits an extensive search to hep you find the best vehicle and the most suitable pick-up point for your trip. Just key in your dates, after which an interactive map will come up with all the available locations for cheap car hire in San Jose.
San Jose Airport
San Jose Airport (SJC) is situated just a few miles north-west of the city centre, making transfers to and from Downtown as quick and easy as anywhere in the USA. The airport caters for non-stop services from all parts of the United States, including regular intrastate flights from all the major airports of southern California, as well as Canada, China, Japan, Mexico and the United Kingdom. The car hire suppliers are located at the Rental Car Center which can be found across from Terminal B. Passengers arriving at terminal B can reach the Rental Center via the Airport Boulevard. A complementary shuttle bus will take passengers arriving at Terminal A to and from the Rental Car Center.
San Jose Airport (SJC)
Website: flysanjose.com
Address: 1701 Airport Blvd, San Jose, CA 95110
Telephone: +1 408 392 3600
Book with the best car hire suppliers in San Jose
Auto Europe is a leading international car hire company currently offering a vast selection of convenient pick-up and drop-off locations in 190 different destinations around the world. Thanks to our many years of experience dealing with all the global and local car rental companies, we can offer you the best standard of service and cheapest prices on the market.
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Should you require additional information about the car hire companies we work with or their policies, for example out of office pick up or questions regarding age restrictions, our car rental specialists are just a phone call or e-mail away and happy to assist you.
Frequently asked questions about renting a car in San Jose
This section features the most frequent questions asked by people booking a car hire in San Jose. Scroll down for important tips relating to a wide range of essential car hire topics, such as credit cards, coverage, tolls, traffic and much more. If you need any more information, please contact our reservations team and they will be happy to help you with your reservation and assist you with your travel itinerary.
Do I need a credit card to rent a car in San Jose?
Yes. Whenever you rent a car in San Jose and other cities in the USA, you will be required to present a valid credit card (in the name of the primary driver) when you arrive to collect your vehicle. The reason for this is because the local car hire supplier will need to place a hold on the value of the deductible for the vehicle they give you for the duration of your rental period, the amount of which is promptly returned once it has been returned in exactly the same condition as you found it. Customers booking a premium- or luxury-category car should bear in mind the fact that many providers will ask for a second major credit card (ie Visa, Mastercard, Diners and American Express) also in the name of the main driver. It's important to remember that only a credit card will be accepted, not a debit or pre-paid card or even cash. Please consult our dedicated blog post for more information on the importance of credit cards when hiring a car in San Diego. It’s very easy to check all the relevant credit card information on the Auto Europe website. Just make a quick search in our booking engine and click on the blue and white info icon (i) where all the details relating to your search can be found. Please click the following link for for more tips on credit cards and deposit requirements when picking up a car hire in San Jose and other parts of the USA.
What insurance do I need for my car rental in San Jose?
Auto Europe's rates for cheap car hire in San Jose always have the minimum amount of legally-required coverage built in, including liability insurance, fire insurance and collision damage waiver (CDW). Nevertheless, when driving in the USA it's always worth spending a little more for our excellent product called Full Damage & Theft Protection, which covers most other parts of the vehicle and thus offers even more peace of mind for drivers touring northern California and the amazing Pacific Coast Highway. If the worst happens and you need to make a claim, please note that you must pay the car rental supplier first then claim back the amount from Auto Europe. All the information relating to the car hire coverage included in your rate is clearly stated in the Auto Europe booking engine search results simply by clicking on the blue and white info icon (i) after selecting your preferred car category and supplier. Please note that some local car rental employees might try selling you their own insurance on top of what you have already purchased through us when you arrive to pick up your vehicle. These extra coverage policies are completely optional and most often prove to be surplus to requirements, plus Auto Europe cannot give a refund for anything purchased locally. For more information about Auto Europe’s popular coverage policies, please call our rental specialists for assistance and they will be happy to answer all your questions. Please also follow the link to check out our related blog post for a general overview of the types of car hire coverage available when planning your trip.
How is the traffic in San Jose?
