Car rental in Frankfurt - A Financial Powerhouse

Yes - it is a requirement to have a valid credit card upon collecting your car rental. Failure to do so may mean you lose your booking and money. There are a few things to take into consideration beforehand. These are, firstly the credit card must be under the name of the main driver. The credit card must be provided in physical form, digital versions are not accepted. Debit cards are not accepted. Enough funds must be present on the credit card to allow for a security deposit to be held on it. All major credit cards are accepted, including Mastercard.

Only the main driver provides a deposit, the additional drivers do not need to, nor are their credit cards accepted. Some bookings, especially those vehicles considered luxury, may require two or more credit cards for deposit purposes. Deposits are released back onto the same credit card once the vehicle is returned and deemed to be in the same condition as when it left. Please allow up to 14-working days for funds to show on your bank statement. Click on the blue info icon to find out more or consult your rental voucher’s terms.

With our base rental offer customers will automatically sign-up to the minimum legally required insurance coverage for Germany. This is Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), Theft protection (TP) and Limited Liability with excess or without. These are the basic coverages and do not cover all parts of the vehicle or all eventualities. For a more comprehensive cover, we recommend taking out our Full Protection Cover for a small daily fee. This will provide cover to greater parts of the vehicle and for more eventualities. The daily fee is calculated based on the car type, location and duration of rental.

During your vehicle collection, many local suppliers will offer you additional insurance products. These are optional and not recommended by Auto Europe. We do not profit or refund them even if deemed unnecessary afterwards. Local insurances offered include but are not limited to Roadside Assistance, Personal Effects Insurance, Personal Accident Insurance, Travel Insurance, Breakdown cover and many more.

In certain situations an insurance product is needed, especially if you fail to provide a valid credit card. In this situation some companies make you take out additional insurance to be able to collect your car. Similarly, often those under the age of 26 may be required to pay an additional fee upon collecting the car. This is known as a Young Driver Fee. The amount of which is normally noted on your rental. Please read your car voucher terms or click on the blue info icon next to your booking rate. Find out more by reading our car rental coverage section.

Similar to other major cities, you can expect heavy traffic in central Frankfurt, especially during events and rush-hour. If possible, try to avoid main intersections and avenues. Frankfurt has a modern and developed road network that not only connects it to other German cities, but also across Europe. The autobahns have no speed limits. Although during bad weather or in areas where noise pollution exists, a temporary speed limit may be adopted. If you drive over 130 km/h your liability will increase if in an accident. Lastly, if you are heading into central Frankfurt make sure your vehicle has the appropriate low-emission sticker to avoid a fine. These zones are called ‘Unweltzone’ and are monitored by cameras. Please refer to the low-emissions tab for further details.

Parking in central Frankfurt is complicated and difficult to find. On-street parking is costly and some areas are limited to residents only. Popular tourist areas such as Sachsenhausen can be problematic especially on Saturdays. To be able to park your vehicle must have a parking disc. This is normally provided by the rental car supplier, however, we strongly advise confirming its existence on the vehicle before collecting your car. If the disc is missing, you can purchase one at a local police station, petrol station or a newsagents.

Multi-storey car parks and underground parking exist across Frankfurt. Generally, these are well located in popular neighborhoods. Parking rates are competitive, and the garages are normally monitored 24 hours via cameras and personnel. A Park & Ride option is available for those who park outside Frankfurt city centre and opt for catching public transport into town.

‘Umweltzones’ are low-emissions zones that have been set-up in some German cities with the sole purpose of reducing pollution caused by vehicles. To enter these zones, the vehicle you are driving must meet some core environmental conditions in terms of emissions. A sticker is placed within the vehicle to confirm that it is permitted to enter said zones. This sticker is provided by the rental car supplier, but we recommend you confirm its existence before driving off.

Frankfurt’s low-emission zone is bordered by the A5, A3, A661 motorways. Your car must have a green sticker to enter. Exception is given to vehicles that are attending Frankfurt’s Trade Fair (Messe) - in this instance, vehicles may pass through this zone to reach their destination. Talk to the local supplier if your vehicle does not have a green sticker. Generally, all supplier cars meet the strict environmental emission conditions due to their low-mileage and age.

It is a Winter legal requirement that all vehicles have winter tyres fitted during extreme weather conditions such as ice or snow. Generally, these must be fitted from the month of October until Easter (March/April). During this period all the rental car suppliers we work with include winter tyres as standard. The cost of which is also already added to the rental rate. Outside of this period you may opt for winter tyres by purchasing the appropriate add-on during your rental. This is especially useful if you plan to drive to mountainous areas that have snow all-year round and thus require winter tyres.

Mountain roads may require winter tyres by law, with appropriate signposts confirming this. Local police may fine you heavily if you drive without them. Luckily, we often have Free Winter Tyre promotions and this can be seen above the rental rate if it applies. Some mountainous areas during winter may require snow chains to be fitted for extra safety. If this is the case we highly advise adding snow chains to your booking before arriving. Often these are in high-demand during these periods and get rented out quickly when you opt for a car rental in Frankfurt.

Yes - Germany is Europe's sixth largest country by landmass, and as such makes it one of the best motorhome rental locations in central Europe. With a wide array of campervans to choose from, hire one and explore everything Germany has on offer. From the lush forests to its mountains - you’ll be in total comfort with one of our well-equipped modern motorhomes.