Car Rental at Baltimore/Washington International Airport
Cheapest Car Rental Rates
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Travel Information
Airport travel guide
Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI) is a large airport serving two major cities in the United States: Baltimore, the largest city in the state of Maryland and Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States and a major tourist draw for both domestic and international visitors. Some fantastic sites to see in Washington, D.C. are the Lincoln Memorial, the National Mall, the Capitol building, the Smithsonian museums, and the National Gallery of Art, but there is so much more to explore beyond these few things! Don’t miss out on some of Baltimore’s interesting things to do, such as catching a game at Oriole Park, visiting the Fort McHenry National Monument, or seeing the Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum.
Though BWI is slightly farther from Washington than Dulles and much farther from the city than Ronald Reagan National Airport, many travelers still choose to fly into it. This is due both to it being considered a nicer airport and because it is a focus city for Southwest Airlines, a low-cost airline. In fact, BWI has more passenger traffic than the other Washington airports.
Top international routes
- Orlando
- Atlanta
- Boston
- Fort Lauderdale
- Tampa
- Chicago
- Denver
- Charlotte
- Miami
- Nashville
Main airlines
Air Canada Express, British Airways, and Condor are the airlines that fly to international destinations, though Spirit and Southwest both have flights to and from locations in the Caribbean and Central America.
Terminals
Concourses D and E are the main international concourses, with concourse E handling all international arrivals that are not pre-cleared. They, too, are securely connected.
Unfortunately, the two sides of the airport are not connected after security. The major effect of this is that passengers wishing to use the Club BWI lounge but flying from Concourse A, B, or C must leave time to go through security again before reaching their gate.
Location
Though it seems like the airport is farther away from Washington than Dulles Airport, it is, in fact, just a few miles farther away. The 30-mile (48km) drive takes roughly 45 minutes in good traffic conditions. Washington is notorious for its traffic congestion, though, so it may take twice as long or more during rush hour.
Most popular types of rental car
- Convertibles - from $91 per day
- Large cars - from $52 per day
- Medium cars - from $51 per day
- Vans - from $64 per day
- Premium cars - from $60 per day
- Small cars - from $51 per day
- SUVs - from $52 per day
Car rental desks
Services and facilities
A unique amenity to the airport is the Roam Fitness Club located in Concourse E. Though the company plans to expand to other airports, BWI is currently its only location. You can get a workout and then a shower all while waiting for your flight.
Pretty much all national hotel chains have a hotel just outside the airport along Nursery Road. Most will have a free shuttle service, so you can drop your car off the night before if you have an early flight.
Currency exchanges can be found in the main terminal near Concourses C and E. As usual, you are best served exchanging money before flying, using one of the airports many ATMs or exchanging money in the city as any of these options will provide you with a better rate. There are many restaurants of all types and shopping opportunities at the airport, though the selection of such depends on the Concourse from which you are flying.
Nearest gas station
If you have a Costco membership, you can fill up at Costco south of Maryland Route 100, which is only three miles from the Rental Center (unfortunately, you must have a Costco Membership to purchase gas at a Costco).
Another solution is to fill up farther from the airport and use the more expensive stations to top up before returning your rental car.
Popular one-way rentals
- Washington, D.C. (33 miles / 53 km)
- Philadelphia (112 miles / 180 km)
- New York City (197 miles / 317 km)
- Richmond (147 miles / 237 km)
- Charlotte (438 miles / 704 km)
- Pittsburgh (249 miles / 401 km)
Airport info
Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI)
- IATA: BWI
- ICAO: KBWI
- Name: Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI)
- Distance from city: 9 miles / 14.5 km
Map of Car Rental Locations
When are car rental prices the lowest at Baltimore/Washington International Airport?
This information can help you identify the low season. But these are only average numbers. How much your car rental will cost will depend on the type of vehicle you rent, how long you’ll rent it for, and how far ahead you book. Simply enter your dates in the form at the top of the page to see the exact prices.
For how long do renters keep their vehicles at Baltimore/Washington International Airport?
What is the most popular time of year to rent a car at Baltimore/Washington International Airport?
Car rental information
Popular suppliers | NextCar, Dollar, Thrifty, SIXT, Enterprise |
Popular car categories | Large cars, Medium cars, SUVs, Small cars |
Lowest price | $51 per day |
Cheapest supplier | Dollar |
Most popular car models of rental suppliers
Rental Supplier | Model | Doors | Luggage | Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
NextCar | Hyundai Accent | 4 | 1 | Small cars |
NextCar | Hyundai Accent | 4 | 2 | Medium cars |
Dollar | Mazda 3 | 2 | 2 | Large cars |
Dollar | Honda CR-V | 5 | 3 | SUVs |
Dollar | Volkswagen Jetta | 2 | 2 | Large cars |
Thrifty | Mazda 3 | 5 | 3 | Large cars |
Thrifty | Volkswagen Jetta | 4 | 2 | Large cars |
SIXT | Compact (Nissan Versa) | 4 | 1 | Medium cars |
Dollar | Honda Civic | 4 | 2 | Large cars |
Dollar | Volkswagen Jetta | 4 | 2 | Large cars |
FAQ
Our customers' reviews
Because we want to make sure each review listed here is left by a real customer, we don’t have the option to post a review here. Instead, we ask each and every customer to leave a review after they return their rental car. This way, you know that all reviews are authentic.