Car hire has the widest gap of any travel product between the price you compare and the amount that eventually leaves your account. Almost none of that gap is hidden — it is all in terms nobody reads. Here is what to read.
1. The excess, and who covers it
Your rental almost certainly includes collision damage cover with a large excess (a deductible): the amount you are liable for before the cover does anything. Figures between €1,000 and €2,500 are normal, and they apply to a scratched bumper as readily as to a write-off.
You have three ways to handle it:
- Buy the counter waiver. Expensive — sometimes more per day than the car — but if the car is damaged you hand back the keys and walk away.
- Buy standalone excess insurance beforehand. Usually a fraction of the price. It works by reimbursement: the rental company still charges your card and you claim it back, with receipts and a damage report.
- Rely on a credit card benefit. Genuinely useful if you have it, but check the exclusions — vans, prestige cars, certain countries and rentals over a set number of days are commonly excluded, and the cover often requires you to decline the counter waiver.
Whichever you choose, decide before you arrive. The counter is the worst possible place to make an insurance decision.
2. The deposit and the card it goes on
The supplier will place a hold on a credit card in the main driver's name, frequently embossed, for the excess amount plus fuel. This is the most common reason people are turned away at the desk holding a paid reservation.
- Debit cards are refused outright by many suppliers, and accepted by others only with proof of a return ticket and the purchase of additional cover.
- The name on the card must match the driver's licence. A spouse's card will not do.
- Make sure the card's available limit can absorb the hold on top of your other travel spending.
3. The fuel policy
Full-to-full is the only policy without a built-in margin for the supplier: you collect it full and return it full. Anything else — full-to-empty, pre-purchase, "fuel service charge" — means buying a tank at their price and giving back whatever you do not burn. Photograph the fuel gauge at pickup and at return, with the odometer in shot.
4. Who is allowed to drive, and at what age
- Additional drivers are usually a daily fee, and a driver not on the agreement invalidates the cover completely.
- Young driver surcharges typically apply under 25, sometimes under 30 for larger vehicles, and can be substantial.
- Upper age limits exist in some countries and with some suppliers.
- Every driver needs to present their own licence at the counter.
5. Licence requirements and the International Driving Permit
Many countries require an International Driving Permit alongside a licence issued elsewhere. It is a standardised translation booklet, not a licence in itself, and critically it must be obtained in the country that issued your licence, before you travel — you cannot get one at the destination. Check the requirement for your specific nationality-and-destination combination, not the general case.
If your licence is a photocard with a separate counterpart or an online code (as in the UK), find out whether the supplier wants it and generate the code before you fly.
6. Cross-border and ferry rules
Taking a hire car into another country is usually permitted with advance notice and a fee, and occasionally prohibited outright. Putting one on a ferry frequently is. Both must be declared when booking — doing it undeclared voids the insurance, which is a far worse outcome than the fee. If your trip crosses a border, confirm it in writing before you pay.
7. Mileage, one-way fees and the drop-off branch
- Unlimited mileage is common but not universal, and capped deals are often the cheap ones in a comparison list.
- One-way fees for returning the car elsewhere can be modest within a country and enormous across a border.
- Check the drop-off branch's opening hours, especially on Sundays and public holidays. An out-of-hours return is at your risk until staff inspect the car.
8. The car itself
- Manual is the default in most of Europe. If you need an automatic, book that category specifically and well ahead; it is scarcer and dearer.
- Book smaller than you think. Old-town streets, rural lanes and multi-storey car parks were not designed for large vehicles.
- "Or similar" means it. You are booking a category, not a model.
- Check the fuel type at the pump every single time. Misfuelling is expensive and is not covered.
9. Tolls, vignettes and emission zones
Motorway tolls are normal in France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece. Switzerland, Austria, Czechia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Hungary instead require a vignette or an electronic equivalent bought before you use the motorway. Many cities now operate low-emission zones with their own registration requirements. Ask what the car is already registered or equipped for, and whether the supplier provides a toll transponder and what it charges for it.
At the counter: five minutes that save you money
- Read the fuel level and mileage on the agreement and check they match the car.
- Walk around the car and photograph or film every panel, the wheels, the windscreen and the roof, with a timestamp. Include the interior.
- Make sure any existing damage is written on the form before you sign, not just noticed.
- Decline extras you have already arranged, politely and firmly.
- Repeat the photographs at return, ideally with a member of staff present.
That evidence is the difference between a disputed damage charge you can refute and one you cannot.
The short answer
Decide your excess cover before you travel, bring a credit card in the driver's name, choose full-to-full fuel, declare any border crossing, find out whether you need an International Driving Permit while you are still in a position to get one, and photograph the car at both ends. Those six things account for nearly every rental horror story.
Common questions
What is the rental excess and how do I reduce it?
The excess is the amount you are liable for before the included damage cover applies, often between €1,000 and €2,500. You can reduce it by buying the counter waiver (expensive but immediate), buying standalone excess insurance beforehand (cheaper but reimbursement-based), or relying on a credit card benefit if yours covers car hire.
Can I rent a car with a debit card?
Often not. Many suppliers require a credit card in the main driver's name for the security deposit, and some require it to be embossed. Those that accept debit cards usually demand proof of a return ticket and the purchase of extra cover. Check the specific supplier's terms before booking.
Do I need an International Driving Permit?
It depends on your licence-issuing country and your destination. Where required, it must be obtained before you travel, in the country that issued your licence — you cannot get one after arrival. It is a translation document used alongside your licence, not a replacement for it.
Which fuel policy should I choose?
Full-to-full. You collect the car with a full tank and return it full, paying only for what you use. Pre-purchase and full-to-empty policies charge you for a whole tank at the supplier's rate and do not refund what is left.
Sources
Journey times, operators and transfer options on this page were checked against these sources on 11 September 2026. Operators change timetables and fares without notice — always confirm on the operator’s own site before you commit to a plan.
