Rent a Car in Portland

Portland itself is one of the more walkable cities in the US, with a MAX light rail line running straight from the airport into downtown — plenty of visitors get by without a car for a few days of exploring Powell's Books, food carts and the Pearl District. But that convenience runs out the moment your plans include anything outside the city limits, which for most visitors is the actual point of a Pacific Northwest trip. A hire car turns Portland into a base rather than the whole itinerary.

The Columbia River Gorge, with Multnomah Falls and a string of other waterfalls along the Historic Highway, is about 50 km east and effectively requires a car — the scenic route between viewpoints has no meaningful transit option. Mount Hood, Oregon's tallest peak and a year-round destination for hiking or skiing, is roughly 100 km southeast. In the other direction, the Willamette Valley's wine country around Dundee and Newberg is 40 km southwest, and the dramatic Oregon Coast at Cannon Beach is about 130 km west. Each of these is a comfortable day trip with your own car and essentially inaccessible without one.