Car Rental in Germany – The Ultimate Road-trip Destination

As a general rule, you can hire a car in Germany if you are at least 18 years old, although some hire companies set 21 as the minimum age for renting a car in this country. In most cases an extra charge known as a Young Driver's Fee will apply to drivers under the age of 26. Please note that the age limits and fees applied are set by the local hire company and not by Auto Europe. The customer can easily access this information by consulting the terms and conditions which appear when you click on the blue and white info (i) button to the car rental rates after making a quick search through our booking engine. When booking online or by phone, it is extremely important to enter the age of the main driver so that our booking engine results will highlight the best offers available for that age. Additionally, by clicking on the blue and white info (i) button next to each specific offer, you will be able to find out the amount of the Young Driver Fee, which is paid locally to your chosen car rental provider. The fee is set by the local hire company and charged directly by them when you arrive to collect your vehicle.

Yes, definitely! As with many other popular destinations, Auto Europe offers its customers the possibility to collect and drop off their affordable car hire in Germany at different places (known as a one-way car hire), which also applies to some of its neighbouring countries such as Austria, for instance. However, it's important to remember that that an additional charge often applies to this type of car rental, the amount of which is decided by your vehicle supplier and charged in the local currency when you arrive to collect your car. Please also be aware that some restrictions may apply regarding the length of the rental, the destinations selected and the vehicle category. It's quick and easy to find out how much the one-way fee is on the Auto Europe website simply by clicking on the blue and white info (i) button in the search results. It's worth noting that Auto Europe does not receive any part of this fee, which is decided, applied and charged in full by the local rental company. It is possible to travel to most Western European countries but due to insurance regulations, some travel restrictions may apply to Luxury-category vehicles or when travelling to specific countries, particularly if you intend to travel to some Eastern European countries. It is extremely important to register the countries you intend to visit when booking online or over the phone so that you don't get any nasty surprises when you pick up your car hire in Germany. It's always worth checking the terms and conditions of each offer to find out more about the possibility of any restrictions. If you have any doubts at all, please do not hesitate to call us.

Yes. Having a credit card in the name of the main driver is a standard requirement when renting a car in Germany. The reason for this is that the local rental company will need to block a security deposit for the duration of the rental period, which will be duly released once the vehicle has been returned undamaged. Please note that there are exceptions and sometimes you might be allowed to collect your car rental without a credit card, but in most cases for the pick-up process to go smoothly, it is extremely important that you fulfil the rental requirements and present a valid international credit card (i.e. Visa, Mastercard, Diners or American Express) in the name of the main driver and with a sufficient amount of credit to cover the deposit. In the case of renting a luxury car, it may be necessary to present a second credit card, also in the name of the main driver. To find out if this is the case, all you have to do is click on the blue and white info (i) button after making a quick search in the Auto Europe booking engine where you'll find all the relevant details regarding the credit card and deposit in the terms and conditions relevant to your chosen vehicle.

When driving with your car rental in Germany, you must always comply with the local traffic regulations so that your journey will be as smooth as possible without any unpleasant surprises. By respecting the signs you'll avoid any unnecessary expense like speeding tickets, fines for driving whilst using your mobile phone or parking in the wrong place, for example. The first important thing to take into consideration is the speed limit, which varies according to the road you are on, but the general rule is to keep your speed below 50 kilometres per hour inside towns and 100 kilometres per hour outside towns. When driving along the country's approximately 13,000 kilometres of motorways (the Autobahns), you may encounter two types of speed limit: suggested (indicated by blue signs) and compulsory (indicated by red signs). Some German motorways famously do not have speed limits, but caution is always the best policy, especially when you are travelling around with a car rental in Germany. In the event of an emergency or breakdown, please call 112 (a free hotline available day or night) in order to get in touch with the local police, fire brigade or ambulance services.

Driving is on the right-hand side of the road, as in most other European countries, with the use of seat-belts compulsory for all the vehicle's occupants. The driver is required by law to have carry with him or her a valid driving licence plus the vehicle's registration and insurance documents. Adults must ensure that their youngsters are travelling in child seats suitable for their age and/or height, while kids aged 11 or under (or less than one and a half metres tall) must always travel on the back seat, never the front. The use of a mobile phone whilst driving is not permitted unless using a special hands-free kit. Please always remember to dip your headlights when driving through tunnels. Petrol stations are plentiful in Germany and are generally open between 8am and 8pm, while some are open 24/7, particularly in large cities and at motorway service stations. Drivers are urged to be extra careful when travelling around with their car hire in Germany because of the hefty fines imposed when breaking the rules, such as when cars are parked in the opposite direction to traffic, jumping a red light or failing to stop at a 'Stop' sign. Please note that in the event of a fine, the local rental company will most likely charge an administrative fee on top of the fine for providing the customer's details to the local authorities, after which the fine will be sent directly to the customer because in Germany the vehicle provider doesn't normally pay the fines for their customers.

