Car Rental at Fort Myers Airport

Airport travel guide

Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) is located south of Fort Myers, the largest city in Southwest Florida. It, however, serves the greater region including the cities of Bonita Springs, Naples, Cape Coral, and Punta Gorda. 

Southwest Florida is a popular travel destination due to its tropical climate and stunning beaches. Aside from the cities, the barrier islands are great places to visit. Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve are not far away from the area. As in other places in Florida and the United States, in general, a car is all but essential to get around. Luckily, it is easy to pick up a rental car at RSW and head to your timeshare, condo, or hotel before experiencing all the area has to offer. 

Here are some ideas of places a little further away that would be easy to reach with a rental car if you get tired of lounging around on the beach all day.

• Babcock Ranch Reserve. While not as famous as the Everglades or Big Cypress (more on them below), the big attraction of this nature reserve is that it's really close, only about a 30 minute drive from Downtown Fort Myers. Located northeast of the city, in an inland portion of the state, the reserve is home to a wide variety of local flora and fauna, many of which can be observed if you join a tour (and there are also trails that you can access without a special fee).
• Big Cypress National Preserve: Less than two hours away from Fort Myers, and even closer to Naples, Big Cypress is a great place to experience the outdoors and the unique landscape of South Florida. The hiking trails are great, but perhaps best in winter. You can also stay at a campground, take a canoe tour, or enjoy some of the darkest skies on the East Coast and enjoy the view of the stars. 
• Everglades National Park: Everglades is a little further away, but certainly worth the drive if you are in the southern part of Florida. There are many things to do in what is the third-largest national park in the lower 48, but don’t take our word for it — check out what the National Park Service has to say about it.
• Miami: The East Cost’s king of glam and nightlife, Miami is a can’t-miss destination when in the southern part of Florida — and just a two-and-half-hour drive down I-75, why not take a day to head there? Don’t miss wandering around Little Havana or just drive down Miami Beach’s Ocean Dr. to take in the atmosphere.
• Tampa: About a two-hour drive up I-75 from Fort Myers, the Tampa Bay area is another great destination in Florida. The nightlife and dining are excellent in Downtown Tampa, but there are also many options of things to do with the kids. The trip is definitely worth it, particularly for a day away from the beach.

Top international routes

• Chicago
• Boston
• New York City
• Minneapolis
• Atlanta
• Detroit
• Denver
• Charlotte
• Philadelphia
• Baltimore

Main airlines

Delta is the largest airline at the airport in relation to the number of passengers served. Its primary destination is its hub in Atlanta from which passengers can connect to reach many destinations. American also provides service to its major hubs, with Charlotte and Chicago being its most popular destinations.

The low-cost airline Southwest also serves a large share of the airport’s passengers. It primarily flies to destinations in the Northeast and Midwest. JetBlue and Spirit, two other low-cost airlines, also serve the airport.

Air Canada, its low-cost brand Air Canada Rouge, and West Jet provide service to destinations in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Eurowings provides service three times a week to Dusseldorf, Germany.

Terminals

The airport has just one terminal with three concourses, though there are plans to expand to five concourses in the future. All international flights arrive at Terminal B.

Location

The airport is located roughly 16 miles south of Fort Myers, the largest city in Southwest Florida. It is also 35 miles from Naples, both a popular tourist destination and one of the wealthiest cities in the country. RSW is also the closest airport to Big Cypress National Preserve and the western part of Everglades National Park.

Most popular types of rental car

• Small cars - from $47 per day
• Medium cars - from $45 per day
• Large cars - from $46 per day
• SUVs - from $45 per day
• Premium cars - from $62 per day
• Vans - from $59 per day
• Convertibles - from $101 per day

Car rental desks

Not all rental companies serving Southwest Florida Airport have desks at the airport. Those that do, though, are all located in the Rental Car Service Center. The center is located on the ground level of the parking garage. All renters have to do is exit the airport in the baggage claim area and walk across the street.

Fox Rent A Car is located three miles from the terminal off of Ben Hill Griffin Parkway. The company provides a shuttle for its customers. To get to the pickup point for the shuttle, you need to walk to the end of the parking garage and then around it. There is a phone with which you can call the company located at the pick-up point.

Services and facilities

Southwest Florida International Airport has most of the services and amenities one would expect of a major tourist airport.

Unfortunately, there are no lounges or clubs at the airport. But as few, if any passengers connect through the airport, most won’t have a long time to wait. Plenty of dining options can be found at the airport, though. Both table service restaurants and fast-food places can be found in the atrium and in each concourse. You can also find cafes for coffee and bars.

The airport has a business center and currency exchange in addition to plenty of ATMs. It also showcases artworks by local artists. These can be found in various parts of the terminal and change from time to time.

Nearest gas station

There is a Mobil station located at the entrance to the airport. While this station is, of course, the most convenient at which to fill up before returning a rental car to the airport, it also, unsurprisingly, has significantly higher prices than other stations in the area.

An alternative is to fill up earlier on your trip to the airport and only using the Mobil station to top up. Other stations can be found near the airport, too, though. A RaceTrac station and another Mobil station can be found one exit north of the exit to the airport. From there, you can return to I-75 or take Treeline Ave. to the airport. Either way, the airport is about five miles away.

If you have a Costco membership, then a Costco gas station can be found one exit south of the airport exit (exit 128). A 7-Eleven is also located at that exit, and that station is probably the most convenient one for those returning a car to Fox’s location south of the airport on Ben Hill Griffin Highway.

One-way rentals

• Miami (151 miles / 243 km)
• Tampa (141 miles / 227 km)
• Orlando (174 miles / 280 km)
• Sarasota (91 miles / 146 km)
• Fort Lauderdale (131 miles / 211 km)
• Palm Beach (174 miles / 280 km)