Car rental at Columbus Airport

Car rental at Columbus Airport

Search hundreds of travel sites at once for car rental deals at Columbus Airport (CMH)

Same drop-off
Thu 05.10
Noon
Thu 12.10
Noon
Driver's age:

Cheap car rentals at Columbus Airport

Mini
Economy
Compact
Intermediate
Standard
Full-size
Luxury
Minivan
Passenger van
SUV
Commercial
Pickup truck

Top tips for renting a car at Columbus Airport

  • For a convenient trip from Columbus Airport (CMH) to downtown Columbus, consider taking a car rental at Columbus Airport. A Columbus Airport car rental has several advantages that other transport means cannot afford. First, your trip will be comfortable and convenient, unlike with taxis or public buses. You will also enjoy the flexibility of planning your own journey, and even if you want to stop and grab a bite, you’re free to do so.
  • If you’re not the only driver, notify your car rental provider before taking your car rental at Columbus Airport. Additional drivers are allowed for Columbus Airport car rentals. However, each other driver must pay a small fee a day and should meet the license and age requirements provided. A spouse or a domestic partner can be an additional driver, and no charge will be applied, but they must be present at the time of taking the rental.
  • Several types of cars are available for renting at Columbus Airport car rentals. From cheap economy rentals to big rugged pickup trucks, CMH car rentals have them all. A cheap economy rental should suffice for business travelers or couples on vacation. For a group of friends, you should find passenger van rentals or minivans also available at Columbus Airport car rentals, and for those looking for some style, there’s a fleet of luxury cars, including convertibles available.
  • The I-70 and I-71 are two of the busiest roads in Columbus and two roads that link CMH to other parts of the city. However, this means that they are two of the busiest roads during rush hour, between 7 and 9 am during the morning and 5 to 7 pm in the evenings. Plan your trips around these hours to avoid being stuck in traffic when picking or returning your Columbus Airport car rental.
  • 25% of our users found rental cars at Columbus Airport for ₪283 or less
  • Book your rental car at Columbus Airport at least 1 day before your trip in order to get a below-average price

FAQs about renting a car at Columbus Airport

  • What documentation will a foreign driver need to get a car rental at Columbus Airport?

    If you’re visiting Columbus from a foreign nation and would like the convenience of driving yourself around town, you will need to have a valid driver’s license and a debit or credit card in your name. Your driver’s license should be in English or the Latin alphabet, but if not, an International Driving Permit will be required. Please note that the international permit on its own can’t be used to get a car rental at Columbus Airport and must always be accompanied by the driver’s license. Photocopies or pictures of your driver’s license, temporary permits, and learner’s permits are not accepted at the car rental counters at CMH.

  • Where are the car rental counters located at Columbus Airport?

    Anyone who would like to drive off CMH in a car rental should head to the car rental desks located at the Arrivals area in the main terminal building. You should find several reputable car rental agencies offering different vehicles and rates, and you should pick one that best meets your needs. Once you’ve been given the keys to your rental, head to the ground floor of the multi-story parking building connected to the terminal building to pick up your rental car. This lot is the same one you will use for dropping off your Columbus Airport car rental.

  • How can I pay for car rentals at Columbus Airport?

    CMH car rentals offer several means of payment for renters looking for vehicles. The most accepted payment method is by credit card with several major credit cards, including MasterCard, American Express, Visa, and Discover Network, accepted at rental desks at CMH. You can also opt to pay for your Columbus Airport car rental using a debit card, but this method has some restrictions. First, some companies require you to be at least 25 years old, and you’ll be subjected to a creditworthiness check before a deposit is placed. The other means of payment accepted are cash, money order, and prepaid cards, all of which are only taken when clearing up any balances remaining at the end of your rental agreement.

  • How much does it cost to rent a car at Columbus Airport?

    On average a rental car at Columbus Airport costs ₪283 per day.

  • What is the best rental car company at Columbus Airport?

    Based on ratings and reviews from real users on KAYAK, the best car rental companies at Columbus Airport are Enterprise Rent-A-Car (8.6, 63 reviews), Alamo (8.5, 71 reviews), and Hertz (7.3, 50 reviews).

