Somewhere between living and living it up, there’s Palm Springs. 

But to enjoy everything it has offer, do you need a car rental in Palm Springs? Keep reading for what to know before you visit.   

To answer the question of whether you need a rental car in Palm Springs, we turned to Randy Garner, senior marketing manager with the Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism and a longtime Palm Springs resident.

His answer: It all depends on how you plan to do Palm Springs, but if you’re staying outside of downtown or aim to venture beyond the city center, a rental car is recommended.

“If you want to come and relax by the pool, soak up some sunshine and rejuvenate, stay close to downtown,” Garner says. “Everything you need, including shopping and dining, is within walking distance.”

Indeed, if you’re staying in downtown Palm Springs, it’s 100% possible to have a satisfying visit without leaving the city center. Downtown’s main drag along Indian Canyon Drive and Palm Canyon Drive packs in everything you need for a quintessentially Palm Springs experience. From museums, shopping, spas and tennis to top restaurants, nightlife, breweries and even hiking, all your must-haves are accessible on foot, by bike or for the price of a cocktail via ride-hailing apps like Lyft and Uber.

Since rent-by-the-hour car-share services like Zipcar and Getaround aren’t available in Palm Springs, a rental car is the way to go when you need the freedom that your own wheels provide.

“If you want to explore Palm Springs, visit the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, enjoy day trips or visit other desert cities, you’ll want a car for convenience,” Garner says.

That’s because when we think of Palm Springs, we often think not only of the actual town, but the entire greater Palm Springs area, which includes Palm Springs and a string of other cities along a scenic 30-mile stretch of I-10 and CA-111. Many of these cities are home to the attractions that bring crowds in droves to Palm Springs each year. 

Visiting these places and other hidden gems like them is easiest with a rental car, Garner says. 

PSP — Palm Springs International Airport — is home to major car rental companies, including Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National and Thrifty. And at this airport, named 2021’s Best Small Airport in America by readers of The Points Guy, there’s no gauntlet of transfers and shuttles standing between you and your rental car. You pick up your keys just steps away from baggage claim for an easy start to vacation mode.

If the hassle of driving and the cost of parking a car gives you pause, you may be pleasantly surprised by Palm Springs. Driving and parking a car in Palm Springs is very easy, compared to what we know in the Bay Area. Unlike most vacation hot spots, Palm Springs is very car-friendly, with parking aplenty and manageable traffic most times of the year. A 15-minute drive can have you most anywhere you want to be, with safe, clean, close (and usually free) parking awaiting your arrival. 

If two wheels are more your speed, you can do Palm Springs by bike. With bicycle lanes and sidewalks aplenty, plus level ground as flat as San Francisco’s Embarcadero, most Palm Springs neighborhoods are easily bikeable. While a bike won’t help you get from Palm Springs to other desert cities, hopping from neighborhood to neighborhood or down the main drag of Palm Canyon Drive is more than possible on two wheels. 

Bonus: Many Palm Springs hotels, resorts and vacation rentals offer complimentary bikes. If yours doesn’t, Bike Palm Springs and Big Wheel Tours can set you up with a cruiser, road bike or e-bike and have you rolling in no time. 

This story was edited by Hearst Newspapers Managing Editor Kristina Moy; you can contact her at [email protected].