Having a car provides a lot of freedom and convenience when traveling through Europe. You can travel at your own pace, stop frequently to take in the view, and get to some places that are difficult to reach with public transportation. However, there are some things to know about renting a car in Europe. Knowing these differences in advance can save you some money and maybe even a big travel headache.
Table of Contents
Renting a Car in Europe
#1 Choosing a Company
The major rental car companies in Europe are Avis, Hertz, Budget, Europcar, and Sixt.
We always book our rental car in advance. During the planning phase of the trip, Tim checks the rates for the major companies and chooses the one with the best price. It takes extra time to price out five companies, but prices can vary widely depending on promotions and supply and demand, and it has been worth it to do this extra work in order to save money.
We don’t have a preference for one particular company, we just want the best deal.
If you don’t like the idea of pricing out the costs for multiple companies, you can use Auto Europe, which will find you the best rates for your trip. It’s similar to using Kayak when searching for the best deals on plane flights.
Trollstigen, Norway
#2 Factors that Affect Rental Car Price
There are the obvious factors that determine price, such as duration of the rental period and the size of the vehicle. But there may also be some factors that you are not aware of.
Manual vs. Automatic
Manual vehicles are much more common in Europe than automatic vehicles. You can rent an automatic but these cars can cost as much as 50% more than a manual vehicle.
Different Pick-Up and Drop-Off Locations
Sometimes it makes sense to pick up a car at one location and drop it off at a different location.
For example, if you are driving through southern France, you may pick up a car in Nice, road trip through the French Riviera and Provence, and drop the car in Avignon.
Dropping the car off at a different location saves you a lot of time and unnecessary backtracking. However, there is a drop fee and this usually costs between €100 and €300, but it can be a lot more (up to €1000), particularly if you are picking it up in one country and dropping it off in another country.
When getting an estimate for different pick-up and drop-off locations, you have to decide if the extra money you will spend is worth saving the time and extra driving.
Our “mega” van in Germany. The smaller shop in town did not have the compact car that we reserved, so Tim drove this beast on the Autobahn.
Picking up a Rental Car at an Airport or Train Station Adds an Extra Fee
Sure, it may be convenient to pick up a rental car at an airport or train station, but this usually comes with an additional charge, as much as €25 to €100 depending on the country. To save money, consider renting from a shop in town.
With that being said, renting at an airport or train station does have several advantages. It’s very convenient to get off the plane, pick up your car, and drive to your hotel. Secondly, the car rental facilities are much larger at airports and train stations. They have a higher volume of cars, so you’re less likely to be stuck waiting for a car or stuck with a car class you didn’t reserve (like in the photo above). And finally, those smaller shops also have reduced hours. Don’t expect to pick up or drop off a car before 9 am or past 5 pm at many of these locations.
It’s up to you to decide if the extra fee at the airport or train station is worth the convenience.
Cross Border Fees
Some rental car companies will charge you extra for driving their cars into certain countries. When driving through western Europe this is generally not an issue. However, you can be charged extra when driving into or between non-EU countries. This fee ranges from €15 to €50.
#3 You May Not be Permitted to Drive into Certain Countries
Some companies may forbid you from driving into specific countries. Countries that can make this list are Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Albania, and Montenegro. However, these rules are always changing and can be very particular to certain rental companies.
#4 Make Sure you have an International Drivers Permit
When you go to pick up your car they will ask to see your confirmation number, drivers license, passport, and credit card. And they could potentially ask to see your International Drivers Permit (IDP).
An IDP translates your Driver’s License into 10 different languages. It contains your name, photograph, and driver information. You can get an IDP at AAA for $20.
It is important to know that an IDP does not replace your Driver’s License or passport; it supplements your Driver’s License.
Countries that require you to have an IDP are Spain, Germany, Italy, Greece, Slovenia, Poland, Hungary, Austria, and Bosnia & Herzegovina. You may not be asked to show your IDP when picking up your rental car in these countries, but it’s still a good idea to have one just in case.
Driving through Croatia
#5 What’s a Vignette, You Ask?
A vignette is simply a sticker that you attach to your windshield that shows that you have paid the highway taxes. If you rent a car in a country that requires a vignette, you will already be covered. However, if you drive a rental car into a country that requires a vignette, you will have to purchase it.
Countries that require vignettes include Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Switzerland, Hungary, Slovenia, and Bulgaria.