  • Which car rental companies will pick you up at Columbus Airport?

    The only car rental company that offers shuttle or pick-up services from Columbus Airport to off-airport locations is Budget.

Columbus Airport car rental reviews and directory

Enterprise Rent-A-Car

8.6

Very good

392 reviews
Best rated

Cleanliness

8.6

Comfort

8.8

Pick-up/Drop-off

8.5

Value for money

8.5

One location in Columbus Airport

Show locations

Locations in Columbus Airport

4106 International Gateway

+1 844 913 0741

Monday07:00 - 23:59
Tuesday07:00 - 23:59
Wednesday07:00 - 23:59
Thursday07:00 - 23:59
Friday07:00 - 23:59
Saturday07:00 - 23:59
Sunday07:00 - 23:59
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Reviews

2.0 Poor

Oct 2020

KAYAK

Pros:

No. I was sent back and forth and one manager openly derided one of his coworkers.

Cons:

They could work as a single unit. It seemed like I was dealing with two separate companies.

6.4 Okay

Aug 2020

KAYAK

Pros:

People were nice, even if not Covid-19 safe.

Cons:

Had to check at three different rental car checkpoints before finding someone with the Enterprise group that could give us our rental car. Person who got our car wasn’t wearing a Covid-19 mask over her nose, and I had to touch the computer to finish. Lastly, the Ford we rented had a terrible navigation and audio interface, both of which were dangerous to use.

10.0 Wonderful

Jun 2020

KAYAK

Pros:

Yes

Cons:

Nothing

8.8 Very good

May 2020

KAYAK

Cons:

If they had paid more attention to what I was reserving to rent and had it available as they said it would be

10.0 Wonderful

Feb 2020

KAYAK

Pros:

Friendly staff. Clean car.

6.0 Okay

Oct 2019

KAYAK

Pros:

Was closed when we arrived

1 out of 54

Alamo

8.5

Very good

214 reviews

Cleanliness

8.5

Comfort

8.5

Pick-up/Drop-off

8.5

Value for money

8.3

One location in Columbus Airport

Show locations

Locations in Columbus Airport

4106 International Gateway

+1 844 913 0739

Monday07:00 - 23:59
Tuesday07:00 - 23:59
Wednesday07:00 - 23:59
Thursday07:00 - 23:59
Friday07:00 - 23:59
Saturday07:00 - 23:59
Sunday07:00 - 23:59
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Reviews

6.0 Okay

Mar 2021

KAYAK

Pros:

Staff did a very nice job

Cons:

Car had been smoked in The odor became overwhelming during the rental

10.0 Wonderful

Dec 2020

KAYAK

Pros:

Pick up and drop off were very easy.

6.0 Okay

Oct 2020

KAYAK

Pros:

I was not given clear direction to where to go pick up. I was in the garage for over 20min looking. After locating a person he pointed me to a vehicle that didnt have any keys... frustrated at this point i walk back to the booth and demand they get the van and bring it. That took forever.

Cons:

Have an attendant on hand. It SHOULD NEVER BE THE CUSTOMERS RESPONSIBILITY TO FIND THE VEHICLE

2.0 Poor

Sep 2020

KAYAK

Cons:

The staff refused to rent me a car. My license expired last month because I turned 25. I am unable to renew it because of the corona virus. Prior to renting the car I called the Ohio BMV and double checked with them. The let me know that because of the pandemic everybody’s licenses and registrations that expired since March were automatically extended until December 31, 2020. They assured me I’d have no issue using my ID to do anything including renting a car and buying alcohol. I double checked the BMV website and on the front page it confirms that everything is automatically extended until the end of the year. The woman at the counter said she couldn’t rent me a car because they already did a one time extension for me for having an expired license. I don’t know what she was talking about because I’ve only ever rented a car one other time and that was in July. My license expired August 4 so when I rented the car in July no special extension would have been made for me. I explained this to her and then she said it’s their policy that they can only rent a car to a person with an expired license if it had expired during the pandemic. And according to her it is no longer a pandemic. Clearly we are still in a worldwide pandemic so that makes absolutely no sense. I tried to explain that the law in Ohio extended all ID/registration until the end of the year because we are in fact still in a pandemic. She then brings her manager out and her manager says it is illegal to rent me a car with an expired license. I tell her I understand but I do not have an expired license since the expiration date was extended. She suggests to me I try to renew online and says if I’m able to do that I could show her that and see if that was sufficient enough to prove I don’t have an expired license. Obviously you cannot receive a driver’s license online so I was unable to do that. I’m really disappointed in the entire experience and also the fact that Alamo thinks that the pandemic has magically disappeared when in fact it’s worse now than it was before. Still not sure what “one time extension” was mentioned to me either. Truly a waste of my morning.

