Compare rental cars online: who offers what?
Many car rental platforms exist – but which ones offer what? And what should you watch out for? Comparis provides an overview.
19.08.2024
iStock/Jodi Jacobson
1. What are the differences between the car rental platforms?
There are various online platforms for renting a car. They can be roughly subdivided as follows:
Car rental, such as Europcar
Booking portal, such as Ebookers
Comparison platform, such as our partner Kayak
Car rental companies rent out vehicles themselves. They offer a number of rental locations to choose from. The advantage is that you can see the conditions for your rental car straight away. The downside: if you don’t compare different providers, you may end up paying more.
Often you can also choose between two prices with car rental companies:
Affordable price: you pay for the booking directly. In most cases, however, you can’t cancel or can only do so with restrictions.
Expensive price: you only pay for the vehicle on site. You can often cancel flexibly when you choose the higher price.
On booking portals you can search for rental cars and book directly. You can filter the cars according to your criteria. This includes:
Vehicle type
Unlimited mileage
Fair tank option: you return the car with the same fuel level it had when you received it.
Booking platforms sometimes also offer additional services such as hotels and flights.
The following applies to comparison platforms: you’ll see the offers of different car rental companies for your chosen location. Similar to booking platforms, you can usually filter by different criteria. Some comparison platforms also display reviews for the car rental companies.
With comparison platforms, however, you can’t book directly, but are redirected to the respective webpage of the provider. Instead, you get an overview of the prices of different providers.
In the case of car rental companies and booking portals, you can book directly. With comparison platforms, you can compare different providers. However, you’ll be redirected for the booking process.
2. What’s the difference between a specialist and an all-rounder?
Many car rental platforms, such as Avis, focus entirely on car rental. As a rule, they don’t offer any other services besides car rental. In other words, these providers are specialists.
All-rounders such as our partner Kayak offer other services in addition to car rental – such as comparing and booking flights and hotels. When planning a trip, you can compare multiple services on the same platform – and book directly there, depending on the provider.
3. What’s important to consider when renting a car?
When you rent a car, you should pay attention to a few things when booking, picking up and returning the car.
Before completing the booking process, take note of the deadlines for cancellations and changes. You are often limited with the pay-now price. With the more expensive payment on site, the deadlines are usually more flexible.
Check whether there are any additional costs. These include “no-show fees”: if you arrive too late at the car rental location, your vehicle may no longer be available. However, you still have to pay the full rental price.
Restrictions for young drivers and new drivers
Are you under 30 years of age? In that case, check whether you have to pay a surcharge for young drivers. If you have had your driving licence for less than three years, you may also not be able to rent a car with some rental companies. Tip: use the appropriate age filter.
Whether you book through the car rental company or a comparison platform: check the contract before you sign it. Make sure it matches the booked services. If you don’t understand something, ask.
Walk around the car and record any damage with photos and in writing. It’s best to do this on site with the employee of the rental company present. This way, you won’t have to pay for any existing damage afterwards.
Return the rental car on time. Delays can be expensive. It’s best to return the car during opening hours and to record the condition of the car. If this is not possible, take photos of the car. This allows you to defend yourself against any false accusations.
Have a look at the fuel gauge. Make sure that the car is refuelled in accordance with the contractual agreement. Otherwise, you may need to pay an increased fuel fee.
Good to know: Would you like to rent a van – for example for moving home? Many rental car providers have a special commercial vehicle category that you can select.
However: commercial vehicles such as vans are not available on every booking and comparison platform.
4. What extras are available with car rental companies?
The extras offered by car rental companies differ depending on the provider, and sometimes even depending on the station. Common options include:
Additional driver: If more than one person will drive, you must state this beforehand. Otherwise, this can cause problems in the event of any damage.
Child seats for different age groups
Navigation device
Driving across national borders
Low or no deductible
Cancellation insurance
Depending on the cost, it may be cheaper to use your own devices and accessories for the rental car. For example, you can use your smartphone to navigate.
Good to know: Some travel insurance policies include cover for the deductible for damage caused to rental cars. In some cases, the deductible for rental cars is also covered by credit card providers. Check this before you book a rental car.
This article was first published on 09.08.2024
