Car Rentals at Reagan National Airport

The Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is located nearby the city centre of America’s capital city, Washington, D.C. and in the state of Virginia. The airport was previously named as Washington National, but was later renamed to honour the former U.S. President, Ronald W. Reagan. It is a large American Airport, with approximately 18 million passengers per annum, and is recognised by its IATA code of DCA. For arriving passengers, there are many forms of ground transportation available, such as buses and trains. Passengers could also rent a car from one of the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport car hire companies.

The DCA airport currently consists of three terminal buildings, referred to as A, B and C. Terminal A is one of the original airport buildings, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It will soon undergo some major renovations. Terminals B and C are newer constructions, having being completed in 1997. They replaced several buildings that were built in the 1960’s. From any of these three terminals passengers can quite easily reach the car rental companies of the airport that are located on the first floor of Parking Garage A. There are shuttles available outside of the baggage claim areas of each terminal, referred to as the Parking or Car Rental Shuttles, or passengers could even walk to the car park in about ten minutes. The shuttles are recommended for persons with many luggage items to carry.

On-airport car rental companies at the Ronald Reagan Airport include Avis, Hertz, Alamo, National, Enterprise, Budget, Easycar, Europcar and Auto Europa. Thrifty is also present, but is considered as an off-airport brand, as they are located a little further from the terminal buildings. Free shuttle services will also be available for their customers. Although the companies mentioned have plenty of vehicles for hire, passengers are recommended to make an advanced, online car rental reservation. This will ensure that the vehicle they require is ready and waiting for their arrival at the airport.

When a reservation is made, the customer should also include any additional items of equipment that are required. Child seats are often available, and essential to travellers who have small children, and a GPS unit is wonderful device for any driver. The satellite navigation systems hired by the car rental companies are of a very good quality, and offer turn-by-turn directions in voice and visual mode. Drivers can also pinpoint their exact location at any time, and make use of the pre-programmed list of points of interest. Additional charges will be applicable for the hire of these items.

Free of charge, however, are hand controls for disabled drivers. The entire airport complex of Ronald Reagan Airport is accessible to a person with mobility challenges, and the shuttles are accessible as well. Assistance can also be arranged with the airline company concerned. From the Reagan Washington National Airport, hand controls should be reserved in advance, as it will need to be fitted to the correct type of vehicle before the customer arrives. The device is available for certain cars with an automatic transmission.

Vehicles from the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport car rental companies may be hired by persons who are 21 years of age or older, who are in possession of a major credit card and a valid drivers license. However, persons who are younger than 25 will have an additional insurance rate to pay which could amount to about $30.00 per day of car hire and per underage driver listed on the rental contract. This fee is applicable at all car hire companies, but the amount may vary. Younger drivers may have fewer car categories for their choice as well, but will still be able to hire from categories such as Economy, Compact, Midsize, Fullsize and perhaps even SUV and Minivan. In terms of payment, a credit card or debit card can be used at the end of the rental period, however, a hold will be placed on the renter’s account when the vehicle is collected. Only persons over the age of 25 can use a debit card (with the Visa or MasterCard logo) for this purpose.

The credit cards that may be used include MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover, Sears, PHH, GE Capital, Diner’s Club Int’l and AT & T Capital. Driving licenses accepted are those that have been issued in the United States of America, or those that are Canadian-endorsed. Foreign renters may need additional documentation to support their local licenses, such as an International Driving Permit and a passport.

From many of the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport car hire companies, one way hires may be requested, allowing the vehicle to be returned to a different rental location, and special memberships are available for more frequent renters. For example, the Hertz #1 Club, Avis Preferred, Budget’s Fastbreak program and the Blue Chip program from Thrifty. These memberships are free of charge and offer many beneficial services that help to save time and money. Club members may proceed to the 2nd or 3rd floor of Parking Garage A to collect their vehicles.

Cars available for hire in the United States of America have automatic transmissions, and are similar to the Chevrolet Aveo, Kia Rio, Nissan Versa, Chevy Cobalt, Ford Focus, Toyota Corolla, Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry and Chevrolet Impala. These are all cars that can seat up to five passengers, and some have reasonable space for luggage. They are also those with the lower car rental rates. Passengers of Reagan Washington National Airport who require a larger vehicle may consider an SUV such as the Ford Escape, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Ford Explorer, Ford Expedition, Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban and Lincoln Navigator, or even a Minivan such as the Dodge Grand Caravan. Even larger passenger vans may be available as well, similar to the Chevrolet Express, Ford E350 and Ford Econoline.

Driving a rented car in Washington, D.C. is quite possible, as there is a good road network available, and the centre area roads are arranged in a grid-like pattern. Many lovely areas are also within easy driving distance, such as Chesapeake Bay, Richmond and Baltimore. Always drive carefully, obeying the road rules and speed limits, which are 30mph in urban areas, 65mph on open roads and 70mph on the highways. Contact your favourite Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport car hire company for further details.