Does anybody know which rental agencies are located within the terminal? We have an early flight out after driving back from the Keys and would like to just make one stop in the morning. Thanks.

All of the major car rentals have desks in terminals but each use off-site parking lots. Shuttle busses run continually to car pick-ups and return to airport. It has never taken us more than 10 minutes. We have used Alamo Thrifty and Dollar successfully.

While Budget, Hertz, Avis etc. keep their cars away from the terminal I would not call it off-site. It's a very short bus ride to/from the main terminal to where all the cars are kept. (Setups like Orlando where all you do is walk a short distance to the parking garage from the rental desk seem to be disapearing.)

However Enterprise is actually off the airport property and this ads about 20 minutes to the pickup/return process. I rented from them when I went to the Keys. (You might want to check this; that was as of a year ago. Enterprise is agressively moving to on-site locations.)

BTW: my experience with Dollar when returning to the Ft. Lauderdale airport was excellent. I was running late and they got me through quickly.

I too will speak for Dollar being very close (on the airport property right by the terminal). Actually a couple of the further off site places (Hertz and Avis among them, I think) are rather poorly marked and difficult for return. Within a few months, the new huge parking facility at Lauderdale will be open, and I believe all the major rental firms will be located right there within the structure.

But a word to the wise. If using Dollar, (or for that matter for any company you're renting from), I highly recommend joing their free club --"Fastlane" for Dollar. You will bypass the rental line and check in much, much quicker. We just rented in Los Angeles and in San Francisco, and Dollar pickup at both was running well over an hour. Fastlane took us within a couple of minutes and costs us nothing, not to mention that we got two free upgrade certificates when we joined.

Kudos to Dollar at FLL from me-- fast, convenient service. Counters right in Baggage Claim, quick bus ride. My only quibble: The first car we got from them was filthy. Not just a little trash, but actual milkshake drops on the seats, on trim, etc. Happily, they got us a replacement immediately.

The rental return at FLL takes you all the way around the airport, which had me concerned we had missed its exit. Just know that you'll be practically heading out of the airport before you see the Rental Return signs....

Thanks for all the great information. And Patrick, do you know when the ETA is for the new parking facility to open? We aren't going until December so maybe we'll hit it then.

rjw_lgb_ca is right: you loop all the way around.

Looking around the FLL website it says 2005 for completion of the "Consolidated Rental Car Facility".

Darn: I should be going there in November.

I'm trying to figure out which Ft. Lauderdale airport you guys say you've rented from. I picked up and returned at Avis car at FLL two weeks ago. The rental facility is on the airport grounds, roughly a five minute ride from baggage claim (Hertz was next door, so this post covers them as well). I returned the car using the Sheridan St. "back" entrance (I used the Sheridan Street exit off I-95 rather than looping up and around I-595 which would probably have been ten minutes longer), so I never had to make the loop of the terminals. It was a five minute shuttle back to the terminal. There was also reasonably priced gas at the Sheridan St. I-95 exit.

Neal, I don't doubt there's a direct way to the rental return(s)-- but for some reason I didn't get any paperwork from Dollar suggesting that route into the FLL area. Would have been nice, but hey, I was on vacation.... Why be in a rush?

We always rent from Avis at FLL. We get a nice discount and upgrade from one of the boating organizations we belong to. We have never had any problems dropping off...

rj-Maybe all those mojitoes fuzzed up your brain? ;-)

Neal_Sanders et al, please refer to this map:
http://www.broward.org/airport/avi01200.htm

I see what you're saying but they must have changed it from when I was there last in March of 2003; back then they wouldn't let you go that way. I rememeber trying it and getting detoured so I had turn around and go through the security checkpoint on the Entrance Roadway coming off US HWY 1. I think they were trying to funnel all traffic into the airport grounds through that checkpoint.

But then again that might have been during a heightened national security alert state.

Thanks, dweebe, that's Dollar that was next to Avis and, while I'm correcting myself, it's the Griffin Rd. exit off I-95 that puts you onto Perimeter Rd. as the "back way" into FLL to return a car. Here's a map reference: http://maps.yahoo.com/maps_result?ed...w=1&name=&qty=. Perimeter Road was definitely open, and took me through a well-landscaped parkway by a duck pond. Rather scenic, all things considered.

Thanks Neal. It's good to see they've eased up a bit and reopened the "back" way in to return rental cars to Dollar and Avis at FLL. But I guess if something happens and the alert level gets raised again, people shouldn't count on it being open.

BTW: when I was at FLL and they made everyone go through the one security checkpoint because of an orange alert, I would say 2 out of 3 minivans/SUVs were pulled over to have the back searched. They wouldn't go through your stuff, security just wanted to look in the back. So be ready to pop the tailgate and have them look around if that's going on.

Actually according to the official map of the airport, the car rental lots ON the airport grounds are Dollar, Budget, National, and Avis. I do remember seeing Hertz some distance removed -- I ran across it when I couldn't change lanes in the construction one day and had to go the wrong direction, ending up at Hertz's doorstep before I could turn around. I'm not sure how it was now located next to Avis (although I suppose their counter within the terminal could be).

And I'd be surprised if that new facility is going to be finished by December. I may have been optimistic when I said "in a few months". Actually there website says "to be completed in 2005".

Thanks for all your help - we drive from FLL to the Keys once a year, and for some reason getting through Ft. Lauderdale is ALWAYS a problem. If anybody can pass along clear-cut, "kindergarden age" directions (from E-Z Car Rental on State Road 84) out of town heading south (YEAHHHHH) we would certainly appreciate it.

Hey ccolor, my kindergartner was doing 1st and 2nd grade stuff. Amazing what they are supposed to know now.

Have you tried their website or mapquest for directions?

Funneeee, buckeyemom, funnnneeeee .

Yep, I tried two different sites and ended up with two different sets of directions. I guess we'll just do our normal lost thing for a little while, get our bearings and head SOUTH! After this weird weather here in Ohio I can hardly wait........

Thanks to all who helped out.