Visitors intending to reach the official website should visit orlandoairports.net
Guide to Car Rental at Orlando Airport (MCO)
Quick Questions about Car Rental at MCO
Which companies are inside the airport?
Ten: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Payless, Sixt and Thrifty. Their counters are on Level 1 of Terminals A and B and on Level 4 of Terminal C, and the cars are picked up in the adjacent garages.
What is the biggest problem when renting a car here?
The wait at the counter, especially at the budget brands, where one or two agents often serve a long line. Reviews also repeat insurance and toll plans presented as mandatory.
How can I avoid the lines?
Choose a program that skips the counter: Alamo Skip the Counter, National Emerald Aisle or Avis Preferred. With Enterprise and National you also choose the car in the garage row.
How do I pay tolls without the rental company's plan?
With the airport's Visitor Toll Pass: you pick it up from machines on Level 1 of Terminals A and B or Level 4 of Terminal C, there is no subscription fee and you only pay the tolls you use.
Are the extra insurances mandatory?
No. In Florida the supplemental liability insurance (SLI/LIS) is optional, and several reviews report agents presenting it as a legal requirement.
Is there a gas station near the rental car return?
Not inside the return area. The closest is a Shell at the South Travel Plaza, next to the train station. Local travelers recommend Wawa and warn about overpriced stations right outside the airport.
Critical Points: Smart Traveler's Manual
Waits at the counter
The most serious and repeated problem: long lines with few agents, especially at Dollar, Thrifty, Hertz and Budget, and after midnight.
💡 Suggestion: if the budget allows, book with a company that lets you skip the counter and complete the online check-in before flying.
Add-ons you did not ask for
Insurance, roadside assistance and toll plans added without clear consent are the most repeated complaint at Dollar and Thrifty, with charges discovered later on the card.
💡 Suggestion: read the contract line by line, decline what you do not want out loud and photograph the signed contract.
Car class not available
Several travelers with confirmed reservations found their car class unavailable and were offered a paid upgrade.
💡 Suggestion: keep your confirmation with the price and class at hand, and ask for a free upgrade if they cannot honor the reservation.
Late arrivals at Terminal C
Late at night some counters in Terminal C close and passengers are sent by train to Terminals A and B.
💡 Suggestion: if you land late at Terminal C, confirm your company's hours there before traveling.
Finding the return
Each terminal has its own return, and drivers who miss the right one end up riding the train and losing 25 minutes or more.
💡 Suggestion: check which terminal your airline uses and follow the return signs for that terminal.
Pros and Cons of Renting a Car at MCO
- Pros:
- Counters inside the airport: ten companies in Terminals A, B and C, with the cars in the adjacent garages.
- Skip the counter: Alamo, National and Avis have programs to go straight to the car.
- Choose your own car: Alamo, Enterprise and National let you pick from the row in your class.
- Visitor Toll Pass: a cheaper alternative to the companies' toll plans.
- Cons:
- Long lines: at the budget brands and late at night.
- Add-ons without consent: repeated complaints at Dollar and Thrifty.
- Post-return charges: fuel, tolls or damage charged days later.
- Confusing returns: one return per terminal and poor road signage.
Guide to Picking Up and Returning Your Vehicle Without Surprises
Rental counters are on Level 1 of Terminals A and B and on Level 4 of Terminal C. Cars are picked up and returned in the adjacent garages: levels R1, R2 and P1 of Garages A and B depending on the company, and levels C1 and C2 of the Terminal C garage.
Vehicle Pickup Process
Documents and requirements: bring your valid driver's license in good condition, a credit card in the driver's name and your reservation. Read the contract carefully before signing and firmly decline what you do not need.
Wait times: this is the biggest friction point. Without a skip-the-counter program, be ready for a line, especially at night.
Vehicle inspection: before leaving, check the car inside and out and record a video. Reviews mention dirty cars, odors and pre-existing damage.
Tolls and fuel: Florida's toll system is a frequent sales point. Compare the company's plan with the airport's Visitor Toll Pass and check the fuel policy.
User experience:
- With skip-the-counter programs, travelers go from the terminal to the car in minutes and choose it from the row.
- At the counters of the budget brands, each customer takes a long time because of the sales pitch, and the line barely moves.
- Reviews about tolls repeat the same story: daily plans or administrative fees much higher than the tolls actually used.
Strategy: pick up the Visitor Toll Pass from the machines before going to the car and decline the company's toll plan.
Vehicle Return
Final documentation: always ask for a final receipt when returning the car and check it before leaving. Travelers warn about cleaning, damage or fuel charges that appear days or weeks later.
Fuel: there is no gas station in the return area. The closest is a Shell at the South Travel Plaza (Jeff Fuqua Blvd and South Park Place).
Remote check-in: if you fly a domestic flight with Alaska, American, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest or United, you can check your bags in Garage C, from 6:00 am to 2:00 pm.
User experience:
- The return itself is usually quick, and many reviews praise the return staff.
- The road signage to the returns is one of the most criticized points: each terminal has its own, and missing it means going around the airport again.
- Charges for fuel after returning the car full are reported, especially when booking through third parties.
