The best car rental in Europe. We tell you how to rent a car in Europe

13.10.2019

Europe is ready to offer its guests a well-developed car rental business. Many resort to these services in order to save time and money, since the cost of taxis and public transport is sometimes unreasonable. Traveling with a company in a rented car generally becomes profitable.

Rental points are open in almost all European cities. Large chains offer customers to take cars in one city and return in another, which allows them to travel smoothly as planned. Transnational firms even practice renting a car in another country. Rental options can be chosen for every taste, taking into account personal preferences and monetary restrictions.

What you need to know about car rental in Europe?

There are a lot of nuances that should be taken into account when concluding a car rental agreement:

Car delivery

Many companies allow you to rent a car during non-working hours. It happens this way: you leave the car in some place and notify the company manager by phone. What are the consequences of such actions? Receiving an invoice for the extra time using the machine and finding any damage on it that was not caused by you, since the check technical condition was carried out without an interested party.

Multinational companies allow customers to rent a car at non-scheduled hours using special terminals installed in the parking lots in front of their offices. To do this, you must provide the address of the terminal where you drove the car. In this case, under the contract, you will be personally responsible for it until the office is opened.

Many companies allow you to rent cars outside of business hours.

Rental conditions

Each European country sets its own rental conditions. The big differences are related to age restrictions:

From 18 years old will give a car for rent in Germany, Sweden, Austria, Croatia, Slovakia, Slovenia.
From 19 years old- in Estonia and Norway.
From 20 years old- in Bulgaria, Finland and Switzerland.
From 21 years old- in all other European countries, except Luxembourg.
From 25 years old- in Ireland.

An elite class car can be obtained almost everywhere only from the age of 24 and then with a driving experience of at least one or two years. Young drivers under the age of 25 without driving experience will have to pay an additional amount of money, which is a guarantor for the rental company.

The minimum rental time is a day. If the car was handed over an hour later, then you will have to pay in full for the second day. In small firms, being late can turn a blind eye.

Cheap car rental - how to arrange an inexpensive travel without a deposit?

You can save money on the car arena by booking it online. The sooner this is done, the less you will have to pay for the service.

Small firms provide relatively inexpensive rental services. They charge less by about $ 15 per day, but you have less guarantees in this case. Frequent travelers find it more profitable to use the offers of any one international company in order to receive discounts and bonuses.

Lease without collateral can be found only in small companies, but it is better to study the reviews and advice of those who used their services.

Insurance and deductible

Usually companies offer several types of insurance:

Regular insurance costs about $ 13 per day. More money will be charged from drivers between the ages of 21 and 25. If you want to travel by rented car to another country, you need to pay for an extended insurance package, which will be valid there as well. This is an additional $ 7-13 per day.

All-inclusive insurance on a deductible basis is quite expensive (380 - 2300 dollars depending on the country and company). Clients rarely issue it, but it completely limits their liability. Such insurance is justified with little driving experience and a trip to a large city. Having issued it, the client can be sure that the rental company will not be able to demand more than the amount paid for the franchise, even if the car will not be subject to repair after an accident.

Each European country has its own rental conditions.

The best car rental companies

Proven companies that clearly fulfill their obligations include the following:

Europcar,
Budget,
Sixt,
Avis,
Hertz.

They provide the opportunity to book and pay for a car via the Internet, introduce all types of insurance and their requirements even before booking, allow you to travel abroad by car and return them in another country, offer additional services (rental of a navigator, child seats, etc.).

Car rental services and aggregators

The trusted services that allow you to compare offers from different companies, according to user reviews, include the following: rentalcars.com, carrentals.com, economycarrentals.com, traveljigsaw.ru. Aggregator Avtorentovik shows free cars, taking into account the desired address, showing it on the map.

Car rental documents

The client must have the following package with him:

international passport;
driver's license (national or international);
credit card.

Fuel and gas station cost

Fuel is expensive in Europe. Gasoline 95 and 98 costs, depending on the country, $ 1-2 per liter, diesel - 50 cents - $ 1.5.

