Car Hire at Orlando Airport

Airport travel guide

The home of Disneyland and a number of other famous theme parks, Orlando is one of the most popular travel destinations in Florida. Although the city itself has plenty to offer, it is also near a number of interesting places for day trips. Here are three such suggestions:

• Cape Canaveral.  Located in Brevard County, Cape Canaveral is part of the so-called Space Coast of Florida, an area known as the launching site of all manned U.S. space exploration missions. Naturally, then, most of the attractions here are related to this industry, such as the Air Force Space and Missile Museum and History Center. If you’re lucky, you might even get to witness the launching of a rocket. The drive from Orlando takes about an hour.
• Cocoa Beach. Located just a few miles south of Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach is one of Florida’s most famous surfing hubs. While hitting the waves might be your number one priority here (the area is also home to what claims to be the world’s largest surf shop), make sure to also check out the mangrove islands of Banana River Lagoon, a popular place for spotting marine wildlife.
• Tosohatchee Wildlife Management Area. Not as famous as the Everglades, but much closer to Orlando, Tosohatchee is a great place to enjoy the nature of Florida. Made up of a typical old-growth floodplain swamp, the popular walking, paddling, and fishing area is home to such species as the white-tailed deer, river otter, and the emblematic American alligator. The drive from Orlando takes only about 40 minutes.

Top international routes

• New York City
• Atlanta
• Philadelphia
• San Juan
• Chicago
• Baltimore

Main airlines

Southwest Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Delta Airlines, and JetBlue

Terminals

The airport is made up of terminals A and B that are interconnected and part of the same building. As of January 2022, the new South Airport Intermodal Terminal is under construction.

Location

The airport is about 12 miles (7.5 km) southwest of Downtown Orlando,a drive that takes 15-20 minutes.

Most popular types of hire car

• Medium cars - starting at £9 per day
• Small cars - starting at £8 per day
• Large cars - starting at £9 per day
• SUVs - starting at £12 per day
• Premium cars - starting at £31 per day
• People Carriers - starting at £14 per day
• Convertibles - starting at £18 per day
• Station wagons - starting at £25 per day

Services and facilities

Large and modern, Orlando Airport has everything for a pleasant layover. There are many stores, cafes, and restaurants; a number of lounges; cashpoints, a currency exchange; luggage storage; an observation area; rotating art exhibits; and a chapel. The airport offers assistance to travellers with reduced mobility — you should contact your airline in advance to require it.

Nearest petrol station

While there are petrol stations next to Orlando Airport, they’re known for charging very high prices. So it’s a better idea to fill up your tank at one of the many stations within the city of Orlando or at any station not close to the airport. If you are seeking to return your hired car with a full tank of fuel, DO NOT stop at either of the stations closest to the airport, Suncoast Energys or Sun Gas. If you fill up at either station, you will pay at least twice the normal price. The Wawa, 7-11, and Mobil stations one or two blocks north offer competitive prices. These stations all work for both hirers returning cars to on-airport locations and those returning cars to most off-airport locations. Ace, Green Motion, and Routes are all located on Narcossee Road. At the exit from the Martin Andersen Beachline Expressway, there is a 7-Eleven on the south side of the highway. There is also a 7-Eleven at the intersection of Narcossee Road and Lee Vista Blvd. north of the car hire locations. Avoid the BP station north of the Martin Andersen Beachline Expressway as its prices are significantly higher.

Popular one-way hires

• Miami (230 miles / 370 km)
• Tampa (86 miles / 138 km)
• Fort Lauderdale (207 miles / 333 km)
• Jacksonville (158 miles / 254 km)