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Guy is an award-winning travel writer with 20+ years' experience. He runs a crack team of researchers, unearthing everything from the best beaches to the worst car hire companies.
Over the years, we’ve received thousands of readers' complaints about rental rip-offs and car hire problems. And we’ve used them to compile this guide.
But if you remember just one thing, make it this: the cheaper the headline car hire price, the more likely you are to experience issues and hidden charges.
That doesn’t mean good car hire costs the earth – it may end up being cheaper. But it does mean you should look for a provider with great ratings and transparent pricing. To help you choose, we’ve rounded up the best and worst car hire companies.
If you choose wisely and follow the steps below, we hope you will enjoy uneventful and stress-free car hire on your next holiday.
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Definitely do compare prices, but use a recommended car hire broker, rather than a comparison site.
Comparison sites or aggregators just 'scrape' prices and send you off to third parties to book. While they may appear to offer a cheap rate, the real price can be much higher. Often they exclude crucial elements such as fuel, mileage and additional drivers.
Comparison sites also throw up a mix of brokers and providers that you’ll likely never have heard of, and in many cases should not trust. Unfortunately, the holiday car rental industry has more than its fair share of cowboys, and the risk of a rip-off is just too high.
If you’re struggling to find the right car at the right price, check our ratings of the best car hire brokers and the best car hire providers.
Always check the T&Cs of a potential car hire provider. In particular, ask these key questions:
If you’re worried about hidden costs, read our advice on how to avoid the latest car hire rip-offs.
Book your car hire immediately after you book your holiday, especially if you’re travelling during peak periods. You’ll get more choice and – usually – better rates. But make sure you book with a provider or broker that offers free cancellation. That way you can cancel and rebook at the cheaper rate if prices drop.
Pay by credit card to gain Section 75 protection under the Consumer Credit Act – all purchases over £100 are protected. This gives you a route to reimbursement if there is a problem with the rental.
Finally, our research has found that it's usually around £30-£50 per week cheaper to pay upfront when you book than it is to ‘pay at location’ on arrival.
Read all of our tips and advice on how to get cheaper car hire.
When you hire a car in Europe, basic insurance is almost always included in the rental (do check this). But that insurance is subject to an excess, so if the car is damaged or stolen, you'll need to pay a contribution – up to around £2,500 – towards repair costs.
Car hire firms will try to sell you insurance to reduce that excess. Don’t buy it. It’s overpriced and usually offers inferior cover to the excess reimbursement insurance (ERI) you can buy online from specialist insurers and car rental websites.
Not sure which insurance to buy? We’ve rated dozens of policies in our reviews of the best car hire insurance.
If you don’t buy your insurance from the car hire provider, they will require you to leave a deposit for the excess on a credit card. They usually won’t accept a debit card, prepaid card or even a credit card stored on your phone.
We’ve heard from customers who have been turned away, or forced to buy the car hire company’s additional insurance, because they didn’t have a physical credit card with them.
The card must belong to the person who made the booking, and it will need to have enough credit on it to cover a hefty deposit (usually around €1,200, but up to €2,500).
Most firms take a pre-authorisation, which means you can’t spend the money until it’s released. In most cases this won’t take longer than a week. However, Goldcar told us it can take up to 28 days for your deposit to be accessible.
And some companies will actually withdraw the deposit (and refund it later), leaving you susceptible to currency fluctuations.
If you don’t already have a fee-free credit card for using abroad, check our advice on the best travel credit cards 2026.
Don’t forget to pack your driving licence and the licence of any additional drivers.
If you’re travelling to some destinations outside the EU, you may also need an international driving permit (IDP), which is a multi-language translation of your driving licence. These are either compulsory or recommended in more than 100 countries. Use the official UK government to check if you need an IDP.
You can get an IDP (for £5.50) in person from certain shops that have PayPoint.
Before you go, make sure you’ve downloaded an offline map of the area you are visiting on Google Maps, or an alternative free satnav app, if you’re worried about roaming costs. This means you can access maps offline without using data.
Car hire companies charge around £75 per week to hire a sat nav, so it’s worth planning ahead.
You might also want to invest in a cheap phone holder and cigarette lighter charger to take with you.
Baby, child and booster seats cost about £85 per week to hire; they're not always in great condition and rarely come with instructions. Many airlines (including Jet2, Ryanair and easyJet) let you take your own seats for free, or you can sometimes rent car seats elsewhere at the airport for a fraction of the price.
Check child car seat rules around the world.
A week or so before your holiday, check whether rental rates dropped. This is less likely if you’re travelling at peak times, but it’s always worth a look.