At gas stations there is a pre-filling system for a car, in which the the right amount fuel, after that its payment is made. Most often, the customer is served by a petrol station employee. In some countries, there are automatic filling stations, where fuel is cheaper.

Traffic rules and fines

Traffic rules in Europe are practically the same as ours. Let's highlight some features:

Inclusion of the emergency gang during emergency braking.
Speed limits vary by country. In Poland, this is usually 70 km / h, since the roads pass through settlements. There are no restrictions on the German Autobahns. In France and other countries - 130 km / h, and during a downpour 110 km / h.
When driving on "mountain" highways on steep descents and ascents, an additional lane has been made for cars that cannot move at high speed. You should drive on them if the engine is not powerful or the car is loaded.
In Great Britain, Austria, Cyprus, traffic on the road is left-hand. Is it possible we have already told, and information about the conditions of renting a car in Cyprus.
In Italy, trams always have the advantage on the road.

Fines in Europe are high. You will have to pay $ 25 for talking on a mobile phone, for speeding by 20 km / h, depending on the country, $ 25-250, drunk driving $ 250-2000, for an unfastened seat belt - $ 350, parking violations from $ 25.

Ways to rent a car in Europe:

Car rental on site. Once upon a time we actively used this method of renting a car. Its pros and cons:
Of course, we have had such a lease on the spot in the past and more than once. More often it was a positive experience, largely due to the fact that every time we meticulously read the contract, asked a million questions to the employees of the rental companies, some of whom were already clearly beginning to annoy. But twice we faced an obvious deception, when they told us in the office that the insurance was full, they handed over the car with damage, for which, at the end of the lease, they demanded to compensate for the damage in the amount of the established franchise - yes, it turned out that the insurance was with a franchise, and we they did not manage to find an item on the move in the contract due to lack of time. Twice they got burned like that, then they went online forever, which we'll talk about in section 3.
Car rental through a guide or at the hotel reception. In our opinion, this is the same lease on the spot, but taking into account the fact that an intermediary appears in the "Car rental company - Lessee" chain, who, quite possibly, will also want to earn interest for his "car search" services, which means that the rental price may go up even further. We also went through this method - we did not like it at all: either the car was sent from the previous decade, then it was not in the same class as the one ordered, then in fact we were informed that new circumstances had opened in the contract and we would have to pay extra. In general, we have never been lucky at all.
Car booking via the Internet (Online). Having felt all the shortcomings of the previous methods, as they say, on our own skin, now we book a car in Europe this way and only this way - online and, as far as possible, as early as possible. Pros and cons:
In general, in Europe we have been renting cars for more than 10 years (several times a year), for more than 8 years we have been renting cars online. Honestly? Once we were unlucky here, but then it was only our second online rental and we frankly tried to save money by buying prices twice lower than the average price tag, so we just didn't even get a car to the airport - it was a serious lesson for us, because the saying about "free cheese" has not been canceled. And then they asked an important question:

How not to be mistaken when choosing a rental company?

is one of the largest online car booking services in Europe, operating in 150 countries around the world. Once our friends told us about this site, now we ourselves periodically and very successfully refer to it. By the way, now, in case of any questions or problems with the company, you can contact the Moscow phone - conveniently. Link to the company's website:
Is a company founded in 1954 and is also one of the largest car search and booking services around the world. This company also has a Moscow phone, where you can ask all your questions and solve the problems that have arisen. Link:

Both of these companies are looking for available cars, both among the leaders of international rental and among local companies.

is a company mainly working with local car rental companies. Currently (as of 2018) using this site you can find and rent a car in the following countries: Russia, Greece, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Georgia (the choice of the rental country is at the top of the page). Link to the company's website:

In general, even among the listed sites (the services of which we managed to use when booking a car in Europe), given the fact that each of them also searches among several different rental companies, the choice turns out to be quite decent.

Rental car insurance

Car rental in Europe and insurance are two inseparable concepts. In other words, it is unlikely that you will be able to rent a car without insurance. And you need to be guided, of course, by a written agreement, and not by someone's words - it is the agreement that has legal force, and not an oral agreement with the owner of the rental company. It is also very important to understand that there is no insurance coverage, and, in principle, even the same rental company can offer the client several types of insurance to choose from, so you should carefully study what kind of insurance or insurance to choose from in a particular rental company. This is what it is worth talking about in more detail.

