Do You Need a Car In Minneapolis?

Minneapolis has plenty of alternative transportation methods that can get you anywhere you want to go without renting a car.
Written by Drew Waterstreet
Reviewed by Christelle Agustin
Thanks to the incredible public transit system and alternate transportation options, you can easily get away with not renting a car for your visit to Minneapolis.
To help you plan your trip to the biggest city in the land of 10,000 lakes, the top-rated
car insurance
app,
Jerry
, is here with this handy guide to local transportation. We’ll cover whether or not you need a rental car, if your insurance policy covers your rental car, what your transportation options are, and where they can take you. 
We’ll even show you how to find cheap
Minnesota car insurance
if you end up wanting to move to the Twin Cities area!
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Where to get a rental car in Minneapolis

With multiple locations in the vicinity of downtown Minneapolis,
Enterprise
is probably your best bet for renting a car. With a large inventory and a variety of vehicles to choose from, you should have no problem getting a temporary ride for your visit. You can expect to pay an average weekly rate of $450 for a sedan, $550 for a crossover SUV, and $700+ for a truck or full-size SUV.
Another option is the car-sharing network,
TURO
. Think of it as Airbnb, but for cars. All you have to do is go to where the vehicle is located, and the owner will give you in-app instructions on how to get the keys. Daily rates can start as low as $45, but you can spend a lot more if you want a specialty car.
MORE: 7 ways to save money on car rentals

Do you need rental car insurance?

So do you actually need insurance for your rental car, or is the agency just trying to upcharge you?
Here’s your no-frills answer: you can probably skip the rental company’s insurance if you have your own
full-coverage insurance
policy. More specifically, an insurance policy that has
collision
and
comprehensive insurance
. This protection plan should extend to any vehicle you rent, but you can always call your provider to confirm.
On the contrary, if you only maintain the minimum
liability car insurance
as required by state law, it is recommended that you purchase a protection plan from the rental company. If you choose not to, you could be on the hook for high out-of-pocket repair costs or even be sued by the rental car company. Follow these links to check out the coverage and pricing information for
Enterprise
and
TURO
rental insurance plans.
MORE: How to avoid being unfairly charged for rental car damage

Do you need a car in Minneapolis?

The convenience of renting a car while traveling is undeniable. But is the cost worth the convenience when considering your extensive transportation options in Minneapolis? We argue that you’re better off not renting a car.
To back up our claim, here are the various ways you can easily get around Minneapolis without renting a car:
  • METRO Blue Line
    : Light-rail service to 19 stations between downtown Minneapolis and Mall of America (every 10 minutes, seven days a week).
  • METRO Green Line
    : Light-rail service to the University of Minnesota and St. Paul.
  • Public Busses
    : If you have $2.00 to $3.25, you can get just about anywhere in Minneapolis. Downtown rides are only $0.50, and rides along Nicollet Mall will be free.
  • Downtown Skyway
    : There are 9.5 miles of indoor pathways connecting 80 city blocks of downtown Minneapolis—perfect for when it gets cold!
  • Biking
    : Minneapolis ranks as one of the best biking cities in the country, with 16 miles of on-street protected bikeways, 98 miles of bike lanes, and 101 miles of off-street bikeways and trails. You can use the non-profit bike-sharing system
    Nice Ride
    to rent a bike.
  • Scooters
    : Multiple companies participate in the citywide shared scooter program
  • Zipcar
    : A shared network of cars parked around the city can be used at your convenience through the Zipcar mobile application.
  • Affordable ride-share options: Compared to some other major metropolitan areas, Uber and Lyft are fairly cheap. Prices typically range between $10 and $40 for a ride, depending on distance and time of day.
See? We weren’t kidding when we said Minneapolis has a ton of ways to get around town. If you feel overwhelmed by the number of options, you can check out this
comprehensive list of transportation options
or use this
trip planner tool
that METRO Transit has developed.

Where public transportation can take you

Sports, art, travel, shopping, you name it! With the
METRO Transit system
, you can get to just about any of Minneapolis’ main attractions using the light rail in tandem with the public bussing system. Here are some stops you can make:
  • MSP International Airport
  • University of Minnesota
  • Mall of America
  • Target Center
  • Target Field
  • U.S. Bank Stadium
  • Minneapolis Convention Center - Nicollet Mall
  • Huntington Bank Stadium
  • Allianz Field
  • Midtown Global Market
  • Bde Maka Ska (Lake Calhoun) and Lake Harriet
  • Uptown Minneapolis
  • Lowertown St. Paul
  • Minneapolis Institute of Arts
  • Walker Art Center
  • Guthrie Theater
  • Minnesota Children's Museum
  • Science Museum of Minnesota
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg for attractions in Minneapolis (which is appropriate because Minnesota can get super cold). By following the link, you can learn more about
Minneapolis neighborhoods
and their top restaurants, parks, and sights.

Where public transportation can’t take you

While public transit may not always drop you off at the front door of your destination, you can always rely on one of the other transportation options (biking, scooter, rideshare) to cover the final stretch. Between all your options, you can get just about anywhere in Minneapolis proper.
However, you may have to rely on these alternative options more heavily if you want to travel to the suburbs, where public transportation isn’t as prevalent. Popular destinations on the outskirts of Minneapolis include Lake Minnetonka, Mystic Lake Casino, Valleyfair Amusement Park, and more.

How to save on car insurance in Minneapolis

Did you love your trip so much that you're now considering moving to Minneapolis? Well, before you do, you’ll want to have a plan for finding affordable Minneapolis car insurance. 
Luckily, the car insurance gurus at
Jerry
can do all the research for you! Simply input some basic information into our
trustworthy super app
, and we’ll quickly locate the insurance quote that offers the most coverage at the lowest price possible based on your driving profile.
On average, our users save over $800 on their annual car insurance costs. So don’t forget to make Jerry a part of your moving-to-Minneapolis itinerary.
“I moved states recently and my old provider didn’t cover me anymore, so I tried using
Jerry
. They handled everything from fetching the quotes to purchasing the new policy. Now I save $30 a month with Progressive!” —Kay J.
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