My European travel plans usually include renting a car. While many people have an affinity for Europe’s vast public transportation systems, I enjoy the freedom to wonder that renting a car provides. Most of my travels include at least a portion of the travel in a rental car.
Contrary to the advice of many travel gurus, I tend to travel heavy and require the use of vehicles that would be considered large. I want to feel comfortable and not worry about all my luggage. This does pose a challenge in most European counties as the roads, parking spaces, and parking lots are generally much smaller than you find in the states.
Where to Rent Cars?
There are many options when it comes to renting cares in Europe. The options have increased through the years with many of the US companies now having a significant presence in Europe. With that said, two of the major providers in Europe are Europcar and Sixt.
Based on my anecdotal observations Europcar tends to be a more local provider offering cars that you find the locals using, like: Renault, Peugeot, Opel, Citroën, and Lancia. While Sixt seems to offer a better selection of cars you would be more familiar with, like: BMW, Mercedes, Land Rover, and Volvo. I prefer to stick with the more familiar cars offered by Sixt.
Sixt has also been more reliable in delivering the chosen model. When we’ve rented with Europcar or other European car rental agencies, more often than not, we end up with a similar car – not the specific car we’ve chosen on their website. This can cause problems as the similar car is often not that similar.
When looking at rental prices be mindful that prices can often vary widely depending on the pickup location. Airport pickup is more convenient, but prices can often be better within large city centers. But check your location’s hours of operation as local city locations will often have more limited hours and staffing.
Selecting a Car
Regardless of your preference, you’re going to find a wide variety of cars to choose from. Be aware that many models are going to have manual transmissions. Be careful to spot this option if it is important to you. Often, you’ll see the same car on the rental websites and the cheaper one usually will have a manual transmission.
Also be aware that cars in Europe are generally much smaller than cars in the US, and the pictures can often be deceiving. I noticed that particular models that are available in both the US in Europe may have the same name – like a Ford Escort – and they may look similar in photographs, but in person, the cars are significantly smaller. These cars are manufactured specifically for the European market.
One way to mitigate this dilemma is to find a “for sale” video walkthrough of the cars you’re considering. It’s easy to find YouTube videos of these cars from dealerships or private people detailing all the features of the car from head to toe. These videos are also informative when trying to ascertain whether the car in question has sufficient passage and luggage space.
Insurance
Insurance expense can be a large portion of the overall rental cost. In the US, your own vehicles insurance is very likely to include coverage for any rental car. This is NOT the case when renting cars in Europe so check carefully with your insurance provider.
We usually rely on car insurance coverage provided by one of our credit card benefit packages. American Express, for example, offers this benefit on many of it credit cards. You’ll have to read all the fine print but they usually provide excellent coverage less a deductible that you would be responsible for.
Try your best to mail down all these ancillary costs before your trip and be prepared for the high pressure sales tactics by rental agents. They will usually try to put the pressure on you while you’re the counter and scare you into paying for some overpriced insurance coverage. These rental agencies often make more money from the sale of insurance than the actual car rental.
