Avis Car Rental at Laconia Airport (LCI): Your Gilford, NH Vehicle Source

Avis Car Rental Introduce

For residents and visitors navigating the beautiful Lakes Region and surrounding areas of New Hampshire, the Avis Car Rental location in Gilford provides a necessary vehicle hire option. Situated conveniently at the Laconia Airport (LCI), this branch acts as both an essential gateway for air travelers and a local resource for New Hampshire citizens requiring temporary personal or commercial transportation. As a satellite office of a major national and international brand, Avis in Gilford offers a diverse fleet of vehicles, including standard cars and specialized van rentals, ensuring that you can find the right vehicle for cruising the scenic byways, managing a weekend move, or handling business travel throughout the Granite State.

This location benefits from the extensive infrastructure and quality control that come with the Avis name, promising a selection of well-maintained, late-model vehicles. However, it is crucial for New Hampshire users to understand the operational nature of this branch. Satellite offices, while offering convenient local access, often operate with reduced staffing and may have limited autonomy over policy matters, such as reservation changes and refund processing, which are typically managed by the corporate 1-800 customer service system. When utilizing services like "Pay Now" discounts, we strongly advise local customers to read all fine print regarding cancellation and early return policies, as these corporate stipulations are strictly enforced and may not be clearly communicated during the quick check-out process at the local counter. Proactive communication and policy awareness are key to a smooth rental experience here in New Hampshire.

Whether your journey takes you up to the White Mountains, over to the Seacoast, or simply requires a replacement vehicle while yours is in the shop in Laconia, this Avis location is strategically placed to address your New Hampshire driving needs with the backing of a large, well-known organization. The facility aims to offer a quick and professional onsite service, making vehicle collection and return as efficient as possible.

The Avis Car Rental branch is located at the Laconia Airport (LCI), making it a prime spot for both local van rentals and passenger car hires. Its placement in Gilford, New Hampshire, positions it centrally within the state's popular Lakes Region, serving communities like Gilford, Laconia, Meredith, and Wolfeboro. The accessibility of this location is particularly beneficial for travelers flying into LCI and for residents needing a vehicle without venturing into the busier, more distant city centers of Manchester or Concord.

The specific address for the Gilford, NH location is:

65 Aviation Dr, Gilford, NH 03249, USA

The facility provides the convenience of on-site parking for customers, which is a major advantage for local residents driving their own vehicle to the location to pick up their rental. Accessibility features, including a wheelchair accessible entrance and parking lot, ensure that the branch is welcoming to all New Hampshire customers with mobility requirements. Being situated on Aviation Drive, it has easy access to Route 11 and Route 3, offering clear driving paths for exploring Lake Winnipesaukee, heading north toward the mountains, or traveling south toward the state capital.

As a full-service car rental agency with a specialization in larger transport, the Gilford Avis location provides a comprehensive array of vehicle types and operational features tailored for both leisure and practical use in New Hampshire.

The range of services offered typically includes:

Passenger Car Rental: A diverse selection of vehicles across all major classes, from fuel-efficient economy and compact cars for solo travel to mid-size and full-size sedans and SUVs for family vacations and longer trips.
Van Rental Agency Services: Providing various sizes of vans, including minivans for passenger transport and cargo or commercial vans for moving goods, equipment, or for small business logistical needs within New Hampshire.
Onsite Services and Pickup: Offering direct counter service for check-in, key collection, and vehicle drop-off right at the Gilford location, streamlining the rental process.
Long-Term Rentals: Options for extended-period rentals suitable for long-duration temporary vehicle needs, such as during vehicle repair or extended stays in the Lakes Region.
Avis Preferred Program Enrollment: Access to the Avis loyalty program, allowing frequent renters in New Hampshire to expedite their rentals, earn points, and receive vehicle upgrades when available.

This Avis branch integrates its offerings with the corporate brand's national features, providing several key benefits that are valuable to the New Hampshire community. These features are designed to enhance convenience and affordability for specific groups of customers.

The key features and highlights of this rental location include:

Active Military Discounts: Avis is known for offering significant discounts, sometimes up to 35% off "Pay Now" rates, for active military personnel, veterans, National Guard/Reservists, and their families, a notable benefit for the military community in New Hampshire.
Wheelchair Accessible Entrance: The building's design features an entrance that is fully accessible, ensuring ease of entry and exit for customers utilizing wheelchairs or other mobility aids.
Wheelchair Accessible Parking Lot: Dedicated, properly marked parking spaces are available on-site to accommodate customers with disabilities, improving overall convenience and access to the rental counter.
On-Site Parking: Customers arriving in their personal vehicle have access to dedicated on-site parking while they complete their rental agreement, offering peace of mind during the rental period.
Credit and Debit Card Payments: The location accepts major Credit Cards for the rental deposit and final payment, and also processes payment via Debit Cards, although customers using a debit card should be aware of specific corporate policies regarding credit checks and the mandatory security hold amount required at pick-up.

For New Hampshire customers seeking to secure a reservation, inquire about a specific van rental, or discuss a current booking, the following direct contact information for the Avis Car Rental in Gilford, NH, is provided.

