Best Car Rental Orlando Airport

RENTING A CAR IN ORLANDO AIRPORT? – Read the things to consider before hiring a car in Orlando.

Have you booked your flight to Orlando airport, Florida in the United States? Are you unsure which rental company to hire a car from the airport? If yes, then you are on track. We will give you all the information you need, to make your flight to Orlando Airport a memorable and fun one for you. All the information is based on real customer reviews from previous users, their ratings for all the rental companies and recommendations. This will help you decide which rental company is right for you and how to avoid rip-offs.

The city of Orlando, Florida, has rules and regulations for hiring and driving cars on its roads. It is easy to drive on the roads in Orlando just like any other city in the world, but as a traveller and tourist, there are some strict rules you must heed to which will be discussed in this article. You will also understand the age requirements and documents required to rent a car in the city, tolls and toll gates, policies and many more. 

Driving Directions to Orlando Airport

From 2 West South Street to Orlando Airport, head east on the West South Street towards South Orange Avenue. Turn right onto South Orange Avenue, take a left turn at the first cross street onto East Anderson Street. Stay on the left lane to take the ramp onto the FL-408 E (this is a toll road so take make sure you have some cash), use the right lanes to take Exit 14 towards Andes Avenue/FL-436/South Sermon Boulevard. You will then merge onto the Lake Underhill Road, take a right turn onto FL-436/South Semoran Boulevard and pass by IHOP (0.4 mi on the left), then use the left 2 lanes to continue on South Semoran Boulevard. Stay on South Semoran Boulevard by keeping left and follow the International Airport road signs to Jeff Fuqua Boulevard. Continue on Jeff Fuqua Boulevard and take the left Exit towards Terminal A and keep right all through to stay & continue on Jeff Fuqua Boulevard. The airport's main building will be on your right.

Car collection desk at Orlando airport

The city of Orlando is the largest market in the world for rental cars, and most major car rental companies are located on the Orlando airport. Travellers do not need a shuttle to get to the pickup location of their rental cars. Rental companies on the airport are located on the A-Side and B-Side of Terminal Level 1 (Ground Transportation Level).

Best Car hire companies at Orlando Airport

A lot of car hire companies operate in Orlando and it is the biggest market for car rentals in the world. Most of these companies are located at the Orlando airport, this makes it even more difficult to get a reliable rental company to hire from. This is why you need all the information required to help with your decision to rent a car in Orlando. So, we have listed out 3 of the best companies based on good customer reviews and recommendations. 

NATIONAL CAR RENTAL

National car rental has a lot of review ratings of 4.6 (3,265 reviewers) on Google. Vi Cesped a reviewer said the service was great at the Orlando airport rental desk.

“Arrived in Orlando International airport, walked across to the car rental area and as an Emerald member, immediately I chose a car comparable to my own. The car was everything I expected, checked out and drove out all in less than 15 minutes. On my return, I was greeted kindly and quickly by an agent and off to the terminal in less than 5 minutes. Great service.”

• Jm Dave a local guide also said that:

"National Car is the best with the emerald club. Emerald Club with app checkout makes it so easy. Just walk out of the airport, select whatever vehicle you like, scan the code, and drive to the exit booth. I get the vehicle I want, and staff only needs to greet, scan my phone and I'm out. It's the best of any rental agency."

• Another local guide Lamar McCubbin said:

"For most of you that travel you know how downtrodden it can be renting anything. My wife and I travel a fair amount and realize you have many options. Let me say this, if you have an opportunity to meet Janine Jimenez at National in Orlando then your day just got a bit brighter. Janine made our day with her great customer service and a huge personality. This is why I come to National and no one else because their staff goes the full mile when trying to help you get in and out. Thank you, Janine, for all your help and GO National!"

ALAMO RENT A CAR

Frank Driedger gave this company a 5-star rating saying:

"I really liked the fact we got to choose from a range of vehicles when we arrived in Orlando. We got to choose a vehicle that was actually fun to drive! The price we paid was fair, and the vehicle nice and clean when we picked it up. We were in our vehicle about 15 minutes after picking up our luggage, not bad for having 15-20 people in the lineup. The Alamo staff were very accommodating and helpful. Yes, I will rent from Alamo again, as this was a very painless experience!"

In order to find yourself a great car rental company, you can make use of http://www.tripindicator.com/ to compare prices and deals from local and international car rental companies and get yourself the best deal for your trip through Orlando airport to drive around Florida or the country.

COMPARE ORLANDO AIRPORT CAR HIRE PRICES NOW >>

DON’T HIRE CAR FROM THESE:

If you hire cars from the following companies will be at your own expense. The following are two out of the many we have listed based on bad reviews and recommendations from customers.

PAYLESS CAR RENTAL

Theresa McDonough, a reviewer on Google stated her husband's phone was stolen by their staff.

"Do not rent from this company, one of their employees stole my husband's $800 phone right out of our car. We had just used it to get directions to the airport when we pulled I to the garage and were getting items out of the back of the car two guys came up and started checking the car in without our permission got in the car and stole the phone, when confronted no one would own up to it they simply said we didn't steal it go talk to the people at the counter and talk to them if you have an issue. We have been trying to track the phone but they clearly have been smart enough to either remove the sim or keep it off. We even checked the car over again after knowing it was gone and there were no signs of it. It's amazing that the phone just disappeared in thin air off the dashboard in a matter of 2 minutes. This company is completely dishonest. A police report has been filed and I will be following up."

