Originally built in 1929, La Guardia’s terminals and overall facilities are currently undertaking an impressive overhaul with the final terminal pencilled in for completion in 2024. Despite its relatively small size, La Guardia remains one of the busiest airports in New York.
LaGuardia Airport (Photo: Geoff Stearns via Flickr / CC BY 2.0)
For those visitors looking to rent a car, the Rental Shuttle Pickup is located just outside the terminal. A free bus operates between the terminals and the car rental agencies which are located as far as 15 minutes drive from the airport.
To work out which are the best rental car companies across our three categories (Most Affordable, Best for Luxury, Best for Minivans), TravelMag.com have conducted research on all the rental agencies based at LaGuardia Airport. Our findings are as follows.
MOST AFFORDABLE: HERTZ
There are slightly cheaper car rental companies operating at LGA, but when it comes to peace of mind, Hertz is your best option. Whether you’re renting a car for business purposes or for a holiday, they have numerous options from compact run-arounds to SUVs and luxury sedans. Hertz’s most basic models are the Ford Focus and Fiat 500 that are rented out at a little under $60 per day while for eco-conscious visitors, they have small electric vehicles like the Chevrolet Bolt (for about $15 more per day). As is the case with Hertz agencies around the world, customers remarked on the condition of the vehicles, the professionalism of the staff and the rapid pick up and drop off of the vehicles. Open: Monday to Sunday; 6am – 2am.
BEST FOR LUXURY: HERTZ
As is the case in the Most Affordable category, Hertz takes the prize as the most recommendable car rental agency in the Luxury category. Despite other car rental companies having similar rates, Hertz edges the competition with a fleet that includes premium electric SUVs and editions of sedans such as the Chevrolet Malibu. Depending on the time of the year, these types of cars can be rented out between $80-120 per day. Open: Monday to Sunday; 6am – 2am.
BEST FOR MINIVANS: ALAMO
Renting vehicles is always an expensive business, especially on the East Coast. Throughout the US, Alamo does its best to keep those costs to a minimum and in New York those savings become even more significant. If there’s 7 of you (or fewer), we’d recommend their Dodge Caravan that was being leased out at $133 on our sample dates. For larger groups (up to 15 passengers), they have the Ford Transit on their books. With the added distraction of many passengers in the back and NY’s infamous chaotic streets, we’d strongly recommend you have a mobile phone holder and phone charging cable at hand before you put your hands on the wheel. Open: Monday to Sunday; 6am – 10pm.