Here’s our guide to returning a car hire to Bilbao Airport. Find out which suppliers are are located on-airport and how to find the right car park. We have a guide to collecting a Bilbao Airport car hire on our blog too. And if you still need to book, use our search tool to compare rates from the widest range of suppliers available.
Returning a car hire to Bilbao Airport: On-airport suppliers
A wide range of car hire suppliers are available on-airport. They include:
- Europcar-Keddy
- Enterprise-Alamo
- Avis-Budget
- Hertz-Thrifty
- Sixt
- Flizzr
If you’re returning a car hire to one of the above companies, you will need to return it to Rent-a-Car Parking, which is located in the same multi-story car park that General Parking (P1) is in.
Off-airport car hire
Other companies such as Goldcar-Rhodium and Drivalia have offices located a few minutes drive from the airport. However, they also offer a free shuttle service to take passengers between their office and the airport. If you’re returning a car hire to them, make sure you allow a little more time to get to the airport.
Driving to Bilbao Airport
Bilbao Airport was designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava and has been nicknamed the ‘dove’
The airport is in a small town called Loiu, which is around 12 kms north of Bilbao. You’ll find it just off the BI-631 motorway that goes between Bilbao and Mungia. The BI-631 is also accessible from the N-637 at junction 18. The airport is well-signposted from the city as well as from both the BI-631 and N637. Just look out for yellow signs with ‘aireportua‘, which is Basque for airport.
From BI-631:
- If you’re driving from the south of Bilbao, take exit 11 for the airport.
- From north of Bilbao, take exit 12.
For the airport, just follow signs to ‘aireportua’
Parking for Car Rentals
As you approach the airport, you need to be in the left lane for Arrivals (llegadas) and Rent-a-Car Parking. The entrance to the car park you need is the first one to come up on your left. It basically looks like the entrance to a tunnel through a hill as the car park has been covered over with a layer of grass…
As you near the airport, move to the left lane for Rent-a-Car Parking
The entrance to Rent-a-Car Parking is on the left (inside the green hill)
Petrol Station near Bilbao Airport
The nearest petrol station is just 2.5 kilometres from the airport, close to the airport’s P2 car park for Long Stay Parking (larga estancia). To reach it, drive to the airport and follow signs to to P2. Shortly after passing the airport, the turn-off for the petrol station will come up on your right. You’ll see a sign for petrol station just before the turn-off.
To get back to the airport, once you’re back on the main road after leaving the petrol station, take the first exit to Loiu. And at the roundabout, take the first exit to ‘aireportua’. Keep looking out for signs to the airport as these will direct you the quickest way back to it.
Car hire desks
After parking your rental car, all on-airport car hire desks are located towards the front of the car park. They’re close to the walkway to the terminal.