Today, you will hardly surprise anyone with autotravels - this type of vacation largely justifies its costs by convenience, the ability to come up with a wide variety of routes and, accordingly, expand the geography of travel. Many Russians love to make a car trip to the south of their country, but the further, the more popular the practice of car rental in Europe and large, independently organized trips around the Old World.

Of course, in different parts of the world, things are different with car rental, but car rental in Europe always guarantees reliability, although this reliability often costs a lot. However, the cost of renting a car is quite adequate when you consider the cost of travel in Europe by public transport. And if you are traveling with a company, then car rental in Europe will be definitely more profitable than moving on the same trains. In addition, in developed tourist countries, you can, relatively speaking, rent a car in Berlin, and hand it over at the office of the same rental office in the south of Spain.

Search for a rental car

Most of the road trips are made by Russians inside the Old World, so the issue of renting a car in Europe is quite acute for many. What are the requirements for drivers in a particular country? What nuances are worth remembering when driving on European roads? There are many similar questions.

Each country has its own peculiarities regarding car rental, first of all, we are talking about age restrictions, since they can differ significantly even in neighboring countries.

So, the age of a driver who can rent a car abroad must be at least 18, at most 25 years old. Each rental company has its own age restrictions. For example, in Germany you can rent a car from SIXT if you are over 18 years old, and from Budget only if you are over 21 years old. Often, car rental agencies may require young drivers (up to 25 years old) to pay an additional fee, on average 15-17 euros per day.

If you book a car through aggregator sites, for example, Rentalcars.com, then note the driver's age. The young driver fee will be indicated after choosing a car on the website.

As for a driver's license, in a number of countries it is enough to present a national license issued at least one year ago, where your name will be written in Latin letters. There should also be an inscription PERMIS DE CONDUIRE. But in the UAE, England, Italy, France and Greece, you need to have an international driver's license (IDP). In the absence of such, a fine is imposed. It is also worth noting that IDPs are not valid without the original rights of your country.

Some rental companies can issue you a car without presenting an IDL, but in this case the rental price can be significantly overstated.

When renting a car, you need to carefully study all the clauses of the contract, especially those concerning insured events, rental periods, various restrictions imposed by the rental office, etc. Despite the fact that this is a civilized Europe, the car should be carefully examined for damage and scratches and , if any, fix it in the contract. By the way, in Southeast Asia, such a procedure must be carried out without fail, photographing all the damage.

It will not be superfluous to ask about the peculiarities of driving in a particular European country, because, whatever one may say, the Germans and, say, the Greeks drive in completely different ways. Naturally, it is imperative to study certain nuances in the traffic rules of those countries through which the travel route lies. Also, when planning a trip, you should always keep in mind that in Europe there are quite a few toll roads, and accordingly make adjustments either to the route or to the budget. In addition, fuel prices in Europe are not equal to Russian ones, and gasoline will be a very impressive item of consumption. The same applies to parking in large European cities, which is rarely free wherever.

The Fly & Drive system is very popular in Europe, the essence of which is to get a car for rent immediately upon arrival at a particular European airport, which can significantly save time (for example, you do not need to look for an agency in the city itself). The standard rules of car rental companies apply here.

Many people advise to prepare a car rental via the Internet in advance on the websites of trusted companies that have offices in dozens of countries around the world. These companies include: Avis, Herz, Sixt, Europcar, Budget and others. It is also best to print the voucher in advance in order to present it upon arrival at the rental company and avoid all sorts of troubles.

Car rental cost in Europe

The cost of car rental in Europe depends on many factors. For example, the general rule of trade is that wholesale is cheaper. That is, if you rent a car for one or two days, then the cost of each rental day will be higher than if you rent the same car, say, for a week. approximate cost car rental in Europe is listed below. The cost is given for cars of the most budget class (small car), subject to booking for a week:

However, the easiest way to check the cost for your dates and for your requirements is by using the search form above, or on the Rentalcars.com website.

