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Detroit Airport Background.....
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport is a bustling hub of passenger activity. As of 2010, it held 16th place in the Federal Aviation Administration’s list of busiest American airports. It boasts 6 runways, 150 aircraft gates, and 3 terminal buildings. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport used to have a well-deserved reputation as a dreary, ugly airport, but with the addition of the Edward H. McNamara Terminal in 2002 and the North Terminal in 2008, the Motor City’s airport received a gorgeous facelift. You’ll want to explore this sleek, modern airport, but when the time comes to head out, what better way to travel through the Motor City than in a rental car?
Rental Car Companies at the Detroit Airport.....
Currently, there are at least eight car rental companies that occupy space at the Metro. These include Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, and Thrifty. None of these companies are slouches, I would be comfortable renting a car from any of these.
If you're headed to Detroit, you will travel East out of Lucas Drive. Turn left on Middlebelt Road and travel North until you go underneath an overpass. Take the next exit to your right, and travel East on 94. Continue on I-94 for 16 miles until you come to exit 215A. This exit will take you into the Detroit downtown area within about 3 miles.
When traveling back to the airport in your rental car, you will want to re-fuel before returning your car. Take the Middlebelt Rod exit 198, back to the airport, and turn left on Middlebelt Road. You will find a BP Station on the left-hand side of the road before a McDonald's. This would make a good choice to re-fuel.
Other Airport Amenities.....
If you’d like some grub first, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport has you covered. They don’t offer fancy fare, but you can revisit old favorites like National Coney Island, Max & Erma's, Hungry Howie's (see picture below), Chili's, and other casual restaurants. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport is also home to all the fast food joints you’d expect to find, including Wendy’s, Quiznos, Popeyes, Taco Bell, McDonalds, Burger King, and more. You can also pick up a cup of brew from one of the many coffee shops, but as in most airports, be ready to pay a bigger chunk of change than you would at home.
Once you’re hyped up on caffeine, treat yourself to a psychedelic journey down this airport’s colorful Light Tunnel, which conveniently connects Concourse A to the McNamara Terminal’s Concourse B/C. Allow the moving sidewalks to take you alongside the lit up tunnel wall as you watch an artificial aurora borealis dance to the tunnel’s techno music.
Still not awake enough? Take a ride on the ExpressTram, a bright red, hovercraft-like vehicle made to move people along Concourse A. Towering 21 feet above the floor, each tram’s two cars look like children’s toy trains as they float by. The fact that the whole tram rides on a cushion of air always blows my mind!
So, what don’t I like about Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport? As usual, most items are overpriced there, but that’s true at just about any airport. I consider the airport’s WiFi fairly expensive, especially considering that free WiFi is gradually becoming the norm. Purchasing WiFi access to use in the McNamara or North Terminals for 24 hours costs $7.95, while unlimited WiFi costs $9.95 per month. Yes, either purchase does give you access to over 125,000 other WiFi hotspots around the world, but I have the feeling many travelers just need a few minutes of Internet access to check Facebook or Twitter. Also, the old terminal is still cold, glum, and a little stinky. And, as with any big airport, there’s a lot of walking to do, although the Light Tunnel and the ExpressTram help alleviate this issue.
Car Rental Driving Directions out of the Airport.....
Anyway, once the time comes to drive into Motown itself, you can just take your new rental car on Interstate 94 and get going. We have included some driving distances to local towns outside Detroit. We think you will find these useful on your journey out of the airport.
Detroit Airport to Downtown Detroit, 17 Miles.
Detroit Airport to Ann Arbor 18 Miles.
Detroit Airport to Flint, 75 Miles.
Detroit Airport to Saginaw, 105 Miles.
Detroit Airport to Lansing, 85 Miles.
Detroit Airport to Battle Creek, 15 Miles.
Detroit Airport to South Bend, 159 Miles
Detroit Airport to Toledo, 46 Miles.
Remember, as nice as the new areas of Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport look, Detroit itself is not the safest city, so always lock the doors to your rental vehicle and never leave any valuables where passersby can spot them. Better safe than sorry!
Types of Vehicles Available.....
You will have multiple choices available to you for rent at the Detroit Airport. These will include the regular compacts, economy cars, mini cars, and standard/intermediate vehicles. You will also usually have the option for SUV's and minivans. However, booking early will help to ensure that you will have the SUV's and minivan options as they often run out of these two types.
Source: http://www.metroairport.com/