Car Rental at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport

Airport travel guide

One of the main cities of the Piedmont region and all of North Carolina, Charlotte is a great place to visit. The city is well known for its diverse neighborhoods and lively cultural institutions, and also provides access to a number of destinations worth a day trip to visit. Here are four of the best attractions in and around it:

• Discovery Place. A science and innovation center, Discovery Place has sometimes been called one of the best children’s museums in all of the United States. Its interactive and accessible exhibitions include a butterfly pavilion, an IMAX dome theater, a planetarium, and the Thinker Space Lab. Nowadays, Discovery Place is made up of three separate museums – the main center, Discovery Place Science, is in Uptown Charlotte, while Discovery Place Nature is in the southern Freedom Park neighborhood, and Discovery Place Kids has branches in nearby Huntersville (a 20-minute drive to the north) and Rockingham (a 75-minute drive to the east). Visit the Discovery Place website to learn more.
• Levine Museum of the New South. One of the most notable southern-themed museums in the U.S., this is another landmark not to miss if you’re in Charlotte. The museum’s main exhibition is called "Cotton Fields to Skyscrapers: Charlotte and the Carolina Piedmont in the New South” and includes recreations of such historical sites as a one-room farmhouse and African American hospital. In addition, the museum frequently hosts various rotating exhibitions and events. Centrally located on 7th Street, it is near other notable landmarks such as the aforementioned Discovery Place and Charlotte Convention Center. Visit its website to learn more.
• Schiele Museum of Natural History. If you and your family enjoyed Discovery Place, it is worth also going on a day trip to the Schiele Museum. It has a planetarium, an aviary, and plenty of exhibitions to keep you excited. The museum is a 25-minute drive west in the town of Gastonia where you can also visit the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden and neighboring nature like that of the US National Whitewater Center and Crowders Mountain State Park.
• Bechtler Museum of Modern Art. One of the best of its kind in this part of the country, Bechtler is instantly recognizable as one of the most original buildings in the city. Purpose-built and open since 2010, the museum features three distinct permanent exhibitions dedicated to the American and British artists, the so-called School of Paris, and other European creators. Visit the museum’s website to learn more about tickets and admission. 

Top international routes

• New York City
• Orlando
• Atlanta
• Chicago
• Miami
• Boston
• Dallas
• Detroit
• Philadelphia
• St. Louis

Main airlines

The airport is a large hub for American Airlines, and the airport relies heavily on the airline (9 in 10 passengers at the airport fly on American). With the lack of competition from other carriers on many routes, good deals on airfares can be hard to find at times.

Delta and United along with the low-cost airlines Southwest and Frontier also provide some flights to and from CLT. Destinations include Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York, Denver, Las Vegas, Orlando, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, and Houston.

The only international airlines that fly to the airport are Air Canada, connecting the city with Toronto, and Luthsfansa, providing connections to Munich and Frankfurt. American Airlines flies to and from many international destinations, particularly destinations in the Carribean and Mexico.

Terminals

Charlotte Douglas has just one terminal, though that terminal has five different concourses with a total of 115 gates. The international concourse is Concourse D. Most domestic airlines operate out of Concourse A. Concourses B and C are used by American Airlines while Concourse E is used for its regional brand American Eagle.

Location

Charlotte Douglas is located roughly 7 miles west of downtown Charlotte, a drive that takes about 15 minutes if there is light traffic. The airport is located near the interchange of I85 and I-485, making it convenient to reach all of the surrounding areas including the northern part of South Carolina.

Most popular types of rental car

• Small cars - from $45 per day
• Medium cars - from $46 per day
• SUVs - from $77 per day
• Large cars - from $47 per day
• Premium cars - from $88 per day
• Vans - from $142 per day

Car rental desks

Charlotte Douglas recently built a new parking garage and Rental Car Facility located across from the terminal. All you have to do to reach the rental desks is to leave the baggage claim area and cross the road to Level 2 of the facility. Returning your rental car is likewise very simple. Follow the signs for the car rental return when entering the airport and follow the signs for your specific rental company when entering the facility. After you finish the drop off procedure, make your way back to Level 2 and from there back to the terminal. It’s just a short walk and not shuttles are required.

Services and facilities

CLT is a modern, major airport with all of the facilities and services a traveler would expect of such and more.

Ther airport has many different services for passengers. These include free wifi throughout the terminal, pet relief areas, a mother’s room for nursing mothers, a chapel, multiple ATMs, and currency exchanges, though you are, as always, better off taking out money out of an ATM or bringing it from your home country. The most unique service offered at the airport is the CLT Canine Crew. These trained therapy dogs are available for any passenger to pet and you can spot them by their “Pet Me” vest.

The airport has a crew of volunteers to assist travelers with any questions they have at the airport. These volunteers are known what the “Yellow Shirts” as the wear, you guessed it, yellow shirts. These friendly people can help you find your gate, find where to eat, or anything else related to your time at the airport.

Finally, you won’t go hungry or thirsty at CLT. There are various dining options in both the Atrium and the concourses. The options range from fast food to table-service restaurants. Coffee shops and the Carolina Beer Co. are there to greet thirsty travelers. If you want a lounge to relax in, there a two American Airlines Admirals Clubs.

Nearest gas station

If returning to the airport along I-85, there are two gas stations that are the most convenient for filling up your rental car before dropping it off. These are a Mobil and an Airport Express. Of these, the Mobil station is probably preferable both for convenience and level of service. The Airport Express station is more convenient if approaching the airport from I-485.

Finally, if traveling to the airport along Billy Graham Parkway, there is another Mobil station just north of the exit to the airport. From the station, Old Dowd Road (State Route 1191) leads back to the airport, though the route to the rental car return may be confusing without a map.

Popular one-way rentals

• Raleigh (166 miles / 267 km)
• Greensboro (92 miles / 148 km)
• Fayetteville (138 miles / 222 km)
• Washington, D.C. (399 miles / 642 miles)
• Asheville (130 miles / 217 km)
• Nashville (412 miles / 650 km)