Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) is Atlanta’s primary airport serving Atlanta, the capital of Georgia. The airport is located 7 miles south of downtown Atlanta. By passenger traffic, it was, on average, the world’s busiest airport over the last 20 years. Most people visit on business, but Atlanta is more than just a blue chip city; it’s the major cosmopolitan hub of the South and the bedrock of Southern cuisine and its culture.
Atlanta Airport (Photo: mliu92 via Flickr/ CC BY-SA 2.0)
If you’re looking to rent a car to explore Atlanta and the vast lands and blue skies surrounding it, then ATL Airport has 12 rental car companies operating out of the Rental Car Centre (open 24hrs a day), a two minute shuttle ride from the main arrivals terminal.
Out of the major car rental companies at the airport, TravelMag.com has taken a look at factors like daily rates, fleet availability, customer satisfaction and extra perks when determining which car hire companies are the best options for visitors of Atlanta.
Most Affordable – Alamo
For those arriving by air and wishing to cut costs with a budget rental car, there are multiple agencies at the Rental Car Center at ANT Air-port. For the best value for money, we’ve selected Alamo. On our se-lected dates (in late January), we found Alamo’s cheapest deal to be on the Mitsubishi Mirage, which was available for a little under $600 for a week’s rental with free cancellation and theft protection included. For an almost identical price, they rent out the Toyota Corolla and the Nissan Versa.
It’s worth noting that all rental car companies listed on RentalCars.com are trustworthy, so it’s quite safe to just pick the lowest rental for your dates. However, we would recommend that you stick with a company that is located at the airport terminal of ATL Airport.
Best for Luxury – Sixt
If you fancy cruising around Atlanta in something a little bigger or faster, there are multiple high-end vehicles available to rent. As is so often the case in the US (and elsewhere in the world), our first choice is Sixt, who offer some of the finest German and American cars in the market, including BMWs Series 1 and 3, Jeeps and high-end SUVs from Mercedes-Benz and Chevrolet. For a days rental of a BMW X1, expect to pay somewhere in the region of $190 out of season and $320 in high season.
Best for Minivans – Alamo
With so many car rental companies at ATL Airport, there are plenty of minivans and large SUVs to hire, including the Dodge Grand Caravan, the 7-seater Nissan Quest and the Chevy Tahoe. All of these vehicles can be rented from Alamo, with prices starting at around $200 per day when out of season. Not only does Alamo have the cheapest prices, but it also boasts the best customer feedback, scoring 8.6 out of 10 on rental-cars.com. If, for whatever reason, you’d prefer to rent from another company, our second choice for minivans would be National which has similar vehicle at comparative prices.