Picking up a rental car at the airport: counter or shuttle bus?

When you search for a rental car at an airport, the results will indicate where you can pick it up: “at the airport” or via “shuttle service.” Below, we’ll explain the difference between the two options and their pros and cons. We can’t say which option is better, because it all depends on your personal preferences. After reading this article, you’ll know which pickup location suits you best!

At the airport

The “at the airport” location means that the car rental company has a counter in the arrivals hall or nearby—for example, a small building dedicated to car rentals just outside the exit. In any case, the pickup location is easy to find and within walking distance. For many people, this is the most convenient option, because you can pick up the keys to your rental car and drive away immediately after the plane lands. The car is usually nearby as well, in an adjacent parking garage or in a parking lot, again within walking distance.

However, there are sometimes drawbacks to this option. For example, the counters (where different car rental companies are often grouped together) can get very crowded, especially at popular destinations during peak season. Moreover, the (long) line includes people who haven’t booked a rental car in advance. The counter staff naturally spend more time with those customers. Even though you have a reservation, this sometimes means you still have to wait a long time before receiving the keys to your rental car. Waiting is always a hassle, but especially so when you’re traveling with children who, after a (long) flight, aren’t in the mood to sit still.

Shuttle service (shuttle bus)

If you see in the search results on our website that the rental car includes a “shuttle service,” this means the rental company’s office is located outside the airport. You’ll be taken there by a shuttle bus. This is often seen as a less desirable option, but that doesn’t have to be the case at all. First of all, that office is often just outside the airport grounds, so the ride takes no longer than five or ten minutes. The shuttle buses are usually located right near the exit of the arrivals hall and are easily recognizable by their large logos. The larger car rental companies run their shuttles very frequently. Sometimes the shuttle is only available on demand. If you call the rental company while you’re waiting for your luggage, you can be almost certain that the shuttle will already be waiting when you walk outside.

Although the entire process (including transportation to the office) may take a bit longer than with a rental company that has a counter inside the terminal, the difference isn’t that significant in practice. Plus, you’re immediately out of the hustle and bustle of the airport, which is especially nice when traveling with children. After returning your rental car, you’ll be taken to the departure hall. It’s worth noting that, compared to counters inside the terminal, rental cars from companies outside the airport are often cheaper.

Meet & Greet

It’s not very common, but some rental companies wait for you in the arrivals hall and escort you to the rental car, which is usually parked nearby. This is a very personalized service, and the process goes very smoothly. Car rental companies that offer this so-called “Meet & Greet” service are often located outside the airport; sometimes it’s a “premium” option.

Which pickup location should you choose?

And now for the question: which option should you choose? As we mentioned above, it all depends on what’s important to you. We’ve outlined a few scenarios below.

Low price
The price of a rental car is your top priority. We understand that you’d prefer to pay as little as possible, which is why the search results are sorted by default from lowest to highest price. In this case, the pickup location can be either at the airport or via a shuttle service. The question is whether you should choose a car rental company based solely on price.

Reputable Rental Company
You only want to rent a car from a company with a good reputation. That works out well, because we ask all our customers about their experiences. Those reviews apply to that specific rental company at that specific location, so you get a very good sense of customer satisfaction. Use our search system to determine how important this is to you: you can filter by a reasonable (6+), good (7+), or very good (8+) reputation. The rental company’s location doesn’t matter in this regard.

Price/Quality
While price is important to you, quality matters too. In other words, you’d like to find a combination of the previous two scenarios. No problem—you can easily reorder the search results on our site. By default, they’re sorted by lowest price, but with a simple click, you can change the order to “Price/Quality.” Here, too, the pickup location doesn’t matter, so it can be either at the airport or elsewhere.

Specific Rental Company
You only want a car from aspecific rental company, perhaps because you’ve had good experiences with them. You can select this option in our filter system as well, but of course, you have no control over where your chosen rental company’s counter is located. Incidentally, it’s debatable whether choosing a specific brand is the best idea, since not all rental companies are the same.

Worry-Free Rental
You want to rent a car without having to think about a thing, including good insurance. In that case, the rental cars with our Worry-Free label are the best choice for you. They come with excellent insurance coverage, unlimited mileage, a favorable fuel policy, and are from highly rated rental companies. However, these rental cars may be located both at the airport and off-site.

Airport As you can see above, in most cases you don’t need to choose a pickup location. Would you still prefer to see only rental cars that you can pick up at the airport? Our filter system offers that option as well. Click the “At the airport” checkbox, and you’ll see only cars from rental companies with a counter in or near the terminal. Even with this option selected, the results are sorted by price by default: from lowest to highest.

Always provide your flight number

No matter which pickup location you choose, when renting a car at an airport, it’s important to provide your flight number. Our booking form has a separate field where you can enter that number. The rental company will then be automatically notified if your flight is delayed and will take that into account. That way, you don’t have to worry if your flight happens to arrive a little later than expected, because the rental company is aware of it and will hold the rental car for you.

How do you know where to pick up your rental car?

The pickup location for your rental car is always clearly listed on the voucher you’ll receive via email after booking a car. In addition to details about the rental period, the voucher includes the car rental company’s phone number, so you can easily reach them if you have any questions.