Car Rentals at Winnipeg Airport

The airport is situated just to the west of central Winnipeg, and is nearby to the Murray Industrial Park, Saskatchewan North and St. James Industrial area. The airport is one of the largest in the province of Manitoba, and in the country of Canada, as it handles over three million passengers every year. It is known by its airport code of YWG, and is officially named after James Armstrong Richardson who was a pioneer of Canadian commercial aviation. The airport has many facilities, including car hire companies, such as Avis, Budget, National and Hertz, and these companies supply rental cars to passengers of the airport who qualify and who would like a more private form of transport.

Passengers arriving at Winnipeg Airport will mainly enter the main terminal building, from where the majority of the airport’s airline companies operate their flights. This terminal is quite new, for it began construction in 2007, and was officially opened for business at the end of October, 2011. Other developments that have greatly improved service at the airport in recent years include a new access road completed in 2006 and a new parkade, also opened in 2006. There are also another two terminals on the airport grounds, and they are used only by Perimeter Aviation and Kivallig Air, the two airline companies for which the airport is a hub. The Winnipeg International Airport car hire companies are found in the parkade of the airport, which is within easy walking distance of the main terminal. They are found on the main level of the four-level parking structure, and are generally open from 06:00/07:00 to midnight, seven days a week.

The car rental companies available at this airport location include Hertz, Budget, Avis, National, Enterprise, Alamo, Auto Europa, Thrifty, Dollar and Europcar, however, a few companies may have their offices at a further location, and operate shuttles to and from the airport. Thrifty and Dollar are such companies. Although a shuttle may sound like a hassle, they are usually frequently available, and able to accommodate your luggage items and persons with disabilities. The journey is usually quick as well, and they are not far from the airport. The on-site airport car rental companies have their vehicles parked nearby to the main terminal as well, which is convenient for all arriving passengers.

Vehicles can be hired from Winnipeg Airport for business or leisure purposes. Many of the companies offer services for both types of customers, however, National is best known for their comprehensive services for corporate clients, while Alamo has become a favourite choice for people on vacation. Avis is well known in both rental sectors, and offers a large number of quality vehicles for hire. Their rental rates are reasonable as well. Hertz and Auto Europa are two of the longest-standing car hire companies in the world, Hertz with over ninety years of experience. Hertz, along with Budget, also offer vehicle categories from where a car can be chosen by its specific make and model. Thrifty, Dollar and Europcar are well known car rental companies with locations around the world, and Enterprise has established themselves as a respected company in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Germany.

A wide range of small, large and premium cars are available from all the Winnipeg International car rental companies. The smaller cars are usually cheaper to hire, but always make sure that they will have enough room for your passengers and luggage items. They could be similar to the Suzuki Swift, Nissan Versa or Ford Focus, which are available from the Economy, Compact and Intermediate car categories. Larger cars are similar to the Ford Fusion, Hyundai Sonata, Chevy Impala, Nissan Altima, Chrysler 300 and Buick Allure. The Chrysler and Buick models are usually hired from the Premium or Luxury car categories, and have a number of more elegant features. They are often popular for business rentals.

Minivans and SUVs can be hired as well, and are ideal cars for groups of travellers and for driving longer distances. Minivans such as the Dodge Grand Caravan seat seven passengers, and some larger SUVs seat seven as well, such as the Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban, Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator. SUVs of an ordinary size have room for five passengers, and include the Ford Escape, Jeep Liberty, Ford Explorer and Chevy Trailblazer. Most cars hired can be arranged as a one way hire from Winnipeg International Airport. One way hire services allow the customer to return their vehicle to a different car rental location. Additional items of equipment may be requested with the vehicle as well, such as child seats, satellite navigation systems and hand controls for disabled drivers. From Winnipeg Airport, hand controls are free of charge, but all other items will cost a few extra CAD per day of hire (or per rental contract).

The primary renter at this location will need to show a valid drivers license and be in possession of a major credit card. He/she will also need to be at least 21 years of age or older. The same rules apply to additional drivers listed on the rental contract. Although drivers younger than 25 are permitted to hire a car, they will be subject to higher rental rates, and may not be able to rent from each car category. Larger or premium vehicles, and SUVs and convertibles may often only be hired by persons 25 years of age or older. The major credit cards accepted by the companies include American Express, Mastercard, Visa, GE Capital, Discover, Diner’s Club Int’l, Sears and Peterson, Howell and Heather (PHH). Keep in mind as well that G1 and G2 driving licenses are not accepted, and foreign drivers may require an International Driving Permit along with various other documentation.

If any further details are required, it is recommended to contact your favourite car rental company at Winnipeg International. It is also best to hire your vehicle from this location in advance, and preferably online, as cheaper rental rates are then secured.