Contact Information:

Address: 65 Aviation Dr, Gilford, NH 03249, USA
Phone: (603) 524-0044
Mobile Phone (Direct Line): +1 603-524-0044

Important Note for Local Users: Given the recurring feedback that the local phone number may redirect to the central Avis 1-800 customer service line, New Hampshire renters are strongly advised to be prepared to communicate through the national service system for issues concerning billing, refunds, and complex policy inquiries. For local logistics—such as confirming the physical location, verifying a late arrival, or ensuring a specific vehicle type is physically present—visiting the counter in person or attempting to reach the FBO (Fixed-Base Operator) facility at Laconia Airport (LCI) where the Avis counter is housed may be more effective. Always obtain and save a copy of your signed rental agreement and thoroughly document the vehicle's condition before leaving the lot.

The decision to choose the Avis Car Rental location in Gilford, NH, is most often justified by the combination of its accessible Lakes Region location and the expansive fleet variety available through a major national provider. For New Hampshire residents and those traveling to the area, there are clear benefits that make this branch a practical choice for their transportation needs.

The primary reasons this Avis branch is worth choosing include:

Proximity to the Lakes Region: As one of the few national rental agencies directly serving the Laconia/Gilford area, it eliminates the need for long drives to major metropolitan airports, saving both time and fuel for local trips around Lake Winnipesaukee.
Van Rental Availability: The dual designation as a Car rental agency and Van rental agency is a significant benefit, providing dedicated access to larger vehicles for residential moving, student transport, or commercial projects in the local area.
Corporate Discounts and Quality: Customers can utilize the extensive network of corporate discounts, including the valuable active military savings, and rely on the modern, professionally maintained vehicle standards of a leading global rental company.
Airport Convenience: Located at the Laconia Airport (LCI), it offers seamless transitions for general aviation travelers or those who prefer to fly into a less congested regional airport than Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT).

Customers are encouraged to remain vigilant regarding booking policies, particularly with prepaid rates. To ensure a positive experience in line with the quality expected from the Avis brand, it is essential to review all rental documents thoroughly at the counter and be prepared for administrative policies to be handled at the corporate level, rather than solely by the local Gilford staff.

Avis Car Rental Details

Service options
Onsite services

Highlights
Active military discounts

Accessibility
Wheelchair accessible entrance
Wheelchair accessible parking lot

Payments
Credit cards
Debit cards
Credit cards

Parking
On-site parking

Avis Car Rental Photos

Avis Car Rental Location

Avis Car Rental

New Hampshire Belknap County Gilford Aviation Drive

65 Aviation Dr, Gilford, NH 03249, USA

Avis Car Rental Reviews

An average rating of ★2.6 from 19 user reviews.

