Car Rental at Savannah Airport (SAV): Who Rents There and When You Need One (2026)

Car rental at Savannah airport is simple, but whether you need one depends on your plans. The short answer: Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (SAV) has nine rental companies with counters in baggage claim and covered lots next to the terminal, so pickup takes minutes. Rent a car if your trip includes Tybee, Hilton Head, Charleston or a stay outside downtown. If you are staying in the Historic District and plan to stay there, skip it. Walking, the free downtown shuttle and rideshares cover most of what visitors do.

Company names, counter locations and hours below come from the airport's own ground transportation page, checked November 1, 2026. Parking rates come from the City of Savannah and the City of Tybee Island. Hours and rates change, so confirm before you travel.

TL;DR: Renting a Car at SAV

• Where: rental counters are in baggage claim, and the pickup and return lots are covered and next to the main terminal.
• Who: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Payless and Thrifty.
• Late arrivals: counter hours vary a lot. Avis and Budget list hours to 12:30 a.m., while Hertz lists 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Rent if: you are doing day trips, beach days, or staying in Pooler, the Southside or on Tybee.
• Skip if: your whole trip is in the Historic District. Parking costs and one-way streets outweigh the convenience.
• Middle ground: rideshare in from the airport, then rent for just the day trip.

Which Rental Car Companies Are at Savannah Airport?

The airport lists nine companies, all with counters in the baggage claim area. You walk from the carousel to the counter, then out to the covered lot beside the terminal. There is no shuttle bus to a remote rental center, which makes SAV one of the easier airports for a rental pickup.

Here are the posted counter hours, seven days a week:

• Avis and Budget: 7 a.m. to 12:30 a.m.
• Dollar and Thrifty: 7 a.m. to midnight
• Payless: 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• Alamo, Enterprise and National: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Hertz: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

If your flight lands late, these hours matter more than the price. A cheap rate is useless if the counter closed an hour before you landed. Put your flight number in the reservation and call the local counter if you expect a delay. The airport page lists a local number for most companies.

Do You Actually Need a Rental Car in Savannah?

Most first-time visitors don't, at least not for the whole trip. The Historic District is compact, the squares are built for walking, and the free DOT system (the Express Shuttle and the Savannah Belles Ferry to Hutchinson Island) covers the core. Our do you need a car in Savannah guide walks through it in detail.

Getting from the airport to downtown is easy without a car. SAV is about 11 miles from the Historic District, and rideshares pick up at the north entrance of baggage claim. Taxis wait outside baggage claim on the lower level. See our Savannah airport to downtown guide for typical costs and the bus option.

When a car is worth it

• Beach days: Tybee Island is roughly a half-hour drive from downtown, and a car makes it easy to haul chairs, coolers and kids. Our Tybee Island day trip guide covers the route.
• Day trips: Hilton Head, Beaufort, Jekyll Island and Charleston all need wheels. Start with our best day trips from Savannah.
• Sights outside the grid: Bonaventure Cemetery, Wormsloe Historic Site and Fort Pulaski are each a short drive, and easy to string together in one day.
• Staying near the airport: if you booked one of the hotels near the Savannah airport and in Pooler, you will be driving into town each day anyway.
• Families and groups: once you are paying for several rideshares a day, a rental can come out cheaper.

When to skip it

• You are staying in the Historic District for a long weekend and not leaving it.
• Your hotel charges a nightly parking fee. Many downtown hotels do, so ask before you book.
• You plan to enjoy the bars and the city's to-go cup culture. Walk or ride instead.

Local tip: You don't have to choose between "car" and "no car." Take a rideshare from SAV to your downtown hotel, then rent a car for one day mid-trip for Tybee, Wormsloe and Bonaventure. You skip several nights of downtown parking and still get the beach day. If your rental is from the airport, your flight home is a natural time to return it.

What Does Parking Cost Downtown?

Parking is where a rental car gets expensive. The City of Savannah sells a Visitor Day Pass for on-street parking: $15 for 24 hours or $24 for 48 hours. You buy it at Mobility and Parking Services in the Bryan Street Garage, 100 East Bryan Street, and you need your license plate number and state.

The catch: the city says the pass is not valid in city-owned parking garages or street-sweeping zones. It covers on-street meters. For overnight parking, plan on a garage or your hotel's lot, and check its rates ahead of time. Our Historic District parking guide lists the main garages.

What About Parking on Tybee Island?

Tybee charges for public parking island-wide, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., every day of the year, including weekends and holidays. The city's posted rate is $4 an hour, or a $25 day pass that ends at midnight. Tybee no longer takes coins or cash, so pay with the Park TYB app, ParkMobile or a kiosk. The city has offered reduced off-season rates in past winters, so check its parking services page before you go. Our Tybee Island in winter guide covers the off-season.

Even with parking, a car is usually the easiest way to spend a full day on Tybee. For a quick visit, compare it with a round-trip rideshare.

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How Can You Save on a Savannah Rental?

• Compare the total, not the daily rate. Airport rentals often carry extra taxes and fees, so compare the full price at checkout.
• Rent for fewer days. One or two car days is usually enough for a Savannah trip, as our Savannah on a budget guide explains.
• Book early for busy weekends. St. Patrick's Day, spring break and holiday weekends tighten supply.
• Check your own coverage. Your auto policy or credit card may already cover a rental. Find out before you get to the counter.
• Refuel before you return. Fill up before you reach the airport rather than paying the rental company's refueling rate.

Is Driving in Savannah Hard?

Not really, but downtown takes some getting used to. Many Historic District streets are one-way. Squares break up the grid, so you drive around them, not through them. Expect walking tour groups, trolleys, carriages and pedestrians who don't look up. Outside downtown, it is ordinary suburban driving, with I-16 and I-95 meeting west of the city near the airport.

Bottom Line: Car Rentals at Savannah Airport

Renting a car at SAV is easy. Nine companies have counters in baggage claim and cars in covered lots beside the terminal. Check counter hours if you land late, and compare the full price, not the headline rate. Then be honest about your plans. For a Historic District weekend, skip the car and use rideshares, the free shuttle and your feet. For Tybee, day trips or a stay outside downtown, rent, ideally for just the days you need it. Pick your base with our where to stay in Savannah guide, browse Savannah hotels, and plan the rest with our Savannah travel guides.