One-way car rental from Nashville: Nashville's rental cars are a short walk across Terminal Drive
You can rent a car in Nashville and return it in another US city with any of the seven big brands. The drop fee, if any, shows in the quote. Chattanooga is the closest city on the list below, about 128 miles and 2 hr 24 min by road from BNA.
Key figures
Where do you pick up a rental car at BNA?
Nashville International Airport (BNA)
Where the cars are. Rental counters on the Ground Transportation Level (Level 1) of the terminal. Cars are picked up at the Consolidated Rental Car Facility next to Terminal Garage 1, on airport. A new rental car facility and garage (New Horizon) is under construction, due 2029. 2
Getting there. Short walk: exit the main terminal from Level 1, cross Terminal Drive to Terminal Garage 1, turn left on Level 1 inside the garage and follow signs to Rental Cars. Construction is changing garage traffic (TG1 entrance closed from 20 Oct; traffic routed via Terminal Garage 2). 2
Brands. Airport help article says BNA is served by 10 rental car companies but does not name them; the list page did not load for us.
Read on each airport's own website on 15 November 2026 unless marked reported elsewhere.
Chattanooga is 128 miles from BNA, St. Louis is 316
The list covers the nearest large cities outside the Nashville area and the big cities within a day's drive. Each one has its own airport if you want to fly on from there.
| Drive to | State | Miles | Drive time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga, TN | TN | 128 | 2 hr 24 min |
| Louisville, KY | KY | 181 | 3 hr 24 min |
| Birmingham, AL | AL | 192 | 3 hr 36 min |
| Memphis, TN | TN | 222 | 4 hr 6 min |
| Atlanta, GA | GA | 243 | 4 hr 36 min |
| St. Louis, MO | MO | 316 | 5 hr 54 min |
Fastest road route from Nashville International Airport to each city centre, free-flowing traffic with no stops or rest breaks 3. Checked 15 November 2026. These estimates tend to run a little long against map apps, and real trips take longer.
Every brand at BNA quotes the drop fee at booking
National says there is typically no drop charge between airport locations, so an airport return in the destination city is worth pricing first. Avis says most locations charge no one-way fee. Enterprise, National and Alamo collect any drop charge at pick-up. Full rules for each brand are on the one-way car rental guide.
- Book the return location in advance. Budget and Sixt charge extra for an unannounced return elsewhere.
- The minimum age is 21 at most brands and 20 at Hertz, with a fee under 25.
- Add your flight number to any car booked at your destination, which waives the no-show fee at the brands AutoSlash checked 4.
Nashville on 13 and 14 November
- Friday 13 November: 77 flights cancelled 1
Rental companies sold out at Nashville: Sold out, 6 of 10 companies. Budget and Hertz had cars for Saturday. People without reservations were told not to queue. 5
Searches during the stop
- Tennessee ranked 10 of the 12 states listed for "rental car" (47 on a 100 scale). 6
- Tennessee ranked 6 of the 12 states listed for "one way car rental" (44 on a 100 scale). 6
Google Trends, United States, 7 to 14 November 2026. Values are relative, with 100 for the highest area. Only the top 12 states and metros were recorded for each term.
Coaches leave Nashville; trains do not
Amtrak lists no train service in Nashville.
| Mode | Operator | Station or stops | Routes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Train | Amtrak | No Amtrak train service in Nashville. Amtrak documents list Nashville only as a Thruway bus connection (Greyhound-operated). | No trains listed 7 |
| Bus | Greyhound | Nashville Bus Station, 709 Rep John Lewis Way South, Nashville, TN 37203. | Intercity coach 8 |
| Bus | FlixBus | Nashville Bus Station, 709 Rep John Lewis Way South (Greyhound station), gates D or E. | Intercity coach 9 |
Read on each operator's own station or city page on 15 November 2026 unless marked reported elsewhere. Check timetables with the operator.
Questions about one-way rentals from Nashville
Can I rent a car one way from Nashville?
Yes. Hertz, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, National, Alamo and Sixt all allow one-way rentals between US cities. Check the airport page for the brands on site at BNA. Any drop fee appears in the quote before you pay.
Where do I pick up a rental car at BNA?
Rental counters on the Ground Transportation Level (Level 1) of the terminal. Short walk: exit the main terminal from Level 1, cross Terminal Drive to Terminal Garage 1, turn left on Level 1 inside the garage and follow signs to Rental Cars.
How long is the drive from Nashville to Chattanooga?
About 128 miles and 2 hr 24 min from BNA in free-flowing traffic, by a routing estimate on OpenStreetMap road data. Allow longer for traffic and stops.
Is there a train or bus from Nashville instead?
No passenger trains run from Nashville. Intercity coaches are run by FlixBus and Greyhound.
More for travellers leaving Nashville
- One-way car rental rules at seven brands, and whether insurance pays for the car
- Ground stop status and the 13 November record
- BNA delays and cancellations
- Claim tool for refunds and receipts
Other cities: Chicago · Las Vegas · New York · Seattle · Atlanta · Boston · Fort Lauderdale · Denver · Orlando
Check your flight, then write the claim
The flight check takes about a minute and gives the rule that applies to your trip. The claim tool writes the letters.
- Check my flightWhat the airline and your insurer or card owe you.
- Write the claim lettersRefund, expenses and insurance letters that cite the rule.
- Airline phone lines and chatRebooking and refund contacts for 12 US airlines.
- Should I go to the airport?Live FAA ground stops and delay programmes, and what each means.
Sources for this page
9 sources
Numbers in boxes point to this list. "Checked at source" means the page itself was read on the date shown. "Reported elsewhere" means the wording came from a search extract, a secondary page or a page that only partly loaded, so check it against the original before relying on it. "Not confirmed" means sources conflict or the document is old. Event figures for 13 and 14 November are sourced in full on the methodology and sources page.
- FlightAware via The Tennessean Checked at source
- Nashville International Airport rental car page Checked at source · checked 15 November 2026
- OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap road data Reported elsewhere · checked 15 November 2026
- AutoSlash Checked at source · checked 26 May 2026
- WZTV FOX 17 Nashville Checked at source · checked 13 Nov 2026
- Google Trends, US, past 7 days, collected Saturday 14 November 2026, 6:45pm to 7:03pm ET Checked at source · checked 14 November 2026
- Amtrak: No Amtrak train service in Nashville. Amtrak documents list Nashville only as a Thruway bus connection (Greyhoun Reported elsewhere · checked 15 November 2026
- Greyhound Nashville stops Checked at source · checked 15 November 2026
- FlixBus Nashville stops Checked at source · checked 15 November 2026