The Atlanta Airport Car Rental Experience
Do you like having complete control over your transit during your travels? Do you enjoy independent rides that allow you to plan your daily schedule exactly as you wish? Rental cars at Atlanta Airport should be the ideal way to travel during your stay in the capital of Georgia. Indeed, many ATL passengers rent a car at Atlanta Airport not only to travel to their accommodation but also for the entire duration of their journey. So, why are Atlanta airport rental cars such a sought-after transit option? The reasons are various:
- A Hartsfield Jackson car rental guarantees independent rides: With an ATL car rental, you can travel wherever you want, whenever you want, being utterly independent of the public means of transit and their restrictions (timetables, following routes, indirect rides, etc.). Simply put, you can sit behind the wheel and drive to your destination without a second thought.
- Rental cars at Atlanta Airport are the ideal way to explore remote areas: Even though driving around the city center can be tedious as traffic can be high and parking can be challenging, ATL rental cars are the perfect way to explore the city’s suburbs as well as further-distanced destinations. Do you want to explore Georgia? A car rental from Atlanta Airport would be the ultimate key to your driving adventures.
- Car hire at Atlanta Airport removes the hassle from your rides: Modes of mass transit are cheaper and often faster than the dependent-on-traffic ATL car rentals. That being said, rental cars are convenient, allowing you to reach the exact location of your journey’s end. Hence, you don’t have to search for the right bus or train route, wonder about the closer-to-your-destination stop, and walk your way from the alighting point. Moreover, buses and trains tend to get congested during rush hours. As a result, you may have to travel packed during peak hours, with your luggage exposed to pickpockets.
- Rental cars at Atlanta Airport come with customized amenities: You can set all the details of your ATL car rental experience. To begin with, you can choose the vehicle that suits your needs and requirements. Hartsfield Jackson Airport houses companies with fleets of all vehicle types, from compact cars, convertibles, and family models to SUVs, eco-friendly vehicles, and even vans. Moreover, all Atlanta airport car rental companies offer various add-ons. Hence, you can customize journeys, adding extra amenities during the booking process, such as GPS, luggage racks, child seats, additional drivers, etc.
- A rental car from ATL Airport can be more affordable than Atlanta taxis: Although Atlanta airport rental cars are much costlier than modes of mass transit, they are cheaper than Atlanta taxis, at least when used for all rides during the journey in Atlanta. Despite offering set fares for rides from the airport to the city center and around the Business District zone, taxis in Atlanta are metered for all other destinations, hence dependent on traffic jams. Overall, the cost of a rental car from Atlanta Airport is often less than the price of a taxi ride.
Where is the Atlanta Airport Rental Car Center
Atlanta airport car rental companies aren’t to be found within the ATL terminals. Thus, passengers have to reach the Rental Car Center (RCC) to find the car hire counters and pick up their vehicles. Please note that regardless of the chosen Atlanta airport car rental agency, the vehicle’s pick-up location at the airport is the same as the drop-off point. So, how are you going to reach RCC from your landing terminal?
If you arrive at the domestic terminal, you can catch the complimentary Skytrain to the Atlanta Airport Car Rental Center. The Automated People Mover links the domestic terminal to the Rental Car Center, the ATL West Car Park, the Georgia International Convention Center (GICC), the Gateway Center Arena, and some hotels near Atlanta Airport. Its stop is to be found next to MARTA Station, close to the baggage claim area of the domestic terminal. Passengers from terminal N (the north part of the domestic terminal) can reach the Skytrain Station by exiting through Doors W1, while the ones from terminal S (south) should exit through Doors W2. The Skytrain departs from the domestic terminal, heading to Atlanta Airport Rental Car Center around the clock, at a 2-minute frequency (every 10 minutes from 11:00 pm to 04:00 am), making a 5-minute loop.
On the other hand, international passengers can reach the domestic terminal on foot to catch the Skytrain (however, they have to walk for about 40 minutes to get to the Skytrain Station) or simply catch the Terminal to Terminal Shuttle (the Shuttle Connector) traveling from the international terminal (Maynard H. Jackson Jr. terminal) to the ATL Car Rental Center. The free Shuttle Connector travels from one terminal to the other and from the international terminal to the Hartsfield Jackson Airport Car Rental Center. It runs approximately every 15 minutes, departing from the Arrivals level of the international terminal (close to Doors A1 and A2) and dropping off passengers at the lower level of the RCC.
