Search

Car Hire

Prestwick Airport, known formally as Glasgow Prestwick Airport, is Glasgow city’s second airport. It is located just one mile northeast of Prestwick city centre and 30 miles southwest of Glasgow city centre. Car hire in Prestwick Airport is a great way to get to and from the airport, as well as to explore northern England. The airport is well-connected to the UK motorway network, with the A77 running adjacent to the airport. Other than self-driving, visitors can opt to use trains, buses and taxis to get between Prestwick and central Glasgow.

Who to Book With
Travellers can choose from five car hire companies that have a presence at Prestwick Airport: Alamo, Avis, Europcar, Hertz and National. The car hire desks are conveniently located in the Arrivals area of the terminal.

Need to Know Essentials
To hire a car, travellers will need at least the following documents:

- Both parts of your UK driver’s licence, an International Driving Permit or an EU driver’s licence
- Credit card
- Photo ID
- Booking confirmation

For more info read our FAQ's.

Driving
Drivers should take care to follow speed limits, as speed cameras are in force. If your rental vehicle is photographed, you will be fined retroactively through the car hire company. It is not mandatory to carry your driver’s licence in the UK, but it is recommended that you do so. If you do not have your driver’s licence on hand when stopped, then you will have seven days to present it at a police station. Most on-street parking in the UK is either by meter or pay-and-display. No parking is allowed on double yellow lines. Drivers should give way to cars coming from the right. Most petrol stations accept debit and credit cards; however, petrol stations in the countryside made not be open 24 hours. There are no toll roads or toll bridges in Scotland.

See our guide to the UK for more information on driving here.

Transport

Passengers arriving at Prestwick Airport can enjoy good transportation options to the city centre and beyond. The airport is adjacent to the A77 road, which links to the M77, with direct access to Glasgow, which makes car hire a convenient option. There are also buses and trains from the airport.

Trains
The train station at the airport is directly connected to the terminal via a covered walkway. Train services are provided by National Rail and run roughly every 30 minutes to Glasgow Central Station. The train journey takes about 50 minutes. Single fare train tickets to Glasgow cost around £7. Passengers may be able to receive savings on tickets when presenting a valid airline ticket or airline confirmation and valid photo ID at the ticket desk.

Taxis
Taxis are readily available just outside the terminal building. There is only one licensed airport taxi company, Ayr Black Taxis. All taxis are metered, with the meter fare starting at £2.50. Fares increase between 22:00 and 07:00.

Taxi prices:
Prestwick Airport to Glasgow city centre is about £65
Prestwick Airport to Stirling is about £90
Prestwick Airport to Perth is about £150
Prestwick Airport to Aberdeen is about £300

Buses
Express and regular bus services are available just outside the terminal building. The Stagecoach bus X77 (regular service) and X99 (early morning and late evening) provide links from the airport to Glasgow. The X77 bus runs between 06:35 to 22:54 Monday through Saturday and 08:10 to 20:10 on Sunday. Bus fares are £10 for single tickets but are discounted if purchased in advance online.

Facilities

Terminals
This single terminal airport can handle about three million passengers a year. It is the departure point of flights by Ryanair and Wizz Air, providing links to popular vacation areas in Spain as well as to Gdansk, Dublin and Paris. Seasonal flights also depart from this airport.

Parking
There is ample parking at Prestwick Airport. There are three car parks at the airport: terminal pick up/drop off, terminal short stay and terminal long stay. The terminal pick up/drop off car park is located adjacent to the terminal and allows for five minutes of free parking. The terminal short stay car park is a two-minute walk away from the terminal building and also allows for five minutes of free parking. Rates for both car parks are £6.50 per hour or a full day for £16. The terminal long stay car park can easily be reached via the covered walkway to the railway station, roughly a five-minute walk. Rates are £26.50 for up to three days. Discount rates are available when parking is pre-booked.

Wi-Fi
Passengers can use one of many internet kiosks at the airport, which allow for free access to the internet. The kiosks are located adjacent to Yates’ Bar in the main terminal building. Passengers can access the internet from their own devices through BT Openzone. Air time can be booked online, with 1 hour, 30 minutes charged at roughly £6.

Information Services
The information desk is located at the entrance of the main terminal building.

Useful Numbers
Service Centre: +44 871 223 0700
Car Park Reservations: +44 870 118 1844

Accessibility
The airport offers excellent facilities for passengers with reduced mobility. Wheelchairs are available for day use, including self-propelling wheelchairs. Special assistance is also available upon request. Disabled persons’ parking spaces with easy access are available at the car parks.

Restaurants and Bars
There are cafés and restaurants both before and after security. Before security, travellers will find a Starbucks Coffee and Yates’ Bar. After security, passengers can choose from Caffe Ritazza (coffee and small snacks), Elvis Presley Bar (bar and service restaurant) and the Food Village (self-service).

VIP Lounges
Aviator Executive Suite

Money and ATMs
There are numerous ATMs on the main concourse of the terminal building as well as after security check. A bureau de change office is on offer by the Change Group. The office is located on the main concourse, next to the Check-in area.

Shopping
Prestwick Airport offers both retail and duty-free shopping. Passengers will WHSmith stores both before and after security check. The stores sell books, sweets, toiletries and other travel goods. The Nuance Group offers duty-free shopping to passengers in the Departures area.