How to pick up and return a hire car at Melbourne Airport (MEL)

Colloquially known as Tullamarine Airport, Melbourne Airport (MEL) has four terminals — one international and three domestic — all within one larger building. Terminal 1 (T1) handles Qantas domestic flights, Terminal 2 (T2) handles all international flights, Terminal 3 (T3) is for Virgin domestic flights, and Terminal 4 (T4) is responsible for all other domestic flights (and some Virgin flights). As all terminals are interconnected within the one larger structure, they’re walking distance apart, and all rental car providers are located in the one area. See below for clear instructions on how to find Melbourne Airport’s car hire desks and where to pick up your rental car.

International or domestic?

If you’re flying internationally, you’ll be using T2. Domestic flights operate from T1, T3, and T4, and which of these terminals you need depends on which airline you’re flying.

Transferring between terminals

As Melbourne Airport’s terminals are within the one larger building, you can walk from one terminal to another. Terminal 1 is the northernmost terminal, with T2, T3, and T4 in that order heading south. To walk from T1 to T4 shouldn’t take more than about ten minutes.

How to pick up your hire car

At Melbourne Airport, both on- and off-airport rental car providers are available, and regardless of which you’re using, when booking an airport rental car it’s a good idea to supply your flight number so that the provider is aware if your flight is delayed.

Find your rental desk: On- or off-airport

Melbourne Airport has both on-airport and off-airport depots, so knowing which type of provider you have booked with is the first step in determining where you need to go to collect your rental car.

On-airport pickup

For both domestic and international arrivals, the on-airport rental car desks at Melbourne Airport are located on the Ground Floor of the airport car park, more or less directly opposite the exit from T2.

Off-airport pickup

Melbourne Airport’s off-airport rental car depots don’t maintain desks at Melbourne Airport itself, meaning you need to arrange transport to their depot, either by using a shuttle transfer, taxi, or rideshare. Off-airport depots serving Melbourne Airport are located to the south of the airport.

Rental car shuttle transfers tend to leave regularly, although not always on demand, so there may be some waiting involved. In some cases the last shuttle transfer is 20 minutes before the depot closing hours, so if you have a late arrival time, it is important to check with your depot regarding their shuttle bus hours.

Finalise your rental agreement and collect keys

Once you reach the correct hire car desk, you’ll need to finalise the paperwork, inspect the vehicle, and collect your keys. Learn more about a typical airport rental car pickup process.

What should I do if the desk is unattended?

Hopefully the car rental provider has left a sign with instructions or a contact number which you can call to let them know that you’ve arrived. If not, make your way to the rental car parking area where a rental attendant should be able to assist you. If the desk is unattended and there’s no sign, check your booking confirmation email for a contact phone number. If you have no luck contacting staff, call us at 1300 722 920. Don’t be alarmed — unstaffed rental desks are not unusual — but rest assured there’s usually staff in the hire car parking area.

How to return your hire car

On-airport return

Melbourne Airport is around a 30 minute drive to the north of downtown Melbourne, with the primary access point being the M2 which swings right by the airport precinct. If you’re driving to the airport during weekday peak hours (typically 07:30-09:30 and 16:30 to 18:00), be sure to allow extra time in the case of traffic congestion.

As you drive to Melbourne airport, keep an eye out for the overhead signs, and after you cross the Centre Road traffic lights, stay in the right-hand lane and follow the black and white overhead sign reading “Car Rental Returns.” Learn more about how to return an airport rental car.

It’s also a good idea to allow at least 30 minutes for the processing of your paperwork and returning the vehicle at an on-airport depot, and at least an hour for an off-airport depot — the latter can take a bit longer due to the extra time involved with taking a shuttle transfer to the terminal. Be wary of returning your vehicle too close to your flight departure time — you’re best to be at the terminal two hours before departure for a domestic flight and three hours for an international flight.

Off-airport return

Off-airport depots serving Melbourne Airport are located to the south of the airport precinct. After returning your vehicle, the drive time from the depot to Melbourne Airport ranges from 9 to 12 minutes depending on the depot and traffic conditions.

As traffic congestion around Melbourne Airport can be an issue, be sure to allow sufficient time (in most cases 30 minutes should be adequate) to return your airport rental car, and, as shuttles do not typically leave upon demand, allowing a further 30 minutes for the shuttle transfer to Melbourne Airport is prudent.