These are the locations and ways to pick up your rental car
Did you know there are several locations where you can pick up your rental car? It doesn’t have to be only at the airport. You can, for example, pick up your rental car in a city or even at a train station. You can select this pick-up location in advance after entering your destination. And when booking your rental car, you can easily filter and compare different pick-up locations. Curious about all the options? We’ll tell you all about them!
Rental car pick-up at the airport
After your flight, you naturally want to get into your rental car as quickly as possible. Off to your accommodation! Did you know that there are often several pick-up options at the airport? Usually, you can choose from the following four. Choose the method that suits you best.
1. Desk at the airport
A rental office at the airport is also called a desk at airport. If you choose this pick-up method, the local rental partner has a counter in (or just outside) the arrivals hall. After landing and collecting your luggage, you go to this counter. Here you review the contract, sign it, and receive the key. You then pick up the rental car at the nearby parking lot.
Especially during peak season, it can be busy at the rental counters. Want to make sure picking up your rental car at the airport goes smoothly? Then choose our Fastlane and Online Check-in services. This allows you to skip the line and your rental contract will already be filled out and ready. At several airports, the Contactless Pick-up service is also available. You collect your rental contract and keys from a kiosk, with no need to interact with a counter staff member.
2. Shuttle service from the airport
If you choose the Shuttle service, you don’t go to a counter at the airport but are instead taken by a shuttle bus from the local rental partner to a rental office just outside the airport. These offices are usually very close to the airport, often no more than a 10-minute drive. At the rental office, you sign the rental contract and receive your rental car there. The parking lot is right next to the office, so before you know it, you’re in your rental car! Especially during peak season, you’re often on your way faster with a shuttle service than when you pick up at a counter at the airport. If you choose this pick-up method, the voucher you receive from us will include clear instructions on how to find the shuttle service of the local rental partner.
3. Representative service at the airport
When you choose this option, a staff member from the local rental partner will be waiting for you in or outside the arrivals hall. You sign the rental contract with the staff member and receive the car keys directly. From the parking lot, you then head off in your rental car to your accommodation. This is definitely a fast way to start your vacation! If you choose this pick-up method, the voucher you receive from us will include clear instructions on how to find the local rental partner’s staff member.
Hotel delivery from the airport
Sometimes you can also book our Hotel delivery from an airport. This can be done, for example, if you want to rent a car in Malaga, Faro, or Curaçao. Ideal if you don’t need the rental car right at the start of your vacation!
Choice locations at airports in the USA and Canada
In the USA and Canada, most airports have so-called choice locations. All available rental cars in the category you booked are lined up for you in a nearby parking garage. Here, you can choose your rental car yourself. First, you check in at the rental counter at the airport and register. You are then directed to the correct section with the available cars. The cars are unlocked, so you can check them inside and out before you make your choice. Once you’ve found your favorite, you turn the key (which is already in the ignition) and drive to the check-out to sign the contract.
Can you pick up the car at the airport without a flight?
Are you not arriving on a flight but still want to pick up the rental car at an airport office? This is usually possible. If it’s not, we will clearly indicate this during the booking process. When you are in the second booking step, under Pick-up and Drop-off info, you’ll see under Flight Details whether it’s possible to rent this car without a flight.
Note: if you arrive without a flight, you cannot use the shuttle service or the representative service. In that case, always choose to pick up at a counter at the airport itself.
Rental car pick-up at a location other than the airport
Sometimes you don’t need a rental car right away from the airport. For example, because you want to explore a city for a few days first and avoid extra parking costs. Or because you want to relax for a few days before heading out. In that case, you can choose not to pick up your rental car at the airport right away but do so later at a nearby rental location. If you want to make it even easier, in some cases you can even have the rental car delivered to you.
There are several options for picking up your rental car:
City office
In most cities and popular vacation spots, there are multiple rental offices in the city itself. In car rental terms, this is called a city office. These are often slightly smaller offices with shorter opening hours compared to the airport and sometimes a smaller selection of cars. When you browse cars on our website, you can find a city map in the filter menu showing all available city offices. Choose the one closest to your hotel, and you can walk there easily!
Train station
You can sometimes even pick up your rental car at a train station. For example, if you arrive at your destination by train, this is a convenient way to collect your rental car. On our website, enter the city where you want to rent a car and click ‘search rental cars.’ You can then find the Train Station pick-up option under the filters, if available. You can also find the train stations on the city map displayed in the filters.
Hotel delivery
Want to spend the first few days of your vacation relaxing by the pool? Then you can choose not to pick up your rental car at the airport right away but have it delivered later to your hotel or apartment. You’ll sign the rental contract with the staff member who delivers the car, and you’ll receive the car keys directly. We call this Hotel delivery. It costs a bit extra, but it’s certainly handy! While making your reservation, you can provide the address of your accommodation. Note: to use this service, the accommodation must have a reception. You can choose to have the car picked up again at your accommodation at the end of the rental period, or you can drop it off at, for example, the airport. In the latter case, it becomes a one-way rental. This means you return the rental car at a different location from where you picked it up. You can arrange this yourself on the website.
Port office
Going on a cruise and want to explore the area with a rental car during a long stopover? At some locations, you can also choose a port office. The rental car will then be delivered to the cruise ship, so you can quickly head out! When it’s possible to rent a car from a port office, you’ll see this under the Pick-up Location filters or on the map in the filters.
What are the opening hours of the rental car office?
The opening hours vary and, of course, depend on the location where you pick up your car. But there’s really no need to worry about that. When you enter your desired pick-up and drop-off time in your search, we’ll show you exactly which offices are open at that moment.
Sometimes an office is officially closed, but a staff member can stay and wait for you. This is called out-of-hours pick-up. There are often additional costs associated with this. If out-of-hours pick-up applies, we’ll show this (along with any extra charges) directly during the booking process. These costs are also listed in the specific rental terms under "Important information."
The same applies to out-of-hours drop-off. Sometimes this is possible for an additional fee. If so, this will be shown during the booking process for the rental car. At most airports, out-of-hours drop-off is handled via a so-called Keybox. You simply park the car in the rental company’s lot and drop the keys into a secure mailbox. There are no extra charges for this, and you can use it 24/7.