Vignettes are sold at border crossings and nearby gas stations. You can purchase a vignette for €3 to €10, depending on the country. If you fail to purchase a vignette, you could be fined 60€ or more.
#6 And then there’s this thing called the “Green Card”
A green card is a cross-border insurance card that proves that your car has at least minimum level of insurance required.
Most countries in the EU do not require you to have a green card. It’s required in just a handful of countries, including Bosnia & Herzegovina, Albania, and Montenegro, just to name a few. We needed a green card for our trip on the Balkan Peninsula and we spent $2.34 USD per day for the green card.
This is issued by your rental car company when you make your reservation.
#7 Use a Credit Card that Offers Rental Insurance
Some credit cards offer car rental insurance. We always reserve our rental cars using our Visa card because it provides collision damage insurance so we do not pay extra for the rental car company’s insurance.
#8 About Filling the Car with Gas
What Americans call “gas,” Europeans call essence, petrol, or benzine. Regular unleaded gas is labeled as “95” at the petrol stations.
There’s a very good chance that you will be adding diesel to your car, rather than unleaded gasoline. When you pick up your rental car, confirm what type of “gas” you will need to add.
Prices are listed in liters, so it may look cheap, but one gallon of gas costs roughly €7 in Europe.
#9 Driving on the Left in the UK and Ireland
If you are accustomed to driving on the right side of the road, making that switch to the left can be intimidating. At first, it takes a lot of concentration. Roundabouts, busy city streets, and entrance ramps onto highways can be nerve wracking. All of a sudden you feel like a newbie driver again.
Give it some time and it does get easier, and rather quickly. Just remind yourself which side of the road to stay on as you make a turn and as you enter a roundabout. It can be helpful for the passenger to remind the driver as well.
The other thing to know about driving on the opposite side of the road is that the driver’s seat will also be on the opposite side of the vehicle, forcing you to shift gears with your opposite hand. If shifting gears with your opposite hand concerns you then make sure you select an automatic car when you make your reservation.
The Dingle Peninsula, Ireland
#10 The Quirks of Manual Transmission
One thing to know about manual transmission is that it’s not always as simple as pushing in the clutch and moving the gear shifter to “R”. In Europe, some cars require an extra step.
You may have to apply downward pressure on the gear shifter, pull up on the collar of the gear shifter, or even press a button on the collar of the gear shifter, in order to get it to engage into reverse.
Just make sure you know how to put the car in reverse before you drive it off the lot.
#11 European Street Signs
#12 Is Parking Included with Your Hotel?
Confirm if your hotel, hostel, apartment, etc. offers parking and if they do, what type of parking that is available. Possible options include private parking on the hotel property, parking on the road next to the hotel, or in a nearby parking garage. All of these have different factors to be considered, such as the cost, the hassle of finding a space, and the chance that you may need to parallel park.
If your hotel offers private parking, then it is also a good idea to determine if you need to reserve a space in advance since there may not be enough parking for all of their guests. Street parking might mean that you need to brush up on your parallel parking skills before your trip and there might also be fees during certain hours of the day.
Have you rented a car in Europe? Are there any tips or tricks about renting a car in Europe that we missed? Comment below and let us know!
More Information for Your Trip to Europe
FIRST TIME IN EUROPE: If this is your first time in Europe, don’t miss our article 7 Things to Know when Planning Your First Trip to Europe.
EUROPE ITINERARY IDEAS: Let us take the guesswork out of planning your next trip to Europe. Check out our articles 10 Ways to Spend 10 Days in Europe and One Week in Europe: 25 Amazing Itineraries.
EUROPE TRAVEL INSPIRATION: For more great ideas on where to go in Europe, check out our article 30 Beautiful Places to Visit in Europe and the 20 Best Hikes in Europe.
WHERE TO GO IN EUROPE: To learn more about where to go in Europe, and read our articles about Italy, Germany, France, Croatia, Iceland, and many more, check out our Destinations page.
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Comments 112
We are planning our first trip to Slovenia. We are flying in from Rome in mid April. We have a two night stay in Ljubijana. We would like to go to Lake Bled, however, we are not hikers so would like to know if the trek to the castle is too difficult. I saw that it’s 99 steps. However, if hiking is too difficult, should we skip Lake Bled. We would also like to go to Vintgar Gorge, Skocjan Caves, Lipica, Piran, Maribor, and Skofja Loka. Predjama Castle we would also like to explore. Not sure sure how to go about putting together an itinerary and places to stay and how long at each place. We would like an idea of how many days we would stay in Slovenia. Any help would be amazing.
