Car hire prices at Philadelphia Airport

Philadelphia Airport quotes typical rates of roughly £54 a day for an Intermediate car like a Volkswagen Jetta booked about a month before an October 2026 trip. Smaller options cost little less, with a Compact car such as a Nissan Versa running around £52 a day, while stepping up to a Fullsize car like a Chevrolet Malibu costs £60. Waiting until the last 2 weeks drops the Intermediate price to £48. Over the year, daily quotes move between £45 for an Economy car in November 2026 and £87 for a larger luxury class car in June 2027. Run your travel dates through the price checker to see current rates.

For October 2026 at Philadelphia Airport, booking about a month ahead costs £54 a day for an Intermediate car, while leaving it to the last 2 weeks drops to £48. Across the year, an Intermediate sits around £59 a day at 9 months before pickup and £52 in the last 2 weeks, so booking far ahead brings no real discount. Across the 395 airports we track car hire prices for, 48% of our customers book within 14 days of travel. Because timing barely moves the rate at Philadelphia, you can lock in your plans whenever you are ready.

Budget is the cheapest company at Philadelphia Airport for an Intermediate car, averaging £41 a day over the last 12 months from 1,872 prices. Thrifty follows closely at £43 a day, while Avis averages £44. All 9 suppliers have counters at the airport, so you do not give up terminal access to get Budget's £41 rate. Budget requires a credit card for its £148 deposit and keeps drivers waiting an average of 29 minutes at pickup.

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 Philadelphia Airport, scoring 92/100 from 279 reviews with an average desk wait of 24 minutes. It is not cheap: over the last 12 months, National averaged £76 a day for an Intermediate car. Budget is the cheapest supplier at £41 a day, but it does not yet have enough reviews for a score and averages a 29-minute wait. Sixt follows National with an 89/100 score from 543 reviews, though its Intermediate cars average £67 a day.

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 Philadelphia Airport, deposits held on your card range from £148 with Budget and Sixt to £222 with Avis, and 4 of the 9 desks accept a debit card. Another 3 companies accept a debit card for some cars only, while 2 require a credit card for every vehicle. Filter for a debit card on the results page before comparing prices so you only see cars you can collect. Any extras charged at the desk are listed under each vehicle with their prices.

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

Card rules and counter delays cause the most trouble at Philadelphia Airport, where some desks refuse debit cards and pickup waits stretch to 40 minutes. Two desks reject debit cards outright, and 3 only accept them on select vehicles, so landing with the wrong plastic can stall your trip before it starts. Alamo's desk averages 40 minutes at pickup, turning a simple key collection into a long wait after your flight. Budget also holds a £148 deposit exclusively on a credit card, though every rental counter is at the airport.

Only 51% of prices at Philadelphia Airport are full tank out, full tank back, so read the fuel line under the car before you book.

An Intermediate car like a Volkswagen Jetta at Philadelphia Airport runs to about £54 a day for October 2026 and fits 5 people with 4 bags. It seats 5 with room for 4 bags, giving you motorway comfort and trunk space for luggage. A step down to a Compact car like a Nissan Versa costs £52 a day but takes only 3 bags, while an Economy car drops to £37 with space for 2 bags. Automatic gearboxes make up 100% of the cars offered at no extra charge, and there are no electric or hybrid options on fleet.