6.4 Okay

Sep 2020

KAYAK

Pros:

Pick up was easy from Columbus Airport.

Cons:

Drop off was cumbersome. No one in the garage to check you in. Filled the tank up before returning but the gas gauge didn’t move. Check engine light came on about 20 miles from Huntsville.

9.2 Wonderful

Aug 2020

KAYAK

Pros:

Staff were very good and helpful. They gave me choices on vehicles and helped me hook up my phone to the blue tooth which really helped me make calls easier.

1 out of 36

Hertz

Cleanliness

7.7

Comfort

7.9

Pick-up/Drop-off

7.4

Value for money

7.2

One location in Columbus Airport

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Locations in Columbus Airport

4106 International Gateway

+1 614 239 1084

Monday05:00 - 23:59
Tuesday05:00 - 23:59
Wednesday05:00 - 23:59
Thursday05:00 - 23:59
Friday05:00 - 23:59
Saturday05:00 - 23:59
Sunday05:00 - 23:59
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4.0 Mediocre

Dec 2021

KAYAK
Hertz still charges an extra daily fee to add a spouse as an authorized driver. Luckily it looks like a lot of car rental companies are moving away from this, but it's ridiculous

8.0 Very good

Nov 2021

KAYAK
There was an extra charge for a second (spouse) driver which I don’t think we have ever had from another company. When I looked back at the agreement it did mention additional charges for another driver but didn’t say what they were (13$/day). I would have looked at another rental company if I had been aware upfront (like, the info not buried in the middle of the rental agreement) as it did push the price much past the competition’s price. The car was nice, clean, etc.

10.0 Wonderful

Nov 2021

KAYAK
A little high priced fir a one day rental, otherwise clean car. No ‘cleaning product’ odor which was nice!

8.0 Very good

Mar 2021

KAYAK

Pros:

The staff didn't seem overly friendly but were helpful enough. They failed to mention their return method at this location which caused a little confusion when I returned the car.

Cons:

I felt that they should have clearly explained their return method (or at least mentioned it).

10.0 Wonderful

Mar 2021

KAYAK

Pros:

Ended up getting a very nice upgrade for no additional charge due to limited availability

2.0 Poor

Jul 2020

KAYAK

Pros:

Nothing

Cons:

They wouldn't accept debit cards just credit cards. Would have liked to have known this before I drove all the way to the airport. Not gonna be a slave to the credit card companies to rent a car. You deserve to have them stolen.

1 out of 21

Thrifty

Cleanliness

7.6

Comfort

7.5

Pick-up/Drop-off

7.1

Value for money

7.1

One location in Columbus Airport

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Locations in Columbus Airport

4106 International Gateway

+1 614 239 1084

Monday05:00 - 23:59
Tuesday05:00 - 23:59
Wednesday05:00 - 23:59
Thursday05:00 - 23:59
Friday05:00 - 23:59
Saturday05:00 - 23:59
Sunday05:00 - 23:59
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Reviews

10.0 Wonderful

Mar 2021

KAYAK

Pros:

Whole process smooth

Cons:

Line at desk to check car out

10.0 Wonderful

Oct 2020

KAYAK

Pros:

easiest/fastest rental and return I have ever had!

Cons:

nothing

2.0 Poor

Oct 2020

KAYAK

Cons:

There was no refund on the rental, even though the charge was fraudulent. It caused me to have to manage the situation with my bank.