If they have, and you used a broker/provider with free cancellation, then you can simply cancel and rebook, pocketing the difference.
Car hire companies often have a sneaky clause in their T&Cs stating that they will give away your car if you arrive more than 59 minutes late.
You’re less likely to get caught out if you enter your flight details and an accurate pick-up time when you book. Staff should then be alerted to any flight delays, but if possible ring them when you land, too.
Even if you read the small print when you booked, it’s sensible to look through the contract at the rental desk and ask questions about anything you don’t understand before signing.
It’s particularly important to look for any extra or unexpected charges. If they’ve given you a different car to the one you booked, make sure you’re not charged extra, especially if it’s an upgrade.
Always check that they haven’t added any additional insurance that you didn’t ask for.
A whopping 46% of people who were charged for damage in our recent survey told us that the damage already existed when they picked up the car.
That’s why you need to document the car’s condition as best you can when you pick it up, and return it. Take dated photos or video proof in case of a later dispute.
If you find anything that’s not recorded on the contract, report it before you drive off, or failing that, as soon as possible.
If you rented the car with a ‘full-full’ or ‘same-same’ fuel policy, you’ll need to stop at the nearest petrol station before dropping off the car.
Failure to do so not only means you’ll pay over the odds for the additional fuel, but you could also face a refuelling fine.
Keep the receipt for your fuel purchase, in case of dispute.
Many companies give you a grace period for returns, but we’ve found that can be as little as 29 minutes – so you’re only one traffic jam away from an unexpected charge.
Allow enough time before your flight to stay for the inspection – just to put your mind at rest that there will be no nasty surprises when you return home.
It’s particularly important that you take a video if you drop your car off out of hours, as you may be held responsible for any damage that occurs after you've left.
We’ve heard increasing reports of customers being fined for returning dirty cars. There’s no need to get your hire car cleaned, unless you really have made it exceptionally dirty.
Unscrupulous car hire companies might take payments from your card for spurious reasons – damage, late fees, etc. Some may not even tell you that they’ve taken the money, or why.
Always check your bank account when you get home to ensure that the deposit has been refunded in full, and that no additional charges have gone through.
Find out what to do if you’ve been treated unfairly by your car hire company
Check the requirements of your rental company, but for most rentals you will need:
If you’re below 25 or over 70, check the age requirements of the car hire provider in your specific destination. Requirements can vary from country to country, and by state to state in the US.
You may still be able to rent a car, but you may have to pay an age-related surcharge. Always check this before you book, to avoid nasty surprises on arrival.
If you’re hiring a car in Europe, basic insurance is usually included (do check). This ensures you’ll never have to pay the full value of the car if it’s written off or stolen. You are not legally required to buy anything else.
But it’s a good idea to get insurance that covers the excess you would pay in the event of an accident. This can be as much as £2,500. Never buy this insurance at the rental desk. You’ll get a better policy, far cheaper, if you buy an Excess Reimbursement Insurance policy from a specialist online.
Find out which Excess Reimbursement Policies Which? recommends.
If you hire a car in North America, slightly different rules apply. To make sure you’re covered, read our guide to the best car hire insurance in the USA and Canada.
Most popular tourist airports offer on-site and off-site car rental providers. If you choose an off-site provider, you’ll generally pay lower rates, but you’ll have the added hassle of taking a (free) shuttle bus to the rental office.
These are not always well signposted or easy to find, but it doesn’t mean they’ll offer a dreadful service. Always check reviews of the best car hire providers.
You may also find that the town-centre office or train station office of your car hire provider is cheaper than the airport office. Car rental providers pay premium rates for their airport locations and pass those costs on to customers. So always check if you are better off taking a taxi from the airport, and then renting a vehicle from an office near your hotel.
The price of car hire rises and falls with demand. If you need to hire a vehicle during the school holidays or other peak periods, then you’ll likely pay a premium. But there are ways to make sure you get the best possible price.
Book early – as soon as you book your holiday – for the best rates. But use a car rental provider or broker that offers free cancellation, such as Which? Recommended Provider Zest Car Rental.
Then, if prices go down over the course of the year, you can cancel and rebook at the cheaper rate. Always check whether you can get a better deal the week before you travel.
Read all of our tips and advice on how to get cheaper car hire.
There’s no need to get your rental car cleaned, unless you really have made it exceptionally dirty by driving through mud, or up dusty beach roads.
But it’s a good idea to get rid of your rubbish and brush out any excessive sand, and make sure you haven’t stained the interior.