If you are cruising from Tampa Bay cruise port, you are probably considering renting a car, especially if you want to spend a few days exploring Tampa’s attractions, shopping malls, restaurant and local beaches.
You probably have lots of questions about getting the best deal for your Tampa car rentals, distance to the cruise port, when to book, and whether to opt for a one-way car rental or book it for the duration of your stay.
We have extensively researched all there is to know about car rentals for cruisers and have packed all our money-saving tips and factual information into this Full-Guide on Car Rental Near Tampa Cruise Port. Read on to learn more…
Tips for Getting the Cheapest Car Rentals to Tampa Cruise Port
Booking a car rental near Tampa cruise port is best done well ahead of time using an online booking site. You can also save money on car rentals by following these tips:
- The more named drivers you list, the higher the cost of your car rental will be. By nominating one driver, you can save money on your Tampa car rental
- When booking your car rental near Tampa cruise port, the “no cancelation” option is cheaper. However, if there is a possibility that you may have to change your dates or cancel the booking, it could be false economy
- The larger voluntary deductible you choose, the lower the cost of your Tampa car hire will be. However, if you are in an accident or your rental car is damaged while in your care, you will obviously have to pay the deductible amount yourself
- Watch out for hidden catches when choosing whether to return the rental car with a full gas tank. It is generally cheaper to return the car with a full tank of gas, but you will need to fill up close to the car rental returns lot. If you opt to bring the car back without filling up the gas tank, you usually pay more per gallon, or have a service charge added
- Finally, one-way car rentals where you pick up your car in one location (for example an airport) and drop it in another (for example near Tampa cruise port) do incur an additional fee. See below for more information about one-way car rentals in our Full Guide on Car Rental near Tampa Cruise Port.
Car Rental Companies Serving the Port of Tampa Bay
Enterprise/Alamo Rent-a-Car
Enterprise Rent-a-Car and Alamo offer a full range of vehicles including economy, compact, intermediate, full size, SUVs, pickups, premium, luxury and convertible cars. They also have passenger vans for groups of 7 or up to 15 passengers.
- Address: 1001 W. Kennedy Blvd, Tampa
- Distance to port: 1.4 miles
- Port Shuttle service: Yes
- Cost per day: From $22.70
OR
- Address: 608 N Nebraska Ave, Tampa
- Distance to port: 1.1 miles
- Port Shuttle service: Yes
- Cost per day: From $22.70
Hertz
Hertz Rent-a-Car is within the Marriott Waterside Hotel. It is open daily 8am to 5pm and mornings only on weekends.
- Address: 700 South Florida Ave, Tampa
- Distance to port: 0.7 miles
- Shuttle service: Yes
- Cost per day: From $42.20
Hertz Rent-a-Car at this address is open daily but closed Sundays. It has a full range of vehicles from compact to premium and SUVs.
- Address: 9017 East Adamo Dr, Tampa
- Distance to port: 7 miles
- Shuttle service: No
- Cost per day: From $36.64
StarCar
StarCar Rent-a-Car offers rock-bottom car rental prices but you need to contact them directly by phone to get a price. Phone: 813-444-4880 and pay with cash, debit or credit.
- Address: 5505 N. Florida Ave, Tampa
- Distance to port: 4.8 miles
- Shuttle service: No
- Cost per day: On application
Avis
Avis Rent-a-Car is located at Embassy Suites in Downtown Tampa. Open daily until 6pm, with early closing on weekend it has economy, standard, luxury and elite cars.
- Address: 513 S. Florida Ave, Tampa
- Distance to port: 0.7 miles
- Shuttle service: Yes
- Cost per day: From $39
Econo Auto Rentals
Econo Auto Rentals prides itself on offering competitive prices on all its car rentals. The office is open daily from 8am to 5pm and all vehicles must be returned within office hours. Bookings can only be made by calling 813-999-4920. Econo Auto Rentals provide a range of cars, SUVs and minivans and offer daily, weekly and monthly rates.
- Address: 9017 E Adamo Dr, Tampa #115
- Distance to port: 7 miles
- Shuttle service: Pickup and drop off service
- Cost per day: From $19.99
Car Rentals from Tampa Airport
If you are flying into Tampa a few days ahead of your cruise departure, you will need to rent a car to get around. There is a good choice of car rental companies with offices at Tampa Airport (TPS) but you will get the best price if you book online ahead of time.
On arrival in Tampa Airport, after baggage claim hop on the SkyConnect train from the main terminal (Level 3) which takes you to all the onsite rental car companies at the airport.
Enterprise Rent-a-Car/Alamo
Enterprise Rent-a-Car/Alamo offer a full range of vehicles from compact cars to standard, full size, SUV, premium, sports, convertible and luxury models.
- Address: 5405 Airport Service Rd, Tampa
- Distance to port: 7.6 miles
- Shuttle service: No
- Cost per day: From $30.31
National Car Rental
National Car Rental is based at Tampa Airport and operates 24/7. It has a wide choice of vehicles to choose from online.
- Address: 5405 Airport Service Rd, Tampa
- Distance to port: 7.6 miles
- Shuttle service: No
- Cost per day: From $60.70
Alamo Rent-a-Car
Alamo Rent-a-Car offers a 24/7 service for car rentals near Tampa cruise port. It has a full range of vehicles from compact to pickups and has extra discounts for signed-up members.
