How to pick up and return a hire car at Adelaide Airport (ADL)

Located around 7 km to the west of the Adelaide CBD, Adelaide Airport (ADL) has a single terminal which handles both domestic and international flights. Read on for clear instructions on how to find the rental car provider hire desks, and where to pick up and return your rental car.

International or domestic?

Adelaide Airport has a single passenger terminal from where all domestic and international flights are operated. The terminal consists of three floors — Arrivals is on the ground floor (Level 0) and Departures is on the second floor (Level 2).

How to pick up your hire car

Adelaide Airport has both on- and off-airport rental car providers, with the former within the terminal building and the latter a short drive away, but regardless of which you’re using, it’s a good idea to supply your flight number when booking an airport rental car as this means your hire car provider will be aware if your flight is delayed.

Find your rental desk: On- or off-airport

As Adelaide Airport has both on-airport and off-airport depots, the first step in picking up your rental car is knowing where you need to go, and this depends on which type of provider you have booked with.

On-airport pickup

You can find Adelaide Airport’s on-airport hire car desks on the ground floor of the terminal, roughly opposite the luggage carousels.

Off-airport pickup

Adelaide Airport has a single off-airport rental car provider — East Coast Car Rentals — and as it doesn’t maintain a rental desk at the airport itself, you’ll need to arrange transport to their depot, either by using their shuttle transfer, or a taxi or rideshare. Rental car shuttle transfers tend to leave regularly, although not always on demand, so there may be a short wait involved.

Finalise your rental agreement and collect keys

Before you’re able to drive away, you’ll need to complete any paperwork and inspect the vehicle. Once these steps are complete, you’ll be handed the keys to your rental car. Learn more about a typical airport rental car pickup process.

What should I do if the desk is unattended?

If you arrive at the rental car desk only to find it unattended, staff will hopefully have left a sign with instructions or a contact number. If this isn’t the case, make your way to the rental car parking area where there should be other staff members who can assist. Another option is to check your booking confirmation email for a contact phone number, and if you have no luck contacting staff, call us at 1300 722 920. As unstaffed rental desks are not unusual, don’t worry as there’s usually staff in the hire car parking area.

How to return your hire car

On-airport return

Adelaide Airport is around a 15-minute drive to the west of the Adelaide CBD, with Sir Donald Bradman Drive offering the most direct driving route. To reach the rental car area, enter through the airport’s main entrance, drive around the roundabout, and take the second exit on the right before the drop off/collection area. After parking, take the keys to the staff in the car park office.

When returning your airport rental car, set aside at least 30 minutes to allow sufficient time for the staff to inspect your car and tidy up the paperwork. If you’re using an off-airport depot, allowing a little longer is prudent as there’s the extra time required for your transfer to the airport. Don’t forget, airports typically recommend being at the terminal two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before international flights.

Off-airport return

Off-airport depots serving Adelaide Airport are located immediately to the north of the airport precinct, just a couple of minutes away by transfer. Be sure to allow sufficient time (in most cases 30 minutes should be adequate) for the return process, and as shuttles may not leave upon demand, allowing a further 15 minutes for the shuttle transfer is prudent.