Top tips for hiring a car at Puerto Princesa airport
You should consider booking car hire at Puerto Princesa Airport if you're exploring the depths of the Palawan island, West of Philippines, with its many hard-to-reach gems. Puerto Princesa Airport is effectively inside the city of Puerto Princes itself (just over one mile from the centre), so you can quickly drop off your car at your hotel. There are public transport options to get you into the city centre, too, which you can use if your preferred supplier or car model are city-based.
If you're visiting or staying in Puerto Princesa, pre-plan your parking. First, check if your hotel has parking available and how much it costs. It may be more cost-effective to leave your vehicle in a city car park instead – for example, SM City Puerto Princesa Parking on Malvar Road, or Sheridan Motorpool Parking Area on Rizal Avenue, are both one and a half miles away from the airport, or about 7min drive.
If you're planning on driving through non-urban areas of the Palawan province, be aware that there can be road improvement works that are not well signposted. This means you should remain vigilant and keep your speed low enough to spot any irregularities. Furthermore, remote areas such as villages and mountain roads can be quite rough, so, if you're venturing in that direction, consider renting an off-road vehicle.
You shouldn't have a problem returning your car hire at Puerto Princesa Airport. You'll likely drive down Puerto Princesa North Road, so look out for traffic signs that indicate the airport. Drop your car off in the parking space you collected it from and make your way to your provider's desk to return the keys. They should release the holding deposit from your credit card – then you're good to go.
Book your car hire at Puerto Princesa airport at least 1 week before your trip in order to get a below-average price
FAQs about renting a car at Puerto Princesa airport
Come prepared with your driver's licence, at least one form of photo ID (for example, national ID or passport) and a credit or debit card. Your driver's licence must be in the English language to be accepted, otherwise you'll need an International Driving Permit (IDP). Some providers may ask for paper copies of your IDs and driver's licence. You must be over 21 to rent in the Philippines and a young driver's fee may be applied if you're under 25.
Technically, some providers accept debit cards as a form of payment and security deposit for the vehicle. However, in practice, it's more common that car hire suppliers require a credit card exclusively – both at the point of booking online and when checking identity at Puerto Princesa Airport. Any security deposit will be reinstated onto your credit card upon return of the car hire.
As you come out of customs and baggage claim, you can speak to your car hire supplier in the Arrivals hall and sign your rental agreement. Then, you can pick up your vehicle just outside the terminal building, on Rizal Avenue. As the airport is so close to the city itself, it's worth pre-booking car hire with off-site suppliers if they have better deals. For example, many local companies are based on Puerto Princesa North Road and in the Southern part of Puerto Princesa.
Several petrol stations are in the vicinity of Puerto Princesa Airport. If you've signed a fair fuel policy and must deliver a full tank on return, you've got plenty of options. Caltex fuel stations have multiple branches within a 10min drive of the airport, including Caltex San Miguel Station on Puerto Princesa North Road (about 2min from the airport car park) and Caltex Puerto Princesa Rizal on Rizal Avenue (about 7min away).