posted on September 18, 2026
As a travel nurse, moving between healthcare facilities and new locations every few weeks is just part of the job. With assignments typically lasting 8-13 weeks, temporarily living in a different city or location means you’re constantly having to consider your transportation options.
Whether you’re commuting long distances, looking for competitive pricing, or conscious about fuel efficiency, this guide will help you weigh your options. Keep reading to discover the four most common transit options for travel nursing assignments to choose what best fits your assignment length and location.
In this guide, we’ll cover:
- Why transportation planning matters for travel nurses
- 4 travel nurse transportation options to consider
- Why Turo is the best option for travel nurses
- Tips for planning transportation as a travel nurse
- Frequently asked questions
Why transportation planning matters for travel nurses
As a travel nurse, securing a reliable, affordable mode of transportation is key to meeting your job requirements. On travel assignments, you’ll only be in the same spot for 8-13 weeks (sometimes up to 26 weeks). During that time, you’ll be filling urgent staff shortages in high-need areas and working in hospitals and clinics on a temporary basis.
Each assignment is long enough that you need to arrange semi-permanent transportation, rather than relying on expensive ridesharing apps or unpredictable public transportation schedules. Plus, committing to a long-term car lease often comes with a long-term commitment and rigid lease terms may not suit your lifestyle.
Getting to shifts on time (often in an unfamiliar city) with unpredictable or overnight hours presents a real logistical challenge. Planning ahead and picking the right transportation option depends on your assignment length, whether driving your existing car is practical, and how walkable your new city is.
4 travel nurse transportation options to consider
| Option | Typical cost | Flexibility | Best for | Considerations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rent a car on Turo | $ – $$ (often discounted for longer bookings) | High; no lease, ends on your terms | Standard 8–13 week assignments | Wide vehicle choice, custom delivery in many markets |
| Drive your own car | $$ (fuel, tolls, possible overnight stays for long drives) | High; car available for full assignment | Assignments within a few hours’ drive from your current location | Added mileage/wear on personal vehicle; time cost of the drive itself |
| Ship your car | $$$ (transport carrier + separate flight) | Medium; your own car, but on a fixed transit window | Cross-country assignments, longer contracts | 5–10 day transit window; book several weeks ahead; high transit costs |
| Public transit / rideshare | $$ (rideshare costs compounds with daily use) | Low; dependent on transit schedules and driver availability | Transit-dense assignment cities, backup use; short assignments | Unreliable for overnight/rotating shifts; costs add up with daily commuting |
Option 1: Rent a car with Turo
- Best for: Nurses without a personal vehicle nearby, or who want zero long-term commitment tied to a temporary contract
- Ideal assignment length: Standard 8–13 week assignments (many vehicle listings offer discounts on longer bookings)
- Considerations: Wide vehicle choice and delivery to housing/hospitals in many markets; book a few weeks ahead for best availability
The most flexible option for travel nurse transportation is renting a car on Turo. No matter where you’re located or how long you need to stay, you can rent a car for the exact length of your assignment. There are no lock-in contracts or rigid lease terms, and you can easily request an extension if plans change.
On Turo, you’ll find a wide selection of vehicles (much broader than a typical rental company’s fleet), allowing you to pick a vehicle based on your needs and commute. Need something fuel-efficient and easy to park in a tight hospital lot? Maybe something larger and capable of tackling mountain roads? Browse Turo and find the right vehicle type for your assignment, whether that’s an SUV or an electric car.
Option 2: Drive your own car to your assignment
- Best for: Nurses within a reasonable driving distance of their assignment who already own a reliable car
- Ideal assignment length: Any length; car is available for the full contract with no rental or shipping costs
- Considerations: Fuel, tolls, and possible overnight stays for longer drives, plus added mileage and wear on a personal vehicle
Is your next contract located within a short road trip of your home? In some cases, driving your existing car to your assignment is a viable option (as long as you’ve got a reliable vehicle and don’t mind putting the mileage on your car).
Driving your own vehicle tends to work best if you’re traveling within a few hours of your assignment location. Keep in mind that you’ll need to budget for gas, tolls, and a few nights of accommodations for longer drives (plus factor in some extra wear and tear on your personal vehicle).
But if you don’t have far to drive, this can be an affordable option that skips the need for rental cars and shipping costs (and allows you to have a vehicle on-hand for your full stay).
Option 3: Ship your car to your assignment
- Best for: Nurses who want their own car on-site without driving it themselves, especially for cross-country contracts
- Ideal assignment length: Longer assignments, where the cost and lead time are worth it
- Considerations: 5–10 business day transit window; book several weeks ahead; higher upfront cost than renting
Want to drive your own car, but don’t want to do a cross-country drive? Shipping your car to your assignment can be a viable option for longer assignments.
Typically, car shipping involves booking an auto transport carrier, flying separately to your destination, and getting your car delivered within a window of 5-10 business days. The biggest advantage is that you avoid putting extra mileage on your car, save hours spent behind the wheel, and skip the hassle of long-distance driving.
However, the high cost and lead time make this a bigger commitment than renting a car at your destination. It’s generally only worth shipping your car if you’re staying in the city for multiple months, and you specifically want your own vehicle for reasons other than your daily commute.