AVIS RENT A CAR

Terry F, a previous user said he will never use Avis again. Here is why: "This was the worst car rental experience we've ever had and to say we won't use Avis again. They made us wait for over an hour beside their desk even though we had pre-paid our car weeks in advance. Then when we finally got to our rental there was another family there who the SAME CAR had been rented to at the same time. It was beyond infuriating." There are more bad reviews here: Google Reviews

Documents required for hiring a car at Orlando Airport

To drive a rental car in Switzerland, you must meet certain requirements and possess certain documents such as:

1. A valid driver’s license for EU citizens
2. A valid driver’s license for non-EU citizens
3. International Driver's Permit (IDP)
4. A valid International Passport
5. Your driver’s license must be in English or at least a translation.

Credit/Debit Card Requirements at Orlando Airport

You can hire a car using a credit card or debit card depending on the rental company policies. These companies may require you to present a valid driver’s license along with a valid credit or debit card all in your name. You must also have cash on your cards because companies put a hold on the total cost of rental plus $200 for extra charges. The amount also depends on company policies so make sure you contact them to know how much they charge. The funds will be returned to you once the car is back in good conditions.

NOTE: You may be required to present your return travel ticket totally with your return date. Also, you may want to bring along an International Drivers Permit (IDP) from your home country.

Driver Min and Max Age requirements to rent a car at Orlando Airport

In the United States, the minimum age requirement to hire a car is 21 years. But companies require a surcharge for drivers younger than 25. There are no maximum age requirements as long as you have a valid driving license, you can hire a car in the country.

Road Rules & Laws Tourists Should Know When Renting a Car in Orlando

The following are some of the rules and regulations for driving a rental car on US roads.

1. If you are a tourist from the UK, driving is on the right-hand side of the road.
2. Speed limits in Orlando, Florida, depends on the conditions of local roads around the State. So you must pay attention to every road sign on the right and speed limits are in Miles Per Hour (MPH). The speed limit on Freeways is 60–70mph, County roads 55–60mph, and 30mph for Residential areas.
3. The use of mobile phones or mobile devices is highly illegal in the US. You can only use a mobile phone with hands-free devices.
4. You must always leave headlights on and turn off windscreen wipers when at tolls.
5. All passengers in the car must always wear seat-belts and children under 4 years or less than 15 kg (40 pounds) must be strapped in a baby seat.
6. Driving while drunk or under the influence of alcohol in Florida is a serious offence, so travellers should assign someone who won’t be drinking alcohol to drive.

Few Road Signs

• DO NOT ENTER: when you see this sign, it means you cannot enter the street as it is for oncoming cars only (one-way).
• PAID PARKING: this sign means you have to pay before you park your car in the area depending on the stipulated time.
• STOP: This sign is always in an Octagonal shape and indicates you must bring your car to a halt.
• PARKING ZONE: Means the start of parking area and cars are allowed.
• CHILDREN CROSSING: Watch out when you see this sign, slow down for children crossing the road.

You can read more about the road signs in Florida on this website: https://www.stateofflorida.com/traffic-signals.aspx

Tips to avoid car rental companies RIP-OFFS

As a tourist, travelling is for fun and adventurous purposes. It is not time to spend extravagantly on unnecessary activities or things. This can be said car rental in your travel destination as well, you are not travelling to Orlando to spend all your cash on car hire, but to enjoy the most out of your time with friends, family or alone. These tips will guide you towards avoiding rip-offs by car rental companies.

ALWAYS COMPARE CAR RENTAL INSURANCE

Car rental insurance is the major way these rental companies rip customers off, especially tourists. They will let you know how important it is to have this insurance policy, to cover excesses for damages or accidents while the car is still in your possession. By so doing, they charge money for it making the total rental cost very high. So always check their insurance policies to see if it is in line with what you are looking for before you reserve a car.

To Avoid Rip Off, You Must:

1. Always buy only standalone car insurance, it is way cheaper than those sold by the car rental companies.
2. Make sure you have travel insurance. It usually covers car hire damages.

BOOK IN ADVANCE

Reserving a rental car in advance will save you more money than you think. Usually, rental companies charge you more when you get to their rental desk to book a car. So booking online 2-3 months or even weeks before your trip is way cheaper than booking on arrival at the airport.

FUEL POLICY

Always go for car rental companies that will give you a car with a full fuel tank and expect you to return it full. This is because you will be paying for what you use. Some companies may give you a car with a little or empty tank and expect you to bring it back filled. These companies are rip-offs making you pay for their fuel you didn't use.

EXTRAS

Always carry extras like maps, child seats, satellite navigation systems and more with you when travelling. Rental companies will charge you more than the actual price of these extras, so save money by packing them from home.

Tolls Gates and tolls fees in Orlando

There toll roads in Orlando, Florida. So you should carry some cash along while driving in the city, some tolls accept coins and you can calculate your tolls and gas expenses using the Florida Toll Calculator.

Orlando Airport Contact Details

You can call +1 407-825-2001 for general inquiries about the Orlando Airport or you can leave feedback on their website at https://orlandoairports.net/.