Milwaukee Airport Car Rental – The Best Companies

Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE) is a civil-military airport 8km south of downtown Milwaukee in Wisconsin, on Lake Michigan’s western shore. It’s the main cultural and economic centre of the area with a population of just over half a million – making it the third-most densely populated metropolitan area in the Midwest.

Departure gate at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (Photo: ECP via Flickr / CC BY 2.0)

According to common consensus, it’s as cheap to rent a car at the the airport at as it is downtown, so you might as well pick one up as soon as you arrive. The rental car centre is found on the lower floor, just as you exit the main doors.

To determine which car rental companies offer the best options across our three categories (Most Affordable, Best for Luxury, Best for Minivans), TravelMag.com conducted research into all f the agencies at MKE airport. Our findings are as follows.

MOST AFFORDABLE: THRIFTY & HERTZ

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Reading through user feedback, Dollar and Thrifty are considered to have the cheapest car rentals at MKE. However, on the dummy dates we looked at, it was Hertz and Thrifty who came up with the best daily rates. At just a little over $54, Thrifty had a Nissan Versa on its books, while Hertz offered a Fiat 500 at $57 per day. But if we had to stick our neck out for one over the other, we’d choose Thrifty due to its superior customer reviews (8.7/10).

BEST FOR LUXURY: THRIFTY & NATIONAL

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In our search for the agency with the best selection of luxury cars, Thrifty dominated the competition with car rentals kicking off at $60 for a Jeep Patriot and Buick Encore. For something marginally larger and upmarket, Thrifty had a Chevrolet Impala at $72 and the 7-seater Ford Expedition at $86 per day, while National had a Nissan Maxima at $84. For SUV fans, National also rents out the VW Atlas and the popular Ford Edge.

BEST FOR MINIVANS: THRIFTY & BUDGET

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With its lakes, countless tourist attractions, there’s no shortage of places to visit in and around Milwaukee. As is the case in most US airports, Thrifty’s Nissan Quest and Hertz’s Dodge Grand Caravan were the cheapest minivans. However, for something a little swankier, Chrysler Pacifica offers a more pleasurable drive with features that include leather-trimmed and heated seating, plus wireless headphones and streaming. Small details perhaps, but on long trips those features can count for a lot. Both Budget and Avis rent out these minivans at the airport.