The cheapest car rental in Europe. Types of rental offices

is the choice of many tourists. Indeed, if you generally like to drive, then in many cases renting a car will become best solution to explore the country or area where you went. Moreover, now, in the days of the developed Internet, it has become quite simple to organize this - you can book a car in any country in the world without getting up from the couch. Moreover, choosing between different companies And . You will receive the car directly at the airport of arrival - no problem.

But still, even now, when the service has become as friendly as possible for the client, it is very important to pay attention to some issues so as not to get into a mess. The most important of these is, of course, insurance. We will talk about this in this article.

Let's make a reservation right away: the world is huge and diverse, but the rules for car rental are more or less unified everywhere. This is due to the fact that large rent-a-cars operate all over the world. Globalization is bearing fruit. Of course, different parts of the world may have their own nuances (therefore, if you are going somewhere in Zimbabwe, you should take an interest in them), but the general outline remains the same.

When concluding a contract, the rental company itself can offer you several insurance options that differ in terms and prices. You will most likely come across the following terms:

• Collision Damage Waiver (CDW)- this is insurance of the car itself against damage that may be caused to it through your fault. Something that everyone knows Russian motorists CASCO, may sometimes also be referred to as LossDamageWaiver (LDW). Inextricably linked with this type of insurance is the notorious concept of "franchise", which is so much talked about in all travel forums (and which we will talk about below), although in fact a franchise takes place in all these cases. Basic type of insurance.
• theftinsurance (TI) ortheftProtection (TP)– as the name suggests, theft insurance. Not the most requested service when traveling in some Switzerland or Iceland, but by no means superfluous in less safe countries.
• Personal Accident Insurance– this insurance already covers the damage that you yourself can cause in case of an accident. That is, a kind of medical insurance. Of course, most travelers already have medical insurance, but it makes sense to compare the conditions in the available with those offered. Perhaps PAI will be useful to you.
• Third Party Liability Insurance (TPL)) - in fact, we are all familiar with OSAGO, that is, insurance of cars of third parties affected by your fault.

In any case, the key point of rent-a-car insurance is CDW, and the most important aspect CDW is that notorious " franchise". What is it? Let's figure it out.

Franchise or All Inclusive?

A franchise, in simple terms, is limitation of your liability. She equals maximum amount, which you will pay in the event of an occurrence insured event. Anything above this amount is covered by the insurance company. The average franchise is 800 euros, although it can vary greatly in one direction or another. Somewhere you will be offered a tariff with a franchise of 350 euros, somewhere they will ask for all 2000.

There are also options for insurance without any deductible - the so-called "full insurance", according to which 100% of the costs of an insured event are covered by the company. Usually such a scheme is called Super CDW(SCDW), Full Collision Damage Waiver(FDW, FDCW), or quite plainly - super cover. Naturally, such insurance will cost much more than usual. Obviously, the deductible is most significant in the context of CDW - in the case of car theft, such an amount is no longer very important.

A franchise is good if you are very confident in yourself: you will give quite a bit of money for insurance, and if nothing happens to the car, you will save a lot. But in the event of an accident, you will have to fork out, because with a franchise, the insurance company will pay only serious damage in excess of the amount of your liability. For minor damage, you will have to pay, despite the seemingly issued insurance.

By the way, since we're talking about minor injuries- keep in mind that insurance doesn't always cover headlights and especially, wheels. Often this turns out to be an additional paid (albeit inexpensive) option. It's up to you how to proceed; insurance to many people seems waste money if nothing bad happens. And it’s a completely different conversation if something does happen.

"Super insurance" is more often chosen by drivers with little experience, or in the case when it is planned to travel in enough difficult conditions. Pleasure is very expensive, and the point is not even in absolute terms, but in the fact that with a sufficiently long lease, such insurance eats up too much a large percentage from the total amount. Therefore, those who plan to rent a car for enough long term, and at the same time does not want to get involved with the franchise, another option should be considered - which we will talk about a little later.

There is one more interesting point: possibility of return of the franchise(Refundable Excess). In this case, in the event of an accident or other incident, of course, they will immediately withhold money from you within the franchise - however, after they return it (if you clearly follow the entire formal procedure, pay attention to the rules of your company). Previously, to apply for this service, it was required to contact a third-party insurance company, but now the return of the franchise is almost always offered by rent-a-car themselves and brokers. As a result, you run the risk of not losing money, but only parting with it for a while - a big argument in favor of cheaper insurance.

Is there an alternative to what rent-a-car offers?

Although at first glance it seems that the system is ideal, quite a few customers of car rental companies refuse to issue full insurance at rent-a-car. Instead they go to third parties Insurance companies entering into agreements with them.

