SEAAirport Guide

Rental cars at SEA: the rental car facility

Find SEA's free 24-hour rental car shuttle, the facility address, return directions and the extra transfer for Rent-A-Wreck.

A round ramp drum of the SEA Rental Car Facility glowing teal at dusk, seen from its base
Rental Car Facility at dusk, SEA

The free rental car shuttle runs to SEA’s off-site facility 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Walk outside to the lower drive on the baggage claim level. The ride to the facility takes about five minutes.

If downtown is your only stop and you won’t need a car there, Link light rail is an option.

From baggage claim to the shuttle

The rental car facility is off the airport, at 3150 S. 160th St., SeaTac, WA 98188. The curbside shuttle stops are by Door 2 and Door 24.

  1. Collect your bags, then go outside to the lower drive on the baggage claim level.
  2. The north-end stop is near Alaska Airlines. The south-end stop is near the international airlines. Both serve the same facility.
  3. At the facility, go inside for the customer service counters. For Rent-A-Wreck, change to the company’s shuttle here.

For a hotel or off-site parking shuttle, go to the courtesy island shuttle lane on garage Level 3. Pickup is at Islands 1A–D, 2A and 3A–C. Our courtesy shuttles page has the pickup details.

Rental companies serving SEA

Our Rental cars page lists all of them:

  • Alamo
  • Avis, with an Avis SEA location page
  • Budget, with a Budget SEA location page
  • Dollar Car Rental
  • Enterprise
  • Fox Rent A Car
  • Hertz
  • National
  • Payless, with a Payless SEA location page
  • Rent-A-Wreck
  • Sixt Rent A Car, with a Sixt SEA location page
  • Thrifty

The Port lists phone numbers for three of them: Budget 1-800-527-7000 for local reservations and 1-800-527-0700 for out-of-town reservations, Enterprise (206) 246-1953 and Fox Rent A Car (800) 225-4369. Hand-control vehicles are free with an advance reservation.

Pickup at the facility

One traveler filming a National pickup said it took about 30 minutes from leaving the airport to reaching the car area. A commenter under a separate rental-car video reported long lines to catch the buses to the facility.

If you need a car seat before heading to the shuttle, Smarte Carte is on the baggage claim level between Carousels 9 and 10. It rents car seats and strollers, and stores luggage short or long term. It’s open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, but closes from 11:30 a.m. to noon and 6 to 6:30 p.m. Call Smarte Carte at (206) 248-3645.

How do you drive back to return the car?

Coming from Route Entrance
Downtown Seattle I-5 south to exit 154B/SR 518 west. Take the airport exit and follow Rental Car Return signs to International Blvd / SR 99 south. Right-hand
Downtown Tacoma I-5 north to exit 154A/SR 518 west. Take the airport exit and follow the same signs. Right-hand
Downtown Bellevue I-405 south, then merge with SR 518 west toward Burien. Take the airport exit and follow the same signs. Right-hand
Seattle or Burien SR 99 south to the First Avenue South Bridge, which becomes SR 509. Take SR 509 south to the SR 518 exit, then the airport exit. Follow Air Cargo Rd signs and take the Air Cargo Rd exit. Turn right on S 170th St, right on Air Cargo Rd, then right on S 160th St. Left-hand

In the National pickup and return video, one traveler reported that the app went “right to the rental car return.”

Getting from the facility to your flight

Shuttles pick up outside the building that holds the customer service counters. The drive back to the terminal takes about five minutes. Depending on your airline, you board a dedicated north or south terminal bus. It drops you on the lower drive outside baggage claim, at the north or south end. Ask the shuttle driver or the counter staff if you’re unsure which bus to board.

If you need a wheelchair

Tell the shuttle driver before you get off. The driver calls Prospect, the airport’s wheelchair service, so an assistant meets you at the drop-off area. The help is free, and tips are appreciated. Every rental car shuttle has a ramp and wheelchair securements. Each bus carries one wheelchair per load, and priority seating is marked.

Prospect Airport Services, at (206) 246-1550, provides wheelchairs from the rental car shuttle drop-off to the airline ticket counter. Service beyond the counter goes through your airline. Our wheelchair assistance page has details for help beyond the ticket counter.

Sources