Car Rental at Raleigh Durham Airport

Airport travel guide

Located in the Research Triangle, Raleigh–Durham Airport serves a metropolitan area home to more than two million people. Located in the central part of North Carolina, the region also has plenty for a visitor to explore. These are three of its most interesting attractions:

• Raleigh. The capital of North Carolina, Raleigh is also known as one of the state’s most popular cities to visit. A sophisticated destination, it is known for its cultural institutions including the Museum of Natural Sciences and N.C. Museum of Art, as well as well-preserved heritage areas. The city center is just a 20-minute drive southeast of the airport.
• Durham. Home to Duke University and its stunning Gothic campus, Durham is also one of the main cultural hubs of this part of the country, punching way above its weight when it comes to arts and entertainment. Historically known as a center of the tobacco industry, it also has several attractions dedicated to that legacy. The city is only a 20-minute drive northwest of Raleigh–Durham Airport.
• Hanging Rock State Park. One of the most beautiful nature areas in North Carolina, the Hanging Rock is about a two-hour drive northeast of Raleigh, near the cities of Greensboro and Winston-Salem. Made up of craggy peaks, waterfalls, and many hiking trails, the park is home to unique wildlife species such as Wehrle’s salamander and peregrine falcons.

Top international routes

• Atlanta
• New York City
• Charlotte
• Orlando
• Chicago
• Miami
• Washington
• Boston

Main airlines

The airport used to be a hub for American Airlines. It is now a focus city for Delta Airlines and the low-cost airline Frontier. Delta provides connections to many cities on the East Coast along with Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, and Seattle. It also flies directly to Paris.

American Airlines is the second-busiest airline at the airport. Its routes include Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and Phoenix in addition to a daily direct flight to London–Heathrow.

The low-cost airline Southwest, with its own terminal, also carries many passengers at RDU. It connects the Triangle area with many cities on the East Coast and in the Midwest.

Icelandair flew to RDU for the first time in May of 2022. The airline now provides flights to and from Reykavik (from where you can connect to other cities in Europe) from May to Octobetr.

Terminals

RDU has two terminals with a combined three concourses. The two terminals are connected by a shuttle bus and a moving walkway in the parking dek between them. But as they are separated, there is no way to move between the terminals after security.

Terminal 1 is used exclusively by Southwest Airlines. All other airlines can be found in Terminal 2. Alaska, Allegiant, Air Canada, Delta, Frontier, and United are in Concourse D and American Airlines and some Delta flights arrive and depart from Concourse C.

Location

Raleigh-Durham is located at the center of the Triangle almost equidistant from the three cities: 15 miles from downtown Raliegh, 15 miles from city center Durham, and 18 miles from Chapel Hill.

Due to the airport’s size and the availability of flights of low-cost airlines, it serves a wider area than just the Triangle. The airport is just an hour’s drive from Greensboro and Rocky Mount. Even the coast of North Carolina is within a reasonable drive. Willmington, the largest city on the coast is just two hours away via I-40.

Most popular types of rental car

• Small cars - from $51 per day
• Medium cars - from $45 per day
• Large cars - from $46 per day
• SUVs - from $51 per day
• Premium cars - from $88 per day
• Vans - from $83 per day

Car rental desks

All of the rental companies serving the airport have rental offices on the airport’s property. They are, however, not located in the terminals. Renters must take a shuttle provided by their rental company outside of the baggage claim. All of the locations are very close, though, so the ride only takes a few minutes.

If arriving in Terminal 1, you must find Zone 5 outside of the baggage claim area. If arriving in Terminal2, you should find Zone 18.

When returning your car, you will have to drop the car off at the rental location where you picked it up and take the company’s shuttle back to whichever terminal you will be flying from.

Services and facilities

RDU 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 terminals, power outlets near the gates, multiple ATMs, s currency exchange, though you are, as always, better off taking out money out of an ATM or bringing it from your home country.

There are multiple lounges, all in Terminal 2. There is an American Airlines Admirals Club, a Delta Air Lines Sky Club, and a United Club.

Finally, you won’t go hungry or thirsty at RDU. There are various dining options in both the before security and in the concourses. The options range from fast food to table-service restaurants. Coffee shops and bars are can also be found to quench your thirst.

Nearest gas station

Filling up your rental before returning it to RDU couldn’t be much easier. There are a BP station and Mobil station at the airport exit from I-40 (exit 284). If coming from the east, you have to turn left at the exit and cross the interstate to reach them. From these stations, the rental car returns are just a couple of minutes’ drive away. And unlike gas stations located near other airports, the prices at these stations are the same as many others in the area, if not a few cents less per gallon.

Popular one-way rentals

• Greensboro (67 miles / 108 km)
• Charlotte (157 miles / 253 km)
• Fayetteville (79 miles / 127 km)
• Washington, D.C. (271 miles / 436 km)
• Norfolk (199 miles / 321 km)
• Richmond (163 miles / 262 km)