Third-party companies offer exactly coverage of the deductible amount or your liability not covered by insurance from rent-a-car. That is, without rent-a-car insurance, you will first have to pay, but then you will receive money back from a third-party insurance company. It would seem, what's the point if you can return the franchise anyway? There's a meaning.

• First, such insurance is issued not on the car, but on the driver. That is, you can issue it for a certain period of time, for example, for a year - and use it by renting different cars in different companies.
• Secondly, insurance from third-party companies covers where large quantity insured events and expenses than regular rent-a-car insurance. For example, the loss of the keys to the car, or its evacuation. So it becomes already much calmer.
• Third, such insurance is very inexpensive.- hardly more than 50 euros per year. It is not at all expensive to arrange it, and spend much less nerves. And with a long lease (say, for a month), the savings become obvious.

Now - about the bad. Not all such companies work with citizens former USSR– in particular, the leader of this industry, Insurance4carhire.com, does not work. Fortunately, there are alternatives to this (certainly worthy) company in Europe. The two most obvious are the UK companies worldwideinsure.com and questor-insurance.co.uk, both of which have positive reviews in Runet.

There are other disadvantages - in the event of an insured event, you will have to a lot of paper work(however, in fairness - the same applies to the return of the franchise on the regular CDW). After all, the money will be returned only if the procedure established by the insurer is strictly observed. For example, if you do not provide Required documents concerning your accident, nothing will come of the police. Moreover, you will have no more than 30 days to collect documents, and you need to report the occurrence of an insured event immediately.

You choose

Attitude towards insurance is a personal matter for everyone: some prefer to overpay for peace of mind, others are confident in themselves and want to save money. Many with experience change their minds.

As noted at the beginning of the article, the car rental market is very developed, especially in Europe, and everyone is offered a convenient option. The most important thing is not to be afraid of apparent difficulties: insurance was created just to save you from worries. not for nothing in English language the word "insurance" itself comes from "sure" - "confidence".

Today, few people are surprised by road trips - this type of vacation largely justifies its costs with convenience, the ability to come up with a wide variety of routes and, accordingly, expand the geography of travel. Many Russians like to make a road trip to the south of their country, but the farther, the more popular the practice of renting a car in Europe and large, self-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 car rental is quite adequate, considering the cost of travel in Europe public transport. And if you are traveling with a company, then car rental in Europe will definitely be more profitable than traveling on the same trains. In addition, in developed tourist countries, you can, relatively speaking, rent a car in Berlin, and rent it at the office of the same rental office in southern Spain.

Car rental search

Most 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 should be remembered while driving on European roads? There are many such questions.

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

So, at the age of 18, a car can be rented in Austria, Germany, Croatia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden; at the age of 19 - in Estonia and Norway; at the age of 20 - in Bulgaria, Finland and Switzerland; at 21 years old - in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Hungary, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Latvia, Poland, Great Britain and Romania, and even 23 in tiny Luxembourg. Often car rental agencies may require young drivers (under 25) pay an additional fee.

Be that as it may, some rules are the same: those who want to rent a car must have an international driver's license obtained at least a year before renting a car (in some offices this period can be two years or more).

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

It would be useful to ask about the peculiarities of driving in a particular European country, because, whatever one may say, the Germans and, say, the Greeks drive completely differently. Naturally, it is imperative to study certain nuances in the traffic rules of those countries through whose territory the travel route runs. Also, when planning a trip, you should always keep in mind that there are quite a lot of toll roads, and accordingly make adjustments either to the route or to the budget. In addition, fuel prices in Europe are not like Russian ones, and gasoline will be a very impressive expense item. The same goes for parking in major European cities, which is rarely free.

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 (no need, for example, to look for an agency in the city itself). The standard rules of rental companies apply here, however, for the opportunity to sit in a rented car already at the airport, you will have to fork out additionally.

Many advise to prepare in advance a car rental via the Internet on the websites of trusted companies that have their offices in dozens of countries around the world. These companies include: Avis, Herz, Sixt, Europcar, Budget and others.

The cost of car rental in Europe

The cost of car rental in Europe depends on many factors. For example, it works general rule trade - wholesale 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 the cars themselves budget class(subcompact) subject to booking for a week.

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

SDA in Europe

One way or another, the rules on the roads are not fundamentally different from Russian ones - the same signs, markings and general concepts. There are just some 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 average general lanes for left turns, tricky cameras that turn on a red light if your average speed higher than allowed, turn right at a red traffic light and some others. However basic principles defined 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 paying for the movement on the roads of this state. Lack of a vignette can lead to a very serious fine. On this moment Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Slovakia, Romania, Moldova, Hungary, Bulgaria and Austria have such a system on their roads. However, often (in the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria) vignettes are required only for driving on motorways, that is, if you are not particularly fond of highways between villages, in many cases this collection can be dispensed with.

