Renting a car in Uruguay has been one of the easiest things we’ve done since we got here. We simply walked over to Budget Rent A Car (located near Punta Carretas Shopping), asked to rent a car and got one.
To rent a car in Uruguay, all we had to do was show our driver’s license and passport, pay and we were off.
Now, it just so happened that the weekend we decided to rent a car was a holiday, ‘Constitution Day’ Weekend, so we got hit with higher prices because we had to go through Budget instead of one of the smaller local agencies (because they were all sold out.)
One of the smaller agencies would have gladly rented us a car for $20 a day, but she didn’t have any available.
Another local agency would have rented us a car for $22 a day, but he didn’t have any available either.
So renting the car from Saturday morning through Monday morning from Budget was U$S 148… A little steep, but hey, it was worth it for the great time we had.
Now one thing about renting a car in Uruguay you do need to know and be prepared for is they are sticks. Yes, manual transmissions. We had read that on a blog or website prior to moving here, but to actually see it is kind of funny.
Regardless, we had a 2009 Fiat with less than 3,000 km on it. The Fiat had CD player with detachable faceplate with a MP3 input… Our iPods provided a fantastic soundtrack for a great road trip.
Long and short, you should have no problems renting a car in Uruguay. Driving, on the other hand, is a whole different story.
Inga Vintimilla says
Hi,
We just returned from a visit to Montevideo to scout out houses and schools for our move in October. We rented a car and it was just like you described – no problem at all. The driving on the other hand I left to my husband who grew up in Ecuador and could handle the style of driving. The one thing others might like to know is you can actually rent a Garmin GPS as well which is excellent (although a little expensive). But really helps if you are in town for a short visit in Montevideo and don’t want to spend most of it lost. I’m not sure how it works outside of Montevideo since we mostly stayed in the city, but it is good to know there is the option.
Brian and Chrystal says
Hi Inga,
Thanks so much for the tip about the GPS. I’m sure that would be helpful for people considering visiting Montevideo or elsewhere in Uruguay.
Let us know if you have any questions in preparation for your move.
Safe travels!
Chrystal
Lindsey says
Hi, my husband and I will be in Montevideo in November and were thinking about driving out to Punta del Este for a day. I would love to get the names of some local rental car companies. Thanks!
Lindsey
Brian and Chrystal says
Hi Lindsey,
We rented from Budget, but there was also a Hertz right down the street. We also looked at America Rent a Car, but they were sold out. I would suggest talking to the staff at the hotel you’re staying at and they may be able to help you with more recommendations.
Chrystal