Car Hire at Nottingham East Midlands Airport (EMA)

Part of our guide to car hire in Nottingham.

How to Find Your Car Hire Desk at Nottingham East Midlands Airport (EMA)

• Book through eCarBookers first: Your booking confirmation from eCarBookers locks in your price and your vehicle class before you arrive. You pay the balance at the desk on collection, and the terms confirmed at booking are the terms you receive. Always confirm your hire in advance to guarantee your price from the moment you collect the keys.
• Where the airport is: Nottingham East Midlands Airport lies at Castle Donington, about 14 miles south-west of Nottingham and 13 miles east of Derby. It sits beside junction 23A of the M1.
• Where the desk is: Green Motion lists its branch at the Hilton Hotel, Main Lobby, East Midlands, DE74 2YZ, near junction 24 of the M1. The listings do not agree on whether this is an off-airport hotel or a desk in the Arrivals Hall near the Rapid Drop-Off area, and none describes a shuttle. The exact meeting point and contact number for your hire are shown on your booking voucher, which is the definitive source, so check it before you travel and follow it on arrival.
• Opening hours: The listings do not agree. One shows the branch open daily from 08:00 to 18:00, and another shows 08:00 to 18:00 on weekdays with shorter hours of 09:00 to 14:00 at weekends. Choose a flight that lands comfortably inside the shorter window, and confirm the hours in your booking confirmation.
• Arriving by bus: A Kinchbus service runs from the airport Departure Building to Derby, taking about 34 minutes. Check the timetable on the day for your route.
• What to bring: The main driver should carry a valid driving licence, photo identification and a credit card in their own name with a limit high enough to cover the excess hold. Visitors from outside the UK should also carry their passport and, where required, an international driving permit. Check the driver age limits in your booking confirmation.

Pick-Up, Drop-Off, and Refuelling at Nottingham East Midlands Airport (EMA)

• Returning the car: Return the car within the branch's opening hours shown in your booking confirmation, and confirm the drop-off instructions with the supplier at collection. A key drop box for out-of-hours returns has not been confirmed for this branch, so ask what arrangement applies if your return falls outside those hours.
• Nearest petrol stations: BP Donington Park Service Area (M1 junction 23A, DE74 2TN) is listed as open 24 hours a day, and BP Airport (Castle Donington, DE74 2SA) is listed as open 06:00 to 22:00. Refuel before you return the car, and allow time to do so before the branch closes.
• Fuel policy: Confirm the fuel type shown on your booking confirmation before you refuel, and ask at collection which fuel policy applies to your hire, so that you return the car as the supplier expects.
• Before you drive away: Photograph the vehicle thoroughly at collection and again at return, including all four sides, the wheels, the windscreen and the interior. Dated photographs give you a clear record of the condition you received.
• Clean air zones: Nottingham and Leicester do not have a charging Clean Air Zone, so no sticker, permit or charge applies to a car on the routes from the airport. There is no ULEZ or Congestion Charge in the East Midlands.
• Toll roads: No toll road lies on the routes from the airport to Nottingham, Derby or Leicester.

Top Car Hire Agencies at Nottingham East Midlands Airport (EMA)

Car hire at Nottingham East Midlands Airport (EMA) is available through Green Motion.

Every booking through eCarBookers shows the excess amount and full price before you confirm, and the balance is paid on arrival at the desk. Optional extras — such as additional drivers, supplemental tyre and glass cover, child seats, or out-of-hours fees — may be available at the desk if required.

Getting from Nottingham East Midlands Airport (EMA) to Key Destinations

• Derby — about 13 miles west, in roughly 19 minutes. The city is the nearest large centre to the airport.
• Nottingham — about 14 miles north-east, in roughly 19 minutes. The city is the largest centre in the East Midlands.
• Leicester — about 19 miles south, in roughly 26 minutes. The route suits a day trip to the city.
• Matlock — about 33 miles north-west, in roughly 40 minutes. The Derbyshire town is the gateway to the Peak District.

How Payment Works for Car Hire at Nottingham East Midlands Airport (EMA)

Payment is made in two steps. A rental prepayment confirms your booking online, with Instant Confirmation from the supplier. You then pay the balance directly to the supplier on arrival, when you collect the car.

The price and vehicle class shown at booking are the terms you receive at the desk. Because the full rental amount is not charged at the time of booking, you keep flexibility if your plans change, and cancellation is free.

The supplier may place an excess hold on the main driver's credit card at collection, so check that the card in the driver's name has enough available limit. The amount is shown in your booking confirmation.