Car Hire in Ankara

At Localrent, you can easily find rental cars not only in Ankara but also in other cities across Turkey. With a rental car, you can create complex, extended itineraries and make stops at appealing locations, even if you hadn't initially planned to do so.

A rental car gives you the opportunity to reach remote locations far from the capital that are simply impossible to access by public transport. With Localrent, there's no need to stick to tour group schedules or adjust to bus timetables. You have complete control over your time.

Benefits of Car Rental Through Localrent Service

At Localrent, you'll find vehicles that match your preferences, budget, number of passengers, and route. You can book a car well in advance of your trip or after it has already started. We offer our clients:

1. Extensive Vehicle Selection. We've gathered the best offers from local rental companies: from spacious family cars and compact economy class to luxury vehicles.
2. Transparent Pricing. The website immediately shows how much car rental in Ankara costs, including your selected options. The price won't change after you pay the deposit.
3. Flexible Deposits. You can specify a comfortable deposit amount in the filter settings, so the site shows only suitable cars. Options without security deposits are available.
4. Convenient Search. The website has an intuitive interface and well-designed filter system. Offers can be filtered by deposit size and type, car class, and daily rental cost. You can add optional services such as passenger insurance, additional driver, or free cancellation.
5. Small Advance Payment. When booking, only an advance payment of 15–20% of the rental cost will be charged to your bank card.

Requirements for Car Rental

Rental companies set their own requirements for minimum age and driving experience. These criteria are specified in the car listing you're renting. You can filter out unsuitable options by indicating your age and experience in the filter settings.

Required documents for rental:

• Passport or identification document
• Valid driver's license that permits driving in Turkey
• Voucher with booking information that we send to your email

A bank card is mandatory for booking a car on the website—the advance payment will be charged from it. Available payment methods for the remaining amount and deposit are indicated in the car listings.

Ankara Traffic Rules: Essential Knowledge

Ankara, like all of Turkey, has right-hand traffic.

Speed limits depend on the road section:

• Within populated areas: 50 km/h (31 mph)
• Outside populated areas: 90 km/h (56 mph)
• On highways: 120 km/h (75 mph)

Starting to drive without seatbelts for driver or passengers is prohibited. However, locals often violate this rule, despite significant fines for such violations.

Headlights during the day should only be used in poor visibility conditions, such as fog or in tunnels.

Local driving characteristics to be aware of:

• Frequent honking and noise when dissatisfied
• Sudden lane changes without using turn signals
• May not always stop at crossings for single pedestrians

Ankara has two signs that may confuse foreign drivers:

• DUR (red octagon): Equivalent to European STOP sign
• Yavaş (white triangle with red border): Indicates a dangerous road section ahead requiring attention

Driving on Turkish roads may seem unusual only to those accustomed to left-hand traffic. Others are unlikely to experience driving difficulties.

Fuel Station Features

Ankara has adequate fuel stations. Almost all offer additional services: cafés, shops, restrooms, tire pressure monitoring systems, and vacuum cleaners. Brands are mainly large chains—Petrol Ofisi, Shell, Lukoil—but smaller independent stations exist as well.

Fuel options include gasoline, diesel, and LPG. Electric vehicle charging stations are available throughout the city and along highways. Major Ankara hotels like Radisson Blu and JW Marriott offer car charging directly in their parking areas. Fuel prices vary within 15%: more expensive on highways, cheaper in the city.

Parking Guidelines

During tourist season, finding free parking spaces in Ankara is nearly impossible, though many exist. The easiest parking is near large shopping centers and supermarkets, though time restrictions often apply—check surrounding signs carefully.

Paid parking zones are marked with white or blue markings and a P sign with coins. Rates are displayed on signs below. Payment options include parking meters, attendants, or the Parkomat mobile app.

Avoid leaving vehicles on yellow markings.

How to Book a Car

Follow these booking instructions:

1. Specify rental dates and pickup city: You can collect the car in Ankara and return it in Istanbul or Antalya, for example.
2. Configure filters to eliminate unsuitable options: class, drive type, insurance, free cancellation option, deposit size.
3. Review car listings and click on your preferred vehicle. Press "Continue."
4. Complete driver information and contact details. Specify a convenient Ankara location for pickup and return.
5. Pay the advance using your preferred method.

Within minutes of advance payment, we'll send a receipt and booking voucher to your email, which you'll need to present to the rental company with all documents.

Attractions Accessible by Rental Car

Within 1–2 hours' drive from Ankara are scenic natural areas, ancient ruins, and lakes. Here are several well-accessible locations worth visiting:

1. Eymir Lake (Eymir Gölü). A small lake 20 minutes south of the capital, surrounded by tall pines. Perfect for family recreation: picnics, walking and cycling, boat rides. Lakefront area access requires special permits, but free parking is available 10–15 minutes' walk from the lake.
2. Gordion City. Today's small village of Yassıhöyük was once the capital of ancient Greek Phrygia. Features a museum and archaeological park with burial mounds and King Midas's tomb. This is where Phrygian King Gordius tied the famous knot cut by Alexander the Great.
3. Soğuksu National Park (Soğuksu Milli Parkı). Attracts tourists with pine forests and mountain trails. Ideal for hiking or picnicking and bird watching. Partridges and black eagles—the park's symbol—approach quite closely for easy photography.
4. Museum of Anatolian Civilizations (Anadolu Medeniyetleri Müzesi). One of Turkey's finest museums and Ankara's "jewel," located in the old town at Hissar fortress's base. Exhibits are housed in restored 15th-century Ottoman caravanserais. The collection spans over 10,000 years of history: from Paleolithic to Roman and Byzantine periods. Choose compact cars—parking may be challenging here.
5. Temple of Augustus and Rome (Monumentum Ancyranum). Considered heritage of three eras: ancient Phrygian, Roman, and Ottoman. Temple walls feature an almost complete copy of Octavian Augustus's famous text—"Deeds of the Divine Augustus." Easily combined with visits to Hacı Bayram Mosque and Ankara Castle. Numerous craft shops with souvenirs nearby—don't forget to bargain!

Important: Rental company terms prohibit driving on unpaved roads. We recommend following this requirement as insurance doesn't cover unpaved road incidents.

Rental Locations

All pickup locations are viewable on the website by clicking the "Specify location" filter. Most tourists prefer collecting cars directly from Esenboğa International Airport, eliminating transfer time and costs.

If arriving by train or bus, you can arrange delivery directly to Ankara's railway or central bus station. A major advantage is that cars can be delivered to virtually any city location.

Traveler Tips

Here are several recommendations for a more comfortable journey

Inspect the Vehicle Thoroughly

Document all defects found during inspection with photos and videos, noting them in the inspection report or contract. This prevents charges for pre-existing damage. Always record fuel tank level—the car must be returned with the same fuel amount.

Clarify Toll Road Rates

Toll roads use HGS sticker scanning systems, transponders, or license plate recognition. Ask the rental company about payment methods for your planned route and whether the car has payment devices. Always confirm rates for proper trip budget calculation.

Prepare Offline Maps

If planning mountain trips, keep paper maps in the glove compartment or download offline map areas. Mountains have many road branches with intermittent internet—navigation is essential to avoid getting lost.

FAQ