Car Hire Minneapolis International Airport

Car Hire

The main air gateway to Minnesota's Twin Cities is Minneapolis - St Paul International Airport, 12 miles south of St Paul and 16 miles south of Minneapolis. One of the most extensive United States rail networks connects both Minneapolis Airport terminals and transports passengers to central Minneapolis and the second biggest shopping centre in the United States, the Mall of America. Shared vans, taxis, and shuttle buses are the airport's other public transportation options. However, car rental in Minneapolis Airport remains the best way to venture beyond the Twin Cities towards the rest of Minnesota and the other four upper Midwestern states the airport serves.

Who to Book With
No fewer than eight car hire suppliers are located within both Minneapolis Airport terminals, including Thrifty, Alamo, and Budget. The car rental counters at Terminal 1, also known as the Lindbergh Terminal, are situated between the red and blue parking ramps on the third and second floors, while the Terminal 2 car hire counters are located on the purple parking ramp's third level in the ground transport centre across from the main terminal building. Shuttle buses also transport passengers to Ace and Payless branches outside the airport.

Need to Know Essentials
Before claiming rental vehicles, the following documents need to be shown:

- A valid driver’s licence (both parts)
- The motorist's credit card used to reserve the vehicle
- A valid passport for drivers who come from outside the United States

For more info read our FAQ's.

Driving
The main motorways leading to the Twin Cities are Interstates 94, an east to west thoroughfare, and 35W, which runs south to north. Both interstates lead to the main Minneapolis ring road, the I-494/694 beltway. Traffic jams on all of these roads are fairly common, especially during morning and evening rush hours. Road merging and closed exit ramps are other frequent occurrences. Summer construction work and icy winter roads are other challenges drivers will encounter along Minneapolis roads. Motorists will rarely have trouble finding empty parking spaces among the 25,000 spots available throughout the city.

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

Transport

It takes less than 40 minutes to drive between Minneapolis Airport's Hennepin County and both of the Twin Cities. However, passengers can reach the central Minneapolis Warehouse district in less than half an hour aboard the airport's light rail transit network. Taxis and shared vans travel between both terminals and central Minneapolis within about half an hour. Bus options include airport shuttles which depart once every 10 to 15 minutes, the Route 54 city bus, and Jefferson Lines / Greyhound buses which travel throughout the Upper Midwest.

Trains
Metro Transit operates the light rail transit network between Minneapolis Airport's two terminals and 17 other destinations throughout the city. It costs nothing to travel between the Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 light rail stations, but fares for all other destinations cost about £1 during most times of the day, but climb up to £1.35 during the peak weekday rush hour periods from 06:00 to 09:00 and 15:00 to 18:30. Trains depart approximately once each 10 minutes during peak hours. From the airport, it takes roughly 12 minutes to reach the Mall of America and 25 minutes to reach the Warehouse District aboard these trains.

Taxis
Taxi service is available at the Humphrey Terminal ground transport centre and the Lindbergh Terminal taxi starter booth. Red and White Taxi is among the few Twin Cities taxi companies which do not charge an extra airport access fee on top of overall fares. All taxi fares are calculated per mile.

Taxi prices:
Minneapolis Airport to Minneapolis city centre is about £25
Minneapolis Airport to St Paul city centre is about £20

Buses
The city Route 54 Metro Transit buses pick up passengers at the Terminal 1 transit center, but not Terminal 2. Terminal 2 passengers wishing to take city buses must take one of the shuttle buses which travel once each 10 to 15 minutes between the two terminals. Bus tickets cost £1.38 during rush hours, but only about £1 at all other times. The Terminal 1 transit centre is also where Jefferson Lines, the main inter city bus company in the Twin Cities, drops off and picks up its passengers.

Facilities

Terminals
Both terminals are named after two of the state's most famous residents. Terminal 1, by far the bigger of the two terminals, is also called the Lindbergh Terminal and handles all international flights. The smaller Hubert H. Humphrey Terminal, or Terminal 2, exclusively manages domestic flights. With an average of 35 million passengers per year and a catchment area covering five states, this airport ranks among the 20th busiest on Earth. Only two other United States airports exceed Minneapolis Airport's list of over 135 non-stop flight destinations per capita.

Parking
Both Minneapolis Airport terminals offer covered short-term parking for motorists planning to leave their vehicles for periods under nine hours. A Terminal 2-Humphrey skyway and the Terminal 1-Lindbergh tram level link these car parks to their respective terminals. Short-term parking fees are about £3 for the first hour with a daily maximum charge of no more than £22. Terminal 1-Lindbergh covered general parking fares are nearly £5 for the first hour and £1.20 for each subsequent hour with a daily maximum charge of £13.50. Rates for Terminal 2-Humphrey MSP value parking are under £5 for the first hour with a daily maximum charge of under £10.

Wi-Fi
Minneapolis Airport not only offers its passengers free wireless internet access, but also a number of Samsung Power Pole charging stations for passengers to charge their gadgets throughout both terminals. Passengers wishing to skip the advertisements included in the airport's free wireless internet access service can pay a £1.80 fee for commercial free internet access lasting up to 24 hours.

Information Services
In addition to the passenger assistance desks at Terminal 1-Lindbergh's Level T, Minneapolis Airport also contains a Travelers Assistance Program which serves about a million passengers per year through strategically placed Terminal 1-Lindbergh information booths and passenger service assistants.

Useful Numbers
Passenger Assistance Desk: +1 612 726 5555
Travelers Assistance Program: +1 612 726 5500

Accessibility
In addition to the specially adapted toilets, telephones, and reserved parking places disabled passengers expect at such a large airport, Minneapolis Airport also offers additional disabled passenger assistance through its Travelers Assistance Program. Upon request, Travelers Assistance Program staff can arrange sign language interpreters, oxygen delivery, and any other extra help passengers may need.

Restaurants and Bars
A large portion of the 55 restaurants at Minneapolis Airport are located within the Airport Mall, but passengers can find things to eat and drink at nearly every section of both airport terminals. Virtually all major fast food chains can be found, from McDonald's to Burger King to Taco Bell. Passengers craving slower and more formal dining atmospheres may prefer dining at the Northern Lights Grille, Axel's Bonfire, or Fletcher's Wharf.

VIP Lounges

Terminal 1:
United Club
Delta Sky Club

Money and ATMs
Terminal 1-Lindbergh contains a full service bank between its fifth and sixth doors. The bank also includes one of the airport's six ATMs. Passengers who need to withdraw foreign currency can use the ATM near Terminal 1-Lindbergh's Concourse G entrance, while those wishing to exchange currency may do so at the Travelex branches both terminals contain.

Shopping
The Mall of America may be minutes away, but Minneapolis Airport also boasts its own large 'Mall' retail area filled with approximately 60 different shops. Sweets are sold at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, while BlackBerry and Gadgets to Go are the airport's best places to stock up on electronics. Reading material is available at two newsstands as well as the Simply Books shop.