The Glasgow International Airport, formerly known as Abottsinch airport, is located approximately 8 miles west of the Glasgow city center which is itself near the town of Paisley. This is in Scotland. With an overall passenger traffic volume topping 8 million in 2007, the Glasgow International airport is the second busiest in Scotland and the eighth busiest in the entire United Kingdom. By 2004, the airport was handling approximately one million passengers a month and with recent planned projections, the total yearly number of passengers coming through this airport will top 13 million.



With this kind of business traffic, the Glasgow International Airport has become home to several major car hire firms. Many of the local and international travelers coming to Scotland are there on business and require reliable and convenient transportation to get back and forth. Car rental companies such as Alamo, Avis, 1and1, Budget have all made a presence at the Glasgow International Airport.

Glasgow airport car hire is simple and convenient. One can easily make reservations before they arrive and a car will be waiting for them. This is especially convenient for businessmen who are particular about time and want to shuttle in and out with minimal delays. With today's packaged deals, Glasgow car hire is especially fast. One can reserve their flight, hotel and car reservations all on the same package. Websites such as Expedia and Travelocity make this easily possible and a passenger or client can pay one flat rate and get all three at the same time. On arrival at the Glasgow airport, the traveler's car is ready and waiting.

There are also options to pay for a car rental on arrival. This can easily be done using either of the world's recognized forms of payments namely by Visa Mastercard, Diners club and in many cases a traveler's local ATM/debit card (many debit cards can now be configured to be used outside a traveler's country of dwelling). The car rental firms present at Glasgow airport do not take cash unless with prior arrangement with the rental manager.

Glasgow airport car hire offers a flexible array of cars for the traveler to choose. Whether it is a four-door or two-door sedans to town cars, to mini vans and trucks, travelers can easily find the car that suits their needs. For instance, group travelers require a minivan to be able to ferry them and their luggage from place to place.

The cost of renting a car at the Glasgow international airport varies. A traveler can rent a mid-sized car for anywhere between $100 pounds to $200 a week depending on the specials that are running at the time. Some firms will require a deposit upfront and this could vary depending on the type of car and form of payment used. It is generally more expensive to rent a car on demand (immediately after arrival at Glasgow international airport) than to book a reservation in advance through a booking agency such as Expedia or Travelocity.