Car Rental in Poland - A Historical and Cultural Country

If you’re looking to rent a car in Poland for the first-time it is important to take into consideration the minimum age for driving a car in the country. Age requirements in Poland apply and you must be at least 19 years of age to drive, however, individual car rental suppliers may adopt their own age restriction policies. The driver must have held their driving licence for at least one year before renting. In addition, some suppliers may request an international driving licence, especially if the national driving licence is not in Roman alphabet.

Again, some car rental suppliers might have a policy restricting the minimum age to 21 years of age. It is therefore important to make yourself aware of not only the country age restriction, but the supplier age restriction too. For anyone under the age restriction, the supplier may also charge a ‘Young Driver Fee’ - this is calculated on a daily basis. This fee may even apply to anyone under the age of 26 with some suppliers.

Likewise, some suppliers may not rent vehicles to anyone over 70 years of age. Those that do, might also require medical certificates and may also charge a ‘Senior Driver Fee’. Further information can be obtained during the booking process by clicking on the blue ‘i’ info icon: important Information: Driver Information. Otherwise, you can read your voucher's terms and conditions once booked. If you have never rented a car, read our first-time car rentals in Poland to answer any issues you might have.

During the booking process it is important to always be honest about your age. This will allow our system to display only suppliers that are willing to rent cars to your age group. We can also provide useful information on restrictions, charges and other policies you may need to be aware of. Failure to disclose your age may mean that you are refused your rental without refund.

Yes - one-way car rentals are permitted but with restrictions and fees may apply. Domestic one-way car rental has no minimum duration, however, for international one-way car rentals, one day rentals are not permitted. Generally, a minimum of 3 days is required for international one-way rentals. Fees are set out by the individual car rental supplier. It is based on rental duration, locations and car category. Fees are paid for locally.

Travel outside of Poland to both western and eastern Europe is permitted. A fee will be charged for this service. Certain car categories, such as luxury cars may have restrictions on which countries you can drive to. You must inform us of all the desired countries you wish to enter during your rental at the booking stage. Failure to do so may make your insurance void, and thus if anything happens to the vehicle, you will be liable for any loss or damage. It is also illegal to drive without insurance. Click the blue ‘i’ info icon or consult the rental voucher’s terms and conditions for more information.

Yes - a valid credit card under the main driver's name is required during pick-up for deposit purposes. Failure to provide this could mean the supplier refuses to release the vehicle and you will lose your booking and money. There are a few things to take into consideration. Firstly, only physical credit cards are accepted. Digital, prepaid and debit cards are not allowed. Secondly, the credit card must be in the main driver's name - the name of which is on the rental agreement. Lastly, you must have enough funds on the credit card to cover the deposit amount.

Deposit amounts are stated during the booking process, by clicking on the blue ‘i’ info icon, or contained in your vouchers terms and conditions post booking. Information of which can also be found regarding credit card types that are accepted. Visa and Mastercard being the optimal choice. Generally, only one credit card is required, however, those hiring a luxury car may be required to produce two or more credit cards for deposit purposes.

The held deposit will be released back onto the same credit card upon returning the vehicle. The vehicle must be in the same condition as when it left. It is therefore important to conduct an inspection taking video and photographic evidence and noting anything of concern on the pick-up slip. Upon returning the vehicle make sure that a member of staff fully inspects the car and signs it off as okay. A released deposit can take up to 14-working days to show on your bank statement. Some suppliers may accept a debit card for deposit purposes; however, they will require you to purchase an additional insurance.

If you haven’t driven in Poland before or abroad, it is always important to make yourself aware of any differences in comparison to your home country. Sometimes the smallest alteration in traffic rules and regulations can cause an accident if you are unaware. Generally, within Europe, countries have adopted similar driving rules, regulations and signage. The road network, especially in cities, is good in Poland. Urban areas have a speed limit of up to 50 km/h, the speed limit rises to 90 km/h in suburban areas and rises again to 130 km/h on motorways. Speed limits can vary so always stay alert to the actual limit on the road you are on.

As in other countries, passengers must always wear seat belts. Children under 12 years of age must also use a child car seat. Drink driving is illegal and restricted to a blood alcohol level of 0.2g/l. Those who are caught will be prosecuted and can lose their driving licence or even imprisoned. Your car lights must always be on, during day and night. Snow tyres although not required by law, are strongly recommended from November to March. Within cities petrol stations are ample, but in rural areas they may be harder to come by. Generally, they are open from 6am until 8pm - with a self-service option normally available for out of hours.

If you have any issues whilst driving in Poland, you must first call the emergency services (telefone 112) or breakdown service. Emergency services (telefone: 9637) - depending on your issue. You must also call the rental supplier on their office number and inform Auto Europe afterwards. Make sure you keep any related official documentation for reference afterwards.

Yes - you are required to pay tolls in Poland on motorways. Primarily these motorways are the A1, A2, A4 and A8. Two types of payment methods exist. The open payment depends on the vehicle type, whilst the closed system drivers are required to pay at the toll gates before entering the motorway. The charge is calculated based on the vehicle type and the journey's distance.

With your base rental rate, the minimum required insurance for Poland is included. This is Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), Theft Protection (TP), and Limited Liability Insurance - with or without excess. Although this basic insurance cover is useful, it does not cover all parts of the vehicle or all eventualities. For added peace-of-mind we encourage you to take out our Full Damage Protection.

This extra protection will cover parts of the vehicle otherwise not covered under the basic cover - and in greater eventualities. The fee is calculated based on the duration of your rental, the vehicle type and the location. For more information click on the blue ‘i’ info icon or read the terms and conditions laid out in the voucher.

Local suppliers may offer you insurance. These are optional and if you have taken out the Full Protection Cover - normally not required. Local insurance can consist of Roadside Assistance, Super CDW, Travel Insurance, Personal Effects Insurance (PEI), Personal Accident Insurance (PAI) and many more. These insurances are not recommended and if taken out locally, will not be refunded by Auto Europe. Read our useful guide to insurance coverage for more advise.

Yes - you may add additional drivers to your car rental in Poland. Normally every additional driver will incur a fee paid to the supplier. Often, we have Free Additional Driver promotions, so we recommend checking if your chosen supplier currently has this deal. All additional drivers must provide the same documentation as the main driver. These include a national driving licence (international driving licence, if required) and identification. Consult the Driver Information section during the booking process. This can be found by clicking on the blue ‘i’ info icon.

Failure to disclose all drivers will void the insurance and make the main driver liable for any damage caused to the vehicle, or incidents. It is also illegal to drive without insurance in Poland. The fee amount is based on the rental duration, location and car type.

The usage of winter tyres and equipment in Poland is not governed by law, but we highly advise their usage during winter as roads can get frosty,or covered in snow. Drivers in Poland normally use winter tyres from November to as late as early April. On our site many rental suppliers offer winter tyres in their base rental rate. Often during this period, you can also find free winter tyre promotions - which will save you considerable money. Some suppliers such as Alamo will include the winter tyres as standard in their base rental rate - from the 15th November until 15th March. A fee is charged for winter tyres if requested outside of this period.