Author
Hello Kathy. I recommend getting started with our 10 day Slovenia itinerary, which includes many of the places you mentioned. To walk up to Bled Castle, it is a 10 minute moderate walk. If you think that is too much you could skip the castle. Cheers, Julie
Hi there! I just followed your two-week Italy itinerary last year and couldn’t have come up with a better way to see the country! Next I’m looking into possibly combining your Bavaria road trip and 7-day Switzerland itinerary, but since I’m 23 years old I’ve never been able to rent a car in the US without paying a ton of extra money for being “underage” (under 25). Should I expect a similar upcharge in Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, or Switzerland?
Thanks!!
Author
Hello Brady. That’s a great question and I don’t know the answer. You will have to contact the rental car companies to inquire about pricing. Our son Tyler is 20 and running into the same issues, so I know exactly what you are going through. Fortunately, Switzerland is easy to do by public transportation. But Bavaria will be a lot tougher to get around with a car. If you do a point to point itinerary, dropping off the rental car at a different place that you picked it up, there will be another additional fee. If the car doesn’t work out, you could do a longer trip in Switzerland this time and save Austria, Germany, and Liechtenstein for 2 years from now. Or you could do Amsterdam and Paris first, since these are easy to travel between by train, and to get to Zurich/Lucerne by train. I hope everything works out! Cheers, Julie
Thanks Tim,
I feel more comfortable now that I have seen your answers. The reason for the car rental company that you use the most is because of trustworthiness. If you use it often, it means they have treated you well.
Again, the plans continue to change and evolve. It seems, we might be flying into Milan and rent the vehicle once we are ready to leave the city. Since I prefer outdoors activities, one new option is my desire to drive all around the Italian Coast south of Rome, starting on the west side and ending on the east side, or vice versa. I know Italy is a difficult country to drive because of bad drivers and narrow roads. But, then again, I was raised in Mexico. I’m expecting the driving to be something similar.
Thanks again, we are looking forward for our trip. Ben Robles
Hi Julie,
We’re planning our first family (4 adults) trip through Europe later in June 2023. It will be a three-week trip visiting one city in the following countries: Spain, France, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. Since I have driven all through the US and Mexico, a car rental looks attractive. Overall, the plan is to take the cheapest flight into Europe and Start/End the rental vehicle in that same city. Since nothing has been purchased, we can still make changes to the plan. Could you help us with the following questions?
Although we are planning on checking most of the rental companies in your list, which are the top two companies you have used the most?
Are there checkpoints when you cross from one country to another? Or nothing, like crossing from one state to another, like in the US?
Approximately, how expensive is it to add a secondary driver to the rental agreement in Europe?
You mentioned an issue with rental vehicles and toll roads to ask the rental companies before departure. Can you be a little more specific what to ask for?
And speaking about toll roads, those automatic paying booths look complicated especially because of the language, are the instructions in English too? What do you recommend for a first timer, Cash or Credit?
I know there are too many questions, but I do appreciate any help you can give us.
Thanks,
Ben Robles
Author
Hello Ben. Here are the answers to your questions:
1. Lately it seems like we’ve been using Avis the most, but we highly recommend checking each company to find the deal that is right for you.
2. You can drive between these countries like crossing states in the US.
3. It is hard to say, each company can have a different policy regarding this. Some companies will list this as an option when you make your reservation (along with the fee amount) and some you have to ask when you pick up the car.
4. When you pick up the car it is good to ask the rental company if the car comes with a toll transponder that handles the toll payment as you drive through the toll booth. If it does, and you want to use it, then the rental company will charge you later for the amount of the toll plus a service fee. It also doesn’t hurt to ask if the car already has any vignette stickers on it and if they are valid, this is essentially a toll to drive on highways in some countries.
5. The toll machines usually have a button that allows you to change the language. Look for that button first. The machines look intimidating but they are simple to use. A credit card is the easiest way to pay but have some cash on you just in case the credit card transaction doesn’t go through for some reason. Worst case, these machines usually have a button that rings the attendant if you need help.
If you have any other questions as you plan your trip, feel free to write in again. Cheers, Tim
Hello Ben
I noticed your questions and was wondering if you actually made the trip to Europe and rented a car. My wife and I are planning a similar trip in July 2024 with our 2 teenage sons. We are look at renting a car as well.
If you went and had any key points of advice for us we would be very grateful to hear back from you.
Thank you, Kevin.