Strategy: fill up shortly before the airport, keep the gas receipt and photograph the fuel gauge and mileage when you return the car.
Analysis of Car Rental Companies
Orlando International Airport has ten rental companies with counters inside the terminals. Below is a summary of the real user experience with each one.
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Alamo
User experience:
- Mostly positive: Skip the Counter is praised as the best way to avoid the lines.
- Travelers choose any car in their class from the row, and the staff is described as friendly and not pushy.
- The only repeated drawback is that you choose a class, not a specific model.
Strategy: complete the online check-in to use Skip the Counter and go straight to the garage.
Avis
User experience:
- Recent reviews are few and positive about the counter staff.
- Previous reviews reported waits of one to four hours due to lack of staff, and cars unavailable for night arrivals.
- A specific pattern reported before: a "Roadside Assistance Plus" charge added to prepaid reservations.
Strategy: join Avis Preferred to go straight to the car, and check the charges sheet before signing.
Budget
User experience:
- Mixed: some reviews praise the counter staff, especially on late arrivals.
- The negative ones repeat the reserved class not being available and cars delivered dirty.
- Earlier reviews reported unauthorized charges for fuel and tolls and cleaning fees applied weeks later.
Strategy: record the condition of the car on video before leaving and confirm the class on your reservation at the counter.
Dollar
User experience:
- The most criticized company in this sample: very slow counter service, with long sales pitches for insurance and tolls.
- Final charges higher than the prepaid or quoted price are a repeated complaint.
- Several travelers report extras they declined appearing on the bill, and damage claims despite photos at pickup.
- Dollar shares counters and garage with Thrifty and Hertz, which causes confusion about which car belongs to which reservation.
Strategy: bring your own toll solution and proof of insurance, decline extras explicitly and check the card charge against the receipt.
Enterprise
User experience:
- Generally very positive: quick pickup and return, clean cars and friendly staff.
- Travelers value choosing the car from a wide selection in the garage.
- The few complaints are about extra fees on top of a points or prepaid rental.
Hertz
User experience:
- Long lines with few agents, even for loyalty members who should go straight to the garage.
- Late-night arrivals report a single agent and waits of over an hour for a car already checked in.
- Hidden fees and fuel charges are reported, especially on bookings through third parties.
- The cars themselves get good comments: new and clean.
Strategy: do your own inspection with photos before leaving and return the car with a full tank and the receipt.
National
User experience:
- Mostly excellent: Emerald Aisle lets you choose the car and leave without going through the counter.
- Travelers highlight clean cars, quick exits and no surprise charges.
Payless
User experience:
- Few recent reviews, split between correct service and serious complaints about charges and deposits.
- Earlier reviews reported closed counters, cancelled reservations and mileage limits not clearly explained.
Strategy: review the contract in detail before signing, especially the deposit and mileage clauses.
Sixt
User experience:
- Recent reviews are very positive: check-in through the app, a quick pickup and no pushy upselling.
- Late arrivals mention leaving with the car right away.
- Earlier reviews reported damage charges after the rental and slow post-rental service.
Strategy: use the app check-in and take 360° photos and video of the car at pickup and return.
Thrifty
User experience:
- Mostly negative: insurance and roadside assistance added without clear consent is the most repeated complaint.
- The reserved car or class not being available, with a paid upgrade as the only option, also repeats.
- Toll charges higher than the plan paid and slow customer service after the rental.
Strategy: use the airport's Visitor Toll Pass instead of the company's toll plan, and review every line of the contract before signing.
Off the Airport
If you can't book with a company inside the airport, there are alternatives off the premises with free shuttle buses to their offices. The buses pick up and drop off on Level 1 of Terminal A (A11–A13), Level 1 of Terminal B (B60–B62), Level 1 of Terminal C (C277–C278) and Level 1 of the train station (C3–C4).
- Action Car Rental
- Bandago
- Carl's Van Rentals
- Clubs Car Rental
- Easirent
- Economy Rent A Car
- Florida Van Rentals
- Fox
- Global
- Green Motion
- GS Car Rental
- Inbocars
- JC Car Rental
- Mex Rent A Car
- Nextcar of Orlando
- OC Car Rental
- Reliant
- Rent A Car 4 Less
- Roam of Orlando
- Routes Car Rental
- RROA Car Rental
- SurPrice Car Rentals
- Zezgo Orlando
The airport's directory also lists AddCar, Advance Rent A Car, AFS Rental Group, Americars MCO, APM Car Rental, Astralis and CarWiz Rent A Car.
Final Considerations
What should you consider before renting a car in Orlando?
Having your own vehicle offers comfort and flexibility. Although Orlando has public transportation, many places worth visiting are far apart, so a car is often the most practical way to explore the city and its surroundings.
Keep in mind that traffic at peak hours is often heavy, and that you will have extra costs: fuel before returning the car and tolls on many of the area's highways.
In addition to a valid driver's license, national or international, make sure you understand the coverage included in your rental and what your own insurance or credit card already covers.
Respect traffic signs and speed limits, and do not drink and drive. Authorities in the United States enforce the rules strictly and penalties can be severe.
In downtown areas, look for private parking lots, especially during business hours, as street spaces are limited.
