My First Car Rental – Young Driver

After all the stress of passing your theory and practical driving exams, its time to start your adventure on four-wheels. What better than a road trip through some foreign country with friends and family. If you are a young driver that has held your driving licence for one year or two, then you may be entitled to rent a car with some of the world’s most prestigious car rental suppliers. Auto Europe offers young drivers the ability to quickly search and view those suppliers that are willing to rent out their cars to this age group.

Generally, young rivers are only permitted to rent a vehicle of a lower category, such as a Mini, or Compact. This is however, dependent on the supplier chosen and the conditions they have adopted. As a young driver you must take into consideration some of the following details and be fully away of your responsibilities whilst operating the rental car. Overall, by following all the rules, we are sure you will have a great experience during your first car rental.

Minimum Age Requirement

In general, many car rental suppliers consider anyone aged between 19 years of age and 24 years of age as a young driver. This is dependent on the supplier, with some suppliers considering ages between 18 and 26 being young drivers. We recommend checking with us or the supplier before booking.

Identification and Driving Licence

During the pick-up process, young drivers must provide valid identification, normally in the form of a national identification card or a passport. The exact is dependent on the supplier requirement. A valid national driving licence with the relevant entitlements must also be provided. This licence must have been held for at least one year, and in some cases two years. This is also dependent on the supplier. Don't forget that an International Driving Licence may also be needed. We recommend checking with us or the supplier before booking.

Credit Cards

It is requirement to present a valid credit card up on collecting your vehicle. You must be able to provide a physical version of your credit card. This must be under the same name as the main driver listed on the contract. This is a general requirement with all suppliers. A security deposit will be blocked on the credit card of a predetermined amount, that of which is noted on the contract. This deposit will be returned to you within 14-working days once it is confirmed that the returned car is in the same condition as when it left.

Debit cards and pre-pay credit cards are not accepted, instead only major credit cards such as Mastercard and Visa are acceptable. On occasions in order to reduce the deposit amount, some suppliers may offer you the opportunity to take out additional insurances. If this is the case, the extra insurances are optional and if accepted paid directly at location to the supplier. If you have any further questions, please contact our reservation department.

Young Driver Fees

Young drivers are required to pay a so called Young driver fee on top of their rental fee. The exact amount is determined by the car rental supplier and is charged daily. In general, you can expect to pay between 5€ and 30€ per day within Europe. The exact amount can be viewed during the booking process online or speak to one of our team members. The young driver fee is charged and paid for locally.

Additional Driver

If you would like to share in the joy of driving, you may add an additional driver to your booking during the reservation process. This extra driver must pay a small additional driver fee, and if they are also considered a young driver, pay the young driver fee accordingly. For further details please contact us.