Driving is easily my favorite way to get around Europe. Picking a route and dreaming of hitting the road is so much fun. The logistics of driving are not. For those who need to rent, here’s everything you need to know. At the end is a downloadable checklist of what you need to do before you go. That way you can spend less time stressing and more time having fun.
Basics
Some important things to know that apply to almost all of Europe. This information is a bit American-centric so I’m sure some people won’t be so surprised by some things but go with me here. A big one: overwhelmingly Europeans use manual transmissions. If you rent a car, the default is manual and you will have to pay extra for automatic. Another is that aside from the big exceptions of the UK, Ireland, and Malta, Europe drives on the right. No matter what you’re used to, driving on the other side doesn’t take much time to get down. I’ve driven in the UK and Malta (and New Zealand incidentally, but this is about Europe) and I was surprised at how easy it was to switch.
With all car rentals, you get charged per 24-hour period. Therefore, if you pick-up at 4pm, you will get charged the same dropping off at 10am as at 4pm. Knowing this, I always set the pick-up and drop-off times to be the same. If you drop off early you won’t get charged, but you will if you’re late. If you’re lucky, your late fee will just be the cost of another 24 hours, but some companies will charge an extra penalty. Even if you plan on being back earlier, it doesn’t hurt to get the extra time.
International licenses
Your need for an international license depends on what country you’re from and where you plan on driving. If you already have a license in an EU country, it isn’t any problem to drive in or rent from other EU states. For US drivers like me, you can drive in many European countries without an international license. However, I have one and would highly recommend getting one. It costs $20 and takes a few weeks. It lasts for a year.
Make sure you check the rental company and your country’s agreement with the country you’re visiting (the checklist at the end will remind you). No matter where you’re from or the policy in your target country, having an international license CAN SAVE YOU MONEY. In many cases you’ll likely be allowed to drive without one, but it’ll cost you extra, usually more than the cost of the license.
Insurance
One of the best tips I ever learned about renting is that you can get private car rental insurance. The value varies, but in general, if you’re renting for more than a week or rent more than twice in a year, you should get insurance. Mine costs $69 a year and is good in all of Europe. The rental company will offer you insurance, but if you’re driving a lot it’s probably more expensive than private. If you have private insurance, you can usually waive all or most of the company insurance saving you a lot.
NOTE: don’t be an idiot, you need insurance of some kind. Don’t try to save money by waiving it altogether. You need it.
Vignettes and Tolls
Some countries require vignettes to drive. These are little stickers that you must display on your windshield. If you rent in a vignette country, it will automatically come with one, but if you cross from a country that doesn’t require a vignette into a country that does, you’ll need to get one. Usually there’s a gas station right at the border where you can buy it. Police are also likely to be patrolling that gas station to make sure everyone leaving has one. Be sure to actually stick it up before you leave (trust me).
Other countries use a toll system so make sure you have the local currency. Even in non-Euro zone countries you can probably pay in Euro, but you’ll likely pay a little higher rate. And some countries have extremely stupid systems (cough, Portugal). Just be sure to read up on where you’re going beforehand and mark it on the checklist.
Fuel Policy and Mileage (Kilometerage?)
This is the policy for how much gas you need to return the car with. You can either buy gas ahead of time from the company or get it yourself. I recommend buying it yourself so you have more flexibility, though you might end up paying a little bit more. Generally, the policy is full-to-full meaning you get the car full and have to fill it up before you return it. There is almost always a gas station nearby for you to do so. Nowadays, though, it is becoming more popular to see “same-to-same.” This means that you must return the car with the same gas level as you received it. The level is usually written on your agreement. I have a fundamental aversion to this policy since it’s basically a money grab by the company. They’re hoping that you won’t want to try and fill it the same, instead you’ll just return it full so they get all the extra gas.
The rental company might give you the option to choose between unlimited mileage (really it’ll say kilometers, obviously) and limited mileage. The limited mileage is usually around 200 free miles per day and then $0.25 per mile after that (or 100 free kilometers and €0.12 per km extra). A lot of times the unlimited mileage isn’t more expensive, it’s just that some companies will only offer limited. If you’re staying in a city and day-tripping, then you can get the limited options and possibly save some money. However, if you decide later you want to do something else, you’ll have to pay. I always go with an unlimited option. It’s much easier if you hate math or limits.
Other
One way trips, or trips where you pick up the car in one city and drop it off in another, can be insanely expensive if you’re going through different countries. Better to plan a round trip. A good option is to fly into your target country and then round trip from there.
Your age matters. Some companies will charge extra for young or old drivers.. And the range of ages that don’t get charged extra varies from company to company. Some companies don’t allow you to rent if you haven’t been driving for a certain number of years (usually two). Another issue for some is that cruise control is not prevalent and you need your headlights on at all times. Also, many countries in Europe have fewer road signs than in the US, just one large sign with speed regulations when you cross the border. Try to just drive with the flow of traffic and you shouldn’t have any problems.
Choosing a Rental Company – Pros and Cons
I use an amalgamating website to search. Once you choose your car type, you must decide between two groups of companies: big names or budget. My favorite website to use is Skyscanner.
Established big name companies
Examples: Hertz, Sixt, Enterprise, Europecar, Avis, (paradoxically) Budget, companies listed on the front page of the website
Pros: These are companies you can trust. They are unlikely to have hidden fees or unsavory policies. They also have convenient locations, usually right in the airport. If you rent often enough you can get loyalty perks and chances for upgrades. They also have better options for cars, are more likely to have free cancellation, and will likely be open 24 hours for pickup and dropoff.
Cons: Of course, you pay for all these pros. Also, these companies are more likely to REQUIRE an international license. If they let you drive without an international license, they may not allow you to use private insurance. And even if they do let you use private insurance, they may not let you waive 100% of theirs, costing even more.
Budget companies
Examples: Green Motion, Global rentacar, autoeurope, everything else not listed above
Pros: As the heading suggests, these companies are cheap, sometimes stupidly so. They are also less likely to make a big deal about your license and are likely to entirely waive their insurance if you have private. They too usually have free cancellation, though usually only up until 24 hours before your rental date and time.
Cons: These companies probably don’t have automatic cars and their cars are also likely older. Their locations tend to be inconvenient, often offsite, but they usually will provide a shuttle. Their hours are more likely to be inconvenient, so be careful if you want to rent on a holiday or at an unusual hour. Personally, I usually rent with these companies. My biggest gripe with them is that they often have hidden fees. Be sure to check the agreement before the cancellation deadline (often they won’t tell you them until after you’ve booked). This is especially true if you plan on crossing an international border. These companies are also more likely to use a same-to-same fuel policy.
No matter which you choose, this checklist will help you make sure you get everything in line so you can have a smooth time. Happy driving!
48 in 48 Europe’s Checklist for Renting a Car in Europe
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