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Wilmington car hire

Driver's age: 26-65

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Cheap car rentals in Wilmington

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Economy car
Economy
M
Compact car
Compact
M
Intermediate car
Intermediate
M
Standard car
Standard
M
Full-size car
Full-size
M
Luxury car
Luxury
M
People mover car
People mover
M
Passenger van car
Passenger van
M
Commercial car
Commercial
M
Pick-up truck car
Pick-up truck
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KAYAK’s top tips for hiring a car in Wilmington

  • Car rentals in Wilmington are a convenient way to visit the city and its neighborhoods, granting you flexibility and freedom to move around. Whether in Wilmington for business or holiday, choosing a Wilmington car rental company through KAYAK gives you the opportunity to visit different attractions and discover Wilmington neighborhoods at your convenience. For instance, you can travel places like Water Street Center, Harbor Oaks, Historic Downtown Wilmington, or even go to Carolina, Kure, or Wrightsville Beach, where you can unwind and enjoy local meals, such as cheesesteak egg rolls.
  • Different Wilmington car rental companies offer various vehicles depending on client needs. Picking a rental car from these companies is easy and will take you a few minutes since they are located within a short walking distance from the Wilmington International Airport. For instance, Alamo is a 10min walk from the airport. Other car rental companies that are within a walking distance from the airport include Enterprise, National, Dollar, Thrifty, Hertz, among many others.
  • Wilmington’s law enforcement officials are strategically located at different points to ensure drivers adhere to driving rules. The strategy has improved the road conditions and community impacts by reducing crime rates in the neighborhoods. While using your Wilmington rental car, ensure you stop at a stoplight, stick to the speed limits, observe traffic circle rules, and stick to the correct lanes to avoid problems with the highway patrol, as it might affect your experience.
  • If you plan to drive around Wilmington and its neighborhoods, we recommend you avoid rush hours, from around 7am to 8am and from about 6pm to 7:30pm. Wilmington traffic in various areas, such as the South College Road in Wilmington, may be challenging for a foreign driver as multiple cars line the middle lane during peak hours. If you have to drive during rush hour, avoid going through Market Street, Carolina Beach Road, and Oleander Drive, which can be quite congested.
  • Book your rental car in Wilmington at least 1 day before your trip in order to get a below-average price
  • Intermediate rental cars in Wilmington are around 19% cheaper than other car types, on average

Wilmington car hire experiences: the best tips from KAYAK users

Insights shared by verified travellers who hired a car in Wilmington 
Verified travelerSept 2024
Wilmington is much like other towns, so choice of car depends mostly on renter's needs. Traffic is undemanding, parking isn't difficult to find and roads are pretty clear and straightforward.
Verified travelerFeb 2024
Signage could be better for turning, sites to see; and more.
Verified travelerOct 2023
Driving is fine, like any other city just follow the laws!
Verified travelerJun 2023
Thank you for a smooth check in in Wilmington and a great car. Drop off was a 10 out of 10. The fellow at RDU location was fast, friendly and professional. Many thanks!
AdamAug 2023
The line is always shortest for Enterprise/Alamo or National. It's a very quick walk from the terminal to the rental car lot, no shuttle.
Verified travelerJul 2023
On street parking (meters) is free after 6pm in some areas!
Verified travelerJun 2023
None - all well done. It's the DCA location that needs clear notice to renters.

FAQs about renting a car in Wilmington

  • What type of car is recommended for driving in Wilmington?

    There are scenic drives in and around Wilmington, and they require vehicles that can endure the terrain. If you decide to drive on the beach, we recommend a four-wheel drive to avoid getting stuck in the sand. Ensure to book a powerful vehicle to explore the mountains and get the best of both worlds of Wilmington.

  • What’s the speed limit in Wilmington?

    Most neighborhoods in Wilmington operate at speed limits of 35mph for the local streets. In others, however, the speed limits have been changed over the years to enhance safety. The roads where traffic gets heavier, such as Market Street and College Road, are 35mph. Other roads, including Shipyard Boulevard and South College, and Carolina Beach Road, have speed limits of 45mph. Follow the right speeding rules on different routes to avoid colliding with the law.

  • Where are the best places to park in Wilmington?

