Car Rental at Norfolk Airport: the best companies

Norfolk International Airport (ORF) is located three miles from the business district of Norfolk, a city in the U.S. state of Virginia. The airport principally serves as a gateway to the Hampton Roads metropolitan area and its miles upon miles of high-end properties and beaches in the southeast part of Virginia.

Norfolk International Airport (Photo: (Tomás Del Coro / CC-BY-SA)

Serviced principally by Southwest, Delta and American Airlines, ORF airport has enough traffic to keep 10 rental companies fully operational. Among the big players, you’ll find Hertz, Thrifty, National and Budget.

To pick out which of these deserve the top spot across three separate categories (Most Affordable, Best for Luxury and Best for Minivans), TravelMag.com have conducted thorough research to come up with the following results.

Most affordable: Alamo & Hertz

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As is the case wherever you rent a car, compact or economy cars are easier to park and great for short commutes. If on business, or just looking to zip around the city, then Alamo has the best selection of cheap car rentals; their fuel-efficient Mitsubishi Mirage and Hertz’s compact Fiat 500 both carry $40 per day price tags. If you’re thinking of driving up Virginia’s coast, then you might be tempted by a larger vehicle like Alamo’s Hyundai Elantra or Hertz’s Chevrolet Cruz, which are both leased out at around $45 per day. If you do opt for Alamo, it’s worth reading each car’s conditions carefully, as some of them offer a free tank for a just a few dollars more.

Best for luxury cars: Dollar & Thrifty

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Those visitors looking to spoil themselves can do just that at ORF Airport. with a large selection of premium cars up for rent. Dollar leases out compact crossover SUVs like the Toyota RAV4 for a bargain $57 per day and the Hyundai Santa Fe, a SUV that became so popular there were times when the car manufacturer struggled to meet demand. Higher-end sedans kick off at about $100 per day with Thrifty offering the Chevrolet Impala and the classy Buick LaCrosse at this price. Thrifty is the most loved of the rental car companies at ORF airport, scoring 8.4 out of 10.

Best for Minivans: Dollar & Budget

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On our chosen dates, Dollar had the cheapest minivan, with their 7-seater Nissan Quest being rented out at $123 in the low season and ascending to $155 during the summer. But you get what you pay for and this recently discontinued vehicle receives mixed reviews. People who prefer Dodge can find their popular Grand Caravan for around $130 per day at most rental companies. Renting at Newark is never cheap, so if we were recommending a company purely on price, then we’d pick Dollar, but if it was a question of choice, then we’d opt for Budget, which has both a competitively priced Dodge Gran Caravan and – for larger groups – Ford Transits for rent.