5.2 Fair

Sep 2020

KAYAK

Pros:

Car was ok----Ford Eco Sport

Cons:

The Thrifty location was farthest from terminal. The staff was occupied with one customer. The wait was long. The attendant did not know how to open the back of SUV. Therebwas no one there when the car was returned---not a single person and they were aware fo when I was returning. Thrify is cheap for a reason!

2.0 Poor

Aug 2020

KAYAK

Cons:

If I would hv got my car. Putting my money back in my account. Trying to get them back on the phone.

2.0 Poor

Aug 2020

KAYAK

Cons:

I never got the rental. I got to the airport and they stated I needed a major credit card. I canceled the rental car and You still kept my money. I want that taken off my debit card asap

1 out of 25

Dollar

Cleanliness

7.4

Comfort

7.4

Pick-up/Drop-off

7.1

Value for money

6.9

One location in Columbus Airport

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Locations in Columbus Airport

4106 International Gateway

+1 614 239 1084

Monday05:00 - 23:59
Tuesday05:00 - 23:59
Wednesday05:00 - 23:59
Thursday05:00 - 23:59
Friday05:00 - 23:59
Saturday05:00 - 23:59
Sunday05:00 - 23:59
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Reviews

2.0 Poor

Apr 2021

KAYAK

Pros:

Staff was not there at the time of my pick up no help on the phone when I called dollar corporate services. Staff was late opening on the second day when I went back to get my car. Not wearing facemask. Very bad experience!

Cons:

Communications between dollar rental and carrentals.com, through who I made my reservation. More punctual and professional help both at the counter in person as well as online is needed.

2.0 Poor

Apr 2021

KAYAK

Pros:

Nothing. They closed before 6 pm, my flight was late. No car to pick up. Rip-off.

Cons:

They could make provisions for early evening pickup. Ie 6 pm

2.0 Poor

Mar 2021

KAYAK

Cons:

We made a “reservation” for a Suburban. When we got there all they had left was a little 4 door car. We have 7 people in our family so that wouldn’t work. The man working was nice enough, but he told us when you reserve with a lower cost rental company it’s hit or miss. Sometimes you get what you want, and sometimes you don’t. He showed us a long list of people he had to call to tell them they didn’t have any cars available. I would not recommend renting from Dollar because there NO GUARANTEE that you’ll get what you reserve, or any car for that matter!

2.0 Poor

Mar 2021

KAYAK

Cons:

They should have notified us that they close at 2pm and that, they would not be able to rent us a car. Their sign says go upstairs to the 2nd floor and someone will help you. Then upstairs it says we close at 2pm. So we had to pay double what our original reservation was and book with Hertz there on the spot.

2.0 Poor

Feb 2021

KAYAK

Pros:

Nothing

Cons:

I booked a car at 7 pm. I reached at 7:30pm. Noone was there .

2.0 Poor

Dec 2021

KAYAK

Pros:

didn't pick up car - mom got corona 2 days before christmas and was unable to cancel. thanks priceline, won't be going through you anymore.

Cons:

not going through priceline

1 out of 45

Budget

Cheapest deal
Most popular

Cleanliness

7.0

Comfort

7.0

Pick-up/Drop-off

6.0

Value for money

6.3

One location in Columbus Airport

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from ₪283/day

Locations in Columbus Airport

4106 International Gateway

+1 380 867 0247

Monday00:00 - 01:0008:00 - 23:59
Tuesday00:00 - 01:0008:00 - 23:59
Wednesday00:00 - 01:0008:00 - 23:59
Thursday08:00 - 23:5900:00 - 01:00
Friday00:00 - 01:0008:00 - 23:59
Saturday08:00 - 23:5900:00 - 01:00
Sunday08:00 - 23:5900:00 - 01:00
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Reviews

6.0 Okay

Sep 2023

KAYAK
I got a small vehicle instead of what was requested and paid for, I about ran thru two red lights because not seeing them due to seating being to small for my body

6.0 Okay

Aug 2022

KAYAK
The drop off signage needs additional work as it was very difficult to figure out where to pull in our car and the person checking in early in the morning was very unprofessional to us as we didn't know where to put the car, seems you didn't want to walk the extra 50 ft to get the car

1.9 Poor

Jun 2021

KAYAK
not staffed adequately. i booked through a third party and when asking for courtesy extension of a couple of hours due to highway traffice accident, they told me i had to book an extra day. on top of that, there was an additional fee to extend my reservation since it was more than 6 hours. i will never book with budget again.

