Car Rental - Tampa

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Car rental in Tampa gives you the keys to explore Florida. Car rental in the ‘Sunshine State’ makes for blissful drives, from the bright lights of Tampa to beautiful beaches.

Rent a car in Tampa for easy city travel, for business or vacation. Lining the shores of the Hillsborough River, urban Tampa is becoming a go-to destination, rivaling neighbors like Miami and Orlando. With car rental from Tampa, reach Miami in four and a half hours.

With car rental pick-up points located across the city, including at Tampa International Airport, there are plenty of options for getting on the move. Whether you’re touring downtown Tampa or taking a road trip across the state, car rental with Hertz is a quick and easy process. In Tampa, we have a choice of compact rental cars and large family SUVs.

With the swamplands of the Everglades and attractions of Orlando within a day’s drive, Tampa car rental is an excellent launch pad. 

Tampa Locations

A Quick Guide to Tampa

Ybor City Tampa

Ybor City

Ybor City is Tampa’s beating heart. Hop out of your rental car and dive into culture. Located northeast of downtown, this lively district is historically home to the city’s immigrant communities. Spanish, Italian and Cuban influence is everywhere in Ybor City, from the impressively colorful architecture to the sumptuous range of Caribbean and Mediterranean cuisine available. 

Busch Gardens Tampa

Busch Gardens

Tampa’s very own theme park, Busch Gardens is a great place to take the kids for a day. You’ll find thrilling rides, exciting animal exhibits and plenty of play action at this popular park. When you rent a car in Tampa, it takes a quarter-hour to get here from Downtown.

Catch a game Tampa

Catch a Game

Sports fans should head to one of Tampa’s stadiums to catch the local teams in action. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 2002 Super Bowl champions – play at the Raymond James Stadium, while you could also watch the local baseball or hockey teams, the Tampa Bay Rays and Tampa Bay Lightning on their home turfs. Renting an electric car in Tampa? There’s EV charging at the Raymond James Stadium’s Garage 3.

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel Tampa

5223 Orient Road, Tampa, FL 33610

Experience stunning suites in the heart of Tampa. This luxury accommodation features full amenities, including a pool, fitness room and an on-site casino. For your rental car, there’s a lot. Plus, free access to four nearby Tampa garages.

Epicurean Hotel, Autograph Collection

1207 S Howard Avenue, Tampa, FL 33606

Base your Floridian adventure at the modern Epicurean Hotel. It features expansive rooms kitted with artistic furnishings and plenty of style. From our car rental center at Tampa’s airport, it’s just a 20-minute drive.

Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay

2900 Bayport Drive, Tampa, FL 33607

Wake up to sun-kissed views of the Bay at this waterfront resort hotel. Rooms are spacious and modern, with excellent facilities on-site. Relax by the beach or enjoy access to the private pool. It’s set close to the Veterans Expressway, so makes the ideal place to rest your head before a Tampa rent-a-car road trip.

The Godfrey Hotel & Cabanas Tampa

7700 W Courtney Campbell Causeway, Tampa, FL 33607

This popular hotel offers stylish rooms overlooking the bay. Soak up the sun views at the hotel bar, or tuck into tasty treats for across the globe in the opulent banquet hall. 

Edison: Food + Drink Lab

912 W Kennedy Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33606

Bustling with its own unique flair, Edison: Food + Drink Lab is something of a Tampa institution. As the name suggests, this popular joint has concocted some new and delicious takes on a range of classic Tampa dishes. Fill up your rental car at the gasoline station just next door. 

Bern’s Steak House

1208 S Howard Avenue, Tampa, FL 33606

Heading from downtown Tampa to the golf courses overlooking Old Tampa Bay? Why not stop your rental car for lunch at Bayshore Gardens? An extravagant fine dining establishment with a 60-year history, Bern’s has been a firm fixture in Tampa’s waterside eatery scene for many years. The menu includes a vast range of exquisite quality steaks, as well as luxury extras such as caviar. 

Driving In and Around Tampa

  • There are over 1,600 on-street parking spaces in downtown Tampa, with many free on weekends and weeknights after 6:00 PM. Glide your rental car into a space, then explore on foot.
  • When you rent a car in Tampa, you’ll find plenty of paid parking and underground lots. All are usually paid by ticketing machine or can be paid for via the Park Mobile app.
  • Royal Street Regional and Seven One Seven Parking Enterprises are good options for Tampa city center parking within easy reach of the main attractions. 
  • Interstate 275 (I-275) passes through Tampa and can be used to explore the wider Bay area by rental car. It runs down to Saint Petersburg in the south and joining I-4 in the east towards Orlando.
  • Interstate 75 (I-75) links Tampa to much of southern Florida. With car rental, you can follow it towards Fort Lauderdale and Miami.
  • Interstate 4 (I-4) travels east out of Tampa and is the main route that connects the city with Orlando and Daytona Beach. 

Downtown Tampa can get very busy, especially during peak commuting hours of 7:00 AM – 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM. When you rent a car in Tampa, leave plenty of time during rush hour. Like many cities, Tampa’s street network follows a grid system, making it relatively easy to navigate around. 

How to Get From Tampa to Miami

Magic City is about a four-hour drive southeast from our Tampa car rental pick-up.

  1. Exit our car rental center in central Tampa via the FL-618 toll road.
  2. Use Exit 15A to merge on to I-75 S.
  3. Stay on this route for about four hours and 278 miles.
  4. Use the right three lanes to take Exit 19 for I-595 E into Miami.
  5. Take Exit 8 on to N Orlando Street, using the right two lanes to arrive.

 

How to Get From Tampa to Orlando

To reach Orlando and its iconic theme parks and resorts, simply follow I-4 E out of our central Tampa car rental pick-up. Follow this route for around 78 miles before taking Exit 81, which will take you into the heart of the city.