Car Rental Fee Checker

The desk extras. Zero-excess cover, a young driver under 25, a second driver and a child seat are all charged per day, so they grow with the length of the rental. A one-week rental can easily double once two or three of them are added.

Airports charge the rental company for being there, and that cost is passed on as a concession fee — usually 10 to 15% of the rental price. A branch a short taxi or bus ride away is often cheaper overall, even after the fare.

Not necessarily. Standalone excess insurance bought before you travel usually costs a fraction of the desk price for the same protection. Some credit cards include cover too. The catch is that you pay any damage first and claim it back, rather than walking away at the counter.

Between €500 and €3,000, depending on the car and the cover you take. It is a hold, not a charge, but it ties up your credit limit for the whole rental and sometimes for days after you return the car.

Often no. Most companies want a credit card in the main driver's name to hold the deposit. Those that do accept a debit card usually insist you buy their own cover, which is the most expensive way to rent. Check this before you book, not at the counter.

It depends on where your licence was issued. An EU or EEA licence is valid across the EU with nothing extra. Licences from outside it are often accepted alongside an International Driving Permit, and some countries insist on one. It costs little and has to be obtained at home, before you travel.

Only if you declare it first. Most companies allow it for a cross-border fee, some ban certain countries outright, and crossing without telling them can void your insurance entirely. Say so when you book, and get it written on the rental agreement.

Full to full. You collect the car full and bring it back full, paying only for what you used. Prepaid or full-to-empty policies charge above pump price and give you nothing back for the fuel left in the tank.

Grace periods are short — typically 30 to 60 minutes. Past that, most companies charge a full extra day rather than by the hour, and the extra day is billed at the walk-up rate, not the rate you booked.

Ten to twenty-five per cent is the usual advice even for a straightforward rental. Add the per-day extras on top of that if a young driver, a second driver or a child seat is involved.