Hello! We are flying into Munich and want to rent a car to drive to Heidelberg, Rothenberg ODT, etc. Is it better to rent from the airport or from somewhere in the city? Can anyone recommend companies to rent through? And what type of insurance to purchase? Also, I heard diesel is cheaper there, and to rent a diesel car... is this true?
Posted by
Minneapolis
1223 posts
Hi Michelle. I've had good luck with Hertz and Avis in Europe; just go to their web sites and check it out. Rent where it is convenient for you; airport or in town. Also read the good info on car rental on this site in the separate 'Travel Tips' section - link at top of page.
Enjoy your trip!
Posted by
NYC area
2914 posts
Hi Michelle, We've flown to Munich many times the last few years and always pick up the car at the airport. It's quick and very simple to get out of the airport and on the road. We've used the AmEx "Premium Car Rental Protection" for insurance. Cost is $24.99 for the rental period (up to 42 days). That's not per day, but for the entire rental period. Call AmEx and enroll (it's free to do) and then reserve and pay for the car with your AmEx card. We've rented through Andy Bestor at www.gemut.com for our last 3 trips to Germany. Diesel is cheaper than gas, but with the cars we've rented, mostly compacts with 1.4 liter engines, the gas mileage was excellent. Paul
Posted by
Sacramento, California U.S.A.
10261 posts
I use AutoEurope.com to rent cars. Most cars are stick shift in Europe. If you need an automatic you will pay a premium and should rent at the airport for a better chance of having one available. Otherwise, I agree that you should rent where it is convenient for you. Do you plan to stay in Munich upon your arrival? If so, I would wait until you are ready to leave the city to pick up a car. I have rented at the train station in Munich and it was easy. As for diesel, it seems they are generally slightly more to rent, but get better gas mileage. Even their gas cars get good mileage. That said, I usually go for the diesel.
Posted by
Auburn, Alabama
1064 posts
All the advice above is good. How long do you plan to keep the car? If for three days or less, you may as well pick up the car at the airport and be on your way. For a week or more, you can save money by picking up the car in one of the neighboring towns, such as Freising or Erding. But be aware that the savings come with an extra annoyance factor: It will require taking a taxi or bus to the next town and possibly walking a bit, which also requires additional research and planning. Plan on an extra hour or two before you get on your way. This works best if you are not driving far the first day, which is not a good idea, anyway. As for recommendations, I have had good luck renting from Europcar and gemut.com, but the only one I would not use is Thrifty and Dollar in Germany; that is not from personal experience but from the huge number of complaints on the web relative to their size. ADD: Compare rates among brands, including AutoEurope, as well as airport vs. more distant rentals for X number of days via kayak.com