10 tips for renting a car on holiday abroad
Many people have an idealised idea of mobility on holiday in Europe. Maybe you imagine landing in Split or Rome, picking up the keys to a convertible or family SUV at the airport and heading straight for the beaches. But the reality at foreign car rental companies is often far from idyllic. Summer is peak season for European rental companies, and it is also the time when they try all kinds of tricks on inattentive tourists.
To make sure you do not return home with an empty wallet or a heavily overdrawn credit card, we have prepared 10 key tips on what to watch out for. We will also show you why it increasingly makes sense to set off on holiday in a car rented in the Czech Republic.
The trap called the “cross-border fee”
Want to take a trip from the Croatian coast to Montenegro, or from Italy to Switzerland? Be careful. Many international rental companies lure you in with a low daily rate, but at the counter they introduce the so-called cross-border fee. This is a fee for crossing national borders. It can amount to tens of euros per day. And if you cross the border without reporting it, even unknowingly, be prepared for serious penalties reaching hundreds of euros, because you may be charged for each border crossing.
At Taggart, it is simpler. With our cars, you can travel through almost the entire European Union, except Romania, Bulgaria and Greece for insurance reasons, as well as Switzerland and the United Kingdom, completely without surcharges.
Croatia, among others, has an age limit
In Croatia and other southern countries, drivers under 25 often hit a hard wall. Either the rental company will not rent them a car at all, or it will charge them a steep “young driver” surcharge. Seniors over 70 can face similar restrictions.
At Taggart, age is not the deciding factor. As long as you meet the legal requirements, you can book a car and set off.
Mandatory credit card — debit is not enough
This is the most common reason why people are left without a car at the airport. Foreign rental companies often require a credit card exclusively to block the deposit. If you only have a standard debit card, they will not release the car to you unless you buy their extremely overpriced insurance on the spot, sometimes around EUR 40 per day.
At Taggart, we take a more human approach. You can pay the deposit and rental fee with a standard debit card or in cash.
Italian specifics and ZTL zones
In Italy, nobody at the airport will warn you about ZTL zones, meaning Zona a traffico limitato. These are historic city centres where only local residents are allowed to enter. Cameras take a picture of your car, and six months later the rental company charges your card not only for the fine, but also for a hefty administrative fee for “processing the fine”.
It is not only the fine itself, but also the related administrative fees that can put serious pressure on your budget. At Taggart, we charge an administrative fee of CZK 250 for handling fines.
Reserving a “class”, not a specific car
On global search engines, you click on your dream Škoda Octavia, but at the airport you are handed the keys to a battered French compact with the explanation that it is the “same class”. Not only do you get no discount, but nobody cares that your luggage — or worse, your passengers — may not fit.
At Taggart car rental, you reserve a specific model. You know exactly which car you will drive. Try calculating the cost of renting your selected vehicle using the calculator below.
Unclear mileage limits
A low rental price by the seaside is often compensated for by a mileage limit, for example 50 to 100 km per day. On holiday, kilometres add up quickly, and the penalty for every kilometre over the limit can make the rental significantly more expensive when you return the car.
At Taggart, we offer a no-mileage-limit tariff for holiday trips longer than 6 days. You can set off completely worry-free without watching the odometer.
Fees for an additional driver
Want to share the driving with your partner on a long journey along the coast? Abroad, you usually pay extra for every additional name on the contract. At Taggart, adding another driver from your family or colleagues is completely free.
“Full to empty” fuel policy
Some low-cost rental companies give you a car with a full tank and ask you to return it empty. However, they charge you for the fuel at absurd per-litre rates, including a “refuelling service fee”. Taggart plays fair: you receive the car with a full tank and return it with a full tank.
Hidden insurance for the underbody and glass
Basic insurance abroad rarely covers damage to the underside of the car or the windscreen, which can be a real risk on gravel roads leading to beaches. Taggart offers two types of insurance: standard insurance, which is included in the price, and additional insurance, which covers more risks.
Endless queues at the airport
After landing, you often face a two-hour queue at the rental desk, where, tired after your flight, you have to argue with assertive staff trying to push additional services on you. Before you join one of those queues, or preferably before you make a reservation, check the rental company’s customer reviews on independent platforms.
Why is it ultimately best to set off directly from the Czech Republic?
When you add it all up, you save the most peace, money and nerves by renting a car in Prague from Taggart and setting off on holiday directly from home.
You load your family and luggage into a nearly new, fully serviced car with a Czech motorway vignette, without luggage weight limits, unlike when flying. You stay in control for the whole journey, sign the contract in Czech, avoid traps and hidden fees, and if any problem occurs, our Czech 24/7 helpline is available to help you.