Car Rental - Traverse City

 

Rent a car in Traverse City, Michigan to soak up the relaxed vibe of the Cherry Capital. With a rental car, you can easily explore everything in and around the largest city in the Great Lakes State.

Discover Traverse City’s vibrant food and arts scene and travel across the surrounding area at your leisure in your Traverse City car rental to behold the region’s beautiful forests and lakes. The iconic Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is only 30 minutes away along the M-72 West in your holiday car rental. Or head to one of the city’s famously pretty bay areas, such as Clinch Park, with plenty of beach and water activities to enjoy.

Collect your Traverse City rental car from Cherry Capital Airport when you arrive. Pick from luxury sedans for smooth scenic drives or large SUVs so the whole family can ride in comfort.

Traverse City Locations

A Quick Guide to Traverse City

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

9922 Front Street, Empire, MI, 49630

Drive 30 minutes west of Traverse City in your car rental to reach this beautiful curve of land. Discover pristine beaches, intriguing coves and sandy dunes skirting the waters of Lake Michigan. Soak up its splendor from your rental car down Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, before parking your holiday car rental and exploring the hiking trails.

Clinch Park

Clinch Park

111 East Grandview Parkway, MI, 49684

Spend a sunny day down at the city’s most popular central beach. Enjoy an afternoon picnic at one of the tables dotted across the grassy park and rent a kayak or paddleboard to take to the water. You can also relax in the park hammocks or test your skills on the volleyball court.

Inuit artifact

Dennos Museum Center

1410 College Drive, Traverse City, MI 49686

Park your holiday car rental and explore this fine art and cultural center. Take a look through almost 3,000 works of art, including a diverse mix of prints, paintings, sculpture and photography. Notably, around 1,600 works have been made by the Inuit people of the Canadian Artic, Greenland and Alaska. 

Tamarack Lodge of Traverse City

2035 North. U.S. Highway 31 North, Traverse City, MI 49686

Beautifully situated on the sugar-sand beaches of East Grand Traverse Bay, Tamarack Lodge offers a luxury experience. Park your Traverse City car rental on-site and get ready for incredible bay views and even a private beachfront – it really is the perfect base to experience Northen Michigan from.

Hotel Indigo

263 West Grandview Parkway, MI, 49684

The vibrant Hotel Indigo wonderfully reflects the colorful spirit of the waterfront district. Guest rooms have a modern design and feature luxurious rainfall showers. After a day exploring nearby freshwater beaches, park your holiday car rental for the night and unwind.

Courtyard by Marriott

3615 South Airport Road West, MI, 49684

Just south of Downtown, this contemporary hotel provides guests with a sound sleep between sumptuous sheets. Well-lit, stylish rooms include large LCD televisions. Take a dip in the heated indoor pool and grab a fresh Starbucks Coffee in the morning at the hotel’s bistro. 

Amical

229 East Front Street, MI, 49684

This ambient restaurant overlooks the West Grand Traverse Bay and is renowned for its eclectic European cuisine. Start with a flavorsome bowl of French Onion soup topped with melt-in-your-mouth mozzarella, followed with herb-roasted lamb shank marinated in sweet pomegranate jus.

The Towne Plaza

203 Cass Street, MI, 49684

An upscale meat and potato eatery close to the city center, Towne Plaza is passionate about succulent cuts of meat. Aside from juicy Wagyu burgers and crispy chicken, the pork dishes are the showstoppers on its menu. Tackle smoked pork wings and classic potted pork belly or go all out with a charcuterie board.

Radundo

545 East Eight Street, MI, 49686

There’s nothing redundant about Radundo – this friendly deli and café goes beyond the average sandwich list. Park your Traverse City car rental and order homemade pasta dishes like the Rigatoni, a mouth-watering pork and beef Bolognese sauce, or a Brisket sandwich served on soft ciabatta with aioli and caper relish.

Driving In and Around Traverse City

  • Hardy Parking Garage (49684) provides easy access to East State Street and the surrounding downtown district, including Boardman River walkway.
  • Old Town Parking Garage (49684) is useful for parking your holiday car rental close to the bustling riverfront area and open long hours.
  • On-street parking is available across Downtown at metered bays, where most allow you to park for up to 10 hours. Pay to park your Traverse City car rental with coins or use the ParkMobile app.

 

  • U.S. Route 31 (US 31) connects Traverse City to Mackinaw City in the north and Ludington and Muskegon in the south.
  • Michigan Highway 22 (M-22) is a scenic state trunkline highway that curves along the Lake Michigan shoreline.
  • Michigan Highway 72 (M-72) is an east-west highway between Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, connecting Traverse City to Empire and the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

 

How to Get From Cherry Capital Airport to Downtown

It should take about 15 minutes to drive your Traverse City rental car from the city’s airport to Downtown.

  1. Leave the Hertz holiday car rental lot and head north-east on Fly Don’t Drive.
  2. Turn left onto East South Airport Road.
  3. Take another left onto North Three Mile Road.
  4. After one mile, turn left onto US-31 South.
  5. Turn left onto North Cass Street.
  6. Make a final left turn onto East State Street to reach Downtown.

 

How to Get From Traverse City to Grand Rapids

With car rental from Traverse City, it takes just over two hours to reach Grand Rapids – Michigan’s second-largest city. Take the M-113 East heading south out of the city and continue onto US-131 South. Follow signs for Grand Rapids and use exit 85A to reach the city center.