Option 4: Rely on public transportation or rideshare
- Best for: Backup or supplemental transportation, or short assignments in transit-dense cities
- Ideal assignment length: Short-term only; not built for the length of a standard contract
- Considerations: Unreliable for overnight/rotating shifts; rideshare costs add up fast with daily commuting
If you’re taking a contract in a major city, relying on public transportation or rideshare apps can make sense for shorter assignments, especially in places like New York City. In some dense urban areas, public transportation is widespread enough to get you from where you’re staying to your shift without having to worry about finding a parking spot. Plus, you may be able to fill the gaps with the occasional rideshare trip.
The problem is that working in healthcare facilities means your start and finish times can be incredibly unpredictable. Shifts may run overnight or start at times when public transportation services aren’t running. Plus, you might struggle to find a ride late at night or early in the morning, or encounter long wait times that cause you to run late for work.
Cost is another big factor. Rideshare costs compound quickly with daily commuting to and from shifts over a multi-week contract. While this is technically an option, it’s best treated as a backup or supplement rather than a full transportation plan for the length of a typical assignment.
Why Turo is the best transportation option for travel nurses
Renting a car on Turo is a more reliable, flexible, and convenient alternative to any other transportation option for travel nurses. There’s no long drive involved, no extended shipping lead times, and no dependence on transit schedules or poor ridesharing availability during odd-hour shifts.
Here’s what makes Turo so well-suited to travel nursing assignments:
- Affordable pricing: Many vehicles can be booked at discounted rates, particularly for longer bookings of one month or more. This can help to keep costs low, while ensuring you only pay for a rental car exactly when you need it.
- Flexible rental periods: Need to adjust your booking due to a last-minute contract extension? Request a trip extension within the Turo app to easily flex your booking when assignments change.
- Custom delivery: As a travel nurse, you’ve got plenty of logistics to handle. The last thing you need to worry about is finding a car rental branch. With Turo, you can find cars available for delivery straight to your accommodations, hotel, or hospital so you can get settled in sooner. You may even have your car waiting for you at the airport when you land if you’re flying in.
Tips for planning transportation as a travel nurse
Still not sure what transportation option is the best fit for your next assignment? Here are a few things to consider and tips for ensuring you can easily get around during your next contract:
- Book before arrival: Confirm transportation before the contract starts avoids relying on rideshare for the first few days.
- Match the option to contract length: A short local assignment may not need a dedicated vehicle at all; a standard 13-week contract is a strong fit for a monthly car rental on Turo
- Factor in shift timing: Overnight or rotating shifts make a personal or rented vehicle more reliable than public transportation or rideshare.
- Check delivery options near your housing or the hospital to save a step during your first week.
Frequently asked questions about travel nurse transportation
Do travel nurses need a car?
Most travel nurses benefit from having a car, especially given rotating or overnight shifts that make public transit and rideshare less reliable. Whether that means bringing their own car, shipping it, or renting one in the new city depends on distance and contract length.
What is the best transportation option for travel nurses?
For most standard 8–13 week assignments, renting a car through Turo offers the best balance of flexibility and cost; no long drive or shipping lead time, and the rental can end when the contract does.
Can travel nurses rent a car for their entire assignment?
Yes — Turo bookings can run from a single day to several months, and many vehicle owners offer discounts for bookings of 30 days or longer, which fits naturally with a typical travel nursing contract.
Is it cheaper to drive, ship, or rent a car for a travel nursing assignment?
For a travel nursing assignment, the cheapest car option depends on the distance and assignment length. Driving avoids rental costs but adds fuel, tolls, and time; shipping avoids the drive but comes with its own cost and lead time; a monthly rental avoids both while matching the length of a standard contract.
How far in advance should a travel nurse book transportation?
Booking a few weeks before the travel nursing assignment start date is a good target, particularly for monthly car rentals in popular travel nursing destinations, where availability can tighten during peak hiring seasons.
Book a rental car on Turo for your next assignment
Travel nursing means your life moves in contracts, not years, and your transportation should be able to keep up. Whether you’re heading into a standard 13-week rotation or a shorter local stint, renting a car through Turo means you’re never locked into a lease that outlasts your assignment or stuck waiting on rideshare availability during an overnight shift.
With a wide range of vehicles available and delivery options in many markets, you can have a car waiting for you on day one. It’s one less thing to sort out during an already busy first week in a new city. And if your contract gets extended, your rental can flex right along with it.
Ready to find a car for your next assignment? Browse available cars on Turo and get set up before your contract even starts.
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Lucinda Starr
Lucinda Starr is a travel and automotive writer with 5+ years of firsthand experience road-tripping across Australia, New Zealand, and beyond. She writes road trip guides for Turo, drawing on her experience behind the wheel to share practical insights on long-distance drives, destinations, and vehicles. Her travels have taken her across Australia’s East Coast, Victoria’s Great Ocean Road, the Northern Rivers, Byron Bay, and both islands of New Zealand. One of her most memorable journeys was an 11-day, 2,600+ km route from Auckland to Punakaiki and Queenstown. Lucinda has a particular passion for classic, rugged 4WD vehicles and the freedom they bring to exploring new places.
