Auto Europe
Car hire in Tampa – Sightseeing in the Sunshine State
Centrally located on Florida's sun-drenched Gulf Coast, Tampa has grown from being a winter resort for the American elite at the end of the 19th century to one of the most vibrant and modern cities in the USA. It might be just a 45-minute drive from Florida’s world-renowned Walt Disney World Resort, but it has recently upgraded its tourist infrastructure and emerged as a major standalone destination in its own right.
Connecting three counties and spilling out into the Gulf of Mexico, Tampa Bay is Florida's largest open-water estuary and there's much to see with a car hire in Tampa and its surroundings, most notably the nearby cities of Clearwater and St Petersburg. With its temperate climate all year round, the whole Tampa area is abuzz with trendy restaurants, progressive art institutions and, at the end of the day, one of the most spectacular sunsets in the whole of the USA!
First established at the beginning of the 20th century, Tampa's historic neighbourhoods are amongst the city's most culturally rich and interesting places to visit. For instance, you can explore more than a century of Cuban history in Ybor City, once known as the 'Cigar Capital of the World'. More recent additions to the city's tourism portfolio include the Tampa Riverwalk, a 2.5-mile (4.2-kilometre) raised walkway connecting many of the downtown museums and parks.
But Tampa is best-known for its abundance of first-rate tourist attractions, such as Busch Gardens where families get the thrill of an amusement park and the fun of a zoo all in one place. Many other popular places in the city are dedicated to animals and wildlife, including a zoo, aquarium, big cat sanctuary, an excellent science museum and a public manatee-viewing area. All in all, Tampa is the ideal place for a fun-filled family holiday!
Since 1954, Auto Europe has cultivated very strong working relationships with all the top global car hire suppliers, most of whom operate in the Tampa area. This enables us to offer our millions of customers around the world the best deals and widest choice of vehicles. Please contact our rental specialists should you require any assistance whatsoever either before, during or after your trip. For added peace of mind, please take a look at the user ratings and comments posted by previous Auto Europe customers on our Tampa car hire reviews page.
For more information on renting a vehicle in Tampa, click on the car hire related topics listed below:
| Suppliers | Car Hire FAQs | Travel Guide |
Where to pick up a car hire in Tampa
We offer a broad range of locations in and around the city of Tampa and the rest of central Florida, meaning that you can pick up your vehicle in the city centre and start your motoring adventure in the beautiful Tampa Bay area in just a few minutes. Besides the many car hire companies operating at Tampa Airport, there are several conveniently-located suppliers' offices in other parts of the city, most of which are in close proximity to Tampa's top tourist attractions, such as Ybor City and the roads leading off from the Tampa Riverwalk.
To help you make the right choice, our state-of-the-art booking engine allows you to do an extensive search to find the best vehicle and the most suitable pick-up point for your trip. Once you've keyed in your dates, an interactive map will come up with all the available car hire locations in Tampa.
Tampa Airport
Tampa's massive international airport is both an important air transportation hub and a tourist attraction in one. International flights arrive there daily from all four corners of the world and it is constantly ranked as one of the best airports in the USA. Based on an easy-to-navigate design, it handles over 90 non-stop flights and 260 daily departures to destinations throughout North America, Europe, Central America and the Caribbean. Tampa Airport goes right back to the beginning of aviation travel more than a hundred years ago when the world's first seaplane landed there in 1914. You can pick up your cheap car rental at Tampa Airport quickly and easily by taking the SkyConnect train from the main terminal to reach the modern Rental Car Center which has space for over 5,000 vehicles.
Tampa Airport (TPA)
Website: tampaairport.com
Address: 4100 George J Bean Pkwy, Tampa, FL 33607, USA
Telephone: +1 813 870 8700
Book with the best car hire suppliers in Tampa
As a leading international car rental firm, Auto Europe offers a wide choice of convenient pick-up locations in over 190 popular destinations around the world, so it couldn't be easier to rent a car in Tampa. 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 Tampa
This section features the most frequent questions asked by people booking a car hire in Tampa. 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 get in touch with 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 Tampa?
Yes. Travellers renting a low cost car hire in Tampa and elsewhere in the USA will be required to present a valid credit card in the main driver's name at the time of collecting their vehicle. This is due to the fact that the local car hire company will need to place a hold on the value of the deductible for the vehicle for the duration of the rental period, which is returned once the car has been dropped off undamaged. Customers booking a luxury-category car might be asked for a second major credit card (such as Visa, Mastercard, Diners and American Express) also in the name of the main driver because of the high value of such vehicles. To check which cards (and card types) are accepted, you only need to make a quick search in the Auto Europe booking engine and click on the blue and white info icon (i) where all the related credit-card information can be found. For an overview of the use of credit cards when hiring a car in Tampa, please consult our related blog post for important information on credit card and deposit requirements before confirming your reservation.
