If you’re planning on visiting Manchester or any of its northern neighbours for a few days, there’s no easier way to get around than with a hire car. There’s a rental car for every budget at Manchester Airport, with the choice of eight different car hire providers, and hundreds of different vehicles big and small. Whether you’re looking for an economical runaround or a luxury four-wheel drive, you’re sure to find the perfect hire car for your stay. To make it easier to weigh up your options, the team here at Parkhero have put together a short guide on car hire at Manchester Airport. Read on to learn more about car rental companies at the airport, what you should be aware of before hiring a car, and how you can secure the best deal.
You’ll get more out of your trip to Manchester if you hire a car. You won’t need to rely on public transport, pay too much for a taxi, squeeze your suitcase onto a busy airport train, or jam yourself on an overcrowded bus. Instead, you can step off your plane, breeze through the airport, and then drive straight to your hotel.
There are eight well known car hire providers at Manchester Airport, including Alamo, Avis, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz, Budget, National Car Rental, and Sixt. All have their own desk within the aptly named Manchester Airport Car Rental Village, located next to the Terminal 1 and the Terminal 3 Long Stay Car Parks. A free shuttle service is available to connect passengers to/from the terminals to the Car Rental Village, which departs every 10 minutes.
The Manchester Airport Car Rental Village is open 7 days a week, however the exact opening times of the providers themselves can vary. If you’ve pre-booked a hire car online, it’s always worth confirming your car rental provider’s opening hours in advance.
When you arrive at the hire car company’s office to collect your car, you'll need to bring a few documents with you. You should bring your driver's licence and a credit card in your own name, and you may also be required to show additional documentation such as a passport, national identity card, travel documents, or utility bills. If you reserved your rental car online, you’ll need to bring a copy of your booking confirmation.
If you have a UK drivers licence, you’ll need to bring both parts of your driving licence with you (the photocard and its paper counterpart), as most car hire companies at Manchester Airport will ask to see them before handing over the keys.
For small cars to executive cars, all of the operators at Manchester Airport offer a wide range of vehicles for hire. The most common types of hire cars, which you should have no problem booking include, compact cars, economy cars, sedans, estate cars, premium cars, and 4x4 cars.
For more information, you can reach out to the car hire provider’s themselves on:
We checked the average prices of Manchester Airport car rentals for different vehicle types, to see how prices compare. On average, it will cost you around £20.00 per day to rent a small car, and around £25.00 - £30.00 to rent a compact SUV. For a more indepth look at hire car rates per day, please consult the table below:
| Time period | Compact car | Economy car | SUV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Day | £35.06 | £38.37 | £47.21 |
| 2 Days | £50.28 | £51.34 | £66.35 |
| 3 Days | £61.83 | £64.87 | £70.57 |
| 4 Days | £77.91 | £87.43 | £93.95 |
| 5 Days | £113.38 | £119.22 | £174.68 |
| 6 Days | £118.85 | £124.95 | £183.07 |
| 7 Days | £136.60 | £143.63 | £210.03 |
| 1 Week | £156.11 | £164.14 | £240.32 |
We found these rates by searching for on-airport car rentals on vroomvroomvroom.co.uk, for the month of September, 2020. It’s well worth noting that off-airport car hire prices were significantly cheaper, with savings of around £10.00 to £15.00 per day across most vehicle types. Although not as easy to get to, renting a vehicle from an off-airport car hire provider may be worth considering if you’re trying to stick to a tight budget.
Yes! There are plenty of restrictions involved with hiring a car from Manchester Airport, so it pays to be well informed. Some of the most important factors to take into consideration are:
If you’re flying to Manchester soon, you’re probably busy ticking things off your to-do list. Flights - check. Hotels - check. Airport Parking? Check ....? If you haven’t worked out how you’re getting to the airport yet, we suggest adding airport parking to your travel checklist ASAP. Similar to how flight prices can increase the closer you get to departure, as seats start to sell out, airport parking rates can go up too. The longer you leave it to book, the more expensive your parking will be.
You can use Parkhero to search, compare, and book your airport parking, whether you’re flying from London’s Heathrow or Gatwick, visiting from Edinburgh or Glasgow, or departing from Cardiff, you’ll be able to find an affordable parking space with Parkhero. We make it easy to travel to the airport, park in a guaranteed space, and then head to your flight without hassle. You can select from a range of trusted, independent park & ride services, or one of the airport’s own meet & greet options. Whether you’re looking to save money, or to park as close to the terminal as possible, you’ll find your ideal space on Parkhero.
All of the car hire rates mentioned in this article serve as a guide only. While they were accurate at the time of publishing, prices can and do change regularly. Travellers should ensure that they check the price of their proposed product/service with the service provider before booking.
It is not possible to book hire cars on Parkhero; the information above is provided for reference only, and does not constitute travel advice.
