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Budget Rent A Car

1.3 (320 reviews)
Closed • 6:00 am - 11:00 pm

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Dirty car

If I could give negative stars, I would. I've never had such a spectacularly bad experience renting a car -- and I've rented from some questionable places before. I don't even know where to start. After waiting all night for the Budget counter to open at 6 a.m., like their website promised, I discovered... they just don't. Instead, there was a little sign off to the side that said to visit the Avis counter. No bridge troll, no riddle, just a scavenger hunt before sunrise. When I finally found the right counter, the poor Avis agent clearly wanted to go home. (I get it, I work in customer service too.) He tried to help, went out back to "ask someone something," came back around with his personal belongings, and told me "good luck" -- and left. Just like that. I had to step away, collect myself, and come back to try again. Eventually, we figured out my reservation issue. I'd booked a compact car through Costco, but apparently Budget's version of "compact" means "we ran out, here's a full-size car that costs more, but we'll call it a free upgrade." Plot twist: it also required premium gas, which I hadn't budgeted for. By the time the keys were finally in my hand, it was after 7:15 a.m. My 6-hour drive was already off to a thrilling start. The car itself? A treasure hunt of horrors. The touchscreen was sticky, the back seat was stained, the dashboard screamed for an oil change and a new key fob battery, and there was actual trash under the passenger seat. I couldn't even get the trunk to open -- I gave up and tossed my luggage in the back. Returning the car was the final test of patience: juggling my disabled parent, multiple suitcases, a wheelchair, and what remained of my sanity. In the chaos, I accidentally left my headphones in the glovebox. I realized almost immediately (at TSA), filed a lost item report within minutes -- only to be told, faster than humanly possible, that "no items were found." Shocking. I take responsibility for leaving them behind, but honestly, that was the cherry on top of an already miserable sundae. Between the broken promises, the filthy car, the "upgrade" scam, and the customer service equivalent of tumbleweeds, I can confidently say I will never rent from Budget again. And I'll make it my life's mission to warn everyone else that saving $20 isn't worth it.

How did I let this happen twice, by booking Budget BWI and getting totally screwed? Trust me spend the extra 10-20% and go with literally any other company besides Budget/Avis (at least at BWI). The first time I booked, a year or two ago, you have 1-2 people to take care of 20-30 reservations at the same time. The first time I waited, not exaggerating, an hour and a half! Barely got a car (actually they put me in a huge truck, which was difficult to drive, because they ran out of cars), the people in line behind me were not so lucky and did not get a car. The next time I flew in to BWI I remembered the terrible experience and decided to go with a different company, which was fine. This second time I used Budget (I figured I'd give them a second chance because: maybe it was a one off before), it was closed, with a sign stating go to Avis. You go to Avis and wait an hour to find out... oops... no cars. Why the heck would you not have cars if people book a reservation? And why would you only have 1-2 people to service everyone? So no car. Of course customer service phone is closed. And... no other rental car place has cars at this hour if you have not pre-booked. Looks like an expensive Uber ride out of here. I look forward to a refund on my $200 prepay and look forward to never, ever, again giving my money and time to Budget/Avis. Company is a joke, and not in a good way. Please do yourself a favor and spend a little more to avoid BWI Budget/Avis

Krishna P.

Budget didn't have any gas cars in the segment that I reserved. So, they offered me an electric or I could pay extra and get the next upgrade which I eventually ended up taking. The wait to pick the car up was quite long even though there were only 2 people in front of me. The return was smooth though. The prices are pretty high here. So, it's worth it only if you can find deals. Didn't have to wait too long for the shuttle(maybe I got lucky).

time for me to leave Budget nearly 20 yrs with them. plan to wait in line no matter what preparing you make. I have FASTBREAK for years and no one is ever at the kiosk, just a sign that says go to the main counter. then wait in line and they rarely have the car you actually reserve. the company's loyalty program is broken!

Waiting for the car after a 90 minute wait to check in.

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No one at budget area, sign to go to Avis. One person at Avis counter on a Saturday. Long line, so bad it's impressive.

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Ask the Community - Budget Rent A Car

Review Highlights - Budget Rent A Car

“Lanham MD, Location "We absolutely love our neighborhood Budget and Avis car rental location.”

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Hertz Rent A Car

Hertz Rent A Car

2.1(254 reviews)
0.0 mi

Meh..have had much better experiences with Hertz at other airports!…read more We flew into Baltimore, and arrived around 9pm. I had already done the pre-check in and my name was on the board when we arrived. Problem was, there were literally 2 cars to choose from. The whole Presidents Aisle was missing in action! While standing there trying to get into one car, a rep came over and tried to check it in to my name. Unfortunately, someone at the counter already reserved it. Thankfully, this Hertz rep was awesome and he saw a car that just had been returned, and he went to get it across the parking lot and brought it to me and checked it out for me. It was a Kia Sportage (2nd time I have received this type of car from Hertz. I like it...small SUV, very comfy, fun to drive, good gas etc). Return was a breeze. They have a shuttle that takes you to the rental car facility. It took about 10 minutes..one of the longer shuttles from airport to rental lot that I have taken. Rating would be higher if they had more cars.

