Airbnb partnered with CarTrawler, an Irish car rental provider with a network of more than 2,200 vehicle rental services in 150 countries, to provide car rentals in the United States, France, Italy, Spain and Australia. CarTrawler currently connects more than 500 rental suppliers to more than 300 brands, including Uber, American Express and American Airlines.

First reported by Skift, the deal now lets Airbnb guests book rental vehicles directly through the Airbnb platform. Airbnb guests can either add a rental car to an existing reservation from Airbnb’s Trips tab or book one on its own through the platform’s Services section on the app. Bookings also include optional add-ons and rental protections.

Additionally, a credit program gives guests up to 20 percent off a rental car back in Airbnb credit, capped at $200 per reservation.

The partnership, however, coincides with CarTrawler’s current process of being acquired by Expedia, one of Airbnb’s biggest rivals in the travel market. The deal is set to close in the second half of 2026, making for a one-stop shop for B2B travel.

Neither Airbnb, Expedia nor CarTrawler have released a statement on what will happen to the Airbnb partnership after the acquisition is complete between Expedia and CarTrawler. Expedia also owns Vrbo, Airbnb’s most direct competitor.

“The CarTrawler acquisition is another huge, exciting step towards our ambition of building the most complete B2B travel platform,” said Alfonso Paredes, president B2B and CCO, Expedia Group. “Last year, Expedia Group B2B set out a bold vision to expand our APIs beyond lodging. Acquiring Tiqets helped us solve for activities at scale. Adding CarTrawler now extends that same strategy into car rentals, ground transport and Insurtech. CarTrawler’s focus and differentiated expertise in these areas complements our strengths in B2B scale and technology, enabling us to massively amplify our joint value proposition to partners, suppliers, and travelers.”

The move reflects Expedia’s greater goal to expand beyond lodging to include cars, flights, trip protection and activities.

“CarTrawler’s acquisition by Expedia Group is a testament to the strength of our technology, the drive of our people, our track record of innovation, and our accelerating commercial momentum,” said Peter O’Donovan, CEO, CarTrawler. “This exciting combination allows us to advance our mission as part of travel’s best and most complete B2B engine, unlocking new opportunities for innovation and growth.”

The partnership and upcoming acquisition points to a more interesting arrangement, where Airbnb is no longer competing with just Vrbo but also Expedia.

Do you prefer to use Airbnb or Vrbo? Do you plan to book a rental car through Airbnb with this new partnership? Email us at letters@globaltravelerusa.com. Please include your full name and location.