Sign up now. Hosts can set up listings today; bookings open when the marketplace launches.
Peer-to-peer car sharing · Albany and the Capital Region
Levy is a peer-to-peer car-sharing marketplace for Albany, Troy, Schenectady, Saratoga Springs, and the towns around them. Owners list their cars, and drivers rent them for Adirondack weekends, Saratoga summers, and trips the bus does not cover. Hosts can create draft listings now. Bookings open when the marketplace launches.
Why it fits
A lot of people arrive here by train. Albany-Rensselaer was Amtrak's eighth-busiest station in the country in fiscal 2025, with 920,508 riders (Amtrak). Travelers who arrive without a car still need one for Lake George or the High Peaks.
The University at Albany has more than 17,000 students (UAlbany); RPI is in Troy, Siena University in Loudonville, and Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs. The Legislature's session runs from January to June (NY Senate).
Most households here have a car. In 2020 to 2024 Census survey data, 12.6% of Albany County households and 4.7% of Saratoga County households had no vehicle, against 29.2% statewide (Census data via Census Reporter). A car that sits idle during the week can serve a student, a visiting family, or a traveler off the train.
The busy weeks follow the calendar: the Saratoga race meet ran from July 3 to Labor Day in 2026 (NYRA), and campuses fill up for move-in and graduation. You open the dates you want.
Arrival and pickup
Served by Allegiant, American, Avelo, Breeze, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, and United (airlines). Traditional rentals carry an airport fee (car rentals). CDTA routes 117, 155, and 737 serve the terminal (CDTA).
In Rensselaer (Amtrak), with seven daily Empire Service round trips to New York and trains to Toronto, Montreal, Burlington, and Chicago (Amtrak New York fact sheet).
Smaller Amtrak stops, with 63,212 and 37,146 riders in fiscal 2025. The Adirondack and the Ethan Allen Express both stop at Saratoga Springs.
The Amtrak station sits across the Hudson from downtown, so hosts on either side can meet arriving travelers.
CDTA Route 117 links Crossgates Mall, Colonie Center, and the airport seven days a week (CDTA), so pickup near any of the three is reachable without a car.
Hosts near UAlbany, RPI, Siena, or Skidmore can open their cars around move-in, breaks, and graduation weekends.
Popular trips
The Adirondack Park covers about 6 million acres, the largest publicly protected area in the contiguous United States, with more than 3,000 lakes (Adirondack Park Agency). From May 1 to October 31, the Adirondack Mountain Reserve lot needs a free advance reservation at hikeamr.org, and walk-ins are turned away (NYSDEC).
The Prospect Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway starts about half a mile south of Lake George Village and climbs 5.5 miles to a 2,030-foot summit. It costs $10 per car and is open from late May to mid-November (NYSDEC).
Saratoga Spa State Park holds the Saratoga Performing Arts Center and the Roosevelt Baths; cars pay $10 on specified days in season (NY State Parks).
Six miles of Helderberg Escarpment cliffs with views over the Hudson and Mohawk valleys to the Adirondacks and Green Mountains. The vehicle fee is $6 from May through October (NY State Parks).
In Schoharie County. The standard tour is a 1.25-mile walk with a boat ride, and tickets must be bought online in advance (Howe Caverns).
Western Massachusetts has more than 100 cultural attractions, including Tanglewood, MASS MoCA, and the Clark (Berkshires Visitors Bureau).
Local driving notes
Rules change. Check the linked official sources before a trip.
The Thruway has been fully cashless since November 2020. Since January 1, 2024, Tolls by Mail costs 75% more than a New York E-ZPass, and the next 5% E-ZPass increase takes effect January 1, 2027 (Thruway Authority).
Northway Exit 1 is the same interchange as Thruway Interchange 24; the Thruway's tolled road runs south and west from there, and the Northway (I-87) heads north toward Saratoga and the Adirondacks (NYSDOT).
Albany's normal annual snowfall is 59.2 inches (National Weather Service). In the High Peaks Wilderness, snowshoes or skis are required once snow is deeper than 8 inches (NYSDEC). Check 511NY before winter drives.
Roadside parking is banned on unsafe stretches of Route 73 in the High Peaks (NYSDEC).
Hosts in Albany
You pick the days, the price, and the pickup spot.
Summer weekends in Saratoga and Lake George and winter trips to the mountains ask different things of a car. If yours has all-wheel drive or snow tires, say so in the listing.
On a connected car, drivers unlock with the app during their trip window, using the same technology as Levy Guestpass. You never have to meet anyone to hand over keys.
Tolls from a trip are handled automatically, so you are not chasing drivers for toll bills weeks later.
You decide when the car is available and what it costs per day. Block dates whenever you need the car.
Drivers pay your price plus tax, with no Levy fees added on top. You keep 70%, 80%, or 90% of the trip price, depending on the protection plan you choose.
Hosting on Turo already? You can keep those listings and add Levy as another channel. See how it works for Turo hosts.
Start your listingNot ready to list? Tell us about your car.
We will email you when bookings open in Albany and the Capital Region.
Earn from your car in New York. It takes a minute, and you can create your listing right after.
Drivers in Albany
Step off the train at Albany-Rensselaer or land at ALB, pick up a car from a local owner, and head for Lake George, the High Peaks, or the Berkshires. Sign up for early access and we will email you when Capital Region cars can be booked.
Bookings are not open yet. Sign up and we will tell you when cars in Albany and the Capital Region can be reserved. How renting will work.
Rent cars from local owners across New York. Sign up and we’ll tell you first when bookings open near you.
FAQ
More answers for hosts and drivers are on the New York car sharing FAQ.
Not yet. Hosts can set up listings now, and bookings open at launch. Sign up and we will email you.
For the Adirondack Mountain Reserve lot in Keene Valley, yes: a free reservation at hikeamr.org is required from May 1 to October 31, and walk-ins are not allowed. Roadside parking is also banned on unsafe stretches of Route 73.
The Thruway is cashless. Cars without E-ZPass are billed by mail at a higher rate, and the bill goes to the registered owner. Levy matches tolls to trips automatically, so the driver pays for tolls on their trip and the host is not left with the bill.
If a host nearby offers pickup there. Each listing will show its pickup area before you book.
In 2026 the summer meet ran July 3 through Labor Day, September 7; NYRA publishes each year's schedule.
Sources
NOTICE: New York State Law prohibits the following practices by peer-to-peer car sharing program administrators based upon race, color, ethnic origin, religion, disability, sex, marital status, residence or geographic location, income, sexual orientation, genetic predisposition or age: (1) refusal to allow participation in a peer-to-peer car sharing program; and (2) the imposition of any additional charge (except in certain instances where the shared vehicle driver is under the age of 25). In addition, it is unlawful for any peer-to-peer car sharing program administrator to refuse to allow participation in the program to any person solely on the requirement of ownership of a credit card.
Leased or financed car?
If your vehicle is leased or financed, you may need more insurance. If your vehicle is subject to a lease or loan, you may need additional insurance coverage, including motor vehicle physical damage coverage (collision and comprehensive), to share it through Levy. Check your lease or loan agreement and ask your insurer. For insurance questions, contact the New York State Department of Financial Services: (800) 342-3736, www.dfs.ny.gov.
.svg){kind=small}