5 Best Los Angeles Airport Car Rental Companies — Browse Tips on Renting a Car at LAX in 2024

Los Angeles International Airport is notoriously one of the most difficult airports to travel in and out of. However, LAX also provides some of the most convenient flights to and from the West Coast. Because of this, if you’re traveling to Los Angeles or nearby, you’ll likely arrive at LAX.

As a destination, though, Los Angeles is explicitly known as a driving city. This is undeniably not a spot where you can take the subway everywhere you want to go as a tourist as you might elsewhere. Instead, ride shares and rental cars are your best bet for the easiest transportation. 

If you’re thinking of renting a car at Los Angeles International Airport because of all of the above, here’s what you need to know.

Which Car Rental Companies are Best at LAX?

At the present time, there are 11 rental car companies associated with LAX, all of which are national or large brands. These are the five best of those brands based on recent reviews from travelers. 

1. Alamo 

Google and Kayak reviewers alike both report that Alamo is one of the best rental car companies at LAX. Reviewers say the staff is super helpful and friendly, and appreciate that the staff doesn’t try to upsell or push higher-priced services during the check-in process. Others likewise report that getting to the Alamo rental office from LAX via their shuttle service is an, if not enjoyable, at least hassle-free experience (something that reviewers couldn’t always say about the other companies on this list). 

For those who prefer to go contactless and don’t necessarily want to work with the staff, no matter how friendly, Alamo offers tons of options. For example, skip-the-counter options take you from the terminal to the shuttle to the rental car, with no check-in process required. If you don’t go with that option, you can still check in on your own, thanks to Alamo’s self-service kiosks. 

Compared to some of the other car rental companies on this list, Alamo also offers lower prices, so it might be more suitable if you’re looking for the best of both worlds: both a good deal and a great experience. 

The only complaints? Some reviewers mention a slow process and wait times, while others noted that the cars weren’t as clean as they would’ve liked. 

Pros: Affordability, great customer service, and easy check-in and drop-off are all standard here. 

Cons: Just like you might with any car rental company, occasionally you might experience slower wait times with Alamo. Alamo’s rewards program also isn’t that attractive to frequent travelers. 

Phone: (888) 826-6893

Hours: 24 hours 

Google Rating: 4.3 stars

Kayak Rating: 8.8 (Very good)

Click Here to See the Best Car Rental Deals at Alamo

2. Enterprise 

Enterprise is one of the highest-ranked car rental providers at LAX, while also boasting some of the most overall, and most recent, reviews. Likewise, Enterprise is known nationwide as being a reputable car rental provider, often offering some of the best vehicles and some of the best customer service. Reviewers note this Enterprise location’s very friendly and helpful staff, smooth check-in process, and equally smooth return process. 

Additionally, for frequent travelers, the Enterprise Plus rewards program is more robust than what you might get with other rental car companies. Because of this, if you like earning those loyalty points and achieving loyalty program VIP status, you might want to opt for Enterprise as your go-to car rental company, no matter where you’re traveling. 

The one main downside? Enterprise can undoubtedly be on the pricier side. For this reason, if you’re looking for the best travel deal possible, you may want to look elsewhere. Luckily, there are plenty of other top-rated rental car companies at this airport. 

Pros: This Enterprise location receives rave reviews for its customer service and easy pick-up and drop-off processes. In general, Enterprise also offers a better rewards program than comparable rental car companies.  

Cons: Enterprise can be pricey, so might not be a great option for budget travelers. 

Phone: (310) 649 5400

Hours: 24 hours 

Google Rating: 4.3 stars

Kayak Rating: 8.4 (Very good)

Click Here to See the Best Car Rental Deals at Enterprise

3. National Car Rental

While National Car Rental doesn’t receive the highest ratings from reviewers across Kayak and Google, the LAX outpost is still by no means a bad choice. More of a middle-of-the-road option, it might make a good pick if you can’t find what you want at Enterprise or Alamo, both in terms of car choices and price. When it comes to price, though, do note that National isn’t known for being particularly cheap. 

Regardless, National offers a lot of perks. The Emerald Club is a pretty nice rewards program, and there are extra services that make for easier pick-up and drop-off processes. Drop & Go service allows you to just park your car right before your flight departs. Likewise, Emerald Aisle service allows you to choose the car you want from National’s selection at the time of your pick-up, without the need for a lengthy check-in process. 

Reviewers additionally mention the location’s friendly and helpful staff, convenient process, and super-fast pick-up. 

Pros: If you’re looking for convenience and fast service above all else, you might want to go with National. The rental provider also offers a pretty nice rewards program, if that’s something that matters to you. 

Cons: You might find National to be on the pricey side. 

Phone: (888) 826-6890

Hours: 24 hours 

Google Rating: 4.3 stars

Kayak Rating: 7.8 (Good)

Click Here to See the Best Car Rental Deals at National

4. Sixt Rent a Car

Sixt offers a large number of vehicles to choose from and mid-range prices. While it’s not as popular as, say, a Hertz or Enterprise, as this brand hasn’t been operating in the United States for a very long time, it’s becoming more popular, especially as travelers discover the brand’s fast, friendly service. 