    Places to park car rentals in Wilmington are Downtown Parking, Empie Park, and Wilmington Long Leaf Park. There are several parking lots around the central business district governed by the city’s limited-time parking regulations. You can park downtown at street meters from 6:30pm to 9am on weekdays and all day Sundays (which is free), but you’ll have to pay $1.50 per hour at any other time. You can either use the mobile parking app, use coins, or a credit card when making payments for the meters. When parking your rental car, be careful not to break Wilmington’s parking regulations, such as blocking sidewalks, parking in a loading zone, blocking fire hydrants, or blocking the flow of traffic.

  • How much is the price of fuel in Wilmington?

    The average price of fuel in Wilmington is $6.21 per litre over the past 30 days. Filling up a tank of uel costs between $74 and $99, depending on the car size.

  • What is the most popular car hire in Wilmington?

    Intermediate (Toyota RAV4 or similar) is the most frequently booked car hire type in Wilmington.

  • How can I find car hires near me in Wilmington?

    Take a look at our extensive car hire location map to find the best car hire deals near you.

  • How much does an Intermediate car hire cost in Wilmington?

    An Intermediate car hire in Wilmington costs $95 per day, on average.

  • How much does a Standard car hire cost in Wilmington?

    A Standard car hire in Wilmington costs $149 per day, on average.

  • How much does a Full Size car hire cost in Wilmington?

    A Full Size car hire in Wilmington costs $103 per day, on average.

Wilmington car rental reviews and directory 
All ratings and reviews are collected from KAYAK users with a verified car rental booking. Learn how KAYAK collects reviews.

Enterprise Rent-A-Car

8.0

Best rated

Cleanliness

8.4

Comfort

8.4

Pick-up/Drop-off

8.0

Value for money

7.8

6 locations in Wilmington

Show locations

Locations in Wilmington

1740 Airport Blvd

+1 910 254 9503

Monday08:00 - 21:00
Tuesday08:00 - 21:00
Wednesday08:00 - 21:00
Thursday08:00 - 21:00
Friday08:00 - 21:00
Saturday08:00 - 21:00
Sunday08:00 - 21:00

1930 Castle Hayne Rd

+1 910 772 1560

Monday08:00 - 21:00
Tuesday08:00 - 21:00
Wednesday08:00 - 21:00
Thursday08:00 - 21:00
Friday08:00 - 21:00
Saturday08:00 - 21:00
Sunday00:00 - 00:00

2309 S College Rd

+1 910 397 9110

Monday08:00 - 21:00
Tuesday08:00 - 21:00
Wednesday08:00 - 21:00
Thursday08:00 - 21:00
Friday08:00 - 21:00
Saturday08:00 - 21:00
Sunday00:00 - 00:00

4124 Market St

+1 910 251 9812

Monday08:00 - 21:00
Tuesday08:00 - 21:00
Wednesday08:00 - 21:00
Thursday08:00 - 21:00
Friday08:00 - 21:00
Saturday08:00 - 21:00
Sunday00:00 - 00:00

6721 Market St

+1 910 799 4042

Monday08:00 - 21:00
Tuesday08:00 - 21:00
Wednesday08:00 - 21:00
Thursday08:00 - 21:00
Friday08:00 - 21:00
Saturday09:00 - 14:00
Sunday13:00 - 16:00

8125 Market St

+1 910 686 9915

Monday08:00 - 21:00
Tuesday08:00 - 21:00
Wednesday08:00 - 21:00
Thursday08:00 - 21:00
Friday08:00 - 21:00
Saturday00:00 - 00:00
Sunday00:00 - 00:00

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Reviews

10.0 Wonderful

Anonymous, Sept 2024

Intermediate SUV

KAYAK
Wilmington did their job. But when called on to transfer the rental to the liable party's insurance (per that company's instructions), Enterprise corporation customer service was not helpful in the slightest.

10.0 Wonderful

Gabby, Jun 2024

Full-size

KAYAK
They were great. The car was a little small for how we are. But would rent again.

10.0 Wonderful

Anonymous, Oct 2023

Economy

KAYAK
Great customer service! Wish the location that wasn't at the airport was a little closer to the airport with how hard it was to get a ride to get my car before the office closed. Very friendly customer service though! Pricing was super reasonable!

