Nashville Airport Car Rental (BNA): Cars, SUVs & Vans
Why rent a car at Nashville Airport
Compare Nashville Airport car rental offers from multiple suppliers and book online with Airport Van Rental. Find a car, SUV or van for your dates, with the space you need for a music weekend, family visit or Tennessee road trip. BNA's current on-airport rental facility is a walk from the terminal; use the collection instructions for the supplier and location on your booking.
Picking up your rental car at Nashville Airport
BNA's on-airport rental setup separates the terminal check-in counters from the garage where you collect the vehicle. Airport Van Rental is the comparison and booking service; go to the rental supplier named in your confirmation when you arrive.
For the companies in the airport's rental-car directory and walking directions, the route is:
- Collect your luggage, then follow signs to Ground Transportation and the rental counters on Level 1 of the Main Terminal.
- Complete the supplier's check-in, unless your confirmation gives a different collection procedure.
- Leave the terminal on Level 1 and use the designated crosswalk across Terminal Drive to Terminal Garage 1.
- Inside the garage, turn left and follow Rental Cars signs to the adjacent rental facility and your supplier's vehicle area.
This is not the same destination as the rideshare and off-airport bus Ground Transportation Center at Terminal Garage 2. If your booking identifies an off-airport collection location, follow its transfer instructions instead of assuming it uses the walkable facility.
What airport construction changes for your arrival
BNA's Central Core construction guidance keeps Level 1 pedestrian access open while Plaza Level access is closed. Follow the current signs and elevator routes rather than an old video of the central escalators or pedestrian bridge. The new rental complex in the airport's expansion plans is a future facility, not today's pickup address.
Before leaving the rental area, fit your bags, adjust the driving position and set the first destination. If you are meeting people from separate flights, agree on where the group will gather so the driver does not have to coordinate arrivals while finding the exit.
From BNA to the Nashville you came to see
Start navigation with your accommodation's arrival or parking entrance, rather than a general downtown pin. I-40 is the main airport-to-city corridor, but your best route depends on the address and current traffic. A flight arrival, rental collection and hotel check-in make a full first leg, so leave breathing room before a fixed-time tour or performance.
For a music-focused stay, settle in before heading to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the Ryman or Lower Broadway. The Opry House is a separate venue on Opry Mills Drive, not a downtown stop beside the Ryman. Our Nashville city guide helps combine those choices with Centennial Park, Cheekwood and a day in Franklin.
If the trip ends in Nashville after a drive from Alabama, our Birmingham-to-Nashville itinerary connects the journey with a music-centered stay. A flight home from BNA can be part of that plan when the booked rental permits return there.
Choose a car, SUV or van for the whole trip
A smaller car can suit one or two travelers with light luggage. For a family, compare the seat layout and storage with all the passenger rows you need still occupied. An SUV and a minivan can solve different loading needs, so start with your bags, child restraints and access requirements rather than the example photo.
For a reunion or friends sharing the same itinerary, compare a 15-passenger van with smaller arrangements. Our 12-versus-15-passenger comparison explains the practical difference between a seat total and usable luggage space. Count the driver, include every airport suitcase and confirm the actual vehicle dimensions against your hotel parking.
A larger van can bring everyone together for the drive to a show or a countryside outing. Two vehicles are worth considering when arrivals, activities or return times split the group. Decide that before booking so the driver and the vehicle both suit the plan.
Compare the offer and pickup requirements in one place
Enter BNA, your dates, pickup and return times, and driver's age in the rental search. Compare the full rental total, supplier, collection arrangement, passenger and luggage details, mileage and cancellation terms. Add any essential equipment or additional-driver requirements to that comparison.
Check the accepted payment method and deposit or card hold for the chosen offer. Our rental-car deposit guide explains why the funds needed at pickup may differ from the rental price. For a late flight, confirm the supplier's collection hours and delayed-arrival procedure before reserving.
Once those details work, book online and keep the supplier confirmation ready for the counter. An advance reservation helps organize the trip, but it does not automatically provide skip-the-counter service.
Returning your rental car at BNA
Use the return address in your agreement. For an on-airport return, follow airport Rental Car Return signs and then your supplier's signs, not the terminal passenger drop-off lanes. Enterprise's BNA return directions illustrate the process: return to the supplier's area, complete the drop-off and walk back to the terminal.
Allow time for the agreed fuel or charging requirement, unloading, return processing and the walk to departures before your airline's check-in deadline. Photograph the return condition, check the cabin and luggage area, and keep the return record. An unattended key drop is suitable only when your supplier confirms that arrangement for your booking.
Check the airport's construction updates again before departure. For a group with several cases, the return day feels much easier when packing and the terminal walk are part of the schedule, rather than an afterthought.
Would a shorter rental fit your stay better?
For a trip centered on a downtown hotel, you may prefer a transfer on arrival and a rental only for the days you venture farther. WeGo Route 18 Airport connects BNA with downtown; check the current schedule and alerts against your flight and accommodation. Taxis and rideshares offer other arrival choices.
For a stay that combines the Opry, garden visits, relatives in different neighborhoods and time outside Nashville, collecting at BNA can make the travel days simpler. Search the period you actually need, compare the offers and reserve the arrangement that gives your trip room to unfold.
Our Most Popular Vehicles
Frequently Asked Questions
The airport lists rental check-in counters on Level 1 of the Main Terminal. After collecting luggage, follow Ground Transportation and Rental Cars signs. Use the supplier's confirmation if it gives a different check-in or collection procedure.
The current on-airport rental facility is reached on foot through Terminal Garage 1. An off-airport booking can have a different transfer arrangement. Check the specific pickup location instead of assuming every result follows the same route.
No. The airport's new rental complex remains part of its future expansion plans. Current on-airport pickups use the existing facility beside Terminal Garage 1. Check BNA's live construction guidance for changes to the walking route before travel.
It depends on the supplier's hours and delayed-arrival arrangements for your booking. Confirm those details before reserving, allow for luggage collection and keep the location's contact information. Do not treat airport operating hours as the rental counter's hours.
Follow your agreement's return address and the airport Rental Car Return signs, then enter your supplier's return area. For an on-airport rental, you can walk back to the terminal after returning the vehicle. Allow time for unloading, processing and reaching departures.
Search your dates and compare the passenger-van offers returned. Check enough seats for everyone including the driver, luggage space with those seats occupied, driver requirements and parking dimensions. Split flights or a large bag load may make two vehicles a better choice.
Yes. WeGo Route 18 Airport links the airport with downtown. Consult the current route schedule and alerts for your travel date. A bus or other transfer can work for a downtown stay, with a rental reserved separately for days outside the center.