Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How old must I be to rent a car?

Generally most car rental companies insist you are 25 years old but we do have some suppliers that will allow car hire when aged 21 years of age. There would however be a mandatory surcharge and you may also be unable to lower any excess charges.

Do I require an International Driving Permit when driving in the UK & Europe?

No you won't require an International permit if you have held an unrestricted driving license in English for the last 12 months. Please obviously check with the car hire supplier if you are in any doubt prior to your arrival at your destination.

Will I be charged if I fail to show up to collect my hire car?

Yes you will be charged a cancellation fee if you fail to cancel any booking at least 24 hours prior to pick up. Fees vary between suppliers.

Will my car rental agreement include insurance?

Yes if you are renting a car in the UK, Europe, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa your car rental agreement will include cover for: CDW (Collision Damage Waiver), also known as LDW (Loss Damage Waiver), Third Party Liability and Theft.

As with most insurance policies there may be an excess on the CDW and Theft part of the rental agreement. You will in many cases be able to reduce the excess to zero but there would be an additional premium for this which if offered can be made at the car rental counter when you collect the vehicle, this however can cost up to £12 per day so we have found a far cheaper option from a UK Insurer. For more details see our Car Hire Excess Insurance.

If you are renting the car in the USA, Canada, the Caribbean and South America, it is generally the case that your car rental will not include insurance. It will therefore be required that you purchase CDW (Collision Damage Waiver)/LDW (Loss Damage Waiver) and Supplemental Liability Insurance. This is sold at the car rental counter and should cost between US $20 and US $30 a day, but we also have details of a specific car rental policy when driving in USA & Canada.

How do I make a change to my car rental booking?

If you need to modify or cancel your booking you must do this directly with the car rental supplier. Details of how to contact them are on your booking confirmation.

Can I order any additional items for the car at the time of booking?

Yes additional items such as Child Seats (Child restraint seats are required by all countries for children under the age of 5 or less than 40 lbs in weight), roof racks, luggage top boxes, ski racks and Snow chains can be ordered at time of booking or at the car rental counter but this does vary between car hire suppliers.

I may want to add an additional driver?

Some rental companies include an additional driver free of charge but many charge an additional premium, this can be added on at the car rental counter at time of collection if included at time of booking.

What happens if I have an accident?

If you are involved in an accident it is important to obtain a local police report and fill out the relevant accident forms.

What is the additional Winter Fee for?

When hiring your vehicles in countries such as Austria, Italy, Switzerland and France the car rental companies will often include additional equipment in the car and so during the winter season charge an additional premium for this which is sometimes known as a winterisation fee.

What do I do if I have lost the car keys

If you lose your vehicle keys most car hire companies will charge between £100 and £150 or equivalent to cover the cost of replacement keys, remote control alarm and locking systems. If they also have to come out to your vehicle an additional charge would also be made.However you can insure against this loss. See our Car Hire Insurance.