While the experience here will be satisfactory, do note that this is one of the few rental car providers at the airport that doesn’t offer 24-hour service. Instead, the brand offers service up until midnight each day, resuming service the next morning. Obviously, this leaves you out of luck if your flight comes in late. However, if you’re leaving Los Angeles before the rental counter opens, 24-hour returns are allowed — you just won’t be able to talk to a human.

Pros: Sixt offers a satisfactory experience, with reasonable prices and a nice selection of cars. 

Cons: The rental counter is not manned for 24 hours. 

Phone: (888) 749-8227

Hours: 7 a.m.–12 a.m. (24-hour return available) 

Google Rating: 4 stars

Kayak Rating: 7.8 (Good)

Click Here to See the Best Car Rental Deals at Sixt

5. Hertz 

Hertz could be considered the least desirable of the national car rental brands that directly service LAX, without getting into the truly poorly-ranked providers. While Hertz isn’t at the complete bottom of the pack, it’s far from the best performer. For this reason, you might only want to rent here if you can’t find a good rental option from any of the above four brands, or if you’re just particularly loyal to Hertz. 

This location has a 3.8-star rating on Google and a 7.4 Kayak rating, which is “good” — but it’s not great. While reviewers mention a decent selection of cars and helpful staff, others bemoan the high prices. Others also mention that the pick-up process can be complicated and you might need to look out for extra charges.

Pros: Hertz is a well-known brand with a national level of service and a robust rewards program.

Cons: This particular Hertz location isn’t as highly rated as the other rental providers on our list.

Phone: (310) 568-5100

Hours: 24 hours 

Google Rating: 3.8 stars

Kayak Rating: 7.4 (Good)

Click Here to See the Best Car Rental Deals at Hertz

Comparing the 5 Best Car Rental Companies at Los Angeles International Airport

Get a quick glimpse of these five best car rental companies so you know which is right for you.

Brand/Rental Provider	Google/Kayak Rating	Types of available vehicles	Budget or Luxury?
National	4.3/7.8	Cars, trucks, SUVs, vans, luxury vehicles	Mid-range
Alamo	4.3/8.8	Cars, trucks, SUVs, vans, luxury vehicles	Budget
Enterprise	4.3/8.4	Cars, trucks, SUVs, vans, luxury vehicles	Luxury
Hertz	3.8/7.4	Cars, trucks, SUVs, vans, luxury vehicles	Luxury
Sixt	4/7.8	Cars, trucks, SUVs, vans, luxury vehicles	Mid-Range

Tips for Renting Cars at Los Angeles International Airport 

Renting a car at any airport, especially in a new-to-you destination, can be stressful. Be prepared before you arrive at LAX with these tips, to make your rental pick-up and drop-off process as easy as possible — no matter which rental provider you go with! 

Know where to go. 

While some smaller airports may have rental car offices on-site or at least on the airport’s property, that’s not the case for LAX. Instead, there are off-airport rental car offices and where you go to catch a shuttle to these offices will depend on your chosen rental provider. 

The main rental car shuttles pick up passengers on the lower/arrivals level. Go to the lower/arrivals level island outside the baggage claim and look for the purple sign that says “Rental Car Shuttles.” Do note, however, that this shuttle will only take you to offices for the following rental car companies:

• Alamo
• Avis
• Budget
• Dollar
• Enterprise
• Fox
• Hertz
• National
• Sixt
• Thrifty
• Zipcar

Other rental car companies pick up their customers via the Remote Rental Car Depot. To reach this depot, you’ll have to, again, go to the lower/arrivals level. Then, find the pink LAX shuttle sign in front of the terminal. Board the metro connector shuttle and then take the shuttle to the intersection of Century and Airport Boulevards. There, you’ll find the depot. 

Rental car companies that pick up customers at the depot include:

• Able Car Rental
• Allied Rent a Car
• Ace Rent a Car 
• Airport Van Rental
• Avail
• Green Motion Car Rental
• Lyft Rentals
• Midway
• Next Car of Los Angeles
• Priceless of Los Angeles
• State Van Rentals
• U-Save Car & Truck Rental 

Explore all your options.

If you’ve looked at all of our suggested options above and you’re still not finding a rental car that fits within your budget, consider renting a car at an office further away from the airport. You might be able to find a better deal, as well as more options. You will, though, need to take a ride-share service from the airport to the rental office of your choice.

Don’t freak out if you didn’t book your rental car in advance.

Just realized now that you didn’t book a rental car and your trip is, like, tomorrow? No worries. 

If you still have yet to book your rental and the clock is ticking, rest assured that you can rent a car via one of the booking desks in the airport arrivals area. While an advanced booking can save you money and allow you to shop around for your best deal and fit, you can still book a rental car upon your arrival. 

Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.