Car Rental at Seattle Airport [SEA], Washington [WA], USA

Where are car rental companies at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)?

You will have no trouble finding your rental car when you arrive at Seattle-Tacoma Intl. Airport. Most companies have offices and counters at a dedicated Rental Car Center located at 3150 S. 160th St., SeaTac, WA 98188. The facility is only 5.67 miles away from the nearest airport terminal, which means you'll get to your rental car quickly.

All major providers including Alamo, Thrifty, EZ, Dollar, Avis, Budget, Enterprise and others offer you to rent a car at Seattle Airport. They are located in a consolidated Rental Car Center. Check the hours and major features of each company operating there.

• Alamo. The company operates 24/7 and offers an online check-in that speeds up the rental process. To get to the counter, look for the Rental Car Facility shuttle located at the exit of the baggage claim area.
• Avis. Working 24/7, the provider offers Avis Preferred service. It allows you to change or upgrade your pre-selected vehicle.
• Budget. The office is open 24/7 and is accessible via a free shuttle service departing from the baggage claim area exit. Look for a Fastbreak line or kiosk to speed up the rental process.
• National. Take the shuttle in order to get to the company counter. It’s located out the sliding glass doors near Carousels #1 and #15. Upon arrival, head to the fifth floor of the facility. The company operates 24/7 and offers a Drop & Go service that speeds up the car return process.
• Enterprise. The company operates from 4 a.m. till 1:30 a.m., Monday through Sunday. If you would like to return your car after hours, just leave your keys in dropbox.
• Fox. The branch is open 24/7 and easily accessible by shuttle bus.
• Payless. The office is located a 5-minute drive from the terminal and offers 24/7 services. You will find the courtesy bus outside the baggage claim area.
• Dollar. Operating 24/7, Dollar is one of the few companies offering car rentals with a debit card. The company's counter is accessible by shuttle bus.
• Thrifty. The location operates 24/7 and provides cars with both credit and debit cards. The office is conveniently located in the Rental Car Facility, within a short drive from the terminal.
• Hertz. The company’s self-service kiosks allow you to skip the counter. At the same time, the office is open 24/7 and offers Gold Canopy Service, Gold Choice, and Prestige Service.
• Sixt. Find a free shuttle bus at the Airport North or South baggage claims to get to the Rental Car Center. Then, go to level 5, and proceed to the far right side of the floor. The counter is available 24/7.
• Rent-a-Wreck. The counter operates from 9 a.m. till 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Leave the keys in the dropbox if you return the car after business hours.

Directions to the Rental Car Facility at SeaTac Airport

It is almost impossible to rent a car at Seattle Airport without visiting the Rental Car Center with all car rental companies available in this location. It’s situated close to the airport, with easy access to and from each of the terminals.

Getting to the Rental Car Facility

• From the airport terminal. If you arrive in the city by plane, you can easily get to the Rental Car Center from the terminal. How can you do it? After collecting the baggage, go outside and find the shuttle pick-up area marked with the corresponding sign. Seatac car rental shuttles run every 20-30 minutes 24 hours a day and stop at both the north and south sides of the terminal. A trip to the rental desks takes about 5 minutes.
• From Seattle Downtown. Follow I-5 south and then take exit 154B to merge onto WA-518 W towards Seattle-Tacoma Airport. After that follow signs for WA-99 S and merge onto WA-99 N. Finally, turn right onto S 160th St and go to the facility.
• From Bellevue. Get on I-405 S from Bellevue Way SE and continue on I-405 S to SeaTac. Take the exit toward Sea-Tac Airport from WA-518 W and proceed to move on WA-99 N to Seatac Rental Car Center.
• From Tacoma. Follow I-5 N and then take exit 154 for WA-518 W towards Sea-Tac. Continue on WA-99 S to your destination.

Getting from the Rental Car Facility

• To the airport terminal. You can get to the terminal with shuttle buses that leave every 20-30 minutes from outside the building. However, choose the bus depending on where it arrives - on the north (serving Alaska Airlines) or south (serving international airlines) side of the terminal. After a short 5-minute drive, the bus will drop you off at the lower section outside of the baggage claim area.
• To Seattle Downtown. After you drop off rent car at Seattle Airport, you may need to head to the city center. You can get there in several available ways:

Use the Light Rail. Seattle-Tacoma Airport Station is located a 10-15-minute walk from the terminal. The trip takes between 35-40 minutes and costs $3.00 per person.

Pick up a taxi. Taxis are available when you exit the terminal. On average, it will cost you $40 to get from the airport to Seattle downtown.

Take advantage of Uber or Lyft online services. You can order a car to the airport directly from your smartphone - the trip will cost about $40. The driver will be waiting for you in the parking lot, on the 3rd floor of the rental facility. Follow the “Ground Transportation” signs to get there.

Take an Airporter. Capital Aeroporter and Shuttle Express are private shuttles that run between the airport and Seattle downtown. They are slightly more expensive than the Light Rail but cheaper than taxis.

Things to know about Seattle Airport car rental return

You can return your rental car to the Level 3 of SeaTac's Rental Car Facility located at 3150 S. 160th St., Seattle. If you are driving on I-5, follow signs for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Then watch for the Rental Car Return sign and move to the dedicated parking lot of the desired company.

After you arrive, hand over the keys to the company employee. If you drop off the car after hours, leave the keys in the dropbox. Seatac rental car return procedure will take you from 8 to 32 minutes, depending on the company and the current workload.

Cheap Seattle Airport car rental deals

It may not exactly be cheap to rent a car at SeaTac Airport. The main reason is the high taxes that car rental companies pay for the use of airport spaces. This forces providers to charge prices that are 20-30% higher than those in off-airport locations. Therefore, it’s cheaper to pick up a rental car not at the airport but away from it. However, if you still want to start your trip near the airport, here's how to avoid airport tax on a car rental SeaTac:

• Opt-out of additional insurance. Full or additional insurance costs money, but if you are an experienced driver, you can opt-out of it and leave the basic plan. This will make the total cost cheaper.
• Don't take the prepaid fuel option. Prepaid fuel is a very convenient option that allows you to save time. That is, you won’t need to visit a gas station to refuel your car. However, you overpay for fuel that you didn’t use in this case.
• Pick up car rental near Seattle Airport. Use a taxi or other transport to get to a nearby location, where a rental car will cost you 20-30% cheaper.
• Look for discount deals. Sometimes companies provide 10-20% discounts on cars. You can find such deals by filling out the search form on our website.
• Don’t return your SeaTac Airport car rental early. When you return the car late, the company will charge you an additional fee. The same is true if you return the car too early. Thus, try to stick to your original travel plans so as not to overpay. Otherwise, contact the company and inquire about fees that may apply if you return early.