Car rental prices at Raleigh Durham Airport

For October 2026, booked about a month ahead, a good price for a rental car at Raleigh Durham Airport is around $65 a day for an Intermediate (a Volkswagen Jetta-sized car). A Compact is $63 a day. In the last 2 weeks before pickup an Intermediate is nearer $59. If your quote is well over these, the price checker will tell you for your exact dates.

For October 2026 at Raleigh Durham Airport, book in the last 2 weeks before your trip: an Intermediate is $59 a day then, down from $65 a month out. Across the year, booking 9 months before your trip averages $90 a day against $67 in the last 2 weeks before pickup, so waiting saves about 37%. If you have not booked yet, you have missed nothing. Across the 395 airports we track car hire prices for, 48% of our customers book within 14 days of travel.

Budget is the cheapest company at Raleigh Durham Airport for an Intermediate car, averaging $58 a day over the last 12 months from 1,872 prices. Thrifty matches that $58 average from 1,324 prices and takes a debit card, but Budget requires a credit card. Budget scores 81/100 from 35 customer reviews, while Thrifty does not yet have enough reviews for a score. All 9 suppliers operate directly at the airport, so saving money does not mean catching a shuttle bus.

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 a 24-minute desk wait, but it is not cheap. National averages $94 a day for an Intermediate car over the last 12 months, which is $36 more a day than the airport's cheapest suppliers. Budget is the cheapest scored alternative at $58 a day, holding an 81/100 score from 35 reviews with an average 15-minute wait at the counter.

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 the security deposit ranges from $200 with Budget or Sixt up to $299 with Avis, and 4 of the 9 counters take a debit card. Another 3 desks accept a debit card for some cars only, while 2 require a credit card. The deposit and payment rules are shown beside each vehicle, so filter for a debit card before comparing prices. Any extras you choose at the desk are listed under each car with their price.

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

Watch out for strict card rules and long counter queues at Raleigh Durham Airport, where 5 of the 9 desks restrict or reject debit cards. Hertz averages a 36-minute wait at the desk, and Thrifty averages 32 minutes, which hurts after a long flight. Budget and Avis refuse debit cards entirely, requiring a credit card in the driver's name for deposits up to $299. All 9 counters sit on-site, saving you a shuttle bus run before your highway drive.

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 most trips from Raleigh Durham Airport, pick an Intermediate car like the Volkswagen Jetta, which costs around $65 a day in October 2026. It seats 5 people and takes 4 bags, giving you a comfortable highway drive between working cities. Stepping down to a Compact like the Nissan Versa costs $63 a day but holds only 3 bags, while a Fullsize like the Chevrolet Malibu costs $75 and seats 6. Every car offered is an automatic, so you will not pay extra to avoid shifting gears.