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La Guardia Airport, located in Queens, New York City, NY, is the twentieth busiest airport in the United States. 29.4 million flyers passed through this airport in 2016, and that number is growing yearly.
Renting a car here may seem like a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be if you are prepared with the right information! In fact, many native New Yorkers choose to come to La Guardia specifically to rent a vehicle, since the car hire services at this airport are competitively priced for the region. There are ten different companies to choose from, as well: Advantage, Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Payless, and Thrifty.
Here's everything you need to know about renting a car at La Guardia.
In most of the United States, car rental companies can set the minimum age. New York and Michigan, however, do not allow this, so at La Guardia Airport in New York anyone over the age of majority (18 years of age) can rent a vehicle.
Even where all adults can rent cars, you can expect extra fees. There are frequently surcharges for anyone between the ages of 18-21, and 21-24, with younger drivers paying considerably more than older drivers.
Furthermore, the type of vehicle you can rent may vary from dealer to dealer, based on your age. For example, some car rental services will not rent luxury cars to drivers under the age of twenty-five.
If you are below the age of 25, it is a good idea to contact the company directly prior to finalizing a reservation so that you are not caught off guard by additional fees at the rental counter.
It is exceptionally uncommon for car hire services to exclude drivers based upon a maximum age at New York La Guardia Airport. It should be noted that services can refuse rental at their discretion, however, so if advanced age is a concern, contact the company ahead of time.
In the state of New York, car rental companies are required to allow your spouse to be added as an additional driver, provided that they are 18 years of age or older.
Additional driver fees may be present for other drivers, at the discretion of the car hire services. However, these fees are legally capped by the state of New York at no more than $3.00 per day.
The second driver must be approved by the car company (must meet age requirements, have a valid license, etc.).
A valid driver's license
A valid credit card in the lead drivers name with a balance of at least $200 put on hold
Some companies accept debit cards with an amount that covers your charges and an excess balance of $200. (If you have a credit/debit card with a $1,000 limit and a $200 current balance, your available balance would be $800, this would be enough to cover charges - most times). However, this is not assured and based on the discretion of the company, so it is best to either have a credit card available, or, if not, to contact the company in advance to be certain your debit card is sufficient.
A valid driver's license
A valid credit card in the lead drivers name with a balance of at least $200 put on hold
Some companies accept debit cards with an amount that covers your charges and an excess balance of $200. (If you have a credit/debit card with a $1,000 limit and a $200 current balance, your available balance would be $800, this would be enough to cover charges - most times). However, this is not assured and based on the discretion of the company, so it is best to either have a credit card available, or, if not, to contact the company in advance to be certain your debit card is sufficient.
You do not need to hold your own insurance. Insurance can be purchased at the counter. If you do have your own insurance, be aware that insurance at the counter is fully optional.
La Guardia Airport has four terminals (A, B, C, D). However, all car hiring services are located in a central facility at Terminal A. From your arrival point at Terminal A, you can take the car rental shuttle service directly to the Rental Car Shuttle Transfer Point. If you are arriving at Terminals B, C, or D, you will need to take a different shuttle. The Blue line services Terminal B, while the Red line services Terminals C and D. You can view a map of the service here. These shuttles are provided by La Guardia at no cost.
The car hire companies available at La Guardia Airport NYC include:
Advantage (800) 777-5500
Alamo (888) 233-8749
Avis (718) 507-3600, (800) 230-4898
Budget (718) 639-6400
Dollar (800) 800-4000
Enterprise (718) 457-2900, (800) 736-8222
Hertz (718) 478-5300, (800) 654-3131
National (718) 429-5893, (888) 826-6890
Payless (800) 729-5377
Thrifty (800) 331-3550
At this time, all car rental companies at La Guardia Airport are open for pickups and drop-offs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. However, please note that these times may be subject to change, especially during the holiday season. It's important to contact the car company if you are planning to pick up or drop off on an American holiday. Special consideration should be given to important holidays like Christmas, New Year's Eve and Day, Easter, Independence Day and Thanksgiving Day despite the fact that most services will be open on these days at La Guardia airport—but to be on the safe side, always confirm the location's hours on the specific day you are planning to pick up or drop off a vehicle.
According to an in-depth review by TravelMag.com, Thrifty, Payless, and Enterprise Rent a Car are the most affordable options available for general car rentals, especially economy cars.
Hertz stacks up well when it comes to business traveling, thanks to their convenient “Carfirmation” service, which allows busy businesspersons to manage their reservation almost entirely digitally, and offers an Automated Kiosk for certain rentals.
Enterprise may not win any prizes when it comes to competing price-wise with other La Guardia car rental services, but their customer service is prompt, well-trained, and ready to go the extra mile for customers. If great service and a smooth rental and return experience are your priorities, this is your best bet.
Budget car rental is to be avoided by most travelers. While they do offer the best prices on luxury vehicles, their counter is frequently understaffed and waits may take hours. Payless also has lower than average prices, but faces similar issues with staffing and customer service, as well as misplacing reservations.
Advantage has among the worst reviews online, with complaints ranging from understaffed counters, to long waits, reservations not being honored, and additional, unnecessary fees.
It's almost a requirement to use GPS navigation to get out of La Guardia Airport in a timely manner. Bear in mind that the airport is likely to be very crowded, at almost any hour, and that there is also likely to be extensive construction in one or more areas, which can impede the flow of traffic or cause detours and delays.
We highly recommend that drivers utilize not only a traditional GPS navigation program, but also check crowd sourced GPS options like Waze, which are more likely to show construction and other temporary obstacles.
Also, be prepared for toll costs in and around this area (to include much of the tri-state region, if you will be doing significant amounts of highway driving). Some car rental companies will allow you to rent an EZ Pass device which will both save you money on tolls and make passing toll points more convenient. You can also look into getting your own EZ Pass here. Be aware that some toll points only accept cash and EZ Pass and do not accept credit or debit cards.
If you are concerned about congestion charges, don't be: US cities do not have congestion charges.
If you're traveling from New York La Guardia Airport by car, you should be familiar with New York State speed limit laws.
The speed limit is the “maximum legal speed you can travel on a road under ideal conditions.”
It is legal to drive “reasonably slower” than the posted speed if there are circumstances which require it, but it is illegal to drive faster than the posted speed.
In some areas, you may see minimum speed limits posted as well. If you see these limits, you must not drive below the minimum speed unless there are adverse conditions. (Bad weather, traffic, etc.) On most New York highways, the assumed minimum speed is 45 mph if not posted.
In New York City, the urban/suburban speed limit can be assumed to be 30 mph unless otherwise posted.
Highway speed limits in the state of New York range from 55-65 mph. Most highways are 55 mph, but some select controlled access highways are 65 mph. If you do not see the speed limit posted, you can assume highway speed limits to be 55 mph.
Most car rental services at La Guardia Airport require you to refuel the vehicle before return. If you are setting out on a long drive once you pick up your car, you'll also want to know where to find a gas station quickly.
The La Guardia Shell Station is located immediately across from the rental car service area in the Airport Plaza, which also contains a 7-11. The station is open 24 hours.
There are also other options nearby, including: