Car hire prices at Wilmington Airport

A Compact car like a Nissan Versa at Wilmington Airport typically costs around £49 a day for October 2026 when you book about a month ahead. An Economy car such as a Mitsubishi Mirage is £51, while an Intermediate like a Volkswagen Jetta is £55 a day. Leaving it to the last 2 weeks drops the Compact to £47. Across all months, prices range from £51 for a Compact in November 2026 to £77 for a Fullsize in July 2027. If your quote is higher, check your exact dates with our price checker.

For October 2026 at Wilmington Airport, you save money by booking late: an Intermediate is £55 a day a month before your trip and drops to £50 in the last 2 weeks. Booking 9 months before your trip averages £69 a day across the year, so you have missed nothing if you waited. In the last 2 weeks before pickup, that typical price falls to £52 a day, saving about 33%. Across the 395 airports we track car hire prices for, 48% of bookings on our sites happen within 2 weeks of travel.

Budget is the cheapest car hire company at Wilmington Airport, averaging £43 a day for an Intermediate car over the last 12 months from 1,872 prices. That sits well below National at £67 and Alamo at £62. Enterprise averages £54 a day from 707 prices. You keep a terminal counter with Budget, but you must pay by credit card and wait an average of 23 minutes at the desk.

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.

National is the best-reviewed company at Wilmington Airport, scoring 92/100 from 279 reviews with an average desk wait of 24 minutes. That quality comes at £67 a day for an Intermediate car over the last 12 months, making National the dearest counter at the airport. Budget charges £43 a day, though it does not yet have enough reviews for a score. Enterprise averages a 9-minute wait at £54 a day, while Alamo averages 18 minutes at £62.

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 Wilmington Airport, Budget holds a typical deposit of £148 on your card, and none of the 4 counters accept a debit card. All 4 desks are strictly credit-card only for the security hold. Because no supplier takes a debit card, you will need a credit card in the main driver's name to collect a vehicle. Extras charged at the desk are listed under each car with their prices.

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

The biggest catch at Wilmington Airport is payment rules: all 4 rental counters refuse debit cards entirely. Turn up with only a debit card and you will be turned away, no matter what you have already spent on the booking. Counter queues can also drag out your arrival, with National averaging 24 minutes and Budget 23 minutes. All desks sit inside the terminal, so at least you can spend those 23 minutes standing still rather than riding a shuttle bus.

Only 46% of prices at Wilmington Airport are full tank out, full tank back, so read the fuel line under the car before you book.

For most trips from Wilmington Airport, pick a Compact car like a Nissan Versa, which costs about £49 a day for October 2026. It seats 5 people but fits 3 bags, so a full party means bags on laps between coastal stops. Stepping up to an Intermediate like a Volkswagen Jetta also seats 5 with 3 bags at £55 a day, while an Economy car is £51. Every car offered at the airport is automatic, so you do not pay extra to avoid a manual stick shift.