Guide
Renting a car at the airports
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Renting? Book the car when you book the flight. Cars book up fast in summer, says the province's tourism desk; in June 2026 BNN Bloomberg reported St. John's airport agencies booked for nearly the whole summer.
Rental counters at each airport
Gander International Airport (YQX)
The airport says a limited number of accessible vehicles, wheelchair-ready and fitted with hand controls, can be arranged with the rental agency at least 48 hours ahead.
At the counters, per Gander International Airport Authority:
- Avis Canadalocal 709-256-2722reservations 800-879-2847
- Budget Canadalocal 709-256-3566reservations 800-268-8900
- Nationallocal 709-256-4934reservations 800-227-7368
- Enterpriselocal 709-651-2339reservations 800-736-8222
The airport's own list ↗, checked October 21, 2026. Ask the company for rates and what is left.
Deer Lake Regional Airport (YDF)
Deer Lake also keeps a ground-transportation page for taxis, shuttles and charters: the alternatives to a rental.
At the counters, per Deer Lake Regional Airport:
- Avis Car and Truck Rentallocal 709-635-5010reservations 800-879-2847
- Budget Car and Truck Rentallocal 709-635-3211reservations 800-268-8900
- Enterprise Rent-A-Carlocal 709-635-4667after hours 709-635-4668worldwide 800-736-8222
- National Car and Truck Rentallocal 709-635-3282reservations 800-227-7368
- Hertz Car Rentallocal 709-635-8211reservations 800-263-0600
The airport's own list ↗, checked October 20, 2026. Ask the company for rates and what is left.
St. John's International Airport (YYT)
The busiest airport. The airport recommends contacting the companies early, especially from May to September.
At the counters, per St. John's International Airport Authority:
- Alamo 709-722-8383
- Avis 709-722-6620
- Budget 709-747-1234
- Enterprise 709-738-3900
- Hertz 709-726-0795
- National 709-722-4307
- Thrifty 709-722-6000
For a large mobility aid, the airport lists these accessible services; book 24 hours ahead:
GoBus Accessible Transit 709-368-1620Wheelway Transportation 709-753-0605Also listed by the airport: Turo, see below ↓.
The airport's own list ↗, checked October 21, 2026. Ask the company for rates and what is left.
When the counters are sold out
Turo lists private cars by airport (in the province since 2022). Its page for each airport shows what is there on your dates. There is no counter: pickup is whatever the host arranges. Read the host's rules on gravel.
Turo at each airport:
Local hosts
None listed yet.
Host on Turo and deliver to one of these airports? Listing is free: write to routes@fromtheairport.xyz with your Turo listing. How a host gets listed.
Before you go
Summer supplyPeak months, worst at St. John's
In April 2024 CBC reported that rental companies shrank their fleets in the pandemic and could not replenish them, and that a Trinity Bay inn was taking cancellations from guests who could not find a car. BNN Bloomberg's June 2026 report adds that the provincial tourism department called access to car rentals an important issue. Neither report measures Gander or Deer Lake.
bnnbloomberg.ca →Gravel and your agreementEvery drive, every season
Hertz Canada's rental terms, section 5(d), list 'use off paved roads or on roads which are not regularly maintained' among the reckless conduct that costs you the damage waiver and the liability protection. Read the agreement you sign before leaving the lot.
Read Hertz's terms →Motorhomes and campersTypically the summer season
At least one provincial operator offers a meet-at-arrivals handover at St. John's, Gander and Deer Lake, with a walk-through near the airport. Peer-to-peer RV platforms list private campervans and trailers around Deer Lake and Gander. The province's tourism directory lists the operators. Ask them about season, fees and which roads a motorhome may use.
newfoundlandlabrador.com →Snowmobiles and side-by-sidesSleds in winter, machines the rest of the year
Several west-coast operators rent and guide snowmobiles and side-by-sides around Deer Lake and Corner Brook; the province's directory lists them under snowmobiling. The snowmobiling guide covers where the measured railbed routes run and the season.
newfoundlandlabrador.com →Road conditionsYear round, matters most November–April
The map says what a road is made of; 511 says what it is like today. Check it before leaving the airport, whatever you are driving.
511nl.ca →
Questions
Do I need a car at all?＋
For every destination on this site, yes. The daily coach across the island calls at Gander airport and at Deer Lake town, and reaches no island, ferry terminal or park; the landing guide has the detail.
Which drives on this site touch gravel?＋
Each route page has a block headed 'Paved or not, per the map': what OpenStreetMap tags as paved, what it tags as unpaved and where, and what it does not describe. Most gravel is on trailhead approach roads, which are not yet measured. The trail pages give the distance to the trailhead, not what the last road is made of.
Can I take a rental on the ferries?＋
Ask the counter, and read the agreement you sign. Hertz Canada's published terms say nothing about ferries, and we have not seen a Newfoundland-specific clause, so we cannot say it is fine. The ferry pages link the province's schedules.
Can I pick up at one airport and drop at another?＋
One-way rentals exist; ask the company for the fee. Gander and Deer Lake are 308 km apart by the measured drive, and St. John's is further. Fly into the airport nearest the first thing you want to see and out of the one nearest the last, and price the one-way before you book flights.
Each airport's list above shows the date it was checked. The rest of this page was checked against its sources on September 6, 2026.