Traffic rules in Europe

One way or another, the rules on the roads do not fundamentally differ from the Russian ones - the same signs, markings and general concepts. There are only a few nuances that are better to study before traveling to specific countries, you can find them in our articles about car rental in specific countries, links to them are given below. For example, there are middle common lanes for left turns, tricky cameras that turn on a red light if your average speed is higher than the permitted speed, turn right at a red traffic light, and some others. However, the basic principles are determined by international conventions and are the same for almost all countries of the world.

You can also read about paying for roads depending on the country in the specific material below, we note only such a nuance as vignettes. These are special stickers that are bought and pasted on the car at the entrance to the country, thus the movement on the roads of this state is paid. The lack of a vignette can lead to a very serious fine. At the moment, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Slovakia, Romania, Moldova, Hungary, Bulgaria and Austria have such a system on their roads. Vignettes are required for driving on highways, that is, if you are more interested in not particularly high-speed routes between villages, then in many cases you can do without this fee.

Traveling in Europe with a rented car has many advantages. You yourself plan your route and time, you can change the direction of movement at any time, you yourself choose the places for rest. It is quite easy to choose a cheap car rental in Europe.

Traveling by car is much more comfortable and interesting than by sightseeing buses and commuter trains. For those who do not accept a "strict regime" vacation with someone's scheduled departure time, places of stops and objects worth exploring, car rental - perfect solution... A group of like-minded people who decide to drive around the country in a rented car will save a decent amount.

Many do not even think about renting a car abroad, as they are sure of the high cost of this service. We affirm that with the right planning, this type of travel will be budget-friendly. First, choose a class of car, the cheapest cars are class A. Car rental companies set their own prices, but most operators adhere to the following classification:

Economy ( Fiat panda, Toyota Yaris)
Family ( Ford focus, VW Passat, Alfa 147)
Estate (VW Passat SW, Nissan Qashqai)
People carriers (Fiat Ducato).
Sport (Ferrari, Porsche)

The documents

The rental services of different countries have their own requirements for documents, but general rules valid throughout Europe:

The driver's age is over 21.
International driving license.
Bank card valid in the international payment system.

You can check the list of requirements on the website of a particular company.

Who to rent from

You can choose between large international and local companies.

International services: Avis, Sixt, Advantage, Budget, Thrifty, Europcar.
Discounter companies: Easycar, GoldCar, etc.
Or, compare prices at once in all systems on the site.

Renting from a child scooter allows you to significantly save money, but serious and sudden complications are not excluded. For example, you may be charged € 20 for an unwashed car when returned, and prices can increase several times with increased demand for cars.

The most famous discounter is Easycar, which has more than 2,000 rental points in almost all European countries. The popularity of this company is due to its attractive prices - you can pick up a car for € 25 per day. Carefully read the contract before signing, especially if it is written in small print - it often contains a lot of interesting information about additional services, which you can easily do without.

The range of prices in large companies can be large, but in any case, renting will cost you 25% more than a discounter. The advantages of such companies cannot be denied - you will receive new car with 24/7 support, and you can return the car at any of the many rental locations within the country.

How to book

Go to the site and compare the prices for car rental in all services and companies at once.
The intermediary between the company and the consumer are aggregator services that receive commissions for their services. The price from the aggregator and from the company may differ up or down, so when you choose a car, check the price on the company's website, it may be more profitable for you to rent a car directly from them.
Start booking as early as possible.
The rental price directly depends on the period, which must be at least a week: a three-day rental costs, for example, € 100, and a weekly one - € 170.
Another way to save money is to return the car to the same location where you took it.
Rentacars never guarantee that you will receive the car you have chosen from the photo - you will receive a car of the same class.
Pay attention to the additions to the agreement, they can significantly change the terms of the lease. For example, the contract may specify a limited mileage condition, which means that you will have to pay extra for each kilometer above the limit. Also, additional options may contain a record about a full tank of gas when the car is returned, the age of the driver or child seat, which must be paid separately.
When inspecting the car, assess the condition of the tires, the interior, the level of gasoline in the tank. Comments should be recorded in the protocol, otherwise you risk paying for all the defects when returning the car.

