Here’s our guide to returning a car hire to Madrid Airport T4. Find out which suppliers have an on-airport location and how to find them as well as what the various access roads are to the airport and where the nearest petrol station is. You can find more of our Madrid Airport guides on our blog.
A bit about Madrid Airport
Spain’s biggest airport is spread across two sites, 15 kms northwest of Madrid’s city centre. Terminals T1, T2 and T3 are on one site. And terminal T4 and its satellite building, T4S, are located around 5 kms north of the former. Thankfully, however, there is car hire at both sites! This means that when booking a Madrid Airport car hire, DO choose the location that works for you best.
You can read more about the Madrid Airport terminals and how to travel between them should you need to by clicking the link below…
Madrid Airport Terminals and Travel Between
In this post, however, we take you through the process for returning a car hire to Madrid Airport T4.
Returning a car hire to Madrid Airport T4: On-airport suppliers
Car hire suppliers with an on-airport location have a desk in the terminal and their cars are parked in the relevant airport car park. At Madrid Airport, the following companies are based on-airport:
- Avis-Budget
- Enterprise-Alamo
- Europcar-InterRent-Keddy
- Goldcar-Rhodium
- Hertz-Thrifty-Firefly
- Sixt
In the above list, we’ve grouped together brands that are affiliated and share the same desk and/or space in the car park. Cars with the above suppliers are parked in the Rent a car parking lot, which is part of the P4 general car park. This is huge, by the way. It’s split into six sections (A, B, C, D, E or F). However, you won’t need to worry about navigating through or around them because the car hire section has its own entrance away from the others.
Returning a car hire with another supplier?
If you’ve got a car hire with a company not listed above, do check the instructions for returning it on your booking voucher. In general, you will need to return the car hire directly to their office. Companies such as Centauro and Dickmanns are located off-airport. And as is the case with many (if not all) off-airport companies, they provide a courtesy shuttle service to ferry customers between their office and the terminal.
Driving to Madrid Airport T4
The distinctive design of Madrid Airport T4 from the outside
Being the capital and in the centre of Spain, it’ll come as no surprise that Madrid is very well-connected to other cities across the country. Some of the motorways going to the capital are toll roads so when planning your route, do make sure you check first. Some routeplanners such as the one on Google Maps has the option to avoid tolls.
The M-12, which is one of the main access roads to T4 is also a toll road. It can be a bit tricky to avoid but it is possible! Other roads that access the airport are the M-14/M-13 (from the south) and the M-111 (from the east).
Driving from the north or west of the airport (e.g. from Segovia or Burgos)
The main route to the airport is the M-12. You can connect to the M-12 from either the R-2 (also a toll road) or the A-1. The airport and T4 is clearly signposted on the M-12. If you connect to the M-12 from the A-1 and happy to pay the toll, take exit 7 and follow signs to ‘Terminal T4’.
However, if you want to avoid the M-12, stay on and take exit 3. This will take you onto the M-13. You should move into the right lane for ‘Terminal T4’.
On the M-12, you can take exit 7 for the airport. Alternatively, you can stay on and connect to the M-13 for the airport. This latter option avoids the toll.
Driving from the south of the airport (e.g. from Toledo or Aranjuez)
From the south of the airport, you can access the airport via the M-12 or M-14/M-13. Using the latter avoids the toll. You can connect to both routes using the M-40 (Madrid ring road) and the A-2.
So if you want to avoid paying a toll, follow signs to ‘M-14 aeropuerto’. On the M-40, you need exit 9A.
Driving from the east of the airport (e.g. from Guadalajara)
The main motorways to Madrid from the east are the R-2 and A-2. If taking the R-2, exit 5 brings you onto the M-12 for the airport and T4. Both are toll roads.
From the A-2, take exit 12 for the airport and T4. This will take you onto the M-14 and then the M-13 to the airport.
Approach to T4 and Rent a car Parking
As you approach the terminal, stay in the lane for: Llegadas (Arrivals), P4 and Car Rental. The entrance to Car Rental Parking will come up on your right. You’ll see it before the line of barriers for access to the main car park.
Car rental entrance is on the right
After parking the car, you should be able to find a relevant member of staff in the car park to sign the car off and leave the keys with.
Nearest petrol station to Madrid Airport T4
There is a petrol station on the airport site, which is about 2 kms from Car Rental Parking. It’s located close to P-12 Parking so follow signs to: P-12 and ‘Urbanizacion Norte‘. You’ll soon see the petrol station come up on your right, which is basically the first exit of a small roundabout.
After filling the tank up with petrol: instead of taking the first exit at the roundabout for T1, T2, T3 and T4, go all around the roundabout and follow signs to ‘Urbanizacion Sur‘. You’ll soon see signs for T4 again. It’s just a slightly shorter and more straightforward route to the car park for car hires.