ATL Car Rental Companies
Twelve car hire companies provide their services at Hartsfield Jackson Airport, with their desks lying at the Atlanta Airport Car Rental Center. Although the most convenient option to rent a car at Atlanta Airport is to head to the RCC, you should keep in mind that many agencies provide their services at ATL Airport, even though their desks aren’t located onsite. In fact, these providers often offer lower fares than ATL car rental companies. In any case, the companies present at Atlanta Airport are:
- Ace Rent a Car
- Alamo
- Avis
- Budget Car Rental
- Dollar Rent A Car
- Enterprise
- Fox Rent a Car
- Hertz
- National
- Payless
- SIXT Rent a car
- Thrifty Car Rental
Tips to Secure a Top Atlanta Airport Car Rental Experience
- You should make an early reservation. The sooner you book your ATL car rental, the lower the prices you’ll secure and the more available vehicle types you’ll find out.
- The Full to Full fuel policy is utterly recommended to save money on fuel expenses.
- Atlanta airport car rental companies charge per day. Thus, you should return the rental car on time to avoid being extra charged.
- Are you planning to travel around Georgia? Check if your Hartsfield Jackson airport car rental comes with mileage restrictions.
- You’ll be held responsible for any damage to the vehicle when you drop it off. Hence, you are advised to take pics of the rental car at Atlanta Airport to have proof of existing damage.
- One-way car rental is usually available. Thus, you can pick up the ATL car rental at the airport and return it to a different location. Moreover, after-hours drop-offs are also typically allowed. Customers can leave the keys in the company’s drop box. However, keep in mind that these options often increase the final rental cost.
- Most ATL passengers rent compact cars to make driving and parking in downtown Atlanta easier. Alternatively, SUVs are also popular among visitors who want to travel beyond the city limits.
- Chevrolet Cruze and Nissan Sentra are two of the most popular car rentals at Atlanta Airport.
- The usual price of an economy rental car from ATL Airport is $69/€63,20.
- Almost all rental cars at Atlanta Airport come with minimum insurance coverage. However, if you want to be fully covered, you should opt for a full insurance package.
- All Atlanta airport car rental companies require an ID or passport, a driver’s license (issued one or two years before the rental date), and a credit card in the main driver’s name. Some agencies may accept debit cards as well. International customers whose licenses aren’t in English are typically asked for an International Driving Permit.
- The minimum age to rent a car at Atlanta Airport is 21. However, drivers have to be older to rent some luxury car models. In any case, young drivers (21 to 25 years of age) usually pay an extra fee.
- Drivers in Atlanta drive on the right side of the road.
- Traffic around the airport and in Atlanta is higher from 06:30 am to 09:00 am and from 04:00 pm to 07:00 pm.
- Most highways around Atlanta International Airport and within the city aren’t toll roads. However, some highways feature express lanes with tolls.
- The speed limit in Atlanta is 30mph (48km/h) in urban areas and 70mph (113km/h) in rural highways. Are you driving on an urban interstate or a multi-lane separated highway? Unless the road signage indicates otherwise, you must drive with a speed up to 65mph (105km/h).
- The alcohol limit is 0.08%.
- Passengers in the front seats must wear seatbelts.
- Children must be seated in child safety seats.
- The use of mobile phones while driving is prohibited. You can use hands-free equipment to talk on your phone, but texting or using the internet is not allowed.
FAQs
Does Atlanta Airport have car rental in terminal?
No, the Rental Car Center in Atlanta Airport isn’t located inside the terminal buildings. Thus, you won’t find car hire desks inside either the domestic or the international terminal. Conversely, you can use the free SkyTrain or airport shuttle to travel to the Atlanta Airport Car Rental Center and reach the desk of your chosen car rental agency.
How to get to the Car Rental Center at Atlanta Airport?
The courtesy Skytrain travels from the domestic terminal to the Atlanta Airport Car Rental Center (RCC). On the other hand, passengers landing at the international terminal can catch the free Shuttle Connector linking the two terminals and the international terminal building to the RCC.
How much is it to rent a car at Atlanta Airport?
The cost of a rental car at ATL Airport depends on several factors, such as the rental duration, the selected model, the time of the year, any added extra amenities, etc. Overall, the usual price of a compact rental car is around $69/€63,20.
What rental car companies are available at Atlanta Airport?
Twelve car hire companies have desks inside the ATL airport’s premises. In detail, Ace Rent a Car, Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar Rent A Car, Enterprise, Fox Rent a Car, Hertz, National, Payless, SIXT, and Thrifty are the Atlanta airport car rental companies.