Car Rental at New York International Airport LaGuardia

Airport travel guide

Primarily hosting domestic flights, La Guardia is one of the three international airports serving New York City. It is located in Queens, a part of the city that’s relatively less explored than Manhattan or Brooklyn but has plenty for a curious visitor to enjoy. Here are four such suggestions:

• Museum of the Moving Image. Located in the old building of the Astoria Studios in the neighborhood of the same name, this museum focuses on the history of film, television, digital media, and video games. Significantly expanded in 2008, it frequently hosts various events and rotating exhibitions in addition to its permanent collection. Visit the museum’s official website to learn more.
• New York Hall of Science. One of the first of its kind, this science center was created in the 1960s as a part of New York’s World Fair. Now largely interactive, it is primarily focused on the audiences of children and young adults, all the while explaining some fairly complex topics like optics and biochemistry. NYSCI is in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park near a number of other attractions like Queens Museum and the Unisphere.
• Queens Botanical Garden. Also close to all the aforementioned landmarks is the Queens Botanical Garden, one of the nicest green areas in this part of the city. In addition to various fascinating flora, it also has an art gallery and a farm section dedicated to environmentally friendly gardening and vegetable growing.
• Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. Created in the 1930s at the location of the former Flushing River wetlands (and its northwestern corner bordering the Flushing Bay), this park is the largest and most popular green artery of Queens. Many of the borough’s best-known landmarks can be found here, including the aforementioned Hall of Science, and the giant sculpture, Unisphere.

Top international routes

• Chicago
• Atlanta
• Toronto
• Boston
• Dallas
• Miami
• Orlando
• Fort Lauderdale
• Washington, D.C.
• Charlotte

Main airlines

The main airlines that operate out of LaGuardia are Delta, American, Southwest, United, and Air Canada. Southwest, Spirit, JetBlue, WestJet, and Frontier Airlines.

Terminals

The airport has four terminals. The only carrier to operate out of Terminal A is JetBlue. Terminal B is the largest of the terminals with four different concourses and 40 gates. Air Canada, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines operate out of it. Terminals C and D are connected by a walkway and are located near each other at the eastern end of the airport. Terminal C is mostly occupied by Delta and Delta Connection. Frontier and Spirit Airlines also operate out of it. Terminal D was once exclusively used by Delta, though WestJet no operates some flight from it.

Location

LaGuardia is located along the waterfront in northern Queens. The airport is well-connected to Brooklyn and Manhattan, with Midtown taking around 45 minutes to drive to.

Most popular types of rental car

• Small cars - from $84 per day
• Medium cars - from $77 per day
• Large cars - from $77 per day
• SUVs - from $69 per day
• Vans - from $121 per day
• Premium cars - from $137 per day

Car rental desks

Each company that is located at the airport has its own facility and shuttle. The shuttles all depart and arrive outside of Terminal A. If landing at one of the other terminals, you must first take the blue shuttle (for Terminal B), or the red shuttle (for Terminals C and D) to Terminal A.

Services and facilities

Though a major airport serving one of the richest cities in the world, LaGuardia is often derided as extremely outdated. Luckily, renovations are currently ongoing, with an expected completion date in 2022. A new concourse in Terminal B opened in December of 2018 as part of these renovations. There are no hotels at the airport, but a cluster of them are located just outside the airport’s grounds along Ditmars Boulevard. A couple of more hotels (at a lower price point) are located closer to Astoria Boulevard. Most of these hotels offer a free shuttle service, too. Duty-free shopping is available in Terminal B and various other small shops are located in the other terminals. There are also plenty of food options in all of the terminals. Lounges are available in all terminals. Hydration stations where you can refill your water bottle are also available in all terminals. Currency Exchange is available in Terminal B and ATMs run by the same company are available in all terminals. It is, however, as usual, best to take cash out of normal ATM (one owned by a bank) and/or rely on using your credit/debit card as your home bank is extremely likely to provide a better exchange rate than the currency exchange and its ATMs.

Nearest gas station

What is the nearest gas station to the airport and most convenient for filling up before dropping off a rental car depends on which rental company the car is rented from and which direction you are coming from. Multiple stations are located on Astoria Boulevard near Advantage’s facility. If renting from one of the other suppliers, a cluster of stations can be found just off Grand Central Parkway before getting to the airport.

Popular one-way rentals

• Philadelphia (112 mi / 180 km). The largest city of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia is just a short drive southwest of New York. Famous for its classy museums, historically important sites, and impressive street art, the city attracts more and more visitors every year.
• Washington, D.C. (244 mi / 392 km). The capital of the USA is not only the center of the American political life, but also a highly popular travel destination. The city’s famous attractions include the National Mall complex, Kennedy Center Rooftop Terrace, Capitol Hill, and, of course, the White House.
• Boston (207 mi / 333 km). The largest city of New England is both one of the oldest and historically most important American cities and a thriving, sophisticated metropolis. Travelers love Boston for the Theater District, Harvard Museum of Natural History, and many colonial sites and buildings. Boston is also the historic center of Irish culture in America.
• Providence (173 mi / 278 km). The capital of Rhode Island, the smallest U.S. state by area, Providence has its fair share of interesting things to see and do. These include visiting the busy and fun Federal Hill area, relaxing at one of the city parks, or traveling to the cliffs and beaches of nearby Newport.
• Baltimore (248 mi / 399 km). Many foreign visitors know Baltimore as the setting of the gritty TV cult classic The Wire, but the city boasts plenty of other attractions as well, not least the American Visionary Arts Museum, Historic Ships in Baltimore center, and Maryland Zoo.
• Buffalo (215 mi / 346 km). Located in the northwestern corner of the New York state right on the border with Canada, Buffalo is a hidden gem among the American East Coast cities. Colored Musicians Club Museum, Lower Lakes Marine Historical Society Museum, and well-preserved historic architecture are just some of the attractions of this surprising city.