Insurance

Check the insurance conditions before placing your order. Pay special attention to the franchise limiting your liability. The lower the deductible, the better - in case of an accident or car breakdown, your compensation will be less.

Fixed deductible. This insurance is called CDW (Collision Damage Waiver). Your liability cannot exceed a certain amount specified in the contract. Have large companies the deductible can be up to € 800.
Zero franchise (Super Collision Damage Waiver). The ideal option is that in case of a breakdown, you do not owe anything.
Limited liability for theft (Theft Protection - TP).
Personal Accident Insurance. A type of health insurance that is valid only if damage is caused to you while in the car or when entering / leaving it.

How to return the car

You can drop off the car at the airport, at the entrance to which there must be a Car Return sign. Find the parking lot of the company you want and ask a worker to check the condition of the car and the level of gasoline in the tank. Try to be present when inspecting and completing the change document. If there are no claims, you will be given an appropriate document, which is recommended to be kept together with receipts and insurance policy for a month.

If you rent your car outside of working hours, leave it in the parking lot, and put the keys and documents in a special box. Take a photo of the car so that the place is recognizable, the number and date are readable.

How to save

Carefully plan your route - rental costs depend on the country of start. The minimum prices in European countries are different, we have selected the rates for small cars in the most visited cities based on a rental period of 10 days.

The cheapest car will cost in Rome, Cyprus, Tenerife and Barcelona. Most expensive cities: Geneva, Vienna and Nice. But in a car rented in Germany, France or Austria, you can cross borders, and in Italian and Spanish you will be allowed to travel only within the country.

Boundaries between:

Andorra
Belgium
Denmark
France
Germany
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Monaco
Sweden
Switzerland
Great Britain

It is almost impossible to leave Eastern European countries in a rented car, but with a strong desire and persistence, you can catch a company that allows movement abroad.

An additional costly option is GPS. In practice, any smartphone will replace this device for you if you install the appropriate application in advance.

Car with automatic transmission gears will cost you 20 percent more.

Traffic rules in Europe are strictly enforced, and violation of them entails substantial fines. You will save a lot of money if you study local laws. Remember that there is video recording on all roads, and do not indulge yourself with the illusion of impunity. For example, incorrect transportation of children will cost € 200 in Spain, € 60 in Germany, and € 80 in Greece. In the United Kingdom, the fine for repeated violation of the rules will be 500 pounds (about 50 thousand rubles).

British strictness does not seem to be the greatest evil when faced with the libertines that reign on Italian and Greek roads, where passing a red light in the absence of pedestrians is not even considered a small sin.

Parking lots in big cities are always crowded and the price of one hour is about € 2, and the traffic is so dense that you will spend too much time moving from one ancient monument to another. It is more convenient to move around the metropolis on public transport by leaving your car in a parking lot away from the historic center.

Travel by car with a company - by splitting the bill, you will save money and be able to communicate on the way.
Taking the car, carefully inspect it and compare the existing damage (scratches, dents) with those specified in the contract.
When handing over the car, make sure that there is a mark on the absence of new damage. If the car is rented with a limited mileage condition, pay attention to the numbers provided by a company employee.
The contract usually offers options: receipt and return from full tank and buying a full tank / return with leftovers. The first option is always more profitable.

How much does it cost to rent a car in Europe, in which European countries it is cheaper and easier to do it, is it possible to cross the borders of other European countries with a rental car, nuances and pitfalls, pros and cons, and also how to save money when renting a car in Europe. .. In this article - answers to all questions plus rating best countries Europe for car rental.

Many novice travelers, even those who have own car and a long driving experience, at first they are frightened by the prospect of renting a car abroad ... As a rule, they are confused by the process of renting and processing documents, foreign rules road traffic and fines, the cost of rent or gasoline, traffic or left-hand traffic ...

All of this also confused us a little, until we first rented a car in Bulgaria. Since then, we have enjoyed traveling around Europe both in our own car and rented a car in many countries of Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa: from Bulgaria with Spain to Malaysia and Zanzibar ...

