Austin is known for many things, but walkability isn’t one of them. For many, hiring a car during their trip is essential – and we’ve picked out three of the best rental agencies based at the airport.
Inside the terminal at Austin Airport (Photo: Denise Mattox via Flickr / CC BY-ND 2.0)
Located about 5 miles southeast of Downtown Austin, Austin–Bergstrom International Airport (also known as AUS Airport) is the third-busiest airport hub in Texas and serves over 76 destinations across North America and Europe. It sits on the site of the former Bergstrom Air Force Base, named after Captain John August Earl Bergstrom, an officer who served with the 19th Bombardment Group.
After arriving in Austin, visitors seeking a hire car can head to a dedicated facility where 11 rental car companies are based. The facility has three easily accessible levels, with Hertz, Dollar and Thrifty on Level 1; National, Alamo, Enterprise and Fox on Level 2; and Avis, Budget, Advantage and Payless on Level 3. We’ve picked out three of the best agencies based on three different criteria: affordability luxury and minivans.
Most Affordable: Alamo
When it comes to affordability, Alamo is our number one choice for cheap car rentals at Austin Airport. Among the attractive deals we unearthed were a Mitsubishi Mirage priced at $618 for a week’s rental, and a Nissan Versa for just a few dollars more. Customer feedback was consistently strong too, with most of the deals for budget rental cars rating as ‘7.5 out of 10’ or more.
Best for luxury: Hertz
Our top pick for finding a luxury rental car at Austin Airport is Hertz. We found some superb Hertz deals for high-spec cars during our search, including a convertible Ford Mustang Cabrio which was available for $2,341 for a week’s rental. If you’re happy to cough up such a price, then you can look forward to cruising the streets of Austin and beyond with the wind in your hair and admiring glances every which way you turn.
Best for Minivans: Budget
While more expensive than standard cars, minivans are a popular choice with larger groups of travellers. Visitors arriving into Austin by air have a couple of great choices to pick from, with Budget being our favourite agency at the airport for minivans. Among the deals we discovered during our online search was a 7-seater Dodge Grand Caravan, available for $1,124 for a week’s rental, or for something even bigger there’s a 12-seater Ford Transit priced at $1,547 per week.