Car hire prices at Raleigh Durham Airport

Raleigh Durham Airport car hire starts at around £48 a day in October 2026 for an Intermediate car like the Volkswagen Jetta, booked about a month ahead. A smaller Economy car like the Mitsubishi Mirage is about £36 a day, while a Fullsize Chevrolet Malibu is £56. Leaving your booking to the last 2 weeks drops the Intermediate price to £44. Across the year, prices range from £48 in November 2026 to £76 in July 2027, so check the price checker for your exact dates.

At Raleigh Durham Airport, booking late saves money: across the year, quotes fall from £67 a day 9 months before your trip to £50 in the last 2 weeks. For October 2026, an Intermediate car costs £48 a day booked about a month before your trip and drops to £44 in the final 2 weeks. Across the 395 airports we track car hire prices for, 48% of our customers book within 16 days of pickup. If you are travelling in July 2027, expect to pay up to £76 a day compared to £48 in November 2026.

Budget is the cheapest company at Raleigh Durham Airport for an Intermediate car, averaging £43 a day from 1,872 prices over the last 12 months. Thrifty matches that price at £43 from 1,324 prices, but its desk wait averages 32 minutes compared to 15 minutes at Budget. National charges £70 a day but scores 92/100 from 279 reviews. You also give up debit card flexibility with Budget, which insists on a credit card for the 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 company at Raleigh Durham Airport, scoring 92/100 from 279 reviews, with desk waits averaging 24 minutes. National costs £27 more a day than its rivals, averaging £70 a day for an Intermediate car over the last 12 months. Budget is cheaper at £43 a day and scores 81/100 from 35 reviews, with shorter queues averaging 15 minutes. Thrifty matches the £43 price but 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 Raleigh Durham Airport, security deposits held on your card range from £148 with Budget or Sixt up to £222 with Avis. Only 4 of the 9 counters accept a debit card for every rental, while 3 take debit cards for certain models only and 2 refuse them entirely. Filter for a debit card before comparing prices so you only see desks that will hand you the keys. Any additional 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.

Two things catch drivers out at Raleigh Durham Airport: long counter waits and restrictive card rules that block debit cards. Queuing at Hertz takes 36 minutes on average, and Thrifty keeps you waiting 32 minutes before you can reach the motorway. 5 of the 9 desks either refuse debit cards outright or restrict them to specific vehicle models. All counters are located at the airport, so at least you will not lose time waiting for a shuttle bus.

Only 50% of prices at Raleigh Durham Airport are full tank out, full tank back, so read the fuel line under the car before you book.

For comfortable motorway driving between cities, pick an Intermediate car like the Volkswagen Jetta at Raleigh Durham Airport, which costs £48 a day for October 2026. It seats 5 people and takes 4 bags, making it well suited for luggage and motorway journeys. Stepping down to an Economy Mitsubishi Mirage costs £36 a day but fits only 2 bags, while stepping up to a Fullsize Chevrolet Malibu costs £56 and seats 6. Every car quoted is an automatic, and there are currently no electric or hybrid models on offer.