Renting a car in Chicago won’t be a problem if you meet three main conditions:
You are at least 25 years old. Some companies may offer affordable car rentals to tourists aged 21 and over, but such offers are rare;
You have an international driver’s license;
You have a VISA bank card. Unfortunately, renting a car in Chicago without a deposit is impossible. The deposit amount is held on your card and released after the car is returned.
Car rental prices in Chicago start at 45 USD. For this price, you can get an economy-class car, such as a Chevrolet Spark. A mid-range vehicle like a Toyota Corolla or Toyota Rav4 costs around 80 USD, while a luxury model will be about 100 USD.
Where can you find 24-hour car rental services in Chicago? At the airport terminals. If you book your car in advance, make sure to select “Midway” or “O’Hare” as your pickup location in the online form.
There are plenty of parking lots in Chicago, but cheap ones (8 USD per hour) are usually occupied by locals. As a result, many tourists end up using parking lots that charge between 15 and 25 USD, where spaces are readily available.
However, pay attention to the signs. If you accidentally park in a disabled spot, you’ll have to pay a 250 USD fine. Traffic violation penalties in the USA are very high.
