Car Hire at Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport - Orlando / Florida Guide
Florida Guide > Travelling
On a recent trip to our villa in Orlando we decided that, having had a busy time ensuring that our home was in perfect condition, we would take a well-earned break with a cruise from Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale. We drove down the Florida Turnpike to Fort Lauderdale and then stayed overnight in a hotel near Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport. We decided to drop the car off the night before our cruise, so that in the morning we would only need to get ourselves to Port Everglades without having to go into the airport first to check in the car. Many of the hotels located in the airport vicinity have free shuttles to the airport as well as to the port.
Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport has a new car rental facility right within the airport buildings. As you approach the airport buildings keep to the left and follow the signs to Car Rental Returns at the Rental Car Center, which can be found inside the first building that you come to. If you should accidentally miss this turning don’t worry, just pass through the main airport Departures and Arrivals area and circle round again.
Most of the major car rental companies can now be found in the new Rental Car facility, which can be accessed from Terminal 1 via the Concourse B Pedestrian Bridge, located near the Concourse B Security Checkpoint.
Those who arrive at Terminals 2, 3 or 4 need to follow Rental Car Center signs to the passenger pick up area for a free shuttle bus, located on the baggage level, which will drop them off at the Rental Car Center.
The following car rental companies can be found on Level 2
Alamo
National
Thrifty
The following car rental companies can be found on Level 3
Avis
Continental
Hertz
Royal
The following car rental companies can be found on Level 4
Budget
Dollar
Enterprise
E-Z Rent A Car
Payless
There are a few of the lesser known car rental companies located off-site but these are served by a rental car courtesy shuttle. A courtesy phone is available at bus stop 7, so that you can contact the off-site rental car companies, but these are unlikely to be used by most non-US visitors.
If you are a member of Dollar Express then you do not need to queue at the rental desks inside the rental facility. Just take the elevator to Level 4 and turn right through the double doors which lead into the garage, where the cars are stored. You can go straight to the booth where you collect the keys – there is a special waiting area here. When we were there it was quite slow as there was only one person trying to deal with Dollar Express, allocating cars, as well as trying to obtain vehicles of the right size and category. In fact we had to wait some time whilst the poor man juggled the phone and the computer.
When you return the car just follow the signs to the car rental facility and drive through the car park until you reach the correct rental company location. If you are then going on to Port Everglades there are shuttles available just outside the Car Rental Facility, or you can simply walk across the Pedestrian Bridge to Terminal 1, where you can pick up a taxi just outside the main doors. We find this much quicker and easier, as the buses do get crowded. These Port Everglades shuttles go to several docks, dropping passengers off at various ships, which can take some time.
If you are arriving on a cruise ship and need to pick up a car following your cruise, then there is a shuttle from the port to the car rental facility. However, we usually take a taxi as this saves waiting, as the shuttles are very busy when there are a number of huge liners in port. Your porter, who will have helped you with your luggage, will escort you to the taxi area outside the port terminal building and will swiftly find you a taxi.
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