What insurance do I need for my car rental in Tampa?
There are several things to take into account regarding car hire coverage when choosing a cheap car hire in Tampa with Auto Europe. Chief among these is the fact that our Zero Excess product comes as standard with all rentals and includes value added tax (VAT), liability insurance, fire insurance, collision damage waiver (CDW) zero excess and theft protection (TP) zero excess. You might want to consider our popular Full Damage & Theft Protection policy booking your next car hire in Tampa to ensure that your vehicle is completely covered against any damaged incurred during your rental period. Please note that without this product, some parts of the vehicle might not be covered, most notably the wheels, glass, tyres, roof and undercarriage.
If something happens on the road and you need to make a claim, it's important to remember that you must pay the car rental supplier first then claim back the money from Auto Europe. Please consult our dedicated page about making a claim with Auto Europe for more details.
To access all the relevant info about coverage on the Auto Europe website, just click on the blue and white info icon (i) when making a search in our booking engine where you'll find all the details relating to Zero Excess. The same information will also be sent to you in the Terms and Conditions once your reservation has been confirmed.
It sometimes happens that the local car rental employees might try selling you their own products on top of the coverage you have already purchased from us. Generally, these additional coverage policies are optional and might be deemed to be surplus to your requirements once you have returned your vehicle. Please be informed that Auto Europe will not be able to refund you the money for such policies purchased at the time of picking up your vehicle.
For more information about Auto Europe’s fully-inclusive Zero Excess coverage, please contact our reservations team for assistance. Our products are designed to give you total peace of mind during your trip, thus providing you with a smooth and stress-free car rental in Tampa and the rest of the USA. Please take a look at our blog post for a general overview of the types of car hire coverage available.
How is the traffic in Tampa?
The city has an extensive road network which makes everything easily reachable by car. The roads are well maintained and have clear signage. Although driving your car hire in Tampa is easy, it can get busy during rush-hour when people commute from work. With a hire car it will be easy to visit nearby cities like Orlando or Fort Myers.
In addition, you might also like to visit our USA Driving Guide for lots of useful information relating to getting around Tampa and the rest of the country by car.
Where can I park my car hire in Tampa?
The good news is that when you rent a car in Tampa you'll have more than 24,000 parking spaces at your disposal across the whole of Downtown, meaning there’s always somewhere for visitors to park their low cost car rental in Tampa. Thousands of spaces exist in convenient car parks close to the main tourist attractions, shopping centres, restaurants and night-life zones. The city centre also has more than 1,600 on-street parking spaces available with different payment options such as on-street pay stations accepting coin and credit card or through the ParkMobile app. Parking in Ybor City, one of the city's most popular tourist centres, is available at the Centre Ybor and Palm Avenue car parks, which are both open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Two large car parks can also be found north and south of 7th Avenue on 19th Street.
Do I need to pay tolls when driving my car hire in Tampa?
Yes. The Tampa Bay area has a few toll roads, including the Suncoast Parkway, Veterans Expressway, I-4 Connector and the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway. Please note that both the Veterans Expressway and the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway are all-electronic (no cash transactions) toll roads. Most supplier in Tampa can provide you with a toll pass when you arrive to pick up your vehicle. This is an optional service set at a daily rate, which is paid locally in addition to the cost of the tolls. The toll pass allows drivers to bypass the cash lanes on toll roads, thus eliminating the need to carry the exact amount of change. The collection of tolls is done through the detection of the car's number plate, meaning that no electronic device is required.
Do I need an international driving license to hire a car in Tampa?
An international driving licence or permit is recommended but not obligatory if the driver's licence is not in the English language. However, it will be mandatory for you to acquire one for your car rental in Tampa if your driving licence is not in the Roman alphabet (such as Japanese, Greek, Russian, Bulgarian, etc.), in which case the permit must be presented along with the national driving licence.
Tampa Travel Guide
With its idyllic location on Florida's beautiful west coast, Tampa has emerged in recent years as one of the great leisure and entertainment capitals of the USA. Blessed by seemingly endless year-round sunshine, the whole of the enchanting bay area is worth exploring with your car rental in Tampa, with the huge theme parks of Orlando also within easy reach during your stay.