2.0 Poor

Anonymous, Sept 2023

People mover

KAYAK
Did not have cars when I showed up

2.0 Poor

Anonymous, Sept 2023

People mover

KAYAK
They schedule the vehicle and the time but when I showed up they did not have the vehicle and send me home empty handed with no vehicle for my family

10.0 Wonderful

Anonymous, Apr 2021

KAYAK

Pros:

Check in and check out was super easy. Very friendly, and answered any questions we had. Car we rented accommodated everyone. I highly recommend Enterprise, Wilmington

1 out of 7

Hertz

Cleanliness

7.8

Comfort

8.1

Pick-up/Drop-off

7.8

Value for money

7.8

3 locations in Wilmington

Show locations

Locations in Wilmington

1740 Airport Blvd

+1 910 399 3072

Monday08:00 - 21:00
Tuesday08:00 - 21:00
Wednesday08:00 - 21:00
Thursday08:00 - 21:00
Friday08:00 - 21:00
Saturday08:00 - 21:00
Sunday08:00 - 21:00

1830 Flightline Rd

+1 910 260 4933

Monday08:00 - 21:00
Tuesday08:00 - 21:00
Wednesday08:00 - 21:00
Thursday08:00 - 21:00
Friday08:00 - 21:00
Saturday08:00 - 21:00
Sunday08:00 - 21:00

5214 Market St Ste 103

+1 910 399 3489

Monday08:00 - 21:00
Tuesday08:00 - 21:00
Wednesday08:00 - 21:00
Thursday08:00 - 21:00
Friday08:00 - 21:00
Saturday09:00 - 14:00

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Reviews

10.0 Wonderful

Anonymous, Jan 2024

Compact

KAYAK
Octavia’s customer service

10.0 Wonderful

Anonymous, Dec 2021

KAYAK
fast and easy and the car was very clean

10.0 Wonderful

Anonymous, Dec 2021

KAYAK
I appreciated the speed and ease of renting from Hurts!

2.0 Poor

Anonymous, Nov 2021

KAYAK
Drop off was quite a problem as they had no parking spots available as instructed to park the car in those spots and no one working at the time not couldn’t get any time of help on what to do over the phone either. That took a whole lot of extra minutes and we almost missed our flight. On top of that, I never got my receipt back after the opening hours so decided to call to make sure all was ok and they said the reservation number I had which was my hertz receipt number given by them wasn’t pulling up my information, was someone else. They couldn’t find my reservation with the number they provided me nor my drivers license nor my last name. Finally only by my credit card charge they found me but said it was a different reservation number than I had - which was my hertz receipt tho. And then they said it was still an open reservation as if I still had the car when I absolutely didn’t. So they still haven’t checked it out and finalized my rental. By 11pm I finally got the receipt email sent after calling them abs going through all that around 3pm and car was dropped off at 5am.

10.0 Wonderful

Alice, Jun 2021

KAYAK
iT WAS EASY AND AFFORABLE

10.0 Wonderful

Anonymous, May 2021

KAYAK

Pros:

Car was ready but had to get an upgrade as my choice was not available gave me the same rate as booked.

Cons:

All went well car was very comfortable.

1 out of 9

Avis

Cleanliness

6.8

Comfort

7.3

Pick-up/Drop-off

6.8

Value for money

6.7

2 locations in Wilmington

Show locations

Locations in Wilmington

1740 Airport Boulevard

+1 910 763 1993

Monday08:00 - 21:00
Tuesday08:00 - 21:00
Wednesday08:00 - 21:00
Thursday08:00 - 21:00
Friday08:00 - 21:00
Saturday08:00 - 21:00
Sunday08:00 - 21:00

6816 Gordon Road

+1 910 667 1000

Monday08:00 - 21:00
Tuesday08:00 - 21:00
Wednesday08:00 - 21:00
Thursday08:00 - 21:00
Friday08:00 - 21:00
Saturday09:00 - 14:00
Sunday09:00 - 14:00

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Reviews

2.0 Poor

Emilie, Aug 2024

Full-size

KAYAK
They didn’t honor our reservation. Terrible.

8.0 Very Good

Anonymous, Oct 2023

Premium SUV

KAYAK
Fast and convenient.

10.0 Wonderful

Anonymous, Oct 2023

Compact

KAYAK
Avis stepped up after Dollar rental decided my clean drivers license couldn’t be scanned! Avis immediately provided a upgraded vehicle!