It turned out to be not scary at all

But, nevertheless, it is better to start not from the countries of Southeast Asia or Africa, but from Europe With the exception of the UK, it’s familiar everywhere. right-hand traffic, in most European countries good roads, familiar and clear rules, signs and markings, predictable traffic and driving style of motorists. And the prices for car rental in many European countries are much cheaper than other countries ...

Read in the article:

How much does it cost to rent a car in Europe?

So how much does it cost to rent a car in Europe? Depending on the country, region, car rental company and rental period, the minimum car rental cost mini or economy class can start from 5 before 50 euros per day and in some countries and rental companies up to 2000 euros per day for a premium or luxury car, during the hot season and for a short period!

Moreover, when renting a car, consider not only the rental price! Do not forget about the company's rating, rental and insurance conditions, as well as such important figures as the amount of the deposit for the car, the amount of the deductible, fuel prices, the amount of fines ...

Usually, the amount of the pledge (deposit) in different countries Europe ranges from 100 before 2000 euro for inexpensive car mini, economy or middle class. The amount of the deductible can range from 100 before 3000 Euro. And the cost of 95 gasoline from European countries is from 1,15 before 1,75 Euro...

As we can see, the range of prices for both car rental and the amounts for other parameters is simply huge! Where is it cheaper?

In which European countries is car rental cheaper?

On many large popular travel portals, you can find information that the cost of renting a car in European countries is allegedly NOT LESS than 20-60 euros per day! .. This is complete nonsense, and the people writing this information are commonplace copywriters or ordinary tourists, but not real travelers! In the best case, such information will be close to reality if you rent a car not in advance, but on the spot, without comparing prices, for a short period and in the "hottest season" ...

The cheapest is to rent a car in Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Greece, Czech Republic, Latvia, Portugal, Spain, Cyprus ... In the listed countries, the rental price starts from 5-10 euros per day.

In Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Hungary, Lithuania, Turkey, the cost of car rental starts from 10-15 euros per day.

In countries such as Great Britain, Finland, Belgium, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, it is possible to rent a car from 15-20 euros or a little more.

But I repeat, it is important to take into account not only the rental cost, but also the rating of the rental company, rental and insurance conditions, deposit and deductible amounts, fuel prices, etc. It is also important whether it makes sense at all to pay for rent, gasoline and travel around the country for car - is it interesting and is there a place to go Therefore, we, the authors of the blog Traveler's Diary, have compiled a rating of the best countries in Europe, where to rent a car and move around in a rented car is cheaper, more interesting and easiest ...

Rating of the best countries in Europe for car rental

The numbers and conditions we found are easy to check on the comparison site and online car rental bookingcar.eu... See for yourself:

Montenegro took the second place from the middle of the list, after the writing of this article and after our insanely fascinating road trip through this country ... It happened thanks to personal experience rent a car in Montenegro through the "Set and go" company:

"Sat down and went" in Montenegro offer a very cheap car rental from 9 euros per day without any deposit (deposit) and prepayment, without fraud and imposed insurance!

1 Bulgaria

The cost of car rental is from 5 euros per day. AI95 gasoline costs 1.15 euros. Deposit 100-600 euros. Franchise 150-600 euros. The mileage is unlimited. The minimum driver's age is 21-25 years old. On request, it is possible to travel to other European countries. The best car rental company in Bulgaria is Top Rent a Car.

2 Montenegro

The cost of car rental is from 9 euros per day. AI95 gasoline costs 1.41 euros. Deposit 0-1200 euros. Franchise 0-1200 euros. The mileage is unlimited. The minimum driver's age is 21-26 years old. Traveling to other countries is almost always allowed by rental companies. Most rental companies have good rating! The cheapest rental without collateral, prepayment and fraud - in the rental company "Sit" n "Go", we recommend!

3 Turkey

The cost of car rental is from 13 euros per day. AI95 gasoline costs 1.16 euros. Deposit 100-1100 euros. Franchise 250-600 euros. Some rental companies have limited mileage. The minimum driver's age is 21-23 years old. Travel to other countries is prohibited! Unfortunately, most rental companies cannot boast of good reviews...

