Car Rental at Raleigh Durham Airport

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Raleigh–Durham International Airport, Raleigh, USA - North Carolina
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Driver's country of residence is United States of America (USA) and age is 30-65
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500+ Trusted Suppliers:

Cheapest Car Rental Rates

Raleigh Durham Airport
Full-size
Chevrolet Malibu or similar
Chevrolet Malibu
  • 5
  • 2
  • 4
  • A/C
  • Auto.
Dollar
$65.56 / per day
Raleigh Durham Airport
Standard
Volkswagen Jetta or similar
Volkswagen Jetta
  • 5
  • 2
  • 4
  • A/C
  • Auto.
Thrifty
$65.56 / per day
Raleigh Durham Airport
Compact
Nissan Versa or similar
Nissan Versa
  • 5
  • 1
  • 5
  • A/C
  • Auto.
Alamo
$86.07 / per day
Raleigh Durham Airport
Intermediate
Toyota Corolla or similar
Toyota Corolla
  • 5
  • 1
  • 4
  • A/C
  • Auto.
Budget
$89.54 / per day

Most Popular Car Rental Deals

Raleigh Durham Airport
Premium Regular Cab Pickup
Ford F-150 or similar
Ford F-150
  • 4
  • 4
  • 4
  • A/C
  • Auto.
Enterprise
$93.30 / per day
Raleigh Durham Airport
Luxury
Audi A4 or similar
Audi A4
  • 5
  • 3
  • 4
  • A/C
  • Auto.
National
$97.03 / per day
Raleigh Durham Airport
Economy
Chevrolet Spark or similar
Chevrolet Spark
  • 4
  • 2
  • 4
  • A/C
  • Auto.
Thrifty
$79.49 / per day
Raleigh Durham Airport
Mini Van
Chrysler Pacifica or similar
Chrysler Pacifica
  • 7
  • 4
  • 4
  • A/C
  • Auto.
Alamo
$91.31 / per day
The above prices are only approximate and were last updated at 12:57 on 2024-04-29. Prices may vary based on the booking dates, length of rental, and car class.

Travel Information

Languages
English
Currency
USD
Drive on
Right-hand side
Country code
+1
Average car rental price
$83 per day
Average car rental length
7 days
Speed limit within town
56 km/h or 35 mph
Speed limit out of town
88 - 112 km/h or 55 - 70 mph
Acceptable limit of BAC
0.08%
Average gasoline price
$0.97 per liter or $3.67 / 1 gallon
Lowest gasoline price
$0.79 per liter or $2.99 / 1 gallon
Highest gasoline price
$1.24 per liter or $4.69 / 1 gallon
Raleigh–Durham International Airport

Airport Car Rental

Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) is the second-largest airport in North Carolina. It serves the cities that make up the Triangle area: Raliegh (the capital of North Carolina), Durham, and Chapel Hill. The area is also often referred to as the Research Triangle due to its three major universities: North Carolina State University in Raleigh, Duke University in Durham, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Each of these has programs ranked amongst the top in the country. 

Raleigh is the main tourist draw of the area. With a plethora of events, multiple museums, an NHL team (the Carolina Hurricanes), parks, and plenty of nightlife, there is a lot to draw in visitors. The surrounding cities and countryside are also great destinations for any traveler. As in much of the United States, a car is all but essential both for getting in and around the cities, but also for venturing into the countryside. 

Top international routes

  • London–Heathrow
  • Paris–Charles de Gaulle
  • Cancun
  • San Juan
  • Reykjavik

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

  • Convertibles - from $220 per day
  • Large cars - from $66 per day
  • Medium cars - from $68 per day
  • Vans - from $91 per day
  • Premium cars - from $89 per day
  • Small cars - from $79 per day
  • SUVs - from $69 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.
This information was written, fact-checked, and/or translated by our content creators.

Learn more about our Editorial Policy.

Airport info

Rating
8.4
  • Getting to the airport 8.7
  • Check-in and departures 9.0
  • Terminal facilities 8.7
  • Wi-Fi 7.9
  • Restaurants and car rental services 7.9
  • Lounge 7.9

Raleigh Durham Airport

  • IATA: RDU
  • ICAO: KRDU
  • Name: Raleigh–Durham International Airport (RDU)
  • Distance from city: 9 miles / 14.5 km

Map of Car Rental Locations

When are car rental prices the lowest at Raleigh Durham Airport?

The cost of renting a car at Raleigh Durham Airport varies by season. This graph compares prices from month to month in order to help you find the best time of year.
Average rental costs per day at Raleigh Durham Airport
$39.93
January
$38.82
February
$50.91
March
$46.01
April
$68.36
May
$37.19
June
$46.47
July
$47.13
August
$41.76
September
$66.30
October
$47.55
November
$42.95
December
The cheapest month of the year to rent a car at Raleigh Durham Airport is June — when rental costs average $37.19 per day. This is 22% cheaper than the yearly average and 46% cheaper than renting a car in May (when prices average $68.36 per day).

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 Raleigh Durham Airport?

