What is car rental return like at LAX?

[JJ2017]

We have a super early flight out of LAX at the end of our trip. We will have a car. We are also spending that night before at a hotel close to the airport. Trying to decide if we should return our car that night before or the morning of. Is it easy/quick? Or a drawn out shuttle process? Thanks!

 

[ParkHopper1]

Return the night before is what I always do at LAX then take the airport shuttle to terminal.

All the rental car lots are at independent off site locations each running their own shuttles.

 

[gelatoni fan]

It is a drawn out shuttle process.

If you're unlucky, the waits and traffic can make it take nearly an hour to get to get from arriving at the rental car lot to check in.

 

[GoingSince1990]

Since you're going to be staying close to the airport anyway, return the car the night before.

 

[HIRyeDVC]

Not sure which company you used but Avis has a service where you could be dropped off at your terminal in the car that you rented. It proved to be very convenient and time-saving as we did not have to unload our bags from the car and reload them back on the airport shuttle.

 

[alyssa810]

We usually do the same thing- stay near the airport the night before an early morning flight, and return the car the night before. It saved a couple of bucks and we usually stay close enough that DH will just drop me and DS off at the hotel and walk back after he returns the car. I think there were also times that he took the car shuttle back to the airport and then the hotel shuttle back to the hotel if we were far away.