Should You Pick Up a Rental Car at Naha Airport? Japanese Drivers Say Ride the Monorail Out First

What Japanese visitors said — picked from the top 98 of 142 comments

• I used to work at the airport. You're right, handing over or returning cars on the overpass road is banned. The rental cars doing it all seem to be unlicensed, non-association companies. Warnings from the terminal building don't change them, so if you're visiting Okinawa, please use a company that's properly listed at the 1F rental car counter!

  元空港職員です。 おっしゃる通り、高架橋道路では貸し出し、返却行為は禁止されてます ここにいるレンタカーは協会未加盟しかいないようです ビルから注意しても改善しない輩たちなので沖縄へ旅行くる方は1Fのレンタカー乗り場にちゃんと記載されてる会社を利用してください！

  — @ひとり旅好きvivid38 likes

• I think the point isn't whether the pickup spot is on the 1F or 3F — the problem is companies handling the whole rental and return process inside the airport grounds without a shuttle at all.

  送迎場所が1階か3階かが問題なのではなくて、送迎せずに空港の敷地内で貸出・返却の手続きをしている業者が問題になっています。 というのがポイントだと思います。

  — @flysoda33 likes

• Part of the congestion is also all the idiots sitting and waiting in front of the multi-story parking garage. They're blocking a whole lane. It got so bad I once called Tomigusuku Police Station (weirdly, that's the jurisdiction for Naha Airport).

  渋滞は立体駐車場前でスタンバイしてるアンポンタンが多いからでもある。 1車線潰してるからな、あまりにも酷いので管轄の豊見城警察署（那覇空港だけど警察の管轄豊見城の謎）に連絡した事もある。

  — @ファルクラム-e9l28 likes

• I pick people up at the airport fairly often, and the rental car companies really do hog the parking lot. It's incredibly annoying!

  ちょくちょく空港に人を迎えに行きますが、本当にレンタカー業者が駐車場を占拠していて迷惑すぎます！

  — @MECHADOTECHIN26 likes

• Why not just ban rental car plates from the multi-story parking garage entirely, or put them on a separate pricing system? Without drastic measures like that, this cat-and-mouse game won't get better.

  いっその事、レンタカーナンバーは立体駐車場の利用不可、または別料金体系にしてはどうか？ これくらいの荒治療しないとイタチごっこは改善できない

  — @r58southbound2920 likes

• Huh, first time I've heard this. The well-known rental companies are fine, but I have had a minor company send me somewhere else before. The congestion around Naha Airport really is crazy — there was a stretch when I'd ride the monorail all the way to DFS to rent a car just to avoid it.

  へー初めて知った 有名レンタカー会社は大丈夫だけどマイナーレンタカー会社は確かに別の場所にだった事ある 確かに那覇空港周辺の渋滞は異常 渋滞嫌ってＤＦＳまでゆいレールに乗って借りていた時期もあったなぁ

  — @crystalboy-ey8nh12 likes

• I had no idea, yikes. The place I was about to book actually said they'd pick me up on the 3F. In the end I went with a proper rental company instead, so I was safe. Learned something today.

  知らんかったぁー😮あぶねー💦最初に予約入れようとしてたとこ3階で送迎しますって書いてあった😨結局、正規のレンタカー屋さんに決めたからセーフ😅勉強なりました💡

  — @kotehana80927 likes

• Thank you, this was really helpful. I was all set on renting a car, but someone gave me this advice... now I'm thinking it might be nice to get around by local bus and listen to native Uchinaaguchi along the way.

  ありがとうございます✨ とても参考になりました😊 レンタカー借りる気満々でしたが、アドバイスして下さった方がいて…路線バスでネイティブうちなーぐちを聴きながら移動するのもイイな、と思ってます💕

  — @こた-d2k13 likes

• I also sightsee in central Naha by monorail (with a day pass) on day one, then switch to a rental car for the outskirts from day two. You dodge the congestion and still get a scenic drive.

  私も1日目は、ゆいレール（1日乗車券）で那覇市内を観光して、2日目からレンタカーで郊外を観光します。 渋滞も回避でき景色のいいドライブが出来ます。

  — @Seiyan-d2d17 likes

• I'm into Okinawa bus trips lately, so I've been riding the local buses a lot. It's nice not having to drive myself.

  最近は沖縄のバス旅にハマっているので、路線バスに乗りまくってる 自分で運転しなくていいから楽でいい

  — @コテマキカラコン40 likes

• I'm from Osaka, but at Naha Airport I steer clear of the shady rental car operators. If I'm renting a car, I take the monorail and go to a proper, registered rental shop. Anywhere the monorail can reach, I use the monorail. There are buses too, apparently, so I guess relying on those is fine as well?

  大阪府民ですが、那覇空港では悪質なレンタカー業者には手を出さない。 もしレンタカーを借りるならゆいレールに乗ってきちんとした正規のレンタカー店で借りる。 ゆいレールで回れるところはゆいレールで。バスもあるらしいからそれを頼ってもいい感じでいいですか？(;´･ω･)

  — @浪速十郎太2 likes

Should I rent a car right at Naha Airport?

Many Japanese renters say no. The complaint isn't about picking a floor, it's about companies handling the whole rental and return inside the airport grounds with no proper shuttle at all (33 likes). The common workaround is to take the monorail to a branch a few stops out, rent there, and return it there too.

How can I tell if a rental car company at Naha Airport is legitimate?

A commenter who used to work at the airport (38 likes) says legitimate companies are listed at the 1F rental car counter and use an authorized shuttle. Be wary if a company tells you it will pick you up on the overpass road or the 3F departure level, since one renter (7 likes) says that's exactly what an illegitimate company had advertised.

Can I get around Okinawa without renting a car at all?

Yes, some commenters say they've switched to it entirely: one (40 likes) rides local buses around Okinawa instead of driving, and another decided to try getting around by monorail and bus after hearing this advice (13 likes). The monorail covers central Naha well; buses reach further out.

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