4 Cyprus

The cost of car rental is from 7 euros per day. AI95 gasoline costs 1.32 euros. The deposit is 600-1500 euros. Franchise 500-900 euros. The mileage is unlimited. The minimum driver's age is 23-25 years old. Travel to other countries is not allowed! Almost all rental companies have a high rating.

5 Czech Republic

The cost of car rental is from 10 euros per day. - Gasoline AI95 costs 1.26 euros. Deposit 700-3000 euros. Franchise 500-800 euros. The mileage is almost always unlimited. The minimum driver's age is 23-25 years old. Traveling to other countries is almost always allowed by rental companies. Most of the rental companies are highly rated!

6 Croatia

The cost of car rental is from 8 euros per day. AI95 gasoline costs 1.39 euros. Deposit 800-1400 euros. Franchise 800-1250 euros. The mileage is almost always unlimited. The minimum driver's age is from 22-25 years old. Traveling to other countries is almost always allowed by rental companies. Most rental companies have a good rating!

7 Portugal

The cost of car rental is from 6 euros per day. AI95 gasoline costs 1.66 euros. Deposit 300-2000 euros. Franchise 800-3000 euros. Mileage is sometimes limited. The minimum driver's age is 21-25 years old. Travel to Spain and other countries is sometimes allowed by agreement.

8 Spain

The cost of car rental is from 10 euros per day. AI95 gasoline costs 1.31 euros. Deposit 300-1200 euros. Franchise 900-1500 euros. The mileage is often limited! The minimum driver's age is 25-26 years old. Many rental companies in Spain are working on "Pre-purchase of fuel with the possibility of reimbursement", as well as overly imposing full insurance...

9 Italy

The cost of car rental is from 12 euros per day. AI95 gasoline costs 1.64 euros. Deposit 200-2000 euros. Franchise 900-3000 euros. The mileage is unlimited. The minimum driver age is almost always 25 years old. Travel outside the country is possible by agreement, and sometimes free of charge.

10 Greece

The cost of car rental is from 10 euros per day. AI95 gasoline costs 1.64 euros. The deposit is 400-2000 euros. Franchise 400-1500 euros. The mileage is unlimited. The minimum driver age is almost always 21-23 years old. Sometimes prepaid fuel is practiced. Departure outside the country or to the islands is extremely rare by agreement

11 Hungary

The cost of car rental is from 15 euros per day. AI95 gasoline costs 1.21 euros per liter. Deposit 300-1200 euros. Franchise 300-2500 euros. The mileage is almost always unlimited. The minimum driver's age is 25 years. Travel to other countries is almost always allowed by agreement and for an additional fee. The market is dominated by local car rental companies.

12 Switzerland

The cost of car rental is from 21 euros per knock. AI95 gasoline costs 1.41 euros. Deposit 170-1300 euros. Franchise 1300-1700 euros. The mileage is unlimited. The minimum driver's age is 19-25 years old. Possible departure to many countries of Western Europe

13 France

The cost of car rental is from 15 euros per day. AI95 gasoline costs 1.54 euros. Deposit 250-1300 euros. Franchise 900-1300 euros. Traveling abroad is almost always allowed. The minimum driver's age is 25-26 years old. The allowed mileage is often limited by the rental companies. Sometimes travel to other European countries is allowed.

14 Germany

The cost of car rental is from 20 euros per day. AI95 gasoline costs 1.44 euros. Deposit 900-1250 euros. Franchise 800-1250 euros. The mileage is often limited. The minimum driver's age is 25 years. Travel to many EU countries is allowed.

15 Austria

The cost of car rental is from 21 euros per day. AI95 gasoline costs 1.29 euros. Deposit 900-2000 euros. Franchise 800-2000 euros. The mileage is almost always unlimited. The minimum driver's age is 19-25 years old. Departure is almost always allowed by Western Europe, sometimes at no extra charge ...

* All figures are current at the time of this writing.

