Recommended car rental company Germany/Europe

I always pick up and return in the same country. Sometimes different cities, but always the same country. There have never been any fees for crossing borders. I know some countries require vignettes and also an issue to be aware of in Germany, for one, that cars need to be certified for pollution control reasons.

The title of your post makes it also look like you’re asking for suggestions for the rental company to use. There are lots of options, some cheaper, some with unlimited mileage, some with options you might want. Sixt is a German rental company, and they can have economy cars from other manufacturers, but they also specialize in German luxury/performance vehicles. If you want a BMW or other German car for your trip, include Sixt in your research. Other possibilities are Europcar, plus Hertz, Avis, etc.

Agree to mentioned ones by Cyn. I was Sixt customer for years.
As long as you give back the car at the same station the fee will not raise much. France, Austria and Switzerland are seen as save by rebtal car firms; Italy with question mark. So Italy can make it more expensive but depends on tariff.

Ensure that you have driving permission (not national driver's license only) for the named countries. Example Germany. Without permission you can expect high penalties and maybe lose insurance coverage in case of accident.

In winter or at cold conditions follow tyre rules of countries.

We recently rented a car for a week in Europe and drove to several different countries. Our Cross Border fee was only 13-14€. Here are Auto Europe's explanations of various car rental fees:

https://www.autoeurope.com/travel-tips/car-rental-fees/

Thank you Jules. Yes, I’m choosing to rent/return (Frankfurt) to the same city. In addition to that I thought it might be wiser renting in the city rather than the airport location. *if someone disagrees with this approach -please let me know.

Yes Cyn, I’m 100% asking for suggestions. I’ve heard a lot of people mention Sixt so that’s most likely who I will sign up with.

I started this topic bc I was getting mixed comments on what to expect while driving. Many people commented on the cross country border fees. So just wanted to get an update from a recent traveler.

Hehe..,I’ll probably just rent a normal size car. I don’t want to get too flashy with a luxury car & risk it get stolen or vandalized. Even though it will be insured.

Thanks Mark…I do have an international license but I will double check all the countries are on the list. Thanks for the reminder.

Lane thanks for adding the special link for me to research!!!! Always impressed with people who can add links. A million thanks!!!

Also another question I forgot to ask: how far in advance do you recommend to book the rental? Or should I just do upon arrival?

Thanks
Nova

I use Autoeurope which is basically a third party consolidator. Usually the car I end up with comes from Europcar or Avis. I know that Hertz and Sixt often crops up on a search. The Autoeurope quote has always been lower than booking directly, by a lot.

I usually book with a location that is the easiest/least stressful in terms of getting driving. Sometimes, we train to a smaller town to pick up a car. Or we try to pick a location on the edge of a major city. That said, we ended up returning a car to CDG on our last trip and it was not at all stressful.

can you drive a standard transmission (manual), or do you need an automatic? Automatics cost a lot more as a general rule.

You don't have to return it to the same location but it should be in the same country. The really big fees pile up when you return it in a different country.

In Germany BMW, Audi, VW, Mercedes are not always considered luxury cars - just good cars made in Germany.

Frankfurt airport is significantly south of the city and across the Main river.

Are you planning on driving right after arrival?

Driving in central Frankfurt is very busy - sort of like starting in Manhattan. You might consider a suburb. I know that your companion doesn't want trains but a train to suburb may be easier over all, although the airport will likely have more automatics.

I've always used Auto Europe to rent in Germany and have never had a problem. For that matter, I've used Auto Europe in England and Austria, too, and everything has always gone well.

With regards to the timing of booking, you should book ahead and reserve a car (especially if you want an automatic), but make sure it's cancellable and then just keep checking prices. I've done that and saved hundreds of dollars.

I rented from Costco with Enterprise being the rental company last May. I picked up and dropped off at Frankfurt airport. You are correct that you need a vignette for both Austria (if you intend to drive on any interstate) and Switzerland. I forget what each cost, but should be able to look it up. When you get them, at the border, ensure you affix them correctly to avoid a fine.

When renting there should be a paragraph that states which countries you are allowed to take the vehicle into without incurring an additional fee. Like Mardee, I reserve a vehicle with no cancellation fee 6-7 months out. Then, I’ll check back periodically to see if the price has dropped. It it has I’ll make a new reservation, then cancel the original one. When you pick up the rental let the agent know which countries you intend to drive in. Sometimes the agent will ask, but not always.

Greetings Jaimeelsabio,
Thanks for mentioning Costco. I’m thinking about using them just for the sense of security if something goes wrong.

Now I noticed for Frankfurt there were 3 choices for pick up.

Airport
Frankfurt (DE)
Frankfurt Am Main

I booked for old town Frankfurt but I’m not sure which car rental place is the closest? Or which is preferred to book as a traveler? Does anyone have any suggestions?

It’s always a toss up, some say don’t rent at airport. Then some say do… please help.

Luckily my hotel open to cancelation to I’m willing to book near the airport if needed.

Thank you!!!
Nova

I've used Sixt when renting in Germany and always had a good experience. Excelllent, well serviced cars and a seamless, problem free transaction process.

Last fall, we used SIXT without any issues to/from Frankfurt airport with travel into France. Several points: 1. The rental cars at the Frankfurt International Airport are a considerable distance from the rental car offices (I think this is true for all the rental companies)--I would say at least a 15-minute walk. This may be a problem if you find something wrong with the car as there did not appear to be any attendants in the rental car parking area. 2. Although the car computer can be switched to English, you will need to know German to navigate through the computer to find the language option to change it to English. We were fortunate as I asked someone who was walking by if he could help--it only took a half minute or so; but, if no one is around, you may have a long walk, back and forth, to get it adjusted. 3. Be aware that the usual cable connecting your phone to the car (in my case, a USB to Apple lightening) may not work in a European car--I think I had to find a USB-C to Lightening cable before being able to connect my phone. I believe I was charged a nominal fee from the car rental company to drive in France--perhaps on the order of $5-10 per day in France. 4. Also, there are cities or zones in France that are considered Low Emission Mobility Zones for which a "Crit'Air" sticker is required. I recall that I did some research and was able to navigate through Alsace and Lorraine without entering any of the zones. However, please do the research to identify if you are at risk or not.

JC & Darrell,

Thank you for your votes on Sixt. They are really gaining the votes. I really want to use Costco car rental/Enterprise because I know they will be there if there are any issues. Costco has superior customer service. However, I find that the selection of cars are not as nice as Sixt. I need to do a price comparison. Another nice advantage Costco gives are the perks associated with being a member. 1. Additional driver 2. No fees for crossing border 3. Mileage was geberous 4. Discount for being a member

(Also I plan on renting in the city vs airport. Do you all think that’s a good idea?)

I’ll give you an update once I compare prices.

Thank you for you kind warnings. And sharing your experiences. I too will steer clear of the zones in France that I’m not allowed.

The biggest price shock was the insurance. But I expected that. I do have a question for the experienced car renters: which level of coverage do you recommend. I signed up with the maximum. But I would love to hear comments.

Thanks to all!!!

Big fan of SIXT, as are many here. Their staff are great, their selection of cars is awesome.

If you want a smaller car (e.g. a Golf) you may need to insist on it. They may see the American and say (internally) that they want a bigger car. But if you plan on driving in any smaller towns a larger car can be a handful, especially if you're not versed in driving in close quarters (narrower lanes with little room for error). It's worth spending a few minutes to learn where the corners of your rental car are so you can navigate tight streets more safely.

As far as insurance goes, it's a mixed bag. Your credit card company may offer supplemental insurance, and your personal auto insurance from the U.S. may also cover an overseas rental to a certain extent. But most EU countries have contributory negligence rules when it comes to crashes, so often the supplemental insurance from the rental car company isn't a bad idea. It'll cover damages that credit cards and personal auto insurance won't, and it'll definitely make life easier for you if things go pear shaped.

Last summer I rented from SIXT at Munich Airport and it was fairly painless - though as I had my bicycle with me they refused to let me rent the VW Golf I'd reserved ("not enough room," even tho removing the wheels allows my bike to fit into a VW Polo) and I ended up in a Volvo V60 wagon. It was a bit bigger than I wanted but it was fun on the Autobahn. I did opt for the supplemental insurance and was doing a point-to-point rental, returning the car in Geneva (Swiss side) via a route that cut through the Jura mountains in France. There was a non-trivial charge to return the car in Switzerland, but I knew that was a possibility going into the rental.

One thing to be aware of is traffic cameras which have little tolerance for going over the speed limit, especially in Switzerland. Whereas U.S. photo and non-photo speed traps often have an 11 mph leniency, the ones in Switzerland and many EU countries have, at most, a 3-4 km/h leniency - it's not much. Some navigation apps (e.g. Waze) have comprehensive photo radar maps and will warn you when approaching a speed cam (as will signs on the road in most instances). And if you're caught speeding the rental car company will happily pass along the bill, often close to the cutoff date for accruing late fees if they have to send to the U.S.

Good luck!