Budget Car Rental Introduce
For many New Yorkers and visitors arriving at LaGuardia Airport (LGA), or for residents in Queens needing temporary transportation, the Budget Car Rental location in East Elmhurst serves as a primary hub for vehicle hire. Situated conveniently near one of the city's major travel gateways, this branch specializes in providing a wide array of cars and vans to meet diverse needs, whether you are planning a business trip, a family vacation outside the five boroughs, or simply require a temporary replacement vehicle.
This facility operates as both a dedicated car rental agency and a van rental agency, ensuring a comprehensive fleet is available for individual and group travel. The core business is focused on on-site services, allowing customers to complete their reservation process and pick up their vehicle directly from the convenient East Elmhurst location. The brand is globally recognized, offering renters the expectation of standard, reliable vehicle options from economy cars suitable for urban driving to large passenger vans perfect for group tours or family reunions.
However, potential customers should set their expectations regarding the local service environment. Reviews for this specific location, near a busy airport, indicate a highly varied customer experience. While some customers, like the one who praised Richard for "exceptional customer service" and a "brand new" car, have excellent results, others cite major operational frustrations. Primary concerns include the cleanliness of the vehicles—with one customer describing their rental as "filthy inside and out"—and significant issues with staffing, leading to "insane line" and prolonged waiting times, even for priority members. It is crucial for New York users who value their time to be aware of the operational capacity when planning their rental.
The Budget Car Rental location is strategically placed in the East Elmhurst section of Queens, often associated with the operations of LaGuardia Airport. Its specific address is designed for easy navigation for local customers and travelers alike.
The address for the branch is:
88-08 23rd Ave, East Elmhurst, NY 11369, USA
The facility is committed to customer convenience, offering on-site parking for customers driving to the location to pick up their rental. Accessibility is also a noted feature, with a wheelchair accessible entrance and designated wheelchair accessible parking lot spaces to ensure all patrons can access the facility without difficulty. For those arriving via air, the location is generally served by shuttle services connecting to the airport terminals, though given the ongoing construction and changes at LGA, customers are always advised to confirm the current pick-up procedures directly with the branch.
A major advantage for travelers is the extensive hours of operation. The East Elmhurst location is open seven days a week:
- **Sunday - Saturday:** 6:00 AM – 11:00 PM
The East Elmhurst Budget branch maintains a large fleet to cater to the broad spectrum of travel and transport needs common in the New York metropolitan area.
The essential services available include:
- **Car Rental Services:** Offering standard vehicle classes such as economy, compact, intermediate, standard, and full-size sedans. These are ideal for navigating city streets, weekend getaways, or quick business travel.
- **SUV and Minivan Rentals:** A selection of vehicles including comfortable minivans (typically 7-seaters like the Dodge Grand Caravan or Toyota Sienna) for families, and SUVs for those needing more cargo space or ruggedness.
- **Passenger Van Rental Agency Services:** Specializing in group transportation, the location offers large passenger vans, including 12-passenger and 15-passenger models (such as the Ford Transit or Chevrolet Express), perfect for school trips, church groups, or large family outings.
- **Short- and Long-Term Rentals:** Options for daily, weekend, weekly, and monthly rentals to suit varying trip lengths.
- **One-Way Rental Availability:** While subject to terms and availability, the option for one-way rentals is often available, offering convenience for customers traveling long distances out of the New York region.
- **On-Site Services:** All reservation processing, payment, and vehicle pick-up are handled directly at the East Elmhurst location.
- **Cross Border Travel:** Customers are generally allowed to take rental cars into Canada, provided they advise the counter and obtain a Canadian Non-Resident Insurance Card, which is provided at no extra cost.
The branch offers several key programs and features that provide added value and convenience to New York customers, particularly those who are frequent renters or belong to specific groups.
Highlights of renting from this Budget location include:
- **Active Military Discounts:** Budget proudly offers military discounts for U.S. military veterans, active-duty personnel, National Guard, Reservists, and their immediate family members. Eligible customers, particularly those who enroll in programs like WeSalute+, can save up to **35% off PAY NOW rates**, or potentially up to **20% off** the best available rate for those traveling with orders.
- **Accessible Facilities:** The location features a **wheelchair accessible entrance** and a **wheelchair accessible parking lot**, ensuring service accessibility for all customers.
- **Flexible Payment Methods:** Customers can securely pay using major **Credit Cards**, **Debit Cards**, and modern methods like **NFC Mobile Payments**.
- **Fastbreak Service:** For frequent renters, the 'Fastbreak' program is designed to expedite the process, allowing members to proceed directly to the counter for quicker paperwork completion and key retrieval, which is a significant benefit given the noted wait times.
- **On-Site Parking:** The provision of on-site parking is a convenience for local residents who need a secure place to leave their personal vehicle while renting.
For the most up-to-date information on vehicle availability, rates, and current airport pick-up and drop-off instructions (especially due to LGA construction), contacting the branch directly is the best course of action.