6.0 Okay

May 2021

KAYAK

Cons:

The car had a bad smell where you could tell previous driver had probably smoked in it. The dash was dirty. I had to clean it with disinfectant wipes and spray the entire car down with Lysol.

2.0 Poor

May 2021

KAYAK

Pros:

I could not change my reservation pick up time to the next day. So I had to cancel it and when I tried to reschedule it was not available anymore.

Cons:

Allow people to push back a pick up or drop off date.

2.0 Poor

Mar 2021

KAYAK

Pros:

The car started and drove. The car did it's job. Everything else was terrible.

Cons:

Long wait lines, charged an unexpected fee. I will not be using budget in the future.

1 out of 40

Avis

7.3

Cleanliness

7.9

Comfort

8.6

Pick-up/Drop-off

7.2

Value for money

7.2

One location in Columbus Airport

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Locations in Columbus Airport

4106 International Gateway

+1 380 867 0002

Monday08:00 - 23:5900:00 - 01:00
Tuesday00:00 - 01:0008:00 - 23:59
Wednesday00:00 - 01:0008:00 - 23:59
Thursday08:00 - 23:5900:00 - 01:00
Friday08:00 - 23:5900:00 - 01:00
Saturday00:00 - 01:0008:00 - 23:59
Sunday08:00 - 23:5900:00 - 01:00
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4.4 Mediocre

Oct 2019

KAYAK

Pros:

Drop off was easy.

Cons:

It took a long time to pick up the car (40 minutes) even though there was only one person in front of me in line. The cars weren't ready. I had absolutely no choice, and the car was not what I had ordered. It was really flashy--something I did not want at all as a woman travelling alone.

10.0 Wonderful

Sep 2019

KAYAK

Pros:

I made a reservation for a big car but it wasn’t quite large enough for what I needed, when I went back to see if I could upgrade to a bigger one, they changed the paperwork and within a few minutes for no charge, I had a bigger car ready to go! Thanks again!!

Cons:

Directions into the rental car pickup/dropoff locations in the airport. It was a little confusing and took us a while for figure out

5.6 Fair

Nov 2018

KAYAK

Cons:

Billled me $50 extra for fuel (I returned it full) and added insurance that I did not buy with the reservation. avis removed fuel charge but only 1/2 of the insurance charge after I complained. Not renting from again

10.0 Wonderful

Jul 2018

KAYAK

Pros:

Professional and courteous.

Cons:

Nothing

2.0 Poor

Dec 2017

KAYAK

Cons:

Terrible! Avis sales person at the counter kept trying to sell me things and get me to upgrade for big $ when I was checking in. Wouldn't honor my Preferred status. The car was cheap, dirty, and wouldn't start on occasion. Customer service at Avis was terrible. Never did assist when I tried to fix the problems while enroute to my destination. Maybe that's their new sales technique if you just go with a standard car rather than allowing them to "up" your rental agreement at check-in.

4.4 Mediocre

Oct 2017

KAYAK

Pros:

The car was old, high mileage, bad electronics--crappy.

1 out of 9

Payless

5.9

Cleanliness

7.0

Comfort

7.3

Pick-up/Drop-off

5.7

Value for money

6.6

One location in Columbus Airport

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Locations in Columbus Airport

4106 International Gateway

+1 380 867 0978

Monday08:00 - 23:59
Tuesday08:00 - 23:59
Wednesday08:00 - 23:59
Thursday08:00 - 23:59
Friday08:00 - 23:59
Saturday08:00 - 23:59
Sunday08:00 - 23:59
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1.9 Poor

Jul 2021

KAYAK
Car was sent with a half tank of gas, when returned I was informed it was supposed to be full and charged at a premium for gas, they will likely now park the car at half and repeat the gimmick on the next sucker.

8.0 Very good

May 2021

KAYAK

Pros:

The drop off went very smoothly and efficiently.

