Car Rental at Edmonton Airport

Airport travel guide

Known as the oil capital of Canada, this affluent Albertan city is sometimes overlooked for its southern neighbor, Calgary, but can be a very rewarding travel destination. While a big draw is, of course, the access Edmonton provides to Canada’s stunning nature, the city itself also has plenty to see and do. Here are four such suggestions:

• The Art Gallery of Alberta. Many modern structures get labeled futuristic and unique, but if there’s one building deserving of these monikers, it’s Edmonton’s own Art Gallery. Slightly resembling the melting forms of Gaudi’s architecture in Barcelona, the redeveloped museum was opened in 2010. The art collections you can find inside are very much worth your attention, too.
• Muttart Conservatory. Known for its distinct greenhouses and pyramids, Muttart is Edmonton’s main botanic garden. In addition to plants native to the North Saskatchewan River valley, there is fauna from places as far away as Australia and East Asia. Easily accessible, the conservatory is in South Central Edmonton and provides free parking for visitors.
• Elk Island National Park. Banff and Jasper are the two most famous national parks in Alberta. Located only a four-hour drive from Edmonton (to the south and west, respectively), they are definitely worth a visit. If your time is limited, however, a good alternative is the much closer Elk Island which is only half an hour’s drive to the east. Known for its active role in the conservation of plains bison, the park is also home to moose, porcupines, pelicans, and many other species of wildlife.
• Muttart Conservatory. One of the most interesting of its kind in all of Canada, the Muttart Conservatory is a large and centrally located botanical garden. The conservatory, which will celebrate its 50th birthday in 2026, is known for its three large, pyramid-shaped greenhouses that provide home to both native Canadian and exotic plant species from around the world. One of the city’s most visited attractions, the gardens welcome about 100 thousand visitors annually.

Top international routes

• Toronto
• Vancouver
• Calgary
• Montreal
• Winnipeg
• Kelowna
• Abbotsford
• Yellowknife
• Victoria
• Ottawa

Main airlines

Edmonton airport is a hub for both Swoop and Flair Airlines, both of which are low-cost Canadian carriers. The airport is also the base for Canadian North which flies to the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. The airport is one of WestJet’s focus cities, and it has the largest share of passengers at the airport.

Other airlines include Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, Delta, Iceland Air, KLM, and United Airlines.

Terminals

There is only one terminal at the airport. It is where both domestic and international flights depart and arrive. The airport is one of the eight airports in Canada with United States Customs and Border Protection Preclearance. This is at one end of the terminal and after clearing this immigration checkpoint, passengers must wait in a secure area. This saves time, though, as passengers do not need to go through immigration nor pick up the baggage and go through customs once arriving in the United States.

Location

The airport is located approximately 30km (19 miles) south of downtown Edmonton just off of Highway 2, a drive that takes roughly 30 minutes.

Most popular types of rental car

• Medium cars - from $43 per day
• Large cars - from $46 per day
• SUVs - from $53 per day
• Small cars - from $43 per day
• Premium cars - from $81 per day
• Vans - from $89 per day

Car rental desks

The rental desks for those suppliers that operate at the airport are located in the P1 parking garage which is just across the road from baggage claim. The other rental companies are located on the other side of Highway 2 just five to ten minutes away.

Services and facilities

Edmonton Airport has all of the services and facilities that one would expect from an airport its size.

There is a Renaissance Hotel on the grounds of the airport that is directly connected to the check-in area of the terminal. Other hotels at lower price points can be found a short drive away from the airport. Many of them offer free shuttle service, too.

The gates for U.S.-bound flights are separate from the rest of the terminal. The selection of facilities such as restaurants in this area is more limited. There is a duty-free shop on the way to the gates, though. There is also a currency exchange booth.

The airport has three lounges. One is an Air Canada Maple Leaf lounge. The others are Plaza Premium Lounges, one in the main part of the terminal and the other in the area of the US gates.

Nearest gas station

The nearest gas stations to the airport are actually on the grounds of it. A 7-Eleven and an Esso station can be found on Airport Road as you enter the airport. Don’t worry! Unlike in other places, these stations have competitive prices and do not try to gouge renters returning cars.

If you have a Costco membership, you can fill up at the Costco located right off of Airport Road just after you pass highway 2. As usual, Costco has lower prices for gas than nearby stations.

Popular one-way rentals

• Calgary (300 km / 186 mi). The site of the 1988 Winter Olympics and the largest city in Alberta, Calgary is a great travel destination. Some of the city’s most famous landmarks include the Calgary Tower, Stampede Trail, Glenbow Museum, and Calgary Chinatown. Calgary can also be a great base from where to access some of Alberta’s most impressive nature areas such as Banff National Park and Lake Louise
• Saskatoon (525 km / 326 mi). The largest city of neighboring Saskatchewan, Saskatoon might not have the same amount of attractions as Edmonton, Vancouver, and Toronto, but can nonetheless be a lovely place to visit. Travelers love the Prairie Wind installation, Western Development Museum, and the scenic Meewasin Trail.
• Vancouver (1,160 km / 720 mi). A long trip away, but endlessly appealing, Canada’s third city is an awesome place to visit. Thousands travel to Vancouver every year to see the Stanley Park, the coastal mountains and the city’s beaches orexperience the atmosphere of a Canucks game, the local ice hockey team, or to enjoy the view from the top of Grouse Mountain.
• Grand Prairie (458 km / 284 mi). Even further north than Edmonton, Grand Prairie is a small, but interesting Albertan city. Art lovers enjoy visiting the Art Gallery of Grand Prairie, and Grant Berg Gallery while history enthusiasts can’t get enough of the Grand Prairie Museum & Heritage Village and Phillip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum.
• Banff (414 km / 257 mi). Located in the Canadian Rocky Mountains and surrounded by the natural park of the same name, Banff is a winter sports and outdoor paradise. From snowboarding and skiing in winter to canoeing or hiking in the summer or taking a gondola to the mountaintop, Banff has something for everyone to enjoy.
• Winnipeg (1,305 km / 811 mi). The hometown of Neil Young, Manitoba's capital is a lively and culturally diverse place. Some of its attractions include the Winnipeg Art Gallery, the unique Graffiti Museum, Urban Shaman Contemporary Aboriginal Art Center, and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Winnipeg is also near the Grand Beach Provincial Park on the banks of Lake Winnipeg.