Car hire prices at Basel Airport

A good price at Basel Airport in October 2026 is around £35 a day for a Compact car like a Volkswagen Golf, booked about a month ahead. A smaller Economy model such as a Volkswagen Polo is around £30 a day, while an Intermediate Peugeot 3008 is about £44. In the last 2 weeks before travel, a Compact car rises slightly to £37 a day. Across the year, prices range from £38 a day for a Mini in November 2026 up to £183 for a luxury car in July 2027. If your quote is higher, check your exact dates in the price checker.

For Basel Airport, booking late saves about 65%, with prices dropping from £76 a day 9 months before your trip to £46 in the last 2 weeks. For October 2026 specifically, a Compact car is £35 a day booked about a month before you travel, and £37 in the last 2 weeks. If you have not booked yet, you have not missed out on early deals. Across the 395 airports we track car hire prices for, 48% of our customers book within 2 weeks of pickup.

Budget is the cheapest car hire company at Basel Airport for a Compact car, averaging £55 a day across 532 prices over the last 12 months. You give up very little for that rate, as Budget operates directly at the terminal, holds a modest £274 deposit, and scores 87/100 from 65 reviews. Hertz is close behind at £56 a day from 820 prices, but requires a credit card and holds £684. Sixt sits at the upper end at £78 a day from 983 prices.

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.

Unirent is the best-reviewed company at Basel Airport, scoring 91/100 from 50 customer reviews, with an average counter wait time of 30 minutes. Alamo follows closely with a score of 88/100 from 57 reviews and a 23-minute desk wait, while Budget scores 87/100 from 65 reviews. Unirent averages £58 a day for a Compact car over the last 12 months, which is only £3 more a day than Budget, the cheapest supplier at £55. Enterprise averages a 36-minute wait at pickup and does not yet have enough reviews for a score.

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 Basel Airport, security deposits range from £274 with Avis, Budget and Flizzr up to £1,824 with Alamo, Enterprise and National. Only 3 of the 12 airport desks accept a debit card for your deposit, while Flizzr takes a debit card for some cars only and 8 desks strictly require a credit card. Filter for a debit card on the results page before comparing prices so you only see cars you can release. Any optional extras charged at the desk are listed under each vehicle with their exact price.

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

Watch out for Enterprise's counter at Basel Airport, where travellers face an average desk wait of 36 minutes at pickup. Flizzr also averages a long 32-minute wait, whereas Sixt gets drivers through in 9 minutes. Card rules are another common hurdle, as 8 of the 12 counters refuse debit cards entirely and demand a credit card in the primary driver's name. Alamo, Enterprise and National also freeze a hefty £1,824 deposit on your card during your trip.

Only 93% of prices at Basel Airport are full tank out, full tank back, so read the fuel line under the car before you book.

For motorway driving from Basel Airport, pick a Compact car like a Volkswagen Golf, which is around £35 a day in October 2026. It seats 5 but takes 3 bags, so a full car means soft bags on laps; stepping down to an Economy Volkswagen Polo costs £30 a day but takes only 2 bags. If you need more boot space, an Intermediate Peugeot 3008 seats 5 with 4 bags at £44 a day. Automatic cars are 78% of cars offered and cost £4 more a day than manuals, while electric cars are just 2% of cars offered, meaning zero-emission models are rarely available without booking well ahead.