8.0 Very Good

Anonymous, Sept 2023

Intermediate

KAYAK
Smooth transfer at 2nd site

8.0 Very Good

Anonymous, May 2021

KAYAK

Cons:

They didn't know where the car was because it was absolutely brand new but someone put it in a field away from the other cars so it took us 25 minutes or so to find it find it.

2.0 Poor

Barry, Mar 2021

KAYAK

Cons:

They did not have a car at the time I needed one. They said it would be an hour and a half to get a car even though I made reservations 2 weeks before. I will never rent with Avis again.

1 out of 8

Budget

Cleanliness

6.5

Comfort

7.2

Pick-up/Drop-off

6.7

Value for money

6.7

2 locations in Wilmington

Show locations

Locations in Wilmington

1740 Airport Boulevard

+1 910 763 5646

Monday08:00 - 21:00
Tuesday08:00 - 21:00
Wednesday08:00 - 21:00
Thursday08:00 - 21:00
Friday08:00 - 21:00
Saturday08:00 - 21:00
Sunday08:00 - 21:00

6816 Gordon Road

+1 910 667 1002

Monday08:00 - 21:00
Tuesday08:00 - 21:00
Wednesday08:00 - 21:00
Thursday08:00 - 21:00
Friday08:00 - 21:00
Saturday09:00 - 14:00
Sunday09:00 - 14:00

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Reviews

8.0 Very Good

Anonymous, Feb 2024

Intermediate

KAYAK
Location in terminal and desk person excellent. Ease of pick up and drop off very good. Honda CRV—poor, difficult to find instrumentation. E.g., parking brake; plug for cell phone GPS; mirror adjustment control; gas cap. Drivers seat difficult to adjust for comfort and road visibility.

10.0 Wonderful

Anonymous, Nov 2023

Compact

KAYAK
So easy to get to and very friendly staff.

4.0 Mediocre

Anonymous, Oct 2022

KAYAK
Car was dirty and I had to stop along the route day 2 and add engine oil

8.0 Very Good

Anonymous, Oct 2022

KAYAK
Car was not very clean- I had to clean the inside and outside of the windshield. Other than that, it was a good experience.

2.0 Poor

Anonymous, Sept 2022

KAYAK
We decided to get the car a few days earlier and changed the reservation with the help of customer service of budget itself. We also recieved a confirmation with the new data. As we tried to pick up our car we had to learn that the budget shop will not honor our reservation and that they have no car for us. Fur sure we had a lot of trouble to reorganize our whole trip.

10.0 Wonderful

Kathleen, Dec 2020

KAYAK

Cons:

Woman at desk was super helpful!

1 out of 8

National

Cleanliness

9.4

Comfort

9.4

Pick-up/Drop-off

7.9

Value for money

8.4

One location in Wilmington

Show locations

Locations in Wilmington

1740 Airport Blvd

+1 844 370 9815

Monday08:00 - 21:00
Tuesday08:00 - 21:00
Wednesday08:00 - 21:00
Thursday08:00 - 21:00
Friday08:00 - 21:00
Saturday08:00 - 21:00
Sunday08:00 - 21:00

Filters

Reviews

8.0 Very Good

James, Oct 2022

KAYAK
They would not let me purchase extra insurance because it was a convertible. Turned out ok because I did not need it.

5.9 Fair

Anonymous, Jul 2021

KAYAK
The car was not ready when we arrived- we had to wait for almost an hour- but the people were friendly and the car was great

1 out of 1

Thrifty

Cleanliness

7.8

Comfort

7.8

Pick-up/Drop-off

7.0

Value for money

7.0

One location in Wilmington

Show locations

Locations in Wilmington

1740 Airport Blvd

+1 910 343 1411

Monday08:00 - 21:00
Tuesday08:00 - 21:00
Wednesday08:00 - 21:00
Thursday08:00 - 21:00
Friday08:00 - 21:00
Saturday08:00 - 21:00
Sunday08:00 - 21:00

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Reviews

2.0 Poor

Helga, Sept 2024

Supplier choice

KAYAK
Nothing, no good, no car! Disappointing. They wanted to see my passport even though I hv valid NC drivers license. Poor service and Unfriendly

10.0 Wonderful

Anonymous, Apr 2021

KAYAK

Pros:

It was all good.

Cons:

It was all good.

8.4 Very Good

Kim, Jul 2020

KAYAK

Pros:

Staff was very friendly. They did not have record of my economy car reservation from Kayak. They were able to place me in a Ford F150 instead of an economy sized car that was ordered. The lady stated that 3rd party vendors information doesn't always come through with details.

