Car Rental New York

Electric hire

Seeking a more eco-friendly way to explore? If you want a lower-emission way to get around, Hertz makes it easy with electric car hire options for New York routes.

An EV can be a strong fit here because many itineraries naturally demand more halts:

• exploring a few neighborhoods, then pausing for a meal or museum
• heading out for a day trip, then returning to the same base
• doing planned scenic drives with clear breaks

For car hire in New York, an EV is often most comfortable when you plan your charging around your schedule (not the other way around). That means choosing charging stops near places you already expect to spend time.

Charging points

New York has a growing spread of public EV charging locations across the state, which makes it easier to build charging into your route planning instead of treating it as a separate task. Currently, the state of New York has over 3000 public electric charging stations, easily accessible to keep your EV running smoothly from one city to another!

Congestion charges

New York State doesn’t have a single statewide congestion charge, but New York City has a congestion-pricing toll for vehicles that enter the Congestion Relief Zone in Manhattan (south of and including 60th Street).

The toll follows a time-of-day schedule, with higher pricing during peak periods (generally daytime/evening on weekdays and weekends) and lower pricing overnight, and it’s typically charged once per day per vehicle for that zone entry.

Passenger vehicles and motorcycles are charged at lower tiers than larger vehicles like trucks and buses, which pay more because of their size and road impact. Taxis and ride-hail trips are usually handled differently, using a per-trip surcharge rather than the same daily-style zone charge.

In some cases, if you enter the zone using certain major crossings, there may be a credit or adjustment to avoid double-charging, depending on how you entered and what you’re driving.

Key roads

• FDR Drive (Manhattan): A key North-South route along Manhattan’s East Side. It is often the quickest way to move between uptown and downtown without weaving across the street grid, especially when you are connecting to bridges or heading toward the Midtown area.
• West Side Highway / 12th Avenue / Route 9A (Manhattan): The West Side counterpart to the FDR, running along the Hudson River edge. It is typically a cleaner, more predictable way to move up and down Manhattan when you want to stay out of the densest crosstown traffic.
• New York State Thruway system (Thruway Authority network): For longer drives beyond NYC, the Thruway Authority’s system is a major part of the statewide backbone, and it operates with cashless tolling across the system.

Toll roads

• New York City (MTA Bridges and Tunnels): All MTA Bridges and Tunnels tolling facilities use cashless tolling.
• New York and New Jersey crossings (Port Authority bridges and tunnels): The Port Authority explains that its crossings are cashless and promotes E-ZPass as the best way to save versus Tolls by Mail.
• Hudson Valley crossings (New York State Bridge Authority): The New York State Bridge Authority also uses cashless tolling and notes that the public pays tolls through E-ZPass or Tolls-By-Mail.

Driving Tips: When you are in New York

New York drives can feel intense in the city and relaxed outside it. A few rules and habits make everything easier.

• Treat Manhattan driving as “edge-road + garage” travel. Use the city’s edge routes to reposition, then park once and walk. It reduces stress and keeps time predictable.
• Plan toll payment early. Cashless tolling is common across major facilities, and agencies note E-ZPass is the standard way to pay automatically.
• Follow the Move Over Law. New York State requires drivers to take precautions, including slowing down and moving over, to avoid a crash with any vehicle stopped along the roadway.
• Keep phone use off your hands. NY DMV states that under New York State law, you cannot use a handheld mobile phone or portable electronic device while you drive.
• Build a buffer for bridges and tunnels. Approaches can back up quickly, and lane splits happen fast. Give yourself extra time so you are not forced into last-second moves.
• Expect sudden pedestrian density. Midtown, downtown, and popular park entrances can be crowded. Drive slower and watch crossings, especially near big attractions.
• Do “one borough at a time” days. In NYC, hopping across boroughs repeatedly can burn time. Group plans by area, then do one longer reposition move.