How long travelers keep their rental cars varies by the time of year: in December the average rental period is 11 days, while in January, the average rental period is only 4 days.
Average number of rental days at Raleigh Durham Airport
4
January
4
February
5
March
9
April
7
May
7
June
6
July
6
August
9
September
6
October
8
November
11
December

What is the most popular time of year to rent a car at Raleigh Durham Airport?

Based on how many users search for a car in at Raleigh Durham Airport, travelers are most likely to rent a car at Raleigh Durham Airport in June, while they are least likely to rent in in January.
Monthly searches at Raleigh Durham Airport by pick-up date relative to the average
25%
January
25%
February
38%
March
38%
April
88%
May
278%
June
240%
July
114%
August
76%
September
88%
October
139%
November
51%
December

Car Rental Information

Popular suppliers Dollar, Thrifty, Alamo
Popular car categories SUVs, Large cars, Medium cars, Small cars
Lowest price $66 per day
Cheapest supplier Dollar

Most Popular Car Models of Rental Suppliers

Rental Supplier Model Doors Luggage Type
Dollar Hyundai Accent 4 2 Medium cars
Dollar Honda CR-V 5 3 SUVs
Dollar Chevrolet Spark 4 2 Small cars
Dollar Chevrolet Bolt 5 1 SUVs
Dollar Chevrolet Malibu 4 2 Large cars
Dollar Honda Civic 4 2 Large cars
Thrifty Nissan Rogue 5 3 SUVs
Thrifty Ford Focus 2 2 Medium cars
Thrifty Mazda 3 2 2 Large cars
Thrifty Jeep Compass 5 2 SUVs

Car Rental Statistics

Highest rated company
Alamo
7.8 / 10
)
Lowest rated company
Advantage
7.5 / 10
Total rental companies
10
Average daily price
$83.48
Lowest daily price
$65.56
Total cars available
469

Top 10 Suppliers at Raleigh Durham Airport in 2024

Thrifty
Thrifty
Good 7.8 / 3 reviews
+18772830898
1009 Rental Car Dr, Morrisville, NC 27560, USA
$66 - $189
Working hours
Mon:05:00-23:59
Tue:05:00-23:59
Wed:05:00-23:59
Thu:05:00-23:59
Fri:05:00-23:59
Sat:05:00-23:59
Sun:05:00-23:59
Alamo
Good 7.8 / 2 reviews
8443703980
1001 RENTAL CAR DR,
$86 - $247
National
National
Good 7.8
+18443701075
1001 Rental Car Dr, Raleigh, NC 27623
$92 - $256
Hertz
Hertz
Good 7.7 / 1 review
+19198404875
1017 Rental Car Dr, Raleigh, NC 27623
Working hours
Mon:05:00-23:59
Tue:05:00-23:59
Wed:05:00-23:59
Thu:05:00-23:59
Fri:05:00-23:59
Sat:05:00-23:59
Sun:05:00-23:59
Avis
Avis
Good 7.7
+19198404750
Raleigh-Durham International Airport, 1016 Rental Car Dr, Morrisville, NC 27560
Working hours
Mon:00:00-01:00; 04:00-23:59
Tue:00:00-01:00; 04:00-23:59
Wed:00:00-01:00; 04:00-23:59
Thu:00:00-01:00; 04:00-23:59
Fri:00:00-01:00; 04:00-23:59
Sat:00:00-01:00; 04:00-23:59
Sun:00:00-01:00; 04:00-23:59
Budget
Budget
Good 7.7
+19198404781
1000 Rental Car Drive
$80 - $183
Working hours
Mon:00:00-01:00; 04:00-23:59
Tue:00:00-01:00; 04:00-23:59
Wed:00:00-01:00; 04:00-23:59
Thu:00:00-01:00; 04:00-23:59
Fri:00:00-01:00; 04:00-23:59
Sat:00:00-01:00; 04:00-23:59
Sun:00:00-01:00; 04:00-23:59
Enterprise
Enterprise
Good 7.7
+18449420329
1008 Rental Car Dr, Raleigh, 27623
$90 - $266
Dollar
Good 7.6 / 8 reviews
8664342226
1009 Rental Car Drive
$66 - $189
Working hours
Mon:05:00-23:59
Tue:05:00-23:59
Wed:05:00-23:59
Thu:05:00-23:59
Fri:05:00-23:59
Sat:05:00-23:59
Sun:05:00-23:59
Payless
Payless
Good 7.5 / 1 review
9198409317
1016 Rental Car Drive
Working hours
Mon:07:00-23:00
Tue:07:00-23:00
Wed:07:00-23:00
Thu:07:00-23:00
Fri:07:00-23:00
Sat:07:00-23:00
Sun:07:00-23:00
Advantage
Advantage
Good 7.5
8007775500
1015 Trade Drive
Working hours
Mon:05:00-23:59
Tue:05:00-23:59
Wed:05:00-23:59
Thu:05:00-23:59
Fri:05:00-23:59
Sat:05:00-23:59
Sun:05:00-23:59
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