Nuances and "pitfalls"

What to look for when renting a car in Europe: what are the nuances and pitfalls? Let's open an online car booking site for example bookingcar.eu, where all the conditions of the rental companies are as clear and transparent as possible:

Car rental company rating:

Pay attention to the rating of the rental company. We recommend booking a car with companies with a rating higher than 7-8 points. If the rating is 5-7 - show increased vigilance and attention. If the rating is below 5 - at your own peril and risk

Pick up location:

In terminal
Shuttle bus
Meeting at the airport

When the office of the rental company is located in the airport terminal, it is most convenient. Meeting at the airport - an employee will meet you with a sign and escort you to the office of the rental company, which may be located some distance from the airport terminal. The shuttle bus is the most inconvenient option, since you will have to wait for other customers and the departure of the minibus on schedule, spend time getting to the office of the rental company and registration.

Fuel policy:

Receiving and returning with a full tank
The same amount upon return as upon receipt
Quarter to Quarter
Half-Half
Prepayment - when the client pays for additional fuel, but the money for the fuel remaining after the rental is not returned to him!
Pre-purchase of fuel with the possibility of refund - when the client pays additional fuel + a non-refundable commission of 25-50 euros for refueling, but the money for the rest of the fuel is returned to the client after the lease.

The first four options practically do not differ from each other and these are the most convenient and beneficial options for the client. But the last two options are an outright "scam" of the client for money and an attempt to attract a client with an allegedly low rental price ... Such tricks are often used by rental companies in Spain, for example.

Permitted mileage:

Limited
Is not limited

Unlimited mileage is good. And with a limited mileage, the client pays a certain amount for each kilometer in excess of the allowed mileage.

Be sure to check before booking Important information : terms of protection against theft and damage, the size of the franchise and the deposit. The deductible in case of damage or theft of the car is the amount that the client will have to pay in any case in the event of an insured event. The deposit is the amount that is frozen on the customer's card until the car is returned. The lower these amounts, the better for you!

Please note that almost always, booking a deposit is possible only with a credit card. Debit cards are not accepted by car rental companies.

Study the age requirements of the driver, driver's license(IDP required), fuel policy, mileage, payments, deposits, insurance coverage, additional services, etc. If you plan to travel by rental car to other European countries, then pay attention to the item "Travel restrictions".

When concluding a contract in the office of the rental company, you will most likely be offered Full (extended) insurance. Full insurance can save you from a deposit, deductibles, covers any accident, as well as damage to wheels, glasses, headlights, mirrors, interior, damage from losing keys, paying for a tow truck, etc. etc. Weigh the need for its registration, make a decision and control the correct execution of documents. Be careful when filling out the documents, because some unscrupulous rental companies may try to "sell" full insurance to you even without your consent ...

Upon acceptance of the car, as well as upon its subsequent delivery, very carefully, in the presence of an employee of the rental company, check the car for damage and make sure that each existing damage is noted in the corresponding car inspection report, signed and stamped in this document.

How to save money when renting a car?

1. Rent a car in advance, not on the spot upon arrival in the country
2. Book a car online by comparing prices and conditions on an aggregator website, for example bookingcar.eu
3. Choose rental companies with good reviews and high ratings (at least 7-8 points)
4. Book a car for a long time - it is much more profitable
5. Try to rent a car not in the "hot season" - it will be much cheaper.
6. Compact cars with manual transmission cheapest
7. Choose a fuel policy without prepayments and prior purchase of fuel!
8. Selecting a car with diesel engine, hybrid or electric car, you will significantly save on fuel
9. Choose a rental company with a minimum amount of franchises and a deposit
10. To avoid surcharges, carefully study the requirements for the age and experience of the driver
11. If you are planning long trips, rent a car with no mileage restrictions
12. If you are planning to travel with a rented car to other European countries, then check if this is possible with the selected rental company, their conditions and your additional costs
13. Do not allow additional services and insurance to be added to the contract without your knowledge.
14. When paying or making a deposit, it is advisable to do so in the currency of the agreement without any additional conversion services from the rental company.
15. When moving around the country, check local rules, try not to break speed modes, parking rules and other traffic regulations... Fines in many European countries are very high, and in addition to the fines themselves, the rental company can also charge you the amount of its service fees when you pay them ...

We hope you find our information and advice useful. We wish you inexpensive and interesting autotrip in Europe!

Similar articles: