Car Hire - Germany

pjc16wg

Fellow money savers!

Does anyone have a view on the most reliable car hire firms to use for renting in Germany? For example, Auto Europe seem to be very competitive - but do they add on extra charges at the desk? Do they have their own desks or do they work through other car rental firms?

Thanks

benjus

I've just got back from a trip to Germany where I used Hertz - the last few times I've travelled they were the cheapest option I could find, when booked eitehr via the Ryanair website or using the 20% discount code for Connect by Hertz car club members - which is free to join at the moment, btw.

They've always been fine with me - no complications, mandatory extras or trying it on with claiming for damage or fuel on return.

dzug1

Auto Europe are a broker - you land up with whoever they have a contract with.

There should be no extra charges at the desk unless you ask for extras

pompeyrich

There might, probably will, be an additional charge for winter tyres from Dec-Feb inclusive. they are compulsory then but they still add an additional amount to each rental, around 5 Euros/day.

benjus

pompeyrich wrote: »

There might, probably will, be an additional charge for winter tyres from Dec-Feb inclusive. they are compulsory then but they still add an additional amount to each rental, around 5 Euros/day.

Yes, that's true actually... Hertz were offering winter tyres for €15 per day IIRC. Although from what I can find on the web winter tyres are only compulsory when roads are actually covered in snow or ice. I hope Hertz wouldn't have let us drive off with a car in an illegal state...

pompeyrich

benjus wrote: »

Yes, that's true actually... Hertz were offering winter tyres for €15 per day IIRC. Although from what I can find on the web winter tyres are only compulsory when roads are actually covered in snow or ice. I hope Hertz wouldn't have let us drive off with a car in an illegal state...

It does seem confusing as to whether it is mandatory or not, none of the major hire companies say it is and offer winter tyres as an option but THIS thread from the HonestJohn site, albeit 2 years old implies it is.

A couple of hire companies in Spain have let me drive away without hi-viz vests etc. They did say they would have reimbursed me if I had been fined though.

teallach

We travelled to Germany in October when the temperature dropped to -2 but there had been no mention of 'winter' tyres. This may have been down to the weather being a surprise, I don't know.
We booked through Auto Europe which ws the cheapest at the time and was with Hertz. Pick up and drop off was incredibly straightforward with no extras having to be paid for.