Guarantor and Non-Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements (Statement of Cash Flows) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$ 2,748,412	$ 2,258,521	$ 2,237,927
Cash flows from investing activities:
Net change in restricted cash and cash equivalents	(261,605)	(101,766)	160,516
Revenue earning equipment expenditures	(9,613,239)	(9,454,311)	(8,440,872)
Proceeds from disposal of revenue earning equipment	7,125,096	7,850,442	7,518,446
Property and equipment expenditures	(312,786)	(281,695)	(179,209)
Proceeds from disposal of property and equipment	137,694	53,814	38,905
Capital contributions to subsidiaries	0	0	0
Return of capital from subsidiaries	0	0	0
Loan to Parent From Non-Guarantor	0	0	(6,173)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(1,905,168)	(227,081)	(47,571)
Proceeds from disposal of business	84,497	0	0
Purchase of short-term investments, net	0	(32,891)	3,491
Other investing activities	(1,779)	586	2,726
Net cash used in investing activities	(4,747,290)	(2,192,902)	(943,568)
Excess Tax Benefit (Tax Deficiency) from Share-based Compensation, Financing Activities	0	0	(258)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt	2,237,280	3,062,479	2,635,713
Payment of long-term debt	(952,144)	(3,649,300)	(2,954,233)
Short-term borrowings:
Proceeds	438,387	460,890	490,490
Payments	(1,280,143)	(1,194,056)	(970,949)
Proceeds (payments) under the revolving lines of credit, net	1,273,164	(57,329)	1,026,070
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	0	(23,100)	(18,200)
Capital contributions received from parent	0	0	0
Loan to Parent From Non-Guarantor	0
Payment of dividends and return of capital	(25,000)	(22,950)	(23,000)
Proceeds from employee stock purchase plan	4,275	3,577	3,208
Loan from Hertz Global Holdings, Inc.	(13,220)	(984)	(6,173)
Purchase of noncontrolling interest	(38,000)	0	0
Payment of financing costs	(49,433)	(91,482)	(78,151)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	1,595,166	(1,512,255)	104,517
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	5,739	3,838	(10,337)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents during the period	(397,973)	(1,442,798)	1,388,539
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	931,208	2,374,006	985,467
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	533,235	931,208	2,374,006
Parent
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	1,677,648	1,000,597	337,055
Cash flows from investing activities:
Net change in restricted cash and cash equivalents	11,981	(28,570)	19,932
Revenue earning equipment expenditures	(88,120)	(142,134)	(188,057)
Proceeds from disposal of revenue earning equipment	79,390	163,330	169,451
Property and equipment expenditures	(173,053)	(189,562)	(92,415)
Proceeds from disposal of property and equipment	67,370	23,952	4,311
Capital contributions to subsidiaries	(4,267,118)	(3,549,088)	(1,544,332)
Return of capital from subsidiaries	1,829,256	2,590,025	1,877,095
Loan to Parent From Non-Guarantor	0	490,273	(6,173)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(1,708,520)	(214,384)	(35)
Proceeds from disposal of business	0
Purchase of short-term investments, net	0	(32,891)	3,183
Other investing activities	0	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(4,248,814)	(1,379,322)	249,133
Excess Tax Benefit (Tax Deficiency) from Share-based Compensation, Financing Activities	0	0	(258)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt	2,210,000	2,455,309	1,209,866
Payment of long-term debt	(650,407)	(3,596,295)	(73,342)
Short-term borrowings:
Proceeds	0	0	0
Payments	(26,775)	(29,224)	(2,615)
Proceeds (payments) under the revolving lines of credit, net	220,000	(29,128)	(18,907)
Distributions to noncontrolling interest		0	0
Capital contributions received from parent	0	0	0
Loan to Parent From Non-Guarantor	385,108	490,273	0
Payment of dividends and return of capital	(25,000)	(22,950)	(23,000)
Proceeds from employee stock purchase plan	4,275	3,577	3,208
Loan from Hertz Global Holdings, Inc.	(13,220)	(984)	(6,173)
Purchase of noncontrolling interest	(38,000)	0	0
Payment of financing costs	(35,215)	(81,229)	(29,111)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	2,030,766	(810,651)	1,059,668
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents during the period	(540,400)	(1,189,376)	1,645,856
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	565,002	1,754,378	108,522
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	24,602	565,002	1,754,378
Guarantor Subsidiaries
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	690,292	773,170	88,941
Cash flows from investing activities:
Net change in restricted cash and cash equivalents	13,596	(2,662)	(17,514)
Revenue earning equipment expenditures	(763,610)	(670,056)	(96,452)
Proceeds from disposal of revenue earning equipment	276,342	170,522	75,139
Property and equipment expenditures	(32,022)	(29,696)	(14,137)
Proceeds from disposal of property and equipment	11,839	9,263	10,416
Capital contributions to subsidiaries	0	0	0
Return of capital from subsidiaries	0	0	0
Loan to Parent From Non-Guarantor	0	0	0
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(196,648)	(2,100)	(43,789)