You should be fine if you avoid driving during the two weekdays rush hours from 6-9am and again from 4–7pm. The traffic in San Jose can sometimes be a bit heavy because more than a million cars enter the city, most of them in the busy Downtown district. Away from this area, the city is quite spread out so a low-cost car rental in San Jose is the most convenient way of getting around the city to visit all its attractions. Interstate 280 is the quickest route East–West (and vice versa) for visitors driving from the Valley Fair Mall or Santana Row to western parts of the city and Downtown, or from Downtown to Alum Rock Park, for instance. California 87 (to and from the airport) and Interstate 280/California 17 (between Rose Garden and Campbell) offers a fast route from north to south. San Jose is connected to San Francisco by two major freeways, namely the Interstate 280 and US-101. From the East Bay, use either I-880 or I-680 South, although taking Interstate 280 to and from San Francisco is a more scenic alternative, especially if you make a detour westward on Highway 92 to Half Moon Bay and the coastal Highway 1 which leads north to San Francisco and south to Santa Cruz, from which you can take Highway 17 through the mountains. Please visit our USA Driving Guide for lots of useful information about getting around San Jose, northern California and the rest of the country by car.
Where can I park my car hire in San Jose?
Parking is never a problem for visitors looking for somewhere safe and central to leave their car hire in San Jose. The city council operates and maintains eight large underground car parks and nine outdoor car parks comprising some 7,500 spaces in key locations across the city centre. Around 2,600 metered on-street parking spaces are also situtaed around the downtown area, such as Japantown, San José State University and the county civic center areas. Some of the best car parks in San Jose are Almaden/Balbach (500 Alamden Boulevard at Balbach), City Hall (200 East Santa Clara Street), 1st Street and 1-280 (630 South 1st Street,), 4th Street (44 South 4th Street at San Fernando), 4th/Saint John (50 North 4th Street), Market and San Pedro Square (45 North Market Street), 2nd and San Carlos Street (280 South 2nd Street), 3rd Street (95 North 3rd Street) and 3rd and Santa Clara (25 South 3rd Street). Please note that all these car parks are part of the popular Downtown San Jose Parking Validation Program which offers drivers up to two hours of free parking (look for the blue and orange ParkSJ sign in the windows of participating retailers).
Do I need to pay tolls when driving my car hire in San Jose?
Yes. Tolls are payable on the I-15 Express Lanes and SR 125 Toll Road in the San Diego area which use the state-wide FasTrak toll collection system allowing drivers to pay tolls electronically in California. Another toll road is the South Bay Expressway which connects San Diego with Otay Mesa. FasTrak users can pay tolls in advance to drive on any toll road, bridge, or express lane in California bearing the FasTrak logo. The I-15 Express Lanes are 20 miles of specially designated highway lanes that give solo drivers who cannot use carpool lanes, the option to pay a per-use toll to use the lanes. The express lanes are free to carpools, vanpools, motorcycles, clean air vehicles, and transit riders with no transponder needed. Heading south, the 73 Toll Road is a popular route for people traveling to and from Los Angeles and San Diego.
Do I need an international driving license to hire a car in San Jose?
No. All the suppliers offering cheap car hire in San Jose accept UK driving licences, but only if it has been held for a minimum of 1 years and is printed in the Roman alphabet. Please note that any driving licence issued in the UK must be the new style of photo licence because old paper licences are no longer accepted. It's also worth remembering that an International Driving Permit (IDP) is only mandatory if the driving licence is not printed in the Roman Alphabet, in which case it must be presented in addition to the home driving licence.
San Jose Travel Guide
With its palm-fringed boulevards, inner-city parks and famously historic buildings, the USA's tech capital is surprising today's visitors with as many thrills and sightseeing attractions as its more established Californian cousin up the Pacific Coast Highway. Besides its thriving arts scene and dizzying selection of fine-dining establishments (many of them international), it's the city's warm, sunny Mediterranean-esque climate that draws many of its visitors in a prime location on America's idyllic west coast.
Best day trips with my car rental in San Jose
Visitors with a car hire in San Jose have a wide choice of day-trip options available, ranging from mountain villages to trendy seaside resorts frequented by champion surfers. There's all the allure of nearby San Francisco (one of the world's most iconic cities), as well as the chance to enjoy the scenic splendour of San Jose's environs on the great Pacific Coast Highway, which include the surf capital Santa Cruz (whose white-sandy beaches lie just 30 minutes away by car) and Monterey, which has been a tourist destination since the 1700s. Don't miss out on our regular Free Additional Driver offers that give travellers the chance to share the driving with friends and family members, plus there's the added freedom and flexibility to be had by taking advantage of our one-way car hire offers, meaning that you can collect your car rental in one place and drop it off somewhere else.
Alum Rock Park
One of the oldest municipal parks in California, Alum Rock Park is easily accessible from San Jose on the north-eastern side of the city. Dating back to 1872, and nestling idyllically into the foothills of the Diablo mountain range, it comprises more than 700 acres of spectacular scenery within the city's limits. It's a very popular area for a range of outdoor activities, such as hiking, picnicking and appreciating nature. It has miles and miles of trails, including the Eagle Rock Trail, and above the park stands Mount Hamilton, one of the highest peaks in the Bay Area at 4,213 feet. Don't miss the Lick Observatory telescopes that crown the summit and are open to the public during the day.
