Avis Car Rental Introduce
Welcome to your comprehensive guide for renting a vehicle with Avis Car Rental at the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) location in California. For visitors flying into the Bay Area or local residents planning a California road trip, securing reliable transportation is often the first step to an unforgettable experience. Avis Car Rental, situated conveniently at the SFO Rental Car Center, is a long-standing service provider offering a wide range of vehicles to meet various travel needs, from compact cars for navigating San Francisco's city streets to spacious vans for family adventures down the Pacific Coast Highway.
This dedicated location operates as both a premier car rental agency and a van rental agency, ensuring a robust fleet availability designed to cater to both leisure travelers and business professionals. Whether your California plans involve a quick trip across the Bay Bridge, a scenic drive through wine country, or a major move requiring a larger vehicle, understanding the offerings and services available at this key SFO location will help streamline your rental process. We aim to provide an objective, factual overview of what local Californians and visitors can expect when choosing Avis at this primary airport hub.
The Avis Car Rental at San Francisco International Airport is centrally located within the airport's consolidated Rental Car Center. This modern facility is designed for easy access, minimizing the stress of transit after a flight. The address is 780 N McDonnell Rd, San Francisco, CA 94128, USA. This places the location directly on airport grounds, a significant convenience for air travelers.
Accessibility to the Rental Car Center is streamlined via the AirTrain, San Francisco International Airport's free light rail system. Passengers arriving at any SFO terminal need only follow signs to the AirTrain and board the Blue Line. This train line runs directly to the Rental Car Center, making the transition from airplane to rental car efficient and straightforward, with an approximate travel time of ten minutes from the terminal to the center. The facility is fully equipped to accommodate all guests, featuring a wheelchair accessible entrance and wheelchair accessible parking lot, reflecting a commitment to broad accessibility for all users in the California region. Furthermore, this location operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, a crucial operational detail for travelers with early morning departures or late-night arrivals.
The services and offerings from Avis at the SFO Rental Car Center are extensive, encompassing various aspects of vehicle rental to enhance the customer experience.
Services Offered:
- Full Car Rental Agency Service: Offering a comprehensive range of vehicles from economy cars to luxury models. Inventory often includes popular models across several classes, such as Intermediate, Standard, Full-Size, Premium, Luxury, and Convertibles.
- Van Rental Agency Service: Specific options like minivans (7-passenger and 8-passenger) and large passenger vans (e.g., Ford Transit 12-passenger or 15-passenger) are typically available for groups and larger families, ideal for tours and group travel across California.
- Onsite Services: The convenience of picking up and dropping off your vehicle directly at the airport's consolidated car rental facility. The counter is located on the third level, south end of the building within the Car Rental Center.
- Payment Flexibility: Multiple payment options are accepted to cater to different customer preferences, including major credit cards, debit cards, and NFC mobile payments for a quick and secure transaction.
- E-Toll Service: The location offers a convenient e-Toll service for handling bridge and road tolls across the Bay Area and California, which can be particularly useful given the numerous tolled bridges in the region, such as the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge. It is important for customers to inquire about the specific convenience fees associated with the e-Toll service at the time of rental.
In addition to the core services, the Avis SFO location highlights specific features and policies designed to add value and transparency for renters.
Features / Highlights:
- Active Military Discounts: A notable feature is the availability of discounts for active military personnel, recognizing and supporting service members with potential savings on rental rates. Renters should check for current details and requirements for these promotions.
- Wheelchair Accessible Facilities: Demonstrating commitment to customer inclusion, the location provides a wheelchair accessible entrance and a dedicated wheelchair accessible parking lot.
- Debit Card Policy: While debit cards are accepted for payment at the end of the rental, customers using a debit card for the initial reservation or credit hold should be aware that specific restrictions may apply at the time of pick-up, including the possible requirement of an authorization hold amount and proof of a return airline ticket for airport rentals.
- Smoke-Free Fleet: Avis maintains a strict policy of a smoke-free fleet. A fee, often substantial, is typically assessed for cars returned with evidence of smoking, aligning with the negative customer feedback regarding cleaning fees in general.
For potential customers seeking to confirm a reservation, check on a specific vehicle, or inquire about current policies, the following information is essential.
Contact Information (Avis Car Rental SFO):
Address: 780 N McDonnell Rd, San Francisco, CA 94128, USA
Phone: (650) 877-6780
Mobile Phone: +1 650-877-6780
The dedicated phone number provides a direct link to the location for immediate questions and reservation support.
What is worth choosing Avis Car Rental for at SFO?
Choosing Avis Car Rental at SFO is largely centered on the convenience of its location, the breadth of its fleet, and specific customer programs. The 24-hour operation and direct AirTrain access are significant advantages for travelers on any schedule. The variety of vehicles, from small economy cars ideal for parking in San Francisco to large passenger vans for group excursions, ensures nearly every transportation need in the vast California landscape can be met. The confirmed active military discounts and accessibility features also highlight an inclusive service model.