Cons:

Have the car size as requested.

4.4 Mediocre

Anonymous, Jul 2020

KAYAK

Pros:

Not much.

Cons:

Once the staff showed up at the booth they were friendly and helpful. But I had to wait 25 minutes and call the person since they were "moving cars around". Then there were "computer problems", so the pick off took way much longer than it should have. I was told that the "manager's special" that I reserved was an F-150 pick up truck. There was nothing on my reservation that said that so I couldn't dispute it - so in order to get a smaller car, I was charged an additional $10 per day. Plus I was tired from traveling all day, it had already taken way to long to pick up a car, so I didn't argue. I think they plan things that way.

10.0 Wonderful

Anonymous, Mar 2020

KAYAK

Cons:

really, everything was perfect...

10.0 Wonderful

Anonymous, Jan 2020

KAYAK

Cons:

The staff was friendly. I was also glad dropoff was quick.

1 out of 3

Alamo

Cleanliness

7.7

Comfort

7.5

Pick-up/Drop-off

7.2

Value for money

7.2

One location in Wilmington

Locations in Wilmington

1740 Airport Blvd

+1 844 370 9816

Monday08:00 - 21:00
Tuesday08:00 - 21:00
Wednesday08:00 - 21:00
Thursday08:00 - 21:00
Friday08:00 - 21:00
Saturday08:00 - 21:00
Sunday08:00 - 21:00

Filters

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Reviews

8.0 Very Good

Anonymous, Nov 2020

KAYAK

Pros:

Yes quick and easy.

5.2 Fair

Anonymous, Oct 2020

KAYAK

Pros:

Drop off was easy.

Cons:

I ordered an economy car, not a minivan. The minivan was ok but when I started it up, the screen said that the tire was low so I had to go back into the airport to tell them. They said it was fine so for four days, I drove around in a minivan that said “tire low”. Not good customer service.

2.0 Poor

Seth, Aug 2020

KAYAK

Cons:

I was able to book a rental car but when I went to pick it up they said they had no cars available. I ended up having to rent from another company and was very expensive.

10.0 Wonderful

Anonymous, Jul 2020

KAYAK

Pros:

Staff was friendly and accommodating. I would use them again.

Cons:

This is not a bad thing just wish I could have added a day to the front of the rental. Due to COVID we landed a day early.

8.4 Very Good

maria, Jun 2020

KAYAK

Cons:

Nothing

6.0 Okay

Anonymous, Mar 2020

KAYAK

Pros:

Staff was friendly but during drop off and pick up the person helping me stopped two times to help his coworker even though I was there first. Neither one of them didn’t say excuse me or apologize for holding me up while I waited patiently. The customer service person that didn’t know what they were doing just interrupted as well without saying excuse me. How hard is it to say i’ll be right with you let me finish taking care of my customer. It was very rude and inconsiderate as my time was just as important as the other customers time. I may rent from Alamo again but not certain because again this happened during drop off and pick up.

Cons:

The staff could just be more considerate and fair of everyone’s time. If I were a different type of person it would’ve been a problem.

Dollar

7.8

Good

Cleanliness

8.0

Comfort

8.0

Pick-up/Drop-off

8.0

Value for money

7.3

One location in Wilmington

Locations in Wilmington

1740 Airport Blvd

+1 910 343 1411

Monday08:00 - 21:00
Tuesday08:00 - 21:00
Wednesday08:00 - 21:00
Thursday08:00 - 21:00
Friday08:00 - 21:00
Saturday08:00 - 21:00
Sunday08:00 - 21:00

Filters

No reviews available

Easirent

4.0

Mediocre

One location in Wilmington

Locations in Wilmington

Wilmington International Airport

Opening times not available

Filters

No reviews available

Sunnycars

No score available yet

One location in Wilmington

Locations in Wilmington

1740 Airport Blvd

Opening times not available

Filters

No reviews available

183 travellers who rented a car in Wilmington gave the car agency they used an average rating of 6.3

Car hire locations in or near Wilmington

Good to know

Most popular car type

Intermediate

When to book a car hire in Wilmington

Average daily price per month
Car hire prices as pick-up date approaches

Wilmington car hire information

Pick-up locationWilmington
Car types
Hire locations19
Airport locations10