- Address: 5405 Airport Service Rd, Tampa
- Distance to port: 7.6 miles
- Shuttle service: No
- Cost per day: From $28.60
Hertz
Hertz Tampa Airport is open 24/7 and has full services including a Gold Counter Service and child/booster seats. They have a comprehensive choice of vehicles to suite individuals, families, business executives and groups.
- Address: 5405 Airport Service Rd, Tampa
- Distance to port: 7.6 miles
- Shuttle service: No
- Cost per day: From $15 plus one-time $20 valet fee
Avis
Avis has a full car rental service at Tampa airport for cruisers. They have all categories of cars, trucks and SUVs available.
- Address: 5405 Airport Service Rd, Tampa
- Distance to port: 7.6 miles
- Shuttle service: No
- Cost per day: From $49.59
Dollar/Thrifty
Dollar-Thrifty is based at Tampa Airport and offers a wide choice of economy, compact and specialty cars for less.
- Address: 5405 Airport Service Rd, Tampa
- Distance to port: 7.6 miles
- Shuttle service: No
- Cost per day: From $28.67
Auto Rentals
Auto Rentals has compact, intermediate and standard cars that include free cancellation. Credit card is required for booking.
- Address: 5405 Airport Service Rd, Tampa
- Distance to port: 7.6 miles
- Shuttle service: No
- Cost per day: From $59.61 including all insurance and taxes
Luxury Car Rentals for Tampa Cruisers
SIXT Luxury Car Rentals
SIXT is based at Tampa Airport and is open 5am to midnight daily. They offer premium luxury cars, sports cars, convertibles and SUVs with unlimited mileage
- Address: 5405 Airport Service Rd, Tampa
- Distance to port: 7.6 miles
- Shuttle service: No
- Cost per day: From $70.33
Prestige Luxury Rentals
Check out the fantastic vehicles at Prestige Luxury Rentals including exotic cars, convertibles, sports cars and luxury vehicles. Prices and bookings must be made by phone directly with the company. Call (305) 5139711.
Exotic Luxury Rentals
Top of the range, Exotic Luxury Rentals specialize in luxury and exotic sports cars that are the most fun to drive around Tampa. Prices include a pick-up and return service. Call 813-444-8188 for more details and to make your reservation.
- Address: N/A
- Distance to port: N/A
- Shuttle service: Pick up and return service included
- Cost per day: From $129 (Corvette)
One-Way Car Rentals To and From Tampa Cruise Port
One way car rentals are a good way to get from an airport to Tampa for your cruise, or vice versa. You should be aware that in addition to the daily car rental cost there will be an additional fee for the one-way service.
If you are flying into Orlando Airport (MCO) for your Tampa cruise, the best way to reach Tampa is by booking a one-way car rental from Orlando with a drop-off at Tampa Airport. The journey is just 85 miles along the I-4 which does include some tolls.
If you prefer, you can pick up a car rental in Orlando Airport, drive it to Tampa and park it at one of the cruise parking lots near the cruise port. Most cruise parking is either onsite at the port or nearby and includes a shuttle transfer to and from the ship. Once you have disembarked from your cruise, your rental car will be ready for you to load up your luggage and drive it back to Orlando Airport for your flight.
Although you will be paying for a longer car rental, and will need to pay for cruise parking (or use a hotel in Tampa that includes free cruise parking and shuttle), you will avoid the additional one-way fee. Your rental car will also be ready for you to drive away on your return instead of having to take a shuttle to a car rental office and then complete the paperwork, which can be time-consuming.
Airports that are within easy driving distance of Tampa cruise port using a car rental include:
- Tampa Airport (TPA) 8.8 miles away
- Orlando International Airport (MCO) 85 miles away
- Southwest Florida Airport ( RSW) at Fort Myers 140 miles away
- Palm Beach Airport (PBI) 208 miles away
- Fort Lauderdale Airport (FLL) 264 miles away, or
- Miami Airport (MIA ) 282 miles away
Once again, you will need to book a one-way car rental, or a longer car rental from the relevant airport as detailed above.
We hope we have covered all your questions and provided a wealth of up-to-date information in our Full Guide on Car Rental near Tampa Cruise Port. Drive safe and enjoy your cruise!
Frequently Asked Questions
If you plan to stay overnight in a Tampa hotel before going to your cruise ship, you do not need a car in Tampa. Book a Tampa hotel that includes a free airport shuttle service and a cruise port shuttle. That way your transport between the airport, hotel and cruise port is all taken care of without the need for a rental car.
However, if you are planning to spend a few days in Tampa Bay before or after your cruise, you will need a rental car to get around.
If you don’t want to drive a car in Tampa, another option is to make use of the TECO Line Streetcar which operates on a 2.4-mile route around the downtown area. It connects downtown hotels with historic Ybor City, Riverwalk attractions, restaurants, shops and the cruise port. As well as being very convenient, the TECO Streetcar is free.
On arrival in Tampa Airport, after baggage claim, you will need to take the SkyConnect train from the main terminal (level 3) to the onsite car rental agencies which are all in one location.
If you have pre-booked a car rental from a company that operates off-airport, the car rental company will provide a shuttle bus to transport you and your luggage to their base. You may be given a phone number to call when your flight lands so that the shuttle bus can be at the airport to collect you from a pre-arranged pick-up point.
Drivers must be over 21 years of age. Some car rental companies only accept drivers 25 years and above or make a surcharge for younger drivers. To rent a car you need a valid driving license from your home country. Drivers must produce a passport (or US photo ID). You will also need a valid form of payment such as a credit card