If you're renting from this Hertz location, block out extra time -- service here is painfully slow…read more I just needed to switch the credit card on file, and even in the "Gold" line that took 15 minutes. The regular line was worse. Meanwhile, staff wandered in and out from the back with zero urgency, like they weren't aware people were waiting. To top it off, the airport shuttle situation is its own headache. I watched one shuttle pull away while in line and then waited another 15 minutes for the next. This isn't a one-off -- I've rented here multiple times and it's consistently the same story. In the past I've just given up and Ubered instead of waiting on the shuttle, and nearly missed my flight even with a three-hour arrival buffer. Hertz needs to staff the counter properly on weekends -- one person for two lines doesn't work. Would not recommend this location unless you have no other option.

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Hertz Rent A Car
Hertz Rent A Car
Hertz Rent A Car - Counter

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Counter

Avis - Only 2 employees trying to process everyone. Over an hour of waiting...

Avis

1.8(152 reviews)
0.0 mi

Our actual rental at BWI was overshadowed by a very poor return and post-rental customer-service…read moreexperience. I refueled the vehicle immediately before returning it, but Avis still charged me for fuel. I had to submit my receipt and contact Customer Service to have the charge reversed. This was the second consecutive Avis rental where I had been incorrectly charged for fuel after filling up before return. We also paid for curbside return service. It took about 10 minutes for Avis to locate a driver and another 10 minutes for the driver to get out of the rental-car facility. We likely would have reached the terminal faster by taking the regular shuttle. Avis later refunded the curbside fee. The biggest frustration came afterward. Avis offered a Reward Day coupon as a goodwill gesture, and I specifically asked whether it would cover the same type of vehicle I had rented, a luxury 7-passenger SUV. I was explicitly told yes. Avis later confirmed in writing that the coupon did not cover that vehicle class. The escalation process then involved repeated contacts, conflicting information, a callback at approximately 4:00 AM Pacific time, and multiple inconsistent resolution offers. Avis eventually acknowledged in writing that I had been misinformed, referred the matter for additional training, corrected the charges, and provided compensation. I appreciate the eventual resolution, but travelers should not have to work this hard to correct billing errors and inaccurate customer-service information. Keep your fuel receipt, review your final bill carefully, and get any promised compensation in writing.

Don't expect anything from this location. Buy a pair of walking shoes -- you'll be where you need…read moreto go before you even reach the counter. Zero staff. ZERO urgency. It genuinely feels like they want the line to keep growing. Just terrible all around. Save your money, time, and sanity -- walk instead. I will NEVER book this location.

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Avis - People waiting in line for Avis. #avissucks

People waiting in line for Avis. #avissucks

Avis - Only one person working at counter and 25 people waiting in line.

Only one person working at counter and 25 people waiting in line.

Avis - Avis saved the day but for an additional $150 more than our Dollar Car Rental.

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Avis saved the day but for an additional $150 more than our Dollar Car Rental.

Sixt Rent A Car - SIXT

Sixt Rent A Car

1.3(23 reviews)
0.2 mi

I really like using SIXT Rental car company whenever I have the opportunity. Nearly all of the…read moreemployees have been incredibly nice at all of their locations. I almost always use them when flying into BWI airport. They are usually similar in price or just a little bit higher than the other national brands but they offer much nicer vehicles for the money. Other than having to take a moderately long shuttle bus ride to and from the airport to get your car (which is the same for all rental car companies at BWI), it's fantastic. Once at the rental car building, the counters are nearby and the cars are a short walk from the counters. They often will offer me a choice of upscale vehicles to choose from and occasionally an upgrade. If it's important to you to drive a nice car / SUV / etc when away from home, then SIXT is a great choice for you. I will definitely be renting from them again.

If I could rate a zero, I would…read more Signage at the facility is confusing. About 15 minutes into my ride to my destination I noticed three warning lights going on in the car. One warning light was for the airbag system one warning light was for the lights and one morning like with General malfunction. When I got to my destination I called them and the only two options provided were to go out of my way back to the airport or downtown Washington DC to exchange the car or have them do a two-way to and tow the car back. However I may experience charges as a result of the two-way tow for a car that should have never left a lot in the first place. I called five times within a four-hour span and nobody could provide any better options even knowing I was in town for a family funeral and did not have the time to go to either of these locations. Clearly they don't care about their customer safety. So now I'm driving a car that may or may not be safe for the next couple days. Do not use them.

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Sixt Rent A Car - SIXT

SIXT

Sixt Rent A Car - Customer service area

Customer service area

Sixt Rent A Car - SIXT Rent a Car Baltimore Int Airport

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SIXT Rent a Car Baltimore Int Airport

Budget Rent A Car - carrental - Updated November 2026

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