Contact Information:
- **Address:** 88-08 23rd Ave, East Elmhurst, NY 11369, USA (Near LaGuardia Airport)
- **Primary Phone:** (718) 639-6400
- **Mobile Phone (Direct Line):** +1 718-639-6400
- **Hours of Operation:** Sunday – Saturday, 6:00 AM – 11:00 PM
- **Note:** Customers are generally advised to return the vehicle to the Avis office if the Budget office is closed upon arrival, but given the 11:00 PM closing time, most returns should occur during business hours.
For users in the New York region, the Budget Car Rental location in East Elmhurst presents a viable option primarily due to its **unbeatable proximity to LaGuardia Airport (LGA)** and its **exceptionally long hours of operation** (6:00 AM to 11:00 PM, 7 days a week). These two factors are critical for time-sensitive air travelers. Additionally, the **wide vehicle selection**, particularly the availability of 12- and 15-passenger vans, makes it a strong choice for groups or individuals needing high-capacity transportation for events or long road trips outside of NYC.
The presence of **active military discounts** is a definitive highlight, offering substantial savings to service members and veterans. The option to pay using modern **NFC mobile payments** also adds a layer of convenience. However, it is essential for customers to mitigate the widely reported risks associated with this location:
- **To avoid potential long wait times**, customers should highly prioritize the use of the **Fastbreak service** and avoid peak hours if possible. The documented issue of understaffing can turn a quick rental into a frustrating, time-consuming ordeal.
- **Always conduct a thorough inspection** of the rental vehicle before leaving the lot. The serious customer complaint regarding a "filthy" vehicle underscores the need for renters to confirm the cleanliness and condition of the car immediately upon pick-up and to open a claim or request a swap if the condition is unacceptable, as a clean vehicle is a basic expectation when paying full price.
Budget Car Rental Details
Service options
- Onsite services
Highlights
- Active military discounts
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible entrance
- Wheelchair accessible parking lot
Payments
- Credit cards
- Debit cards
- NFC mobile payments
- Credit cards
Parking
- On-site parking
Budget Car Rental Photos










Budget Car Rental Location
Budget Car Rental
88-08 23rd Ave, East Elmhurst, NY 11369, USA
Budget Car Rental Reviews
countershuttlefastbreakterminalcheckprepaidtollsfast breakcigarette smokeJFK
★ 5★ 4★ 3★ 2★ 1Absolutely disgusting! The car we received from Budget was not cleaned at all. It was filthy inside and out — dust, dirt, stains, and grime everywhere, including the dashboard, doors, and trunk area. It looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in weeks.It’s unacceptable for a company like Budget to give customers a car in this condition. We had to open a claim immediately because the vehicle was just gross. Paying full price and receiving something like this is beyond disappointing.I’ll never rent from Budget again — this was an awful experience.
October 05 · D0rn4One Employee Working While 8 Stations Sit Empty - This is How Budget Treats Its CustomersI arrived at the Budget Car Rental location near LaGuardia Airport at 9:30 AM, only to encounter an absolutely insane line that was barely moving. When we finally made it inside, the reason became crystal clear and infuriating: ONE employee working at a snail's pace, while EIGHT other service stations sat completely empty and unmanned.This is not a staffing shortage - this is a deliberate choice to disrespect customers' time. Budget clearly has the infrastructure for nine service positions, yet they chose to staff only one. We're not talking about a quiet Tuesday afternoon - this was a packed rental location with dozens of customers waiting, many of whom likely had flights to catch or important appointments to get to.The message is loud and clear: Budget does not value your time. They've calculated that it's cheaper to make you wait indefinitely than to properly staff their location. This is pure contempt for paying customers.If you value your time at all, rent from literally anyone else. There are plenty of car rental companies at LaGuardia who actually respect their customers enough to staff their locations appropriately.Absolutely unacceptable service. Budget has lost my business permanently.
October 05 · אבי שכטרI've rented many cars and this experience was the worst i've ever had. 35 minute wait at the airport for the shuttle followed by a 55 minute wait at the location. Then I received the car which was filthy with what looked like spit on the interior door by the window remote. After getting out of NYC traffic, I realized the car had not been filled with gas and had less than a quarter tank.I called budget right away to make them aware so that i didn't get billed for returning with a full tank. The cheeky customer service agent asked me how was i driving if the car had no gas.Then to make it even better, I received an email from budget a few weeks later saying I will have over $100 billed to my credit card for a speeding ticket which I apparently received within 4 minutes of dropping off my car. When I dropped the car off it was a rep in the parking lot that took my car, it took more than 4 mins to walk back to the shop and have them check me out. When I asked for evidence of my speeding violation I received no response.I will never use budget again.
August 25 · DeclanOnly come here if you have 2.5-3 hours to kill on your vacation. The employees behind the desk are doing their very best to move customers but it’s obvious that vehicles are double booked and from what I could tell, nobody there got the car they had booked online. Don’t fall for the ‘fast break’ promises because even that line was crawling. I will spend the rest of my vacation in fear of that kind of wait time when it comes to returning the car 😅
October 03 · SThis line is unacceptable for an "Airport" location. Thank goodness I'm traveling alone and not with the family. I've been waiting 45 minutes already and only half way to the counter. Friday night, 9pm, and two people are working the counter. Did they think no flights were landing this evening? Do I have to arrive here three hours early to drop my car off so I don't miss my flight?
September 12 · Stefan B
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