Proceeds from disposal of business	0
Purchase of short-term investments, net		0	94
Other investing activities	0	(13,602)	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(690,503)	(538,331)	(86,243)
Excess Tax Benefit (Tax Deficiency) from Share-based Compensation, Financing Activities			0
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt	0	0	0
Payment of long-term debt	(18)	(17)	(68)
Short-term borrowings:
Proceeds	0	0	0
Payments	0	0	0
Proceeds (payments) under the revolving lines of credit, net	(1,262)	(229,778)	(3,515)
Distributions to noncontrolling interest		0	0
Capital contributions received from parent	0	0	0
Loan to Parent From Non-Guarantor	0
Payment of dividends and return of capital	0	0	0
Proceeds from employee stock purchase plan	0	0	0
Loan from Hertz Global Holdings, Inc.	0	0
Purchase of noncontrolling interest	0
Payment of financing costs	(3,316)	(2,817)	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(4,596)	(232,612)	(3,583)
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents during the period	(4,807)	2,227	(885)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	7,385	5,158	6,043
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	2,578	7,385	5,158
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	1,155,789	1,038,124	2,193,486
Cash flows from investing activities:
Net change in restricted cash and cash equivalents	(287,182)	(70,534)	158,098
Revenue earning equipment expenditures	(8,761,509)	(8,642,121)	(8,156,363)
Proceeds from disposal of revenue earning equipment	6,769,364	7,516,590	7,273,856
Property and equipment expenditures	(107,711)	(62,437)	(72,657)
Proceeds from disposal of property and equipment	58,485	20,599	24,178
Capital contributions to subsidiaries	0	0	0
Return of capital from subsidiaries	0	0	0
Loan to Parent From Non-Guarantor	(385,108)	0	0
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	(10,597)	(3,747)
Proceeds from disposal of business	84,497
Purchase of short-term investments, net		0	214
Other investing activities	(1,779)	14,188	2,726
Net cash used in investing activities	(2,630,943)	(1,724,585)	(773,695)
Excess Tax Benefit (Tax Deficiency) from Share-based Compensation, Financing Activities			0
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt	27,280	607,170	1,425,847
Payment of long-term debt	(301,719)	(52,988)	(2,880,823)
Short-term borrowings:
Proceeds	438,387	460,890	490,490
Payments	(1,253,368)	(1,164,832)	(968,334)
Proceeds (payments) under the revolving lines of credit, net	1,054,426	201,577	1,048,492
Distributions to noncontrolling interest		(23,100)	(18,200)
Capital contributions received from parent	4,267,118	3,549,088	1,544,332
Loan to Parent From Non-Guarantor	0	(490,273)
Payment of dividends and return of capital	(2,604,573)	(3,143,395)	(2,258,650)
Proceeds from employee stock purchase plan	0	0	0
Loan from Hertz Global Holdings, Inc.	0	0
Purchase of noncontrolling interest	0
Payment of financing costs	(10,902)	(7,436)	(49,040)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	1,616,649	426,974	(1,665,886)
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	5,739	3,838	(10,337)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents during the period	147,234	(255,649)	(256,432)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	358,821	614,470	870,902
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	506,055	358,821	614,470
Eliminations
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(775,317)	(553,370)	(381,555)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Net change in restricted cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Revenue earning equipment expenditures	0	0	0
Proceeds from disposal of revenue earning equipment	0	0	0
Property and equipment expenditures	0	0	0
Proceeds from disposal of property and equipment	0	0	0
Capital contributions to subsidiaries	4,267,118	3,549,088	1,544,332
Return of capital from subsidiaries	(1,829,256)	(2,590,025)	(1,877,095)
Loan to Parent From Non-Guarantor	385,108	(490,273)	0
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0	0
Proceeds from disposal of business	0
Purchase of short-term investments, net		0	0
Other investing activities	0	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	2,822,970	1,449,336	(332,763)
Excess Tax Benefit (Tax Deficiency) from Share-based Compensation, Financing Activities			0
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt	0	0	0
Payment of long-term debt	0	0	0
Short-term borrowings:
Proceeds	0	0	0
Payments	0	0	0
Proceeds (payments) under the revolving lines of credit, net	0	0	0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest		0	0
Capital contributions received from parent	(4,267,118)	(3,549,088)	(1,544,332)
Loan to Parent From Non-Guarantor	(385,108)	490,273
Payment of dividends and return of capital	2,604,573	3,143,395	2,258,650
Proceeds from employee stock purchase plan	0	0	0
Loan from Hertz Global Holdings, Inc.	0	0
Purchase of noncontrolling interest	0
Payment of financing costs	0	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(2,047,653)	(895,966)	714,318
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents during the period	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0