Renting a Car at Henri Coandă International Airport (OTP)

Hello traveler! If you are reading this, you are likely planning to rent a car at Henri Coandă International Airport. If so, this article is for you, as there are a few important details that car renters at OTP should keep in mind.

Location
Henri Coandă International Airport is often referred to as "Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport." While Bucharest is easily accessible from here, the airport itself is actually located in Otopeni—a town roughly 20 km north of Bucharest’s city center, or about a 30-minute drive depending on traffic.
It is also worth noting that Bucharest has a second international airport closer to the city center: Băneasa – Aurel Vlaicu International Airport.

Ongoing Airport Construction
Starting in 2025, Henri Coandă Airport began a series of major construction and expansion projects covering its passenger halls, aircraft terminals, and parking lots. These renovations are expected to continue well into 2027—and potentially longer. These projects can significantly impact unsuspecting travelers. Navigating the airport—especially when trying to locate the car rental area—can be quite tricky, which is the main reason we created this guide.

Finding the Car Rental Counters
As of May 2026, the rental counters are located on the second floor. After exiting the customs gate, look for a narrow corridor on your right. Follow it for a few meters until you reach the counter area.

The Catch
All in-terminal rental companies (including Avis, Enterprise, Hertz, Sixt, Autonom, and Goldcar) rely on shuttle buses to transport customers from the terminal to their actual parking lots.
Future renters should be prepared for potential navigation and wait-time issues:
Finding the pickup area: Signage can be unclear, making it easy to miss the shuttle location and requiring extra trips back to the counter for directions.
Shuttle delays: High demand during peak hours can result in long queues and multi-shuttle wait times.
Weather exposure: The pickup point is located outdoors, meaning travelers must wait in the direct sun or rain without shelter.

The Takeaway
As things currently stand, in-terminal rental offices at OTP can be a bit misleading. In practice, they do not offer a significant time or convenience advantage over off-terminal companies (such as Expedicar), whose offices are located within a short walking distance of the terminal hall.