We recently got back from Germany where we rented a car to visit both Germany and Austria. Sounds easy right? It’s all the EU, so it must be ok, we thought. Well, here are a few things to consider and to prepare for.
1- Many rental car companies require that you advise them if you plan to go out of country
This is often just a check box on the rental form saying you’ll take it out of the country and it may cost you and extra €20 or so. It’s like that with SIXT. Be sure to check it as they WILL know where you went with all the GPS tracking that is now in vehicles. If you don’t declare it, you could have fines, infractions, or worse yet, having the car reported as stolen.
2- You may need a Vignette
In some countries, you may need to purchase a separate Vignette to drive on the roads. Failure to have this can result in hefty fines or penalties. This is the case in Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Switzerland. The vignette is something you have to buy on your own once you have the rental car and you can’t do it in advance as you need the license plate number.
We rented our car in Germany and we were going to be driving in Austria, and we found we could buy it online at the ASFINAG toll shop which is the official site to purchase a vignette. Vignettes can be generally purchased at border crossings, gas stations, and post offices too but as we crossed the border we didn’t see any obvious place so we were glad to have bought it the night before online.
3- Tolls or Toll Passes
Many of the European highways have toll booths. We’ve found that in most cases these are still accessible with direct payments using your phone or a credit card as you drive through. An automated gate takes payment and lifts a barrier. We generally pay these as we go.
Some car rental agencies will handle the tolls for you allowing you to buy a prepaid toll package or by facilitating payment of tolls after the fact (with fees of course). When driving in Austria, there was also a possibility of buying a Toll Pass online along with the Vignette, but the site provided a great routing application that asked us where we planned on driving. In our case, we did not need an additional toll pass as we avoided some of the major highways.
4- Bring an International Driving Permit
While we have only been explicitly asked a couple of times for an International Driver’s License when renting our car, it would certainly throw a wrench in our plans if we showed up and were denied a rental car that we were counting on for the road trip we had meticulously planned.
Such a document would also come in handy should you be stopped by the police who may not understand or read the language on your permit. For a small fee and a minor inconvenience of going to the local CAA/AAA office to obtain one, we like to have an International Driving Permit with us in case. It is only available in your home country so you must get it before you leave. It’s good for a year, so you can use it on multiple trips too.
Read more about this: Should You Get an International Driving Permit?
5- Check on the insurance coverage and in country requirements
Different countries have different rules and in some cases liability coverage is mandatory (and this is generally not on your credit card insurance). While it adds some cost, taking the rental car insurance is something that has brought us peace of mind as it just takes the stress out of returning the car.
The last thing you need is to worry about what you might be charged because you scratched a wheel on a curb or someone hit your mirror or door in a parking lot. It could also get a lot worse if there was a more serious accident so be sure you are covered and don’t just rely on your credit card that might cover collision (up to maximum amount in some cases). With the insurance, they don’t even look at the car when you return it making for an easy, stress free, and quick drop-off.
6- Select a small rental car and make sure it has a cargo cover or trunk
On the road everything seems smaller in Europe! The parking spots are tiny and the streets are narrow. We have been offered fancy upgrades to get a bigger SUV or full-size car and have regretted taking them once we drove off. We really like to have something small and nimble that is easy to park.
Such a car is also less of a target for crime. We also look for something with a closed trunk or a good cargo cover to hide our bags when we may be sightseeing between hotels. No need to invite trouble.
See our more detail travel tip: Opt for a Small Rental Car in Europe, Skip the Tempting Upgrade
We love having our own car and the convenience that comes with it. A little bit of planning and research can go a long way towards a smooth experience. We hope these tips help you avoid any surprises and make the most of any road trip holiday.