Car hire prices at Long Beach Airport

A Compact car such as a Nissan Versa costs around £44 a day at Long Beach Airport for October 2026 when you book about a month ahead. An Economy car like a Mitsubishi Mirage is about £41 a day, while an Intermediate like a Volkswagen Jetta runs to £47. Leaving your booking to the last 2 weeks keeps the Compact flat at £44, but an Intermediate drops slightly to £45. Across the year, prices swing from £44 a day in November 2026 for an Economy car up to £80 in July 2027 for a Fullsize, so use the price checker for your exact travel dates.

When you book car hire at Long Beach Airport barely moves the price, with an Intermediate costing £50 a day a month before your trip against £48 in the last 2 weeks. Booking 9 months before your trip averages £60 across the year, so you have missed nothing by waiting. Across the 395 airports we track car hire prices for, 48% of our customers book within 2 weeks of pickup. If your dates are locked in, there is no need to delay, but leaving it late carries little penalty.

Budget is the cheapest car hire company at Long Beach Airport, averaging £38 a day for an Intermediate car over the last 12 months from 1,204 prices. You get a terminal desk and an average wait of 15 minutes, but you must pay with a credit card because Budget does not accept debit cards. National averages £55 a day across 4,329 prices and scores 92/100 from 93 customer reviews, whereas Budget scores 82/100 from 34 reviews. Avis is the next cheapest at £42 a day, though like Budget it holds a credit-card deposit.

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 car hire company at Long Beach Airport, scoring 92 out of 100 from 93 reviews with an average desk wait of 24 minutes. Alamo is close behind with a score of 91/100 from 96 reviews and a 23-minute wait. National averages £55 a day and Alamo £50 a day, while Budget costs £38 a day with a score of 82/100 from 34 reviews. All three counters sit directly at the airport terminal.

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 Long Beach Airport, 7 of the 8 rental desks require a credit card for the security deposit, which ranges between £148 with Budget and £222 with Avis. No supplier takes a debit card unconditionally, though Hertz accepts a debit card for some cars only. The deposit and card rule for each car are shown beside it in the results, so filter for debit cards before comparing quotes. Any optional extras charged at the desk are listed under each vehicle.

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

The biggest catch at Long Beach Airport is that 7 of the 8 rental desks refuse debit cards entirely for the security deposit. If you arrive without a credit card in the lead driver's name, only Hertz will even consider a debit card, and then only for selected models. Desk waits also vary widely: collecting keys from National takes 24 minutes on average, whereas Hertz averages 14 minutes. Plan your payment method before you fly so you are not stranded at the counter.

Only 47% of prices at Long Beach Airport are full tank out, full tank back, so read the fuel line under the car before you book.

For most visitors, an Intermediate car like the Volkswagen Jetta is the best pick at Long Beach Airport, costing about £47 a day for October 2026. It seats 5 passengers and holds 4 bags, making city driving and highway distances comfortable. Stepping down to a Compact like the Nissan Versa costs £44 a day, but while it seats 5 it holds only 3 bags, meaning luggage on laps if the car is full. Every car offered is an automatic with no extra charge, and there are no electric or hybrid models in the fleet.