Many people dream of crossing the entire European continent in one go to enjoy the beauty of various countries and their lands in one trip. While public transport like trains and buses can help you travel between countries, they don’t offer the same amount of freedom a rental car does.
With a rental car equipped and ready to go, travelers can take their own time at various spots and check out various spots on the road. There are various car rental providers out there that guarantee an amazing experience if you rent their cars and travel Europe, and you can find out more about them if you click here.
That being said, there are many people out there that wish to go between different countries at one go and not just roam in the vicinity of one nation using their car rental service. Thing is, many people have no idea if it is even possible to travel across the borders of European countries with nothing but a rental car.
If you too are one of these people that have been wondering if it is possible to cross European borders with a rental car, then worry not, because, in this article, we will be answering that exact question