Having decided to rent a car abroad, a motorist will definitely face a situation where he will be offered to purchase extended insurance. And sometimes tourists from Russia accept the offer of its purchase as a fraud on the part of landlords. But in fact, the franchise is an additional condition of the vehicle rental agreement. And it is beneficial for drivers, as it is for them additional means protection.

The lack of understanding by motorists of the benefits of additional insurance is due to the fact that such services have not yet become widespread in Russia. But abroad they are actively used. And especially often the conditions for buying a franchise are set by companies that provide rental vehicles. They free themselves and the driver who uses their services from having to pay for vehicle repairs out of their own pocket. Of course, not all companies require the mandatory inclusion of extended insurance in the contract. But in this case, the motorist takes on all the risks associated with getting the vehicle damaged. If he gets into an accident, he will have to cover the costs of repairing the transport at his own expense, and he will have to spend significant amounts of money in this case.

Franchise when renting a car - what is it

What is Extended Rental Vehicle Insurance? This is a payment to the insurer of a certain amount of money that will be spent on repairing a car if it gets damaged. However, the deductible does not have to cover the full amount of the repair. If the cost of repairing the car is 1000 euros, and the insurance is issued for 500 euros, then the rest of the amount will have to be paid by the insurer. In this case, the driver will not have to compensate her for anything.

If a franchise is purchased from a driver, then his liability for an accident will be minimal. Truth, law European countries certain restrictions have been approved. No one will cover the costs associated with damage to the car if the driver got into an accident while drunk, did not make the necessary efforts to save the vehicle (did not put it in official parking lots, did not lock the doors).

You can apply for a franchise immediately upon booking. vehicle. This can be done on the website of the car rental company. It will indicate the conditions for its purchase, as well as its cost. The motorist himself decides whether he needs additional protection whether he should spend his money on it. If he does not want to take risks, he should buy not ordinary, but full insurance.

Zero deductible when renting a car

Representatives of European rental companies provide an opportunity for a motorist to purchase a zero franchise. Its advantage is that it will cover all the costs of the client in the event of a traffic accidents. And this is what car rental organizations prefer to offer to their tenants. They can include it in the cost of the rental tariff, offer it separately. Organizations often hold promotions during which they provide consumers of their services with such insurance at a reduced price.

Zero franchise cost different countries differs. At the same time, on average, its price is up to 20 euros per day. And for this money, it will cover all damage from an accident, regardless of its size.

Before purchasing an extended policy, it is worth studying the conditions for its purchase not only from a vehicle rental organization, but also from insurance companies. By comparing the terms of its sale with different organizations, you can choose the most profitable proposition. After all, not only car rental companies hold promotions for customers, but also insurers. And, therefore, it is worth trying to find the most advantageous offer for the purchase of an extended car policy so as not to overpay for it.

Franchise refund when renting a car

If the insured event has not occurred, if the amount of the cost of repairing the vehicle damaged in the accident is less than the franchise price, you can try to return the money in full or in part.

Return algorithm:

• contact the organization with which the contract was concluded;
• collection of documents that are needed for the return of funds;
• providing a package of documentation to representatives of the rental service;
• receiving money.

To know if the deposit, which is extended insurance, can be returned, you need the company to provide such services. And it is necessary to find out even before signing a contract with her whether she returns the money spent on the purchase of the policy, under what conditions, in what time frame. This will allow the motorist to avoid causing him financial damage. And he, if he is not satisfied with the requirements of one landlord, will be able to look for another organization that has more loyal terms of cooperation with motorists.

No one is immune from trouble on the roads. Therefore, when renting a vehicle, it is worth protecting yourself from the need to bear extra costs. And be sure to purchase an extended policy while abroad, where a tourist from another country is especially vulnerable.

Dear Clients! You can book a car for your trip directly on our website. If you have any questions, please contact our coordinators at tel. 788-6-888, they will help determine the terms of the rental.

Densely populated Europe pleases tourists with clean streets, magnificent architecture and excellent roads, along which it is pleasant to race in a car, seeing the sights along the way. Renting a car in Europe will allow you to stop in the town you like and admire the local beauties to your heart's content. Renting a car in Europe will make your vacation as diverse as your means, free time and wishes allow. Holders of a Schengen visa will be able to travel around several countries and enjoy their national flavor.

To the visa and Russian driving license it is worth adding international ones, then car rental in Europe will pass without problems. In different countries there is a fluctuating age limit for driving a rented car. When renting a car in Europe, a plastic card is preferred everywhere in cash. When concluding a contract for car rental abroad, make sure that the rental price includes local taxes, insurance against damage to the rental car and civil liability.

