National Car Rental Introduce
Introduction / Overview
National Car Rental at the Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) facility provides a distinctive, highly efficient car rental experience for business travelers and leisure visitors arriving in Northern Virginia. Located on Autopilot Drive, this branch is renowned not just for its extensive fleet of quality vehicles—ranging from economical sedans to spacious SUVs and luxury models—but also for its streamlined service model, particularly the popular Emerald Club program. This program is a major draw for frequent renters, granting the highly coveted ability to bypass the counter and choose your own car from the designated "Emerald Aisle."
More than just a standard rental agency, the IAD National Car Rental location proudly identifies as a women-owned business, adding a layer of community distinction and diverse ownership to a major national brand. The company’s commitment to service is backed by its availability of on-site services and the fact that its counter is open 24 hours a day, catering perfectly to the varied arrival and departure times at a major international airport like IAD. Customers consistently praise the flexibility, hassle-free nature, and accommodating staff, viewing the experience as a significant upgrade from more traditional, red-tape rental processes. Furthermore, in recognition of Virginia's substantial military population, the location offers active military discounts, making it a thoughtful choice for service members and their families.
Location and Accessibility
The National Car Rental branch is situated within the consolidated rental car facility that serves Washington Dulles International Airport, ensuring maximum convenience for air travelers.
- Address: 23430 Autopilot Dr, Dulles, VA 20166, USA. This address places it directly in the dedicated rental hub, just a short distance from the main IAD terminal.
- Airport Shuttle: Customers arriving at IAD can board the free rental car shuttle bus. Pick-up is typically available from the designated rental car curb area outside the baggage claim level (often Curbs 2C or 2D). Note that National often shares a shuttle with other brands, so travelers should confirm the appropriate bus before boarding.
- Operational Hours: The location is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This around-the-clock availability is critical for travelers arriving on late-night or early-morning flights.
- Accessibility Features: The facility is fully committed to accommodating all customers, featuring a Wheelchair Accessible Entrance and a Wheelchair Accessible Parking Lot, making vehicle pick-up and drop-off smooth for everyone.
- On-Site Parking: On-site parking is provided for customers who drive their personal vehicle to the location, which is a valuable option for local Virginia residents needing temporary transportation.
The consolidated rental car center placement ensures an efficient journey from the airplane to the rental car, though customers should be mindful of the shared shuttle service and allow appropriate time for transport from the terminal during busy periods.
Services Offered
National Car Rental at IAD offers a comprehensive suite of car rental and on-site customer services, highlighted by its innovative speed-focused programs.
- Extensive Vehicle Fleet: The inventory is vast, encompassing a wide array of vehicle classes suitable for any trip across Virginia or beyond. This includes:
- Economy, Compact, Midsize, and Full-Size Cars.
- SUVs (Compact to Full-Size), including options like the Toyota RAV4 and Chevrolet Equinox.
- Specialty and Luxury Vehicles (e.g., Minivans, Pickup Trucks, and high-end sedans and SUVs).
- Onsite Services: Dedicated staff are available to assist with all facets of the rental process, from reservations and vehicle inspections to offering insurance and protection products like Loss Damage Waiver (LDW), Supplemental Liability Protection (SLP), and Roadside Assistance Plus (RSP).
- Fuel Options: Customers have flexibility in managing fuel, with choices including Prepay Fuel, having National Refill the tank upon return, or choosing to You Refill the tank yourself before drop-off.
- Toll Pass Program: The optional TollPass Program is available, allowing renters to use electronic toll lanes throughout the region and pay all tolls electronically, a major convenience when traveling across Virginia’s toll roads.
- Payment Methods: The agency accepts a variety of payment forms, providing flexibility through Credit Cards, Debit Cards, and the modernity of NFC Mobile Payments.
- Flexibility on Upgrades: Customers, especially members of the loyalty program, can often upgrade to a higher-grade vehicle directly at the lot and have the rate adjusted without excessive complications or red tape.
Features / Highlights
The Dulles National Car Rental branch is distinguished by several customer-centric features and key business differentiators.
- The Emerald Club and Emerald Aisle: This signature program is the main highlight, allowing members to bypass the rental counter entirely and proceed directly to the dedicated aisle. From this area, members can choose any available car (Midsize and above) and only pay the reserved Midsize rate, providing unmatched flexibility and speed, which customers consistently praise as a key advantage.
