Car Rentals at Denver International Airport

Denver International Airport is one of the largest and most important airports in the United States of America, and is also one of the newer airports, as it was only established in 1995. It is located approximately 25 miles, or 20km from downtown Denver, and in the state of Colorado. The airport is also known as DIA, as an abbreviation of its name, and by the official IATA code of DEN. Arriving passengers will find many forms of ground transport available, as well as the Denver Airport car rental companies, which provide quality vehicles at competitive car rental rates. A rented car from the airport is often considered as the most convenient way to travel Denver, for business or vacation purposes.

The airport has one large terminal building that is used as a ‘central base’ for passenger facilities and functions, such as check-in processes and baggage reclaim. Connected to the main terminal, which is named as the Jeppesen Terminal, are three concourses, known as Concourses A, B and C. Passengers will arrive at one of these concourses, and will reach the main airport building by way of a pedestrian bridge (Concourse A) or by the Guideway Transit System (Concourses B and C), which is the automated train for transport at the airport. International passengers will arrive at Concourse A, and passengers on United Airline flights will arrive at Concourse B. Southwest Airlines is the main airline at Concourse C. The Denver Airport car hire companies have rental counters on the fifth level of the Jeppesen Terminal, and their offices as well as their vehicles are found at a further location, which is reached by airport shuttles. The car rental shuttles are taken from the pickup/drop-off points on Level 5, at Island 4, and outside of doors 505-513 on the east side and doors 504-512 on the west side of the terminal.

The car hire companies at DEN are open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and therefore the car rental shuttles are available at all hours as well. There are signs that lead the way to the car rental shuttles, or passengers can find out where to go from one of the Airport Ambassadors, who circulate the terminal in white cowboy hats. The Denver Airport car rental companies are Hertz, Budget, Avis, Auto Europa, National, Alamo, Europcar, Thrifty, Dollar, Easycar and Enterprise, and they all provide an excellent selection of high quality vehicles. Their car rental rates are competitive as well, and with an early online reservation, passengers could receive a good car for less dollars than expected. The car hire companies of the airport are all well known around the world, as they have rental counters at all major airports, and at many downtown locations in most countries.

The majority of hire cars are only available by category, and therefore not by specific make and model, however, passengers who prefer to know the exact vehicle they will be driving could hire a car from the Hertz Green Traveler, Prestige or Adrenaline Collections, or may hire one of Budget’s Street Fleet vehicles. Hertz and Budget have many other vehicles for hire as well, from the usual car categories. National has ideal services for business rentals, Alamo offers services for leisure travellers, and Avis and Europcar have cars and services that are ideal for all kinds of travellers. Enterprise, Dollar and Thrifty offer some unique car rental options, such as their multi-month rental programs and the Thrifty Wild Car Program, which enables customers to hire a Compact or larger vehicle for lower than expected rental rates. Auto Europa is one of the longest standing car hire companies in the world, with over fifty years of experience and more than 8,000 rental locations.

Vehicles for hire from Denver International Airport come in all sizes, and could be smaller models such as the Hyundai Accent, Ford Focus, Chevrolet Aveo, Kia Rio and Toyota Corolla, with room for four or five passengers and two or three luggage items. These cars are popular for cheaper rental rates, and are easy to drive with automatic transmissions. Most vehicles hired in the United States have automatic transmissions, but customers could request a manual vehicle if necessary. Vehicles of a medium size include the Nissan Altima, Chevrolet Malibu, Nissan Maxima, Chevrolet Impala and Dodge Avenger, while SUVs hired are similar to the Ford Escape, Chevrolet Traverse, Ford Edge, Ford Expedition, Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban and Lincoln Navigator. The larger SUVs are able to seat up to seven passengers, and include some nice features such as power steering, cruise control, power brakes, remote keyless entry and air conditioning. Groups of travellers can hire minivans as well, that seat seven or eight passengers (Dodge Grand Caravan or Toyota Sienna) or even a van that can accommodate twelve or fifteen passengers, similar to the Ford Econoline, Ford E350 and Chevrolet Express.

Along with your car, remember to include additional items of equipment required, for example, child seats if your little ones will be travelling with you, and a satellite navigation system if you are unfamiliar with the Denver road network. Hand controls for disabled drivers may also be requested, and are a device that operates the brake and accelerator pedals of certain automatic vehicles. It may also include a steering wheel knob for additional assistance. Hand controls are free of charge, but all other items will have extra charges per day of hire, or per rental contract. A one way hire could also be arranged, allowing the rented car to be returned to a location other than Denver International Airport. One way hires are not permitted by all car hire companies, and may not always be driven to all American States. Find out further details from your car rental company.

In the United States, the primary renter should be at least 21 years of age, and will need a valid drivers license and major credit card. A hold for the estimated rental costs will be placed on the credit card at the time of rental, but a debit card (Mastercard or Visa) can usually be used for the final payment. Keep in mind that persons younger than 25 will pay higher rental rates. Always drive carefully in your rented car, following the speed limits, which generally are no more than 30mph/48kph in urban areas, 65mph/105kph on open roads and 70mph/113kph on motorways and highways.

Further details are available from your favourite Denver International Airport car hire company, or the ground transport office of the airport can be contacted at (303)342-4059.