Santa Monica is a sun-soaked coastal retreat, which benefits from its proximity to central Los Angeles. Renowned for its spectacular seafood and fish restaurants, wide sandy beaches, and trendy boutique shops, it’s the perfect destination for beachgoers. Excursions are ideal in this area, with Topanga State Park and Los Angeles easily accessible with rental cars from Santa Monica. Read on to find out what to explore when you rent a car in Santa Monica.

1. What kind of vehicle should I rent in Santa Monica?
Full-sized cars are often the most popular rentals in Santa Monica, but if you’re planning on doing a lot of day trips, consider a fuel-efficient, comfortable, compact car rental in Santa Monica. 

2. What is the cancellation policy?
You can cancel your low-cost car hire in Santa Monica free of charge up to 48 hours before pick-up. To do this, simply contact HAPPYCAR’s helpful email support team.

3. What is the speed limit in Santa Monica?
Santa Monica’s residential streets have a speed limit of 25 mph. This increases to 55 mph, 65 mph and 70 mph on highways, depending on the signage. 

4. Can I travel with the rental car outside the state?
Sure. You can travel with your rental car outside the State of California. Consider a road trip from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and Phoenix!

5. Can I rent a car without a credit card?
In general, a credit card issued to the main driver is mandatory to pick up a booked car. Please read Terms and Conditions of the respective offer to gain some more information.

Santa Monica has a wealth of seaside activities, attractions, and many attractive monuments and museums as well. Sticking to the sun-kissed coast, Eames House & Studio is one of the city's standout attractions. This spectacular modernist piece of architecture was the home of designers Charles and Ray Eames. It is a must-visit for modern art lovers. Then there's the unrivaled Santa Monica State Beach, a gorgeous 3.5-mile-long beach stretching down to Venice Beach. The original Muscle Beach is located there too. This was a hotspot for the original California 1930s exercise boom. Tongva Park, Santa Monica Pier, and the iconic Carousel are also all clustered in this area.

Santa Monica has its fair share of alluring museums. Offering old arts and crafts, as well as vintage surfboards and collectibles on display, The California Heritage Museum is located in a charming Victorian mansion. For contemporary art, head to the Bergamot Station Arts Center, one of the best art hubs in the whole of LA. Other noted attractions in the area include Gehry House, one of Santa Monica's architectural highlights, and the kitsch and fun Getty Villa, some 5 miles up the coast, and easily accessible with a Santa Monica car hire.

If you have any questions, please visit our FAQ-section.   

Sun and sand loving kids will adore Santa Monica. Less hectic than central LA and with excellent connections out into nature, there’s plenty of space to run wild and let off steam. For fun activities, the spectacular pier area contains the kid-friendly Pacific Park, which features a Ferris wheel and midway games. There's also the Heal the Bay Aquarium that displays local sea life. Also, the Clayton Children's Museum has fun games and activities. You can reach the Santa Monica Mountains and Griffiths Park easily with a car hire from Santa Monica. There’s also always the Disneyland Resort, just 40 miles away with a cheap car rental from Santa Monica.

If you've experienced all there is to experience on Santa Monica's beaches, then why not head to Venice or Malibu? You can also visit a more tranquil setting by driving your Santa Monica car rental to a breathtaking coastal park. Point Dume and Point Mugu on the Pacific Highway are particularly evocative, with rugged coastlines and weather-beaten rocks providing perfect swimming, hiking, and picnicking opportunities. Possibilities with car rentals from Santa Monica are endless. Los Padres National Forest, one of California's most untouched patches of wilderness, is the perfect spot for outdoor enthusiasts. You can even reach the breathtaking Santa Catalina Island with a rental car from Santa Monica. The ferry departure points are San Pedro, Long Beach, Newport Beach, and Dana Point.

Tip: If you are planning a road trip, consider adding some extra options to your rental offer:

HAPPYCAR makes booking the best car rental in Santa Monica easy. By comparing all available rental companies and rates, HAPPYCAR highlights the cheapest car hire in Santa Monica. You can choose from a range of pick-up destinations, airports, and city centers across the United States. Not traveling to California? That’s fine, too. HAPPYCAR will help you find cheap rental cars at Orlando Airport MCO, cheap rental cars at Detroit Airport DTW, and cheap rental deals in Chicago, among other locations.

Search for a cheap car rental in Santa Monica today with HAPPYCAR and book the best possible deal. With fantastic deals throughout the California area, including cheap car rentals in San Francisco, HAPPYCAR is a convenient all-in-one car rental service operating internationally.