However, potential renters in California should proceed with an informed perspective, especially concerning cleanliness and associated fees. Public feedback has, at times, pointed to significant issues, particularly surrounding the imposition of high cleaning fees (reportedly up to $450) for conditions described as normal wear or minor soiling like sand or animal hair. These fees have been noted to equal the smoking-in-the-car fee, leading to disputes and customer dissatisfaction regarding the reasonableness and communication of such charges. Renters are strongly advised to inspect their vehicle thoroughly upon pick-up, document the car's condition with photos or video, and seek an attendant-signed receipt upon return to confirm the car's condition to help prevent unexpected post-rental charges. Issues have also been reported concerning unread support evidence for disputed charges, such as tolls, which required credit card company intervention. While the booking process and initial counter service have generally been described as good, the after-rental billing process and customer service resolution for disputed charges appear to be areas where customers should exercise caution and diligence by maintaining thorough records.
In summary, for reliable airport access, a wide selection of vehicles, and convenient payment and tolling services in the California area, Avis Car Rental at SFO is a practical option. Users are encouraged to leverage the 24-hour service and accessibility features but must also be proactive in documenting the vehicle's condition both before and after rental use to ensure a smooth and transparent financial process.
Avis Car Rental Details
Service options
- Onsite services
Highlights
- Active military discounts
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible entrance
- Wheelchair accessible parking lot
Payments
- Credit cards
- Debit cards
- NFC mobile payments
- Credit cards
Avis Car Rental Photos










Avis Car Rental Location
Avis Car Rental
780 N McDonnell Rd, San Francisco, CA 94128, USA
Avis Car Rental Reviews
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★ 5★ 4★ 3★ 2★ 1We were charged a $450 cleaning fee on top of the $650 rental, and it feels completely unreasonable. We left the car clean — no trash, no food, and only used the front two seats and back hatch for our suitcases. The only thing was a little sand where our feet were, which is pretty normal after a beach trip.When I contacted customer service to ask why the cleaning fee was so high, the representative asked me if we brought the car back exactly the same way it was when we picked it up. I said, “No, because we obviously had to use it.” Her response? “So you’re saying you left it dirty.” My reply: “No, I’m saying we used it — are we expected to have it professionally cleaned before returning it?” The lack of common sense and empathy was unbelievable.To make it worse, the $450 cleaning fee is the same amount as their smoking-in-the-car fee — which makes zero sense. I would have happily paid a reasonable $50–$150 fee for basic cleaning, but $450 is outrageous, especially when the car didn’t even have floor mats to help prevent sand in the first place.We were responsible renters and returned the vehicle in great condition. The dismissive “that’s just the way it is” attitude from customer service sealed it for me. I will never rent from them again and don’t recommend anyone else does either.
October 05 · Darcy CapenerThe booking via the app is easy, collection and customer service at the airport was good (the second customer service team) however it was rushed as they forgot to add the additional driver (which I went back and they corrected). What not great was the cleanliness of the car - there was no rubbish but we had to wipe down the dried fluids / muck on the windows, wipe the interior down and the leather seats which had random hairs (maybe animal?) around. We were originally on level 2 I believe and customer service was slow - the two women customer service was rude to the people at the desk. The team we got which was on another level (we were on the wrong level) , this team was much better. Billing was fine however Avis charged me for tolls a month later after the final payment because they did not charge my original booking (it was already part of my booking and final bill). Avis customer service still saying I need to pay and I have let it with the credit card company to sort as support evidence provided as the team did not bother to read the support evidence or don’t care.
August 26 · A VakautaNightmare experience. Overall took me 3 hours to just pick up this car.The line at regular counter had about 6 groups in front of me, waited for over 1.5 hour. Only two people were working, and were just slow. There’s no efficiency. Filled out the forms and reserved the car prior, and nonetheless was asked about bunches of information again.If you go to the Avis Preferred counter, they actually have 5 people dealing with zero lines. So basically have people available but artificially created a long wait at the regular counter, to push you to buy preferred status.When tried to pick up the car, the car couldn’t been found. Finally they swapped a different car for me. The new car did not even have electricity.
October 06 · Diana LFlew on and first time using avis. Massive line only 3 staions out of 10 open at 1 p.m. in the afternoon. Stood in line for over an hr. Agents are nice not their fault but seriously Avis corporate and management at a major airport like San Francisco this is inexcusable.Also missed a major meeting because of this.
October 17 · Theresa CarlstedtSTAY AWAY!!UPDATE: after going through the claims process I was told by the representative that "We intentionally do not put floor mats in the cars so we can charge a cleaning fee."I asked why 5min of vacuuming is the same $450 cleaning fee as smoking in the car was told multiple times "Thats just how it is." They expect the car to have been detailed before you bring it back to them.Original review: They charged me $450 for vacuuming the floor by the front 2 seats where floor mats should have been. We didn't even use the back of the car how can it be $450 for 5 minutes of vacuuming a small part of the car... Never using them again... Make sure you get the car detailed before bringing it back to them.
October 03 · Kenny Capener
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