- Women-Owned Business: The location proudly identifies as a women-owned business, demonstrating a commitment to supporting diversity in ownership within the highly competitive car rental industry.
- Active Military Discounts: National Car Rental offers discounted rates for official government and military travel, as well as special leisure (off-duty) rates for current federal employees, active-duty members, retired employees, and veterans. This is a critical benefit for the large military community residing in and traveling through the Virginia region.
- 24/7 Service: Providing service every hour of every day ensures that customers arriving at or departing from IAD are never without assistance, regardless of the time.
- Streamlined Departure and Return: The Emerald Club and the Drop & Go℠ service (with convenient email receipts for returns) are designed to provide a virtually hassle-free process for both picking up and dropping off the rental car, focusing on customer control and speed.
Contact Information (address, phone)
To make a reservation, inquire about a specific vehicle, or receive information regarding the Emerald Club, Virginia customers can use the following details for the IAD National Car Rental location:
- Address: 23430 Autopilot Dr, Dulles, VA 20166, USA
- Phone: (844) 648-1604
- Mobile Phone: +1 844-648-1604
The use of a toll-free 844 number reflects the national scale of the operation while the dedicated address grounds the service in the Northern Virginia area.
What is worth choosing
National Car Rental at 23430 Autopilot Dr is an excellent choice for a wide spectrum of Virginia users, but it is particularly ideal for those who value efficiency, flexibility, and a streamlined rental experience.
It is definitively worth choosing National Car Rental if:
- You are a frequent renter who travels often for business or leisure and can leverage the significant time-saving benefits of the Emerald Club, especially the 'Choose Your Own Car' feature, which eliminates counter waits and allows for vehicle selection based on personal preference or newness.
- You require the flexibility to upgrade your vehicle upon arrival without administrative complication, as the staff is known for being accommodating with rate adjustments for higher-grade cars.
- You are an active-duty military member or veteran, as the special government and military leisure travel discounts provide valuable cost savings for personal trips.
- You value the convenience of 24-hour service, which ensures you can pick up or drop off your rental at any time that suits your flight schedule at IAD.
- You prefer to support a business that proudly identifies as women-owned, aligning your consumer choices with businesses that promote diverse leadership.
The overwhelmingly positive customer feedback highlighting the hassle-free service, the accommodating nature of the staff, and the distinct advantage of the Emerald Aisle clearly positions National Car Rental at IAD as a premium, efficiency-focused option for anyone needing reliable transportation in and around the Virginia area. By focusing on customer choice and minimizing bureaucratic delays, National effectively addresses the most common pain points of the car rental process.
National Car Rental Details
From the business
- Identifies as women-owned
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
National Car Rental Photos










National Car Rental Location
National Car Rental
23430 Autopilot Dr, Dulles, VA 20166, USA
National Car Rental Reviews
selectionaisleemerald clubexecutivebusiness tripminivanpassengerDCAbus driverlane
★ 5★ 4★ 3★ 2★ 1I love National Car Rental. Been using them for years and will be a loyal customer forever mostly because I love the Emerald aisle where you can choose your own car. That is actually half. The fun of a vacation is getting to a rental car agency and picking whatever car I would like! I know which ones I really like and then I get to choose. Which ones are the newest! Love that new car smell🥰Thanks for the excellent customer service and please, don’t ever get rid of the Emerald Aisle program!
August 31 · Judy CookThe vast majority of my experiences have been hassle free. The staff taking care of cars going out and returning are friendly and accommodating. Sure, there has been an exception or two, but its better than the horror stories and complications I read about at other rental companies. Car choice flexibility is another major factor. If I decide I want a higher grade vehicle, no problem. They'll adjust the rate - no red tape.