Concluding a rental agreement with insurance against damage and theft will help reduce the amount of damage in case of an accident. It is advisable to make sure that the services include unlimited car mileage so as not to pay extra for every extra kilometer.

It is most advantageous to book car rental in Europe in advance at rental company Europcar. Special programs and discounts for holders of certain bank cards will allow you to rent a car for more favorable conditions. Inspire always has the best favorable prices for car rental in Europe.

Learn more about active promotions You can call the contact center or on the website. Representative offices of the company will issue a car of the desired class in any country, immediately at the airport of arrival. Renting a car in Europe will be cheaper if the contract is concluded in advance or for a long time.

Renting a car abroad - how to get around the pitfalls

Car rental abroad has its own national characteristics which you need to know before you travel. Rental prices increase depending on the season, so it is better to book a car before the hot days come, at the same time, discounts are provided for early bookings.

Car rental abroad must end exactly at the specified time, if it is exceeded, it will be necessary to pay the daily cost of the rental. Some countries have hourly rates for excess. Strict adherence to rules traffic monitored by the police strictly, and possible fines are much higher than Russian ones. Driving while intoxicated in some countries can lead to jail time. When traveling, take a navigator with you so as not to pay for it when renting a car abroad. Read the contract carefully and inspect the rental car for visible damage.

Managers of the Europcar company, making out a car rental abroad, necessarily acquaint customers with the peculiarities of traffic, explain the rules of conduct on the territory of a foreign state and the norms of communication with law enforcement officers.

Europcar wishes you good roads and great new discoveries!

Commitments

RAYDEN Limited Liability Company to the Client regarding international booking by Booking Group Ltd.
Limited Liability Company "RAIDEN" (hereinafter referred to as the "Company"), acting under the concluded Affiliation Agreement (hereinafter referred to as the Agreement) with Booking Group LTD. (hereinafter referred to as the “Ultimate Service Provider”), and as an intermediary in the provision of car rental services abroad, is exempt from reimbursement of all costs, losses, debts, claims, damages and expenses related solely to car rental services.
According to the concluded Agreement, the Company undertakes to provide the necessary assistance to the Client in the transfer of written substantiated claims of the latter regarding car rental services addressed to the End Service Provider.
Acceptance this document The Client agrees to the above conditions for international car booking on the Company's website.

Ways to rent a car in Europe:

1. Car rental on site. Once we actively used this method to rent a car. Its pros and cons:

   Of course, we have had such a rental on the spot more than once in the past. More often it was a positive experience, largely due to the fact that each time we meticulously read the contract, asked a million questions to the employees of rental companies, some of whom even clearly began to annoy. But twice we encountered a clear deception, when they told us in the office that the insurance was complete, they handed over the car with damage, for which, at the end of the lease, they demanded compensation for damage in the amount of the established deductible - yes, it turned out that the insurance was with a franchise, and we We didn't have time to find a clause in the contract right off the bat due to lack of time. Twice they got burned like that, then went online forever, which we'll talk about in paragraph 3.

2. Car rental through a guide or at the hotel reception. In our opinion, this is the same rental on the spot, but taking into account the fact that an intermediary appears in the chain “Rental company - Renter”, who, quite possibly, will also want to earn interest for his “car search” services, which means rental prices may go up. We also went through this method - we didn’t like it at all: either the car was sent from the previous decade, or it was not at all of the class that we ordered, then in fact we were informed that new circumstances had opened up in the contract and we would have to pay extra. In general, we have never been lucky at all.
3. Booking a car via the Internet (Online). Having felt all the shortcomings of the previous methods, as they say, in our own skin, now we book a car in Europe this way and only this way - online and, as far as possible, as soon as possible. Advantages and disadvantages:

   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 had no luck here either, but then it was only our second rental online and we frankly tried to save money by buying at prices half the average price tag, so then they simply didn’t even deliver the car to the airport - it was a serious lesson for us, because The saying about "free cheese" has not been canceled. And even then they asked important issue:

How not to make a mistake when choosing a rental company?

• is one of the largest online car booking services in Europe, operating in 150 countries. Some time ago friends told us about this site, now we turn to it periodically and very successfully. By the way, now in case of questions or problems, the company can be contacted by phone in Moscow - conveniently. Link to company 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 problems. Link:

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

• - a company that mainly works with local 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 company website:

In general, even among the listed sites (whose services 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 focus, of course, on a written contract, and not on someone's words - it is the contract that has legal force, and not an oral agreement with the owner of the rental company. It is also very important to understand that insurance is different, and in principle, even the same rental company can offer the client several types of insurance to choose from, so you should carefully study which insurance or insurances to choose from are provided by a particular rental company. This is what is worth talking about in a little more detail.