San Francisco
A bucket-list city with massive global appeal, San Francisco needs no introduction; its streets, trolleys and bustling bay area have been increasingly iconic for many decades and the city's visitor experience continues to thrill young and old alike. San Francisco is reachable from San Jose in less than an hour via highway 101, one of America's most famous stretches of road. One of the city's highlights is the mighty Golden Gate suspension bridge and few drivers touring the area with a car rental in San Jose can resist the excitement of driving across it, and back. Like San Jose, San Francisco is a cosmopolitan city composed of many different neighbourhoods, each with its own distinctive character featuring all kinds of restaurants, inner-city parks, long sandy beaches and fine views of the Pacific Ocean.
Pacific Coast Highway
As famous as Route 66 and a magnet for road-trippers from all over the world, the Pacific Coast Highway embroiders the whole of America's spectacular west coast. A mostly two-lane route, the entire stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway covers no less than 1,650 miles (2,655 kilometres) and offers the kind of driving adventure that takes in everything from near-desert terrain to temperate rainforest overlooking the Pacific Ocean. For many, the most memorable part of the route is the portion that connects San Jose with San Francisco in the heart of northern California, with suggested stopovers at Monterey Bay and Santa Cruz.
Santa Cruz
Heading due south from the city takes you to Santa Cruz, one of California's most popular seaside resorts and a top surfing hotspot. Less than an hour away over from San Jose over the scenic Santa Cruz Mountains, this small but vibrant coastal city is the perfect day-trip excursion for visitors exploring the area with a low-priced car rental in San Jose. You can spend the day relaxing on its glorious Pacific beaches or enjoy a leisurely lunch in one of the al fresco eateries lining its long promenade before continuing along the Pacific Coast Highway to Capitola, Monterey or the charming resort town of Carmel-by-the-Sea, for instance.
What to do in San Jose
Art meets innovation in this stylish metropolis on the Californian coast. An abundance of must-see sights and attractions await, including an impressive range of world-class museums, hundreds of years of history, innovative galleries and an exciting culinary scene flavoured by the city's ethnic population.
- Rosicrucian Park: The city's wonderful landscaped garden area known as Rosicrucian Par highlights the Egyptian-inspired architecture of the museum that lies within. Located a short stroll from the Municipal Rose Garden (another of San Jose's top attractions), the park holds many key sights, including the Rosicrucian Temple and the historic Rosicrucian Planetarium where visitors can enjoy scheduled shows. A major highlight is the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum which houses the largest collection of authentic Ancient Egyptian artifacts in the USA, along with an impressive replica of a rock-cut tomb and vast collection of mummies and other ancient artifacts.
- The Tech Interactive: This top attraction in the heart of downtown San Jose is a family favourite that blends entertainment with education through a series of award-winning displays. Focusing on cutting-edge technology, it offers an immersive interactive experience for all ages and backgrounds, allowing visitors to see and feel how technology already affects (and will affect) their day-to-day lives and routines. Permanent exhibits focus on the Internet, the human body and exploration, while the on-site IMAX Theater shows films and documentaries on a range of technological themes.
- San Jose Museum of Art: The San Jose Museum of Art showcases modern and contemporary art in the heart of downtown near the Plaza de Cesar Chavez Park. Featuring a permanent collection of more than 2,500 pieces, this excellent art institution constantly offers new things for visitors to see with a series of rotating pieces and exhibitions. The museum also operates a diverse program of initiatives and cultural events such as Facebook First Fridays at the beginning of each month where visitors can enjoy live music, free admission and extended night-time hours.
- Winchester Mystery House: The star of San Jose's extensive tourism portfolio is without doubt the Winchester Mystery House, an amazing house full of mazes, stairs that go nowhere and many other unusual architectural features. Covering a total of 24,000 feet, this remarkable property has no less than 2,000 doors, 10,000 windows, 17 chimneys, 13 bathrooms, 7 kitchens and 52 skylights. After taking many years to build, today it stands as one Californa's most visited attractions that draws visitors from all over the world, not least because of the hit film released in 2018 starring Helen Mirren as Sarah Winchester, the widow of gun manufacturer William Wirt Winchester who inherited his fortune (the house is said to be haunted by the ghosts of people killed by the Winchester rifle).
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