Car Rental at Memphis International Airport

Airport travel guide

Home of both Elvis and the Blues, Memphis remains one of the musical and cultural hubs of the American South. On top of that, the city also boasts some quality museums and other notable landmarks. Here are four ideas for your trip here:

• Beale Street. Memphis is not just the birthplace of the Blues, it is also where the timeless genre is alive and well. The best place to explore this centrally important side of the city is Beale Street — it has plenty of bars and venues known for their live performances and atmosphere. Other music-related landmarks of Memphis include the Memphis Rock n’ Soul Museum and Stax Museum of American Soul Music.
• Graceland. Speaking of music, no trip to the city is complete without visiting the home of the King of Rock and Roll. The giant mansion was bought by Elvis in 1957 and is his final resting place. Visitors can see a collection of his luxury cars and stage costumes. Graceland is some 8 miles (13 km) south of downtown but can be easily reached by car.
• Pink Palace Museum. A science and history center, the Pink Palace is another popular landmark of Memphis. Located in a historical building made from the distinctively pinkish Georgian marble, it has a truly eclectic set of exhibitions that also include an IMAX and a planetarium. As with Graceland, the Pink Palace is not downtown – located some 7 miles (12 km) to the east, it can be reached by car in 20 minutes.
• Shelby Farms. Located in Eastern Memphis, this public park is one of the largest in the United States – it is five times larger than the Central Park in New York City! A green zone of forests, wetlands, and a network of walking trails, it is popular with locals and tourists alike, and provides home to a surprising variety of wildlife that includes a local bison herd!

Top international routes

• Atlanta
• Chicago
• Dallas
• New York City
• Charlotte
• Houston
• Denver
• Washington, D.C.
• Orlando
• Detroit
   

Main airlines

Delta carries the most passengers to and from the airport with Hartsfield-Jackson Atalanta International Airport, its main hub, the primary destination (though most passengers connect to flights to other destinations from there). The low-cost airline Southwest is the next largest airline at the airport with destinations including Baltimore, Chicago-Midway, Dallas-Love Field, Houston-Hobby, and Orlando.

American Airlines (including its regional brand, American Eagle) provides connections to many cities on the east coast and in the midwest. Finally, the low-cost Allegiant Air serves many vacation destinations in Florida, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. Air Canada provides the airports only international flights which are to and from Toronto.

Terminals

MEM has only one terminal; however, that terminal has three concourses. Currently, all operations are out of Concourses A and C as Concourse B is under reconstruction. In 2021, it is planned that Concourse B will handle all flights and that A and C will be closed.

Location

Memphis International Airport is located roughly 10 miles southeast of downtown Memphis, a drive that only takes around 15 minutes. Graceland, a top tourist attraction in the city, is just a five-minute drive away from the airport. And if continuing an Elvis-themed tour, one can take I-22 down to reach Tupelo, Elvis’ birthplace, in just an hour and a half.

Most popular types of rental car

• Small cars - from $65 per day
• Medium cars - from $52 per day
• Large cars - from $53 per day
• SUVs - from $73 per day
• Vans - from $122 per day
• Convertibles - from $177 per day
• Premium cars - from $96 per day

Car rental desks

All of the rental companies serving MEM are have desks in the Ground Transportation Center. To reach the center, proceed to the lower level (below the level with baggage claim) of the B terminal and follow the signs. The center is just a short walk from the terminal and moving walkways are there to make the walk quicker and easier. The rental car desks are located on two levels.

All of the rental companies offer after-hours service. When returning the car, you need to park in the rental car company’s return area and drop the keys in their box in the return area. National’s box is located on level 1 while Thrifty and Dollar’s are located on Level 2.

Services and facilities

As the airport is currently under reconstruction, some of its services and facilities have been affected. When it comes to dining options, the situation has been made more bearable by Lenny’s Subs moving to, along with the opening of an Italian restaurant in, Concourse A. A Blue Moon bar opening in Concourse C also helped provide another option in that concourse.

If you need assistance at the airport, you can look for the Blue Suede volunteers. They wear navy blue vests and carry clipboards. They can help you to find anything you need at the airport.

ATMs can be found near the ticketing area and in the connector with Concourse A. If you only have cahs but need to purchase something with a credit card, such as extra baggage allowance, the airport offers a service with which you can obtain a prepaid credit card in exchange for the cash. The ReadyCard kiosks can be found in the connectors between A/B and B/C Concourses.

There is only one lounge in the airport, a Delta Sky Club which can be found between the B and C Concourses. While there are no hotels at the airport, or even immediately next to it, a cluster of them can be found around the intersection of I240 and I-55 which is near Graceland.

Nearest gas station

There are two gas stations on the way to the airport after exiting I-240, but to reach either, you must exit Plough Road (the direct route to the airport) onto Airways Blvd. The first station, n Exxon station, while nicer, has prices that are much higher than is typical for the area. The second station, a Mapco station, is located right next to the airport and has prices that are lower than almost all other stations in the area.

Popular one-way rentals

• Nashville (213 mi / 343 km)
• Knoxville (391 mi / 629 km)
• Chattanooga (338 mi / 544 km)
• Jackson (203 mi / 327 km)
• Atlanta (374 mi / 601 km)
• New Orleans (389 mi / 626 km)