Off the ship on East McComas Street: the disembarkation clock
The ship sets the hour, and the hour decides which desk can hand you keys.
Ships come back early: Royal Caribbean’s 5-night Bermuda trip is due at 7 AM and Carnival’s 12-day trip at 8 AM.
On the way home the gates open at 8:30 AM for pick-up; private cars wait in the “Pick Up” lot, and taxis, limos and sedans go to the passenger building.
Your walk-off time comes with the line’s documents, not from us — build the car around it.
If the cab runs the commission’s posted city meter, the terminal to Lombard Street is about $7.32, to Fells Point about $9.08 and to Reservoir Hill about $14.14, our arithmetic before waiting time and tip.
The commission also sets flat fares from the terminal to a few places, BWI and Penn Station among them — ask the driver which applies.
Weekdays are simple — every city desk opens at 8 AM, so the counter is waiting by the time you’ve cleared the terminal.
Docking on a Saturday? See which desk is open at 9:30
Pick the day you dock and the time you expect to reach the counter. The checker reads each desk’s published hours.
At 9:30 on a Saturday all four city desks are open, but the clock is short: Enterprise Fells Point shuts at noon, Avis and Budget at 1 PM, Reservoir Hill at 2.
Move the time to 11:45 and Fells Point drops to a quarter of an hour.
Sunday is the hard one — Fells Point stays shut all day, and the three that open close at 2 PM.
A slow disembarkation on a Sunday can miss every city desk — set the checker to 2:15 and see.
When it does, BWI is the fallback, with Avis open there until 11 PM. The hub’s desk cards have the addresses and phone numbers.
Late back to the counter? Five different Baltimore return rules
Getting the car is half of it. Each desk has its own rule for a car that comes back after office hours.
| Desk | After-hours return | What its page says | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avis and Budget, Lombard Street | Office hours only | “Rental vehicle must be returned during office hours.” A drop box may be there; you’re responsible until the contract closes the next business day | Confirmed |
| Avis and Budget, Boston Street | No | “Drop Box NOT Available” — return in office hours or change the drop-off | Confirmed |
| Enterprise, Fells Point | Yes | After-hours returns listed; the car is yours until it’s checked in the next business day | Confirmed |
| Enterprise, Reservoir Hill | No | “After hours returns service is not available at this location” | Confirmed |
| BWI Rental Car Facility | Varies by brand | Avis has you leave the keys in the car after hours; Enterprise takes keys in a drop box; Sixt advertises 24-hour returns | Confirmed |
From each desk’s own page, read Oct 3, 2026. Checked Oct 3, 2026
Every city desk we read closes by 6 PM on weekdays and by 2 PM at weekends; Enterprise Fells Point is shut Sundays, and of the city desks only Enterprise Fells Point clearly takes after-hours returns.
That matters on the way back from a trip, not just the morning you dock. Miss Boston Street’s hours and there’s nowhere to leave the keys.
An after-hours return isn’t the end of the rental, either — at Fells Point the car stays on your contract until someone checks it in.
One more trap. Avis’s desk at 101 W Fayette St still turns up in search results as “Car Rental Near Baltimore Penn Station,” and its own page shows “CLOSED August 22, 2025.” Don’t book it.
Flying out the same day: a car to BWI, or the flat cab
If you’re headed for a plane, the flat cab sets the bar a car has to clear.
The rental, line by line
Our $50 base rate is an assumption for a city desk; type the rate you’re quoted. Maryland’s 11.5% is in, and fuel covers about 12 miles. A city-to-BWI return may carry a one-way charge that no brand published, so the drop box starts at $0. The cab cost of reaching the desk isn’t included.
The terminal to the rental facility is about 12.2 miles and 22 minutes, by our routing.
On those numbers a car collected in town and handed back at BWI is about $57, before the cab to the desk — a lot to pay for a ride the flat fare covers.
So rent for the day only if it holds a stop worth making — Annapolis is the obvious one, and the day-trip page has it.
At BWI, Avis takes cars back from 6 AM to 11 PM and Hertz until 11:59 PM. The free shuttle then runs you from the facility to the airport doors.
If there’s no stop, take the cab. The should-you-rent page has the flat fare’s small print.
Driving home from Baltimore: the missing Key Bridge and Maryland’s road rules
Three Maryland rules to know before you pull out, and one bridge that isn’t there.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge (I-695) has been gone since it collapsed on March 26, 2024; the rebuild project’s current goal, announced in November 2025, is to open the new bridge to traffic by 2030, and it tells Baltimore drivers to plan for more traffic on I-95 and I-895.
Traffic that once crossed the outer harbor on I-695 now funnels into the two tunnels, which is why that warning names I-95 and I-895.
Heading north, the tunnel and the JFK Highway come first, and the Philadelphia page counts them.
Maryland’s move-over law covers any stopped vehicle showing hazards, flares or other warning signals, not just police and tow trucks. Move over or slow down; since Oct 1, 2022, a ticket is $110 and a point.
No talking or texting on a handheld phone while driving; tickets start at $83.
Maryland law: children under 8 ride in a child restraint unless they’re 4 feet 9 inches or taller; from 8 to 16, a seat belt if not in a restraint. A rental seat for a week runs to Avis’s published cap of $84, at $14 a day. Bringing your own may beat it, so check your airline’s rule on car seats.
Fuel was about $4.25 a gallon in Baltimore on Oct 3, 2026, AAA’s average for regular.
Reserving a car for the morning you dock in Baltimore
Book the pick-up for an hour after the ship is due, not the minute it docks — then check that hour against the desk.
On a weekend, BWI is the safer pick-up even with its extra charges.
- Pick-up: BWI, open past the city desks
- One-way fee in the total shown
- Taxes and fees shown before you pay
- Free cancellation up to 48 hrs before pickup
After a Baltimore cruise: rental car questions
What time do you get off a cruise ship in Baltimore?
Your line sets it. Ships are due early, with Royal Caribbean’s 5-night Bermuda trip at 7 AM and Carnival’s 12-day trip at 8, and the terminal opens its gates for pick-up at 8:30 AM.
Is Enterprise in Fells Point open on Sunday?
No. Enterprise at 1307 Eastern Ave is closed Sundays and open only 9 to noon on Saturdays. Enterprise Reservoir Hill opens Sundays from 9 to 2.
Can you return a rental car after hours in Baltimore?
Only at Enterprise Fells Point among the city desks, as far as we found, and the car stays your responsibility until it’s checked in. Avis and Budget on Lombard Street want returns in office hours, and Boston Street has no drop box.
Is the Avis on West Fayette Street in Baltimore still open?
No. Avis’s own page for 101 W Fayette St shows it closed on August 22, 2025, though search results still call it the desk near Penn Station.
Is the Key Bridge in Baltimore open again?
No. It collapsed on March 26, 2024. The rebuild project’s current goal, announced in November 2025, is to open the new bridge to traffic by 2030, and it tells drivers to plan for more traffic on I-95 and I-895 until then.
Do kids need a booster seat in Maryland?
Children under 8 ride in a child restraint unless they’re 4 feet 9 inches or taller. From 8 to 16 they need a seat belt if they’re not in a restraint.
More on renting around a Baltimore cruise
Planning the trip home too?
Send the date you dock. We’ll line up the car, the hotel or the flight around the ship’s arrival, free of charge.
Got it — thank you.
Seabound Journeys will follow up within one business day. In the meantime, feel free to keep browsing.
Want to talk sooner? Book a free 30-minute call.
Journey further.