October 11 · Mark PlotnickI’ve been using National Rental Car for 20+ years and flying into Dulles Airport on a regular basis. The last 5 years I have been flying into help take care of my Dad that had Progressive Parkinson’s disease. This required me to get specific cars because of his needs. I need leather hat or leather seats so that he could be slid into the car. After Covid when National sold off their fleet, they started replacing their cars with cloth seats. They included the little Clorox wipe that has since been removed because Covid is no longer? Cloth seats are also germ fest and can’t be cleaned with a wipe according to the CDC. I need a Vehicle that had automatic adjustable seats on the passenger side. Now the Executive aisle has multiple cars with manual seat adjustments. I was just brought a car that had an automatic seat on the drivers side but the passenger side was manual. My dad could not manually pump up his seat even if he had too. This was the first time I saw this cost saving move. The executive vile is no longer. What at once was..On Thursday 911 I arrived at the lot at 6:30 in the morning. There were eight vehicles for me to pick out of the executive aisle three F1 pick up trucks. The emerald aisle had one vehicle. I watched people arrived from their redeye flights to see the cars on the lot in shock. There were over 100 cars in the drop off lanes just sitting. There were now three attendants for the 7 cars on the lot. The attendants acted like I was making a big deal about the car I needed but I have never arrived to an empty lot. I cruise the isles by myself and pick my own car. I waited almost a hour and finally was Brought a Mazda CX5. I took it because I couldn’t wait any longer but clearly as I drove out of the parking lot this was a bottom feeder car. Dirty with something spilled on the dash. Since National no longer provides the single Clorox wipe I used my own but I could not get it off. I took the car because my attitude was no longer pleasant and it wasn’t at the fault of these three who I’m pretty sure hated me at this point. The young gal was Very aggravating to Everyone because she was acting Like having seven cars on the lot was normal even when Customers were venting their disbelief That there were no cars to choose from. I reached out to the Dulles office after they sent me a text should I need assistance. 13 hours later I have not heard back so I’m posting my review and will be exchanging this little car even though I am an Hour and a half away my mother’s wheelchair Does not fit.Changing my review to a one star because the car will not start.Calling roadside assistance
September 12 · Kendra BUpdate- never got the phone call I was supposed to get. Would have been nice to be auto express my car seat concerns. But I did finally get the CC refund!I will never rent from this branch and potentially National again. My whole overall experience has been exhausting and frustrating. I picked up my rental and since I needed a car seat ( whole other issue) I was told I didn’t need anything I could just pick a car and someone would get me one. Mind you I’m traveling with my daughter and all our luggage. I finally got the gentleman behind the desk to grab my car seat. He was like I’ll leave it with your stuff go find your car……I can’t drive the car without a car seat my daughter is less than two years old🤦♀️. So he begrudgingly walks with me while I pick out my rental. When I choose one ( if these were all mid size cars I’m shocked with the lack of trunk space ) the gentleman was like are you sure you want this vehicle? I was like do you have a better option to which he replies no. It’s just small. Then drops the car seat and leaves me and my daughter. When I finally get the SHELL of a car seat with minimal padding. No side padding no expiration date visible car seat installed ( had to use the seat belt AND clip) because the clip wasn’t close to being secure. I discovered there’s no usb charging outlet. Not the end of the world but definitely made me have to do an extra stop with an already fussy almost two year old. Stopped at a gas station and when I went to restart the car it acted a little strange, but because on the second try it was fine I ignored it and chalked up to user error. Fast forward to when I go to start to go back to the airport the car starts, stops, and then puts on a light show with all the errors. Picture below is just one, since I can’t actually upload a video giving the full show.I then have to call a tow to come pick up the car, but give them a heads up that I have to use the car seat in my friends car so we can safely get my daughter to the airport. I also emailed them this along with the video of the car.It took me two weeks to get to someone to get my charge changed. I was forced to still pay taxes. My card got charged AGAIN for the taxes but I have yet to see a refund to my card!!! The person I spoke to today says it’s ready to be sent but the branch has yet to hit send. My emails never got responded to.Dont waste your time with these folks.
May 28 · Virginia Sheppa ShupeI had such a great experience dropping off my car rental at National Airport thanks to the amazing service I received by Belgacem. The gentleman who helped me went above and beyond—he didn’t just process the return, he actually asked me about my trip and made the whole interaction feel personal and genuine. It may seem like a small gesture, but it truly made a big difference after a long day of travel. His friendliness and professionalism stood out, and I really appreciate the way he made the drop-off experience memorable. Thanks Belg 🤗
August 23 · George K
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