Austin City Limits runs across two weekends in October at Zilker Park, and it fills the city both times. If you are renting a car for it, the practical considerations are different from a normal Austin visit: which weekend, where the car cannot go, and why October is the one month when the convertible is the right answer.
It is two weekends, not one
This catches people out. ACL runs consecutive three-day weekends with largely the same lineup. Both fill hotels and both tighten car availability, and the second weekend often has better availability than the first, because most people plan for weekend one. If your dates are flexible, weekend two is usually easier to book, with the same weather and the same bands.
Do not plan to park at Zilker
There is no meaningful parking at Zilker Park during ACL. The festival runs shuttles from downtown, rideshare zones are set back from the gates, and the streets around Barton Springs Road are closed or permit-only. What this means in practice: the car is for everything except the festival itself. Get to ACL by shuttle or rideshare, and use the rental for the Hill Country, Lake Travis, dinner on South Congress, the drive to Fredericksburg on the days between weekends, and the airport.
What to rent
October in Austin is the best weather of the year, which makes it convertible season. A drop-top on Loop 360 past the Pennybacker Bridge overlook at golden hour is the single best hour you will spend in the car. The Corvette C8 is our most-booked car for ACL weekends: mid-engine, 495 hp, a roof panel that comes off in a minute, and a rate that leaves budget for the rest of the trip. For the full roof-down photograph, the Lamborghini Huracán EVO Spyder or the Porsche 911 Targa. For a group of four heading to the east side and back, the BMW X5 M60i, the Lamborghini Urus or the Mercedes-AMG G63.
What it costs for ACL
The published Austin rates apply; there is no festival premium. A three-day weekend is priced about 15% below the daily rate.
| Vehicle | Per day | ACL weekend (3 days, per day) | Both weekends (per day) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Corvette C8 | $519 | ~$441 | ~$363 |
| 2025 BMW M4 Competition | $649 | ~$552 | ~$454 |
| 2021 Porsche 911 Targa | $1,039 | ~$883 | ~$727 |
| 2019 Porsche 911 GT3 | $1,039 | ~$883 | ~$727 |
| 2024 BMW X5 M60i | $589 | ~$501 | ~$412 |
| 2022 Mercedes G63 AMG (Brabus Kit) | $1,169 | ~$994 | ~$818 |
| 2022 Lamborghini Urus | $1,429 | ~$1,215 | ~$1,000 |
| 2022 Lamborghini Huracán EVO Spyder | $1,559 | ~$1,325 | ~$1,091 |
Delivery, a daily mileage allowance and comprehensive insurance are included. If you are staying the week between the two weekends, a ten-day booking is priced close to 30% below the daily rate, and it is the best way to see the Hill Country properly.
Watch the calendar
ACL sits close to the Formula 1 Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas, also in October. If your dates land on both, book far earlier: F1 week is the tightest supply of the year across all of Texas, and the Lamborghinis go first. The F1 weekend guide has the order in which the cars sell out. Longhorns home Saturdays in October tighten things a little further.
Delivery
Curbside at Austin-Bergstrom (AUS) with flight tracking, about twenty minutes from Zilker on a normal day, or to hotels across Downtown, South Congress, Rainey Street, East Austin, Westlake and the Domain. On festival days the roads around Barton Springs and South Lamar are slow; we build in margin and confirm windows rather than exact minutes for hotels south of the river.
Where to actually take it
Loop 360 and Ranch Road 2222 for the first evening, an hour without leaving the metro. The Devil's Backbone between Wimberley and Blanco for a half day with lunch. Fredericksburg and the Willow City Loop for a full day between weekends. Distances, fuel stops and mileage advice are in the Hill Country drives guide; tell us the route when you book so the allowance matches.
Requirements
You must be 21 or older with a valid driver's licence, proof of full-coverage insurance that extends to a vehicle of this value, and a major credit card in your own name. International licences are accepted with a passport; tell us in advance so we can confirm before you fly rather than at the curb. A refundable security hold, scaled to the car, is placed on your card at handover and released after the return inspection.
Book a car for ACL
Call or text 512-851-0490 with the weekend, the car and where you are staying. Rates for the whole fleet are in the Austin cost guide; the service area on the Austin luxury car rental page. Model pages: Corvette, Porsche, Lamborghini, BMW.
Frequently asked questions
Which ACL weekend is easier to book a car for?
The second. Both fill hotels and tighten car availability, but most people plan for weekend one, so weekend two usually has better availability and the same weather.
Can I drive to Zilker Park for ACL?
No meaningful parking exists at Zilker during the festival. The streets around Barton Springs Road are closed or permit-only. Get to ACL by shuttle or rideshare and use the car for everything else.
What is the best car for ACL weekend?
The Corvette C8 at $519 a day: roof panel off, mid-engine, 495 hp, and a rate that leaves budget for the rest of the trip. For the roof-down photograph on Loop 360, the Huracán EVO Spyder at $1,559 or the 911 Targa at $1,039.
Does ACL clash with F1?
They are close on the calendar, both in October. If your dates land on both, book far earlier: F1 week is the tightest supply of the year across all of Texas.
More Austin rental guides
- How much does it cost to rent a luxury car in Austin?
- Supercar rental for F1 weekend at COTA
- Exotic car rental for SXSW
- The best Hill Country drives from Austin
- Austin airport (AUS) delivery
Renting in Austin?
Delivery across Austin, the Hill Country and Austin-Bergstrom (AUS).
Luxury car rental in Austin — fleet and rates → · More Austin guides
