Car rental Cleveland

As with many of the States’ larger cities and towns, Cleveland’s attractions are scattered in different neighbourhoods around the city. Car rental in Cleveland allows you to get around easily and at your own pace.

Interstate 90 bisects the centre of town, bypassing the Downtown and Lakefront areas, and runs towards Toledo. West of the city, Route 2 branches off the I-90 – this route will guide you to the hugely popular Cedar Point amusement park. Interstate 77 heads due south from Downtown and takes you to the rolling green expanses of Cuyahoga Valley National Park, which lies 20 miles from the city. 

Located in the Downtown area are Progressive Field, home of baseball’s Cleveland Indians, while the Cavaliers’ Quicken Loans Arena would be the first port of call for basketball fans.

Close by, on the other side of Route 2, is the lakefront home of the NFL’s Cleveland Browns, and the world-famous Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. There’s no shortage of parking in Downtown Cleveland and prices are relatively low, though you might be better parking outside the centre when there’s a home game.

You’ll find a few more of Cleveland’s biggest attractions in the University Circle. Here, within a culture-packed square mile, you’ll find the awesome Museum of Art and Cleveland History Center, as well as the city’s Botanical Garden and the stunning Severance Hall, home of the Cleveland Orchestra. Only a short walk away, on Euclid Avenue, is the Museum of Contemporary Art.

The city of Cleveland holds huge appeal for visitors, with world-class art collections, fascinating museums, historic buildings and cutting-edge modern architectural wonders.

It’s only rock ‘n’ roll … but you’ll like it

The city’s top attraction is the iconic I.M. Pei-designed Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. An absolute must for music lovers, the exhibits are packed with iconic music memorabilia, from Jimi Hendrix's Stratocaster to hip-hop pioneer Jam Master Jay’s gold chains. The Rock Hall also showcases a number of temporary exhibitions throughout the year.

Visit world-class museums

Located within the city’s beautiful University Circle is Cleveland's renowned Museum of Art, which houses one of the most comprehensive collections of art works in the United States. Among more than 45,000 works spanning 6,000 years are masterpieces by Monet, ancient Grecian statues and Warhol’s images of Marilyn Monroe. You can also gaze at world-leading collections of Indian and Southeast Asian, Japanese, Chinese and Korean art – all for free.

Standing opposite is the Cleveland History Center where you can discover the city’s history through collections of maps, furniture, clothes, art, photographs and documents, as well as the DeLorean from ‘Back to the Future’ and a restored carousel. The centre is also the home of the Crawford Auto Aviation Collection, which features antique cars, aircraft, motorcycles, bikes, boats and carriages.

Live to eat

If all that culture has worked up an appetite, Downtown Cleveland serves up a tasty array of dishes at restaurants across the district. Head to East 4th Street for some of the city’s most celebrated restaurants, including Michael Symon's acclaimed Lola Bistro.

Foodies will find plenty to fill their bellies in trendy Tremont. Sokolowski's University Inn is an authentic Polish cafeteria serving the best pierogi in town, while Edison's Pub does great pizza and The South Side is a good place for al fresco dining, especially for Sunday brunch.

Heaven for sports fans

Depending on what the season is, you can cheer on one (or more) of Cleveland’s three major league sports teams. If football’s your thing, don’t a miss a Cleveland Browns’ home game. Not only is it huge fun but the 72,000-seat stadium offers breathtaking views of both the lakefront and the Downtown skyline.

If you’re visiting between October and April and you’re a basketball fan, be sure to take in a Cleveland Cavaliers game at the Quicken Loans Arena. If you’re in Cleveland during the summer (or fall, in a winning year), Progressive Field is a great place to spend the afternoon or evening watching the Cleveland Indians take to the baseball field.

Get close to nature

You might want to get out of the city and visit the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, a huge stretch of public green space lying between Cleveland and the city of Akron. The park covers 33,000 acres of woods, water and wildlife.

Running right through it is the 130-kilometre long Towpath Trail, a popular place for joggers and cyclists, with the Cuyahoga River on one side and the old Ohio & Erie Canal on the other. Don’t miss seeing the spectacular 65-foot Brandywine Falls for that essential holiday photo. 

For culture, history and some of the best sports stars in the States, Cleveland is hard to beat. Rent a car in Cleveland and see what’s happening for yourself.