Cons:

It was extremely difficult to find the Payless pick up counter. There was no signage for Payless indicating where I should go. I had to ask a family member to do some research while I wandered around. She discovered that Avis bought Budget and Payless so I went to the Avis/Budget counter. There was a small Payless sign behind the Budget counter. Definitely frustrating.

6.8 Okay

Sep 2020

KAYAK

Cons:

There was a 2.5 hour wait to pick up my car

6.0 Okay

May 2020

KAYAK

Pros:

Staffer was friendly, area was clean

Cons:

I specifically requested a mini-van and reserved it nearly a week in advance (i.e. Grand Caravan, Odyssey) because we needed the space for a long trip with several people. When I went to pick up my vehicle I was told Payless had "oversold" their mini-vans and didn't have any left and my only other option was a Pathfinder which wouldn't work. So, I cancelled my reservation and gave my business to another rental car company.

2.0 Poor

Dec 2020

KAYAK

Cons:

Rental agency overbooked and didn’t have enough cars. Had to wait for a few hours to get a car.

10.0 Wonderful

Sep 2023

KAYAK
One very small complaint...I stood in line for about 30 minutes at pickup.

1 out of 11

National

7.0

Cleanliness

6.7

Comfort

7.2

Pick-up/Drop-off

7.2

Value for money

6.5

One location in Columbus Airport

Show locations

Locations in Columbus Airport

4106 International Gateway

+1 844 913 0740

Monday07:00 - 23:59
Tuesday07:00 - 23:59
Wednesday07:00 - 23:59
Thursday07:00 - 23:59
Friday07:00 - 23:59
Saturday07:00 - 23:59
Sunday07:00 - 23:59
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Reviews

4.8 Mediocre

Sep 2020

KAYAK

Pros:

I waited two hours to pick up a van . They didn’t even appreciate my time saying thank you so much or didn’t even give me discount for it. I didn’t the reservation and still they didn’t have a car ready for me . Not happy with service at all . Please let me know if you want to talk to me . My email address is puspadhital92@gmail.com

Cons:

At least give a customer discount if they waited couple hours . Oh also , car condition was poor . Looks like they didn’t do an alignment in while and brakes were making a wired sound .

2.0 Poor

Aug 2020

KAYAK

Cons:

Poorest management and the stuff needs more training

3.2 Poor

Jun 2020

KAYAK

Cons:

I reserved a Tahoe or equivalent but they gave me a Tacome truck with less space. The wait to check in and get vehicle was over an hour wait. The truck was dirty: the previous user had a dog in it and there was hair everywhere. The window have finger smudges on all of them and there was fish scales in the tail bed. I was definitely a lack luster experience.

10.0 Wonderful

Dec 2019

KAYAK

Pros:

Staff was very friendly and the drop off super easy

6.0 Okay

Jul 2019

KAYAK

Pros:

Staff was definitely friendly and welcoming and made the entire process effortless

Cons:

The car absolutely reeked of cigarette smoke. When choosing the SUV, I had only a few options, and I entered two different ones, both reeking. I just had to choose one and go with it, clearly keeping the windows down during all three days (despite the heatwave). The smell did not go away!

5.6 Fair

Apr 2019

KAYAK

Pros:

Friendly staff, easy pickup/ drop off

Cons:

Smoky car! Gross.

1 out of 5

Easirent

4.7

Mediocre

No reviews available

One location in Columbus Airport

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Locations in Columbus Airport

John Glenn Columbus International Airport

Opening times not available

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Sunnycars

No score available yet

One location in Columbus Airport

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Locations in Columbus Airport

4106 International Gateway

Opening times not available

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VIPCars Recommendation

No score available yet

One location in Columbus Airport

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Locations in Columbus Airport

4600 International Gateway, Columbus, , USA Ohio

+1 914 368 0091

Saturday09:00 - 15:00
Sunday09:00 - 15:00
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1427 travelers who rented a car in Columbus Airport gave the car agency they used an average rating of 5.3

Car rental locations at Columbus Airport

Good to know

Most popular agency

Budget

Most popular car type

Intermediate

Average price

₪283/day

Good deal

₪283/day