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★ 5★ 4★ 3★ 2★ 1

This review is both for Avis Car Rental Company in general, and this location.Do. Not. Rent. From. This. Company.I have never rented through Avis before and I never will again. When booking I was looking to rent for two and a half weeks as my new vehicle was in transit to the dealership and I had just sold my other one. I compared prices and noticed that I could get a larger SUV with a "pay now" discount for the same price as a sedan at Enterprise so I decided to go with Avis.I went to the pickup location, which was not correct in maps and resulted in me going to an unrelated business first. I attempted to call them prior to pick up to ask a question and the phone number that was listed actually just goes to Avis' 1-800 number. The staff informed me that they do not have a phone number there. When I arrived, they explained they gave me the paperwork and said "initial here, here, here, and here". They did not once explain or read any policies to me, review the vehicle or do any kind of walk through. They just handed me the keys and sent me on my way. While walking out, my husband and I were discussing bringing it back early if my new vehicle arrived earlier than expected and the staff explained that if I did prepay, I would not receive a refund for the days not used, and that they could not doing anything about it because they were a satellite office and I would have to "take it up with Avis", which I was news to me. I went outside and did a walk through by myself and took pictures of the condition of the vehicle prior to leaving. I immediately knew the vehicle had previously been smoked in more than once. I am highly allergic to cigarette smoke and instantly got a sore throat and a headache. I've spent the last 3 days trying to get the smoke smell out and think it's finally remediated.Fortunately, my new vehicle has arrived early and therefore I do not need the vehicle for as long as I reserved it for. I changed my reservation to end earlier than I had originally booked for. I noticed there was a negative number and assumed since they let me change the date, that I would be getting a refund. I called to see how that process works and was told that per the policy, I would not be getting a refund.They offer a "pay now" discount which is where my problem therein lies. Apparently, with this discount, there is a policy that you will not get a return for any vehicles that you return earlier than you rented for, which is very much in the "fine print" and not explicit to customers. I (wrongly) assumed that the pay now discount was due to committing to and paying for it prior to picking up the vehicle, not that changes to the reservation would not result in a refund.I explained to them multiple times that my problem was not with the policy itself, but the manipulation used by not making it explicit what the policy is at the time of booking, and the failure of the staff to review these policies. I rented cars MULTIPLE times and did not expect there to be any out of the ordinary policies as there wasn't a review of ANY policies, not even the standard "do not smoke in this vehicle". I spoke to a standard customer service representative and requested escalation to a supervisor. The customer service representative was not help but not surprising for tier 1 customer service (I have worked in customer service myself, as tier 1 support, and understand the hierarchy). The supervisor was very rude and combative. I'm sure she would say the same about me however, this situation does not sit right with me as they are manipulating and taking advantage of their customers. Being discrete about their policies, the failure of the staff at the pickup/drop off location and their inability to compromise at all is unacceptable. Not that it should make a difference, but I do believe that their customer service is outsourced to a third party company and therefore, you are not getting customer service from the company itself. I will not be renting from them ever again and would highly advise everyone to avoid renting from them as well.
April 10 · Janell Hutchins
99% of this review is for Avis in general. The gentleman that helped at the airport did what he could. But Avis can definitely have marital relations with a rusty rake. I booked it online, was charged online, then charged again when I picked up the car. Called customer service and said the second charge would be refunded. Surprise surprise, it was not. Called customer service again and she apparently has to escalate the issue. So now I have to contact customer service, AGAIN, with the same details I just provided and hopefully wait 3-5 business days to get my money back. First time using Avis, last time using Avis.
October 13 · Allan
As with the MANY other negative reviews - the young guy working there (he never told me his name) was atrocious. He was rude, and didn’t explain anything to me. He gave me a quote over the phone that was considerably lower than the amount he told me about (over $300 more) once I arrived that included the insurance. He wouldn’t describe what the insurance covered and seemed highly inconvenienced even had to talk to me about it. He didn’t explain to me where the car was parked, so I had to hunt it down in the dark. I reserved the rental for a week, but was able to return it after two days, due to having my personal vehicle repaired faster than anticipated. I called up the same young guy at Avis, and he proceeded to tell me that it might be cheaper for me to keep the rental for the entire week, as I would be billed at the daily rate if I returned it early. He wouldn’t provided me with the cost difference, so I had to figure it out on my own. The rental was also for “unlimited mileage.” When I returned, I was ordered to go obtain the mileage from the vehicle by the same young employee… even though I had unlimited mileage. Probably his job, not mine. It would’ve been nice to have some advance notice that I would need to obtain the mileage. Even after returning the car, he wouldn’t explain to me how much I would be charged. There was an $850 hold put on my credit card from when I initially rented the vehicle. I told him that couldn’t leave until I knew how much I would be paying. He seemed highly inconvenienced and took some time to punch up a receipt before tossing it to me without saying anything. This was probably the worst customer experience that I’ve had at any business for as far back as I can recall. I was perfectly courteous and polite with this guy, but he was a jerk. Based on the other terrible reviews, maybe you should actually consider taking some action on dealing with this problem employee who clearly hates his job and despises working with the public. Also, in addition to this abysmal customer service, the business model of Avis seems to be to predatorily extract as much money out of their customers as possible. I’m going to see if there is a more formal corporate complaint process (since none of these reviews seem to impact your customers experience improving) and take the time to explain my frustrations. Also, it’s odd to me that Avis charges such a massive amount for hazard insurance and that it seems to be tax-free revenue due to it being an insurance fee. Maybe something for a federal regulatory authority to look into. I would rather run everywhere like Forest Gump than use this rental service again. I’m looking forward to my token empty corporate response and continued lack of action.
November 13 · raul williams
Open when other rental spots were closed, really helped us out of a bind when our car broke down in Laconia. They were able to get us set up on short notice (20 mins before closing) and rented us a nice car that was a current model. Interior was clean, barely any miles on the vehicle, and it was up-to-date with a computerized interface (which took some getting used to, and warranted a quick skim of the manual to figure out) The prices were also decent, lower than we expected. Only trouble is we had to return it in 24hrs. Service left a bit to be desired though, but considering we were there so close to closing time, I'll give it a pass. Also, that little globe decoration they have on the desk here is cool! Wonder where I can get one.
September 26 · Kim M
Avis wasn’t my first choice to begin with, but Laconia enterprise was sold out of cars so I resorted to the next closet car rental place... Avis at the Laconia Airport. Avis was running a 30% off car rental special on there website. However the website stated that Avis, too, were all out of car rentals. I called to see if this was really the case. It was discovered that they had one car left to rent. I asked if I could still take advantage of the 30% off special they were running. I was told no because I wasn’t reserving the car online and paying ahead. I told Mike (the worst customer service rep I have ever spoken with) that I would be more than happy to pay over the phone, ahead of me picking up the car. He told me no. I asked him why? I would have reserved the car online and paid ahead if the remaining rental car was listed online. He told me the website and the location were separate and he couldn’t honor the discount because I wasn’t reserving online. I again stated that I would have reserved online had their site been accurate and listed the remaining car. Mike wouldn’t budge. I hung up and drove the extra 25 minutes to Enterprise in Tilton where I was given awesome rates and amazing customer service. Avis isn’t worth it and if you absolutely have to resort with this company, try not to speak to Mike.
March 15 · Meghan Pinkham