No! In Germany, you can drive as far as you want on the country's excellent motorways without paying a single cent. With lower fuel prices than many other countries in Europe, Germany is a great place for an extended road-trip with friends and/or family members at any time of the year. If you decide to cross the border into Austria, please be aware of the fact that you'll need to buy a vignette to drive on the toll roads there, with the same applying if you decide to visit Switzerland. You can buy these stickers from your rental company when you arrive to collect car rental in Germany, as well as at large petrol stations or at the main border crossings. The sticker must be placed on the windscreen of the vehicle according to the instructions for each country you decide to visit. Entering Austria or Switzerland without a sticker is illegal and carries a big fine so it's best not to risk it!

All the rates published on the Auto Europe website include the minimum amount of coverage required by local law, comprising collision damage cover (CDW) and theft protection (TP). For a few euros more it's always a good idea to purchase our very popular Full Damage Protection product which protects drivers against most eventualities and offers plenty of peace of mind when visiting Germany with their low-cost car hire in Germany. Some of the local vehicle suppliers try to sell their own products to travellers when they arrive to collect their car, such as PAI (personal accident insurance), PEC (personal effects cover), super CDW, relax insurance, travel assistance, etc. All of these products are optional and the driver is under no obligation to purchase them. It's also important to note that Auto Europe cannot dispute any additional charges with the car hire company once the customer has signed the rental agreement, so it's always best to consider all the different car hire coverage options prior to making the booking.

Yes. For an extra charge additional fee (an Additional Driver Fee), it is easily possible to add more drivers to the rental contract when booking renting a car in Germany. This fee is decided and paid directly to the local rental company when you arrive to collect your vehicle. To find out how much it is, all you need to do is click on the blue and white info (i) button next to the rate where all the additional driver details can be found in the Driver Information section. Please note that Auto Europe has a special Free Additional Driver promotion running throughout the year, so please make sure that you check our offers before finalising your booking. Please note that if a friend or a family member drives the hire car without prior authorisation, i.e. without being registered as an additional driver on the car hire contract, then the insurance cover will automatically be deemed null and void and the customer will be liable for the full amount of the car should it be stolen or damaged during the rental contract.

It depends on where you are going. When hiring a car in Germany, it's best to check with the local company whether an environmental sticker (known locally as a Umweltplakette) is required in the town or city you will be visiting. This sticker (which should be placed on the windscreen) is now a legal requirement in many German cities such as Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Bonn, Stuttgart, Cologne and Hanover. As a result of the increasing number of vehicles on the roads each year, the German government has felt the need to take measures to reduce pollution levels, especially in large city centres. Scientific studies have already shown that exhaust emissions are harmful to our health, so measures like this are going to be increasingly common in Germany and elsewhere around the world. This environmental sticker system is part of Germany's plan to improve air quality in areas with high pollution levels by restricting access to certain parts of the city centre to certain types of vehicles. The environmental stickers are categorised by colours that indicate the vehicle's level of emissions. Each city has its own restricted areas, emission standards and timetables. The fine for driving in these restricted zones without a valid sticker can be extremely hefty, so when driving in German cities please pay attention to the Umweltzone sign to avoid incurring a fine during your stay.

Yes. If you're planning to travel around Germany during the colder winter months, please take into account the fact that the use of winter tyres is compulsory throughout the country, especially in the more mountainous areas. Winter tyres are different to normal tyres because they are made of a special rubber compound that doesn't harden in cold weather, thus giving you greater traction and therefore a higher degree of safety whilst travelling at this time of year. As well as being effective on icy roads, winter tyres are also a very useful in conditions of high humidity and when there's snow on the road because they help with cornering and stopping more quickly at zebra crossing, traffic lights, etc. Failure to comply with Germany's strict winter equipment requirements might result in a very hefty fine, and if you cause an accident the fine can be greatly increased.

Please note that it might also be necessary to equip your rent a car in Germany with snow chains because this is another compulsory measure to take when driving on some German roads, specifically in mountainous regions where the temperature can easily drop to below zero. Snow chains should only be used in specific conditions (i.e. when the roads are covered in snow or ice and there road signs are indicating this). But the use of snow chains is taken very seriously in Germany, which is why it's always best to have such equipment in the car just in case you need it. Snow chains can be difficult to put on and take off, so it's best to try putting them on and taking them off before leaving the pick-up point.

Another important aspect to consider is that the most popular winter sports resorts in southern Germany (many of which are close to the border with Austria) can get very busy during the skiing season, which means that there might not be enough winter tyres, snow chains and ski racks to go around. We strongly suggest that you order your equipment and accessories as soon as possible so that the local car hire company can reserve them for you so that you don't suffer any nasty surprises when you arrive to collect your vehicle. When searching online to find the best deals in Germany, take a look at those that displaying the message 'Winter Tyres Included' which will give you greater peace of mind when travelling around Germany in winter.