National Car Rental at La Rochelle Airport

La Rochelle Airport is a small establishment just outside of La Rochelle city, in western France, and is commonly referred to as the Laleu Airport. It handles around 200,000 passengers per annum, and is a gateway for tourists coming to visit the towns and cities of the Charente-Maritime department. Flights from the airline companies of Air France, Ryanair, Easyjet and Flybe arrive from destinations such as London, Edinburgh, Dublin and Porto. Although a small airport, it is the largest in the region, and is well equipped for the comfort of its passengers. There are buses and taxis available for transport, as well as hire cars, from companies such as National La Rochelle Airport. National is well known around the world as a trusted provider of car rental services.

Passengers of La Rochelle Airport will easily find their way around the single terminal building, and will find various facilities at their disposal. Before leaving the airport, stop at the tourist desk for more information about the area. The La Rochelle Airport car hire companies are in the arrival area, and their vehicles are parked in the airport car park. No further transport is required in order to reach your hired car. National, at this rental location, is open Monday to Friday, from 08:30 to 12:30, and from 14:00 to 18:30, and on Saturdays from 09:00 to 12:00 and from 14:00 to 18:00. They are closed on Sundays, and it would be best to confirm with National if they are open on public holidays, should you be arriving at such a time. Customers are recommended to hire their vehicle in advance of their arrival, in order to secure the lowest rental rates. This is most easily achieved online.

National is a car hire company with over fifty years of experience in the industry, having been founded in 1947. Their headquarters are in St. Louis. Although all customers are welcome at National, they have mainly focused their attention on the needs of the frequent airport business traveller, and have, during the years of their service, provided many innovative programs to improve the car rental experience of this type of customer. National was the car hire company who helped pioneer the corporate-account business, and was the first company to introduce a comprehensive frequent-renter program, by the name of Emerald Club. Many customers still enjoy the benefits of being a member of Emerald Club, such as convenient e-receipts, counter bypass options and ‘car choice’, which allows the customer to quickly choose their vehicle and drive away, without the need for lengthy paperwork. National is the ‘Official Car Rental Company of the PGA Tour and Champions Tour’, and is part of a global strategic alliance with Europcar. Together, these two companies form the world’s largest car rental network.

At La Rochelle Airport, National customers have a wide range of vehicles from which to choose, and various items of equipment can be hired along with the vehicle. These items include child seats, satellite navigation systems and National hand controls for disabled drivers, in order to assist individuals who have a lower limb disability. The device operates the brake and accelerator pedals of an automatic vehicle, and may include a steering wheel knob. From La Rochelle Airport, hand controls are available free of charge, but all other items will cost a few extra Euro per day of hire. However, they can be essential for a safe and easy driving experience in France, especially a navigation system if you are unfamiliar with the city and its surrounding road network. All passengers in a vehicle driven in this country are required by law to wear seatbelts as well.

The La Rochelle Airport car rental companies offer vehicles hired by category, and from National, customers can select one of the following car groups: Economy, Compact Wagon, Intermediate, Standard, Standard Wagon, Fullsize, Fullsize Wagon, Premium Sport, Luxury, Van or SUV. The smaller cars are found in the first few categories mentioned, and they are generally hired with cheaper rental rates, and are ideal for single drivers, couples or small families without too many luggage items. Example vehicles include the Peugeot 207 1.4, Peugeot 308 1.6 and the Ford Mondeo 1.6. They come with some nice features, such as air conditioning, driver and passenger air bags, anti-lock brakes and folding rear seats. The Ford Mondeo even features a multi-functional steering wheel. Larger cars available from National are similar to the VW Passat, Citroen C5 2.0, Audi A4 1.9 and the Mercedes C200 CDI 2.0, which is a station wagon able to store up to five luggage items. Vans from National seat between seven and nine passengers, and are similar to the Citroen Grand Picasso C4 2.0, Citroen C8 2.0 and the Citroen Jumpy 2.2.

National one way hires are available for the majority of vehicles, and this is the ideal option for customers who are leaving France from a different airport location, or who would simply prefer to return the vehicle to a rental location other than La Rochelle Airport. One way hires may not be more expensive than an ordinary rental, but this will depend on the length of the rental and the return location chosen for the vehicle. Cars which are taken out of the country may incur additional charges. As a National car rental customer, you will be required to have a valid drivers license, a major credit card and be 21 years of age or older. Certain car groups will require the drivers to be over the age of 25.

All further details are available from National, at La Rochelle Airport.

Address:
La Rochelle Airport (LRHT01)
Aeroport
La Rochelle, 17000
FR

Telephone Number: 33-5-46291900

Fax Number: (5)46290329