Car Hire Madison, WI

Guide

One of the most beautifully set cities in the US, Madison, the state capital of Wisconsin, is a stimulating, youthful metropolis with a handful of interesting museums. Visitors to Madison will find numerous attractions in and around the city. If you wish to explore as much as possible then we highly advise you to book a hire car for the duration of your trip. You wont regret it! It's so convenient to hop in the car and go. No waiting around for public services or spending the day with large tour groups. Book cheap car hire in Madison right here today and gain the freedom to explore the sights at your own leisurely pace.

Explore Madison

The sumptuous white granite State Capitol sits benignly on a hill at the centre of the isthmus between lakes Monona and Mendota, surrounded by shady trees, lawns and park benches. Capitol Square itself is the site of a fun farmers' market every Saturday between May and October. Madison Civic Center hosts a professional repertory theatre, an art museum, concerts and touring shows.

The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Unitarian Meeting House is definitely worth a look. Alternatively, the lakeside Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center, also designed by Wright, expands on the architectural highlights of the State Capitol building just a few blocks away.

The huge University of Wisconsin (average enrolment 46,000) is Madison’s spirited, liberal-thinking, beating heart, now mellowed since its protest heyday in the late 1960s. Capitol and campus are connected by State Street - eight tree-lined, pedestrianised blocks of restaurants, cafés, lively bars and trendy stores.

The major suburbs in Madison are: Blooming Grove, Burke, Fitchburg, Maple Bluff, McFarland, Mendota, Middleton, Monona, Shorewood Hills and Westport.

Transport

By air
Madison has an international airport, but most international visitors will connect via one of the major east or west coast hubs. There are also daily direct flights to and from Minneapolis, Chicago, Milwaukee, Stevens Point and La Crosse; while Milwaukee’s international airport is a convenient alternative.

By car
In Wisconsin, Madison is at the convergence point of I-94 from the north and I-90 from the south, which both run east-west. I-94 enters the state in the west from the Twin Cities (Minneapolis and St Paul) of Minnesota and merges with I-90 at Madison, then diverges again as it heads to Milwaukee and finally down the shore of Lake Michigan to Chicago, Illinois.

I-90 enters Wisconsin from Minnesota in La Crosse, goes on to Madison, where it travels southeast before hitting Chicago and leading all the way to Boston. I-90 also goes as far as Seattle to the west.

By train
Daily rail trips are available to Madison from Milwaukee, Chicago and Minneapolis/St Paul. From Chicago, it is possible to catch trains to locations along the east coast, California, and in the south. If you want to go west through Minneapolis, trains are available to Seattle, Washington DC, and Portland (Oregon).

By bus
Greyhound coaches run to all towns in the state from Madison, and provide a cheap if uncomfortable travel option to major towns and cities across the US.