Car Rentals at New York La Guardia Airport

LaGuardia Airport is one of the three large airports in the city of New York. It is part of the second-busiest airport system in the world, which also consists of the JFK International Airport and the Newark Liberty International Airport. In total, the three airports handle just over 100 million passengers per annum. LaGuardia is known by its airport code of LGA, and is found on the waterfront of Flushing Bay and Bowery Bay. It is a modern establishment, with many facilities for its passengers, including several LaGuardia car hire companies. Many passengers rent a car to drive to all the beautiful coastal areas nearby.

This airport of the United States of America is found in the borough of Queens district, and is also nearby to the neighbourhoods of Astoria, Jackson Heights and East Elmhurst. It sees around 23 million passengers every year, and consists of four large terminal buildings, each dedicated to the operations of various airline companies. Delta Air Lines uses LaGuardia as a hub location, and the airport serves as a focus city for American Airlines as well. Many flights are also offered by US Airways, United Airlines, American Eagle, Frontier Airlines and Southwest Airlines. The terminals are lettered, as well as named, and Terminal B, or the Central Terminal Building, is where the majority of domestic flight services are handled.

Although driving in the city centre of New York is not really recommended, many passengers of the airport still hire a car for travelling to the scenic towns nearby, and for exploring the coastal areas found on Long Island, for example, Long Beach, Brookhaven and Hempstead. The main road on Long Island is the Interstate 495. To the north of LaGuardia Airport, motorists can travel to New Rochelle, Stamford, Norwalk, Fairfield and Bridgeport, along the Interstate 95. Several roads also run to the west, through Manhattan and Newark, as well as south towards Philadelphia, which is another large city within easy driving distance of New York. Remember to find out from your chosen car rental company their policies regarding the payment of tolls, as there are several toll-roads in the area. They may provide you with their own E-ZPass transponder tags, or you may need to pay for the toll in cash yourself (or with your own E-ZPass transponder tag). It is recommended to not add the rental car’s license plate number to your E-ZPass transponder account should you need to pay for the tolls yourself.

LaGuardia car rental companies include Hertz, Avis, Budget, National, Enterprise, Easycar, Dollar, Auto Europa and Europcar. Some have rental counters in the arrival areas of the terminals, but others operate shuttle buses to and from their rental locations. The shuttles are free of charge, and able to accommodate a passenger’s luggage items. They are also frequently available from the lower levels of the terminal buildings. Most of the car hire companies are open seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day, and do not have an exception hours on public holidays. Car rental at LaGuardia is therefore always convenient. Although there are many vehicles for hire, it is recommended to book in advance, preferably online. Your ideal car is then secured, and you will often receive lower car rental rates for the early booking. Car hire is often compared to arranging an airline ticket – the sooner you make a reservation, the better the price that is offered.

The cars available from Budget, Hertz, Avis and the other car hire companies are similar to the Hyundai Accent, Chevy Aveo, Kia Rio, Nissan Altima, Toyota Corolla, Ford Focus, Chevrolet Cruze and Chevrolet Impala. These cars generally all seat up to five passengers, and are ideal for travelling of all distances. The smaller cars, however, will have less room for luggage, but are light on fuel and come with cheaper rental rates. A compromise will need to be made between price and space, as a car that is too small often cramps the holiday spirit! Customers who prefer SUVs can choose from Standard, Midsize, Fullsize and Premium SUVs, and will be driving a vehicle similar to the Ford Escape, Ford Edge, Chevrolet Traverse, Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban, Hummer H3 and Lincoln Navigator. SUVs are wonderful cars to drive, almost guaranteed to get you there safely. Minivans for groups of passengers are available, such as the Dodge Grand Caravan and Toyota Sienna, and the Ford Clubwagon, Ford E350 and Chevrolet Express are all larger Passenger Vans seating between twelve and fifteen people.

Furthermore, passengers arriving at LaGuardia Airport can hire convertibles, luxury cars, crossovers and even hybrid cars. The luxury cars are often similar to the Lincoln Town Car, Buick Lucerne and Chrysler 300.

The minimum age required to rent a car in most US cities is 21, but certain car hire companies at LaGuardia even allow vehicles to be hired by persons eighteen years of age or older. However, there are also always extra charges for persons younger than 25, and the extra charges for persons younger than 21 are even higher. Young driver fees is paid per day of car hire, and per young driver registered on the rental contract. Several car categories are unavailable as well. All drivers must be present to collect the vehicle, and will be asked to show a valid driving license that has not expired. The license should be issued in the United States, or should be a Canadian-endorsed license, otherwise the renter will need to show a passport and/or a return airline ticket. An International Driving Permit may also be required from certain countries. In addition, a major credit card is most often required, however, debit cards with the Mastercard or Visa logo could also be accepted.

Hand controls for disabled drivers can be hired, but are free of charge, and child seats and GPS units can be arranged at a small additional cost per day of hire. A satellite navigation system is a wonderful device to have with you if you have never driven the road network surrounding LaGuardia. One way hires may also be possible to arrange, however, they are not always available from all car hire companies.

Contact your favourite LaGuardia car hire company for more information regarding their car rental services.