Car Rentals at Philadelphia International Airport

Philadelphia International is one of the busiest airports in the United States of America, and a hub for UPS Airlines and US Airways. It is served by many other popular airline companies as well, such as Virgin America, United Airlines and AirTran. The airport is recognised by its official code of PHL, and is located just 7 miles to the southwest of downtown Philadelphia. Passengers arriving at this airport have several options for ground transportation, or they could also rent a car from one of the Philadelphia International Airport car hire companies.

The airport of Philadelphia is found alongside the border of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and nearby to the areas of Folcroft, Eastwick, Ridley Park and Sharon Hill. It is a large airport handling over thirty million passengers per annum, and consists of seven terminal buildings that are referred to by the letters A, B, C, D, E and F. There are two ‘A’ terminals, Terminal A West and Terminal A East. The west terminal is used for international arrivals and departures and is one of the newer airport buildings. Passengers will arrive at the terminal that is used by their airline company, for example, the majority of US Airways Express flights will arrive at Terminal F. This terminal was opened in 2001 and has special jet bridges. Terminals B and C are the main buildings for the operations of US Airways, and many of the other airline companies use Terminals D and E. Although the airport is large, it is quite easy to navigate, and most buildings are connected by walkways. It is only Terminal F that is further away and has shuttle services to the other buildings. A shuttle service may be required to travel to the airport’s car hire companies as well, as they are mainly located at 1 Arrivals Road, Philadelphia, which is a short distance from the terminal buildings.

The car rental companies available are Hertz, Avis, Budget, National, Alamo, Enterprise, Thrifty, Easycar, Dollar, Auto Europa and Europcar. Their shuttles collect passengers from outside of the baggage claim areas and accommodate luggage items and passengers with mobility challenges. They are also free of charge. If passengers need to contact their chosen car hire company, there are information phones in the arrival areas. At busy airport locations such as Philadelphia Airport, vehicles can usually be hired twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and there are no exception hours on public holidays. It is wise, however, to make an online car rental reservation, which will ensure that you have the car you require upon your arrival at the airport. All equipment required can then be reserved in advance as well, such as child seats and satellite navigation systems.

The Philadelphia International Airport car rental companies are all well known in many countries of the world, and offer unique services for their airport customers. Alamo, Avis and Budget are popular for their competitive rental rates, and amongst renters who are travelling for leisure purposes. The right sized car can always be found at these companies, whether it be a large seven passenger minivan such as the Dodge Grand Caravan or a smaller vehicle ideal for city driving such as the Chevrolet Aveo and Ford Focus. When travelling, ensure that you choose a car that has sufficient room for your passengers and luggage items, and that it has the features that you require, for example, air conditioning. Family-sized cars that are popular for hire from Philadelphia Airport include the Ford Fusion, Nissan Altima and Chevrolet Impala.

The car hire companies offer a wide range of SUVs for hire, from several SUV categories, for example, Midsize SUV, Fullsize SUV and Premium SUV. Those available are similar to the Ford Escape, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Chevy Traverse, Chevrolet Tahoe, Ford Expedition, Chevrolet Suburban, Hummer H3 and Lincoln Navigator. Fancier SUVs come with cruise control, leather interiors, driver and passenger airbags, power mirror, power windows and CD players. The larger vehicles can accommodate up to seven or eight passengers. Additional cars for hire include the Nissan Versa, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Avalon, Cadillac DTS, Ford Mustang, Dodge Journey and Chevrolet Silverado. The largest vehicles are similar to the Chevrolet Express, Ford Econoline and Ford E350.

National is a company that has exclusive services for business travellers, and Dollar and Thrifty offer a unique car category from where a larger vehicle could be received but at only Compact vehicle rates. These are the Wild Car category from Thrifty and the Lock Low & Go category from Dollar. Most of the car hire companies offer frequent-renter programs, and certain memberships may be available for occasional renters as well, such as the Hertz #1 Club.

The primary renter will need to be at least 21 years of age or older to hire a car from Philadelphia Airport, and will require a major credit card and US-issued or Canadian-endorsed drivers license. Various credit checks could be performed, and the customer should have a clean driving record. Renters from foreign countries will need a passport and/or a return airline ticket to prove their departure date. Although young drivers (persons under the age of 24) are permitted to rent a car, they are charged an additional fee for young drivers insurance which could amount to around $30.00 per day of car hire. It is also charged per young driver registered on the rental contract. The major credit cards accepted include American Express, Diner’s Club Int’l, Mastercard, Visa, PHH, Sears, GE Capital, Discover and AT&T Capital.

Services from the airport car hire companies also include one way hires and hand controls for disabled drivers. From Philadelphia Airport, hand controls should be requested at least forty-eight hours before the vehicle is due to be collected, and is free of charge. A car booked as a one way hire is allowed to be returned to a different rental location, and is therefore a convenient option for passengers who are not leaving the city from the airport. One way hire services could incur additional charges.

Driving in all areas of Philadelphia is quite straight forward, and there are plenty of free and paid parking areas available. Always drive carefully and obey the speed limits, which are 30mph in urban areas, 65mph on open roads and 70mph on motorways and highways. Contact your favourite Philadelphia International Airport car hire company for all further details required.