Car Hire at Dusseldorf International Airport
This information is correct as of October 2015
Car hire at Dusseldorf International Airport will help you get more out of your trip. Take some time to explore the city under your own steam, or get out and discover the hidden gems of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Where to hire a car at Dusseldorf International Airport
Avis, Buchbinder, Budget, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz, Dollar, Thrifty and Sixt all offer car hire at Dusseldorf International Airport. Their desks are all in the arrivals area of the terminal.
Petrol stations near Dusseldorf International Airport
If you select a 'full to full' car rental agreement you will need to hand your car back with a full tank.
There is a Shell petrol station on the airport grounds.
Driving around Dusseldorf International Airport
The roads surrounding the airport are large and fast. Germany's autobahns (motorways) famously have stretches without speed limits. Although some drivers like to take advantage of this, most people tend to drive around 120kmph (about 75mph). Traffic in Germany drives on the right-hand side of the road. This will take a little while to get used to if this is your first time driving abroad.
Getting to your destination
Lots of fantastic places are within a short drive of Dusseldorf International Airport. If you're renting a car, remember to search for hotels with car parking so you have a secure place to leave your vehicle.
Dusseldorf
A fantastic nightlife and thriving arts scene give this strait-laced city a twist of lively character.
It takes about 15 minutes to drive into downtown Dusseldorf from the airport. Once you arrive, you should have no trouble finding somewhere to park your car. On-street parking is metered between 8am-6pm Monday to Friday, and from 8am to 4pm on Saturdays. Prices change based on time. In the morning (8am to 11am) it costs 25 cents (about 20p) for 30 minutes of parking. In the afternoon (11am onwards) parking costs 75 cents (about 55p) per 30 minutes.
Cologne
Beautiful architecture and a rich history combine with buzzing joie de vivre to make Cologne one of Germany's most charming cities.
Driving from Dusseldorf is a great alternative if you can't find cheap flights to Cologne. It only takes about 50 minutes to drive to downtown Cologne from Dusseldorf International Airport. There are lots of one-way streets in Cologne, so it can be quite difficult to drive around. We recommend choosing a car hire package that includes a sat-nav as this will reduce the chances of getting lost. There are lots of car parks to choose from in Cologne: some of which have controversial 'women only' parking spaces.
Bonn
The birthplace of Beethoven and the former capital of West Germany, Bonn is a charming city with plenty to offer its visitors.
It takes about an hour to drive to Bonn from Dusseldorf International Airport. On-street parking is metered, and the charging period is from 9am to 8pm, Monday to Saturday. Parking generally costs €1 (just over 70p) per hour, with time limits of two to four hours in the city centre. Most car parks have a daily maximum charge of €25 (about £18) and hourly rates are usually cheaper than on-street spaces.
Prices subject to change