Car hire prices at Bilbao Airport

A good price at Bilbao Airport in October 2026 is around £32 a day for a Compact car like a Seat Leon, £27 for an Economy and £22 for a Mini, booked about a month ahead. An Intermediate car, the Nissan Qashqai size, is about £38 a day. Leaving your booking to the last 2 weeks drops the Compact price to around £27. Across the year, March 2027 is the cheapest month at £23 a day for a Mini, while August 2027 peaks at £85 for a larger executive car. If your quote sits well above these rates, our price checker will show the going rate for your exact dates.

For October 2026 at Bilbao Airport, waiting saves money: a Compact car drops from £32 a day a month before your trip to £27 in the last 2 weeks. Across the year, booking 9 months ahead averages £39 a day compared to £25 in the last 2 weeks before pickup, so you have missed nothing by waiting. Across the 395 airports we track car hire prices for, 48% of our customers book within 14 days of travel. Only 2% book more than 6 months before their flight.

Rentbycar is the cheapest company at Bilbao Airport for a Compact car, averaging £20 a day from 675 prices over the last 12 months, but it holds a £1,113 card deposit. You must also bring a credit card, as Rentbycar refuses debit cards entirely. GoByCar and Centauro are next at £25 a day. All 17 counters sit directly at the airport, so you will not need to wait for a shuttle bus.

The cheapest company can cost you a longer queue or a bigger deposit, so check the review score and desk wait beside each car in the results before you book.

Hertz is the best-reviewed company at Bilbao Airport, scoring 87/100 from 43 reviews with an average desk wait of 19 minutes. A Compact car with Hertz costs £35 a day on average over the last 12 months from 758 prices. Rentbycar is the cheapest at £20 a day and scores 86/100, though its desk has a 19-minute wait and requires an £1,113 deposit. Goldcar received the most feedback with 8,309 reviews and scores 77/100, alongside a 14-minute average wait.

Review scores are CarTrawler customers' own, from the last five months; the score and the desk wait sit beside each car in the results.

At Bilbao Airport, security deposits range from £171 with Alamo, Enterprise and National up to £1,670 with OK Mobility, and only 2 of the 17 desks accept debit cards. Another 4 desks take a debit card for some cars only, while 11 desks accept credit cards alone. Filter for a debit card on the results page before you compare quotes rather than after. Any extra fees charged at the desk are listed under each car.

If you bring your own child seat, check your airline's rules first: most carry one free, some charge.

Two main traps catch drivers out at Bilbao Airport: steep credit-card security deposits and long desk queues at busy counters. Eleven of the 17 desks refuse debit cards completely, and suppliers like OK Mobility hold up to £1,670 on your card. Counter wait times also vary considerably, stretching to 38 minutes at Keddy by Europcar while National averages 14 minutes. Motorway driving away from the city is fast, but make sure your card has enough spare credit before you reach the desk.

Fuel is full tank out, full tank back on 99% of prices at Bilbao Airport, so there is no fuel charge to be surprised by.

For up to 5 passengers heading out onto the motorway, pick a Compact car like a Seat Leon at Bilbao Airport, costing around £32 a day for October 2026. A Compact car seats 5 people but holds 3 bags, meaning a full group must manage luggage carefully. Stepping down to an Economy Seat Ibiza saves money at £27 a day but holds only 2 bags, while an Intermediate Nissan Qashqai provides 4 bags of boot space for £38. Automatics make up 50% of the cars offered and cost £5 more a day, while electric and hybrid models make up just 5% combined, so book ahead if you require an alternative engine.