Best day trips with my car rental in Tampa
This part of the Florida Gulf Coast combines three destinations in one: Tampa, Clearwater and St Petersburg. It is also close to many other appealing towns, islands, springs and other attractions, including Caladesi Island State Park and Gamble Plantation State Historic Park, both located less than an hour's drive from the centre of Tampa. If you're looking to go further and explore more distant parts of the Sunshine State, why not consider picking your vehicle up in one place and dropping it off in another with one of our one-way car hire deals. And if you feel like sharing the driving with a passenger, check out Auto Europe's popular Free Additional Driver deals for even more freedom and flexibility.
St Petersburg
When you feel that it's time to leave the city and take your car rental in Tampa for a spin, the obvious choice is to visit St Petersburg, about a 30-minute drive from Downtown. The first thing to do here is check out the excellent Salvador Dalí Museum (home to the world's largest collection of his work) before heading over to the Morean Arts Center to see the amazing Dale Chihuly glass collection. The Brocante Vintage Market is the best place in town to pick up a bargain, after which you'll probably want to relax on one of St Petersburg's superb beaches for a few hours to soak up some of that famous Florida sunshine.
Clearwater
Besides its wonderful three-mile-long beach, Clearwater has plenty of things for Tampa day-trippers to see and do. The Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) is a major marine research facility where you can visit an animal hospital that cares for injured dolphins, sea turtles, sharks, otters and many other types of marine animal. After sunning yourself on Clearwater Beach, take a leisurely walk down the 1,080-foot-long Pier 60 to enjoy the sunset and have fun in its lively recreational park.
Harry P. Leu Gardens
An hour and a half north-east of Tampa (on Route 4) lie the delightful Harry P. Leu Gardens, which are home to more than 15,000 plants, both native and non-native, as well as many bird and butterfly species. The best thing to do is start your visit at the Garden House Welcome Center and navigate your way through the park from an arid garden for drought-tolerant plants to a native wetland environment, enjoying the unique views along the way.
Hillsborough River State Park
The vast Hillsborough River State Park in Thonotosassa just 30 minutes from Tampa is packed with sights and activities for kids and adults alike. Highlights include a relaxing swim in the park’s half-acre swimming pool and a fun picnic at a Civilian Conservation Corps-built pavilion. Don't miss the Fort Foster State Historic Site, a reproduction of the fort by the same name from the Second Seminole War.
What to do in Tampa
In recent years Tampa has gradually emerged from the shadow of Orlando, for decades the undisputed entertainment capital of the Sunshine State. But things have changed and the magnetic pull of the Tampa Bay beaches and cultural hotspots now give visitors to central Florida the best of both worlds - the chance to keep up with Mickey Mouse et al whilst staying in a relaxing, entertainment-focused seaside environment. Here are a few suggestions to help enhance your visit to one of the USA's most vibrant tourist destinations;
- Busch Gardens: No visit to Tampa is complete without some time spent at Busch Gardens, which offers the ultimate day out for the entire family with an exhaustive mix of rides, roller-coasters, animal attractions (don't miss the recreated African savanna where you can hand-feed the giraffes!) and some of the best log-flume rides in Florida.
- Florida Aquarium: This stunning 150,000 square-foot aquarium has many key features, including a huge shark tank, a colourful coral grotto and a sea-urchin touch tank. Home to more than 15,000 kinds of sea creatures, animals and plants, it’s a great place to learn about everything from sharks and sea turtles to coral reefs and local conservation efforts.
- Ybor City: Founded by Cuban, Spanish and Italian cigar magnates in 1885, this fascinating district in Downtown Tampa is the city's Latin quarter where visitors can see authentic Cuban cigars being hand-rolled and dine on an original Cuban sandwich. The smell of coffee and cigars still wafts through the streets, which are mostly traffic-free and packed with shops, pubs and restaurants.
- ZooTampa at Lowry Park: Covering more than 60 acres, this magnificent park features several fascinating sections brimming with African, Asian and Australian wildlife, along with an area dedicated to primates and a large portion of land for the wildlife of Florida. Don't miss the famous manatee rehabilitation centre which has rescued, treated and released over 230 manatees since its inauguration in 1991.
- The Tampa Riverwalk: Skirting the Hillsborough River, this 2.5-mile (4.2 kilometre) raised walkway winds its way from the Channel District through downtown Tampa to the Tampa Heights neighbourhood, passing city parks, restaurants, cafés and several impressive pieces of public art along the way. Some of the city's key landmarks are just off the Riverwalk, including the Tampa Bay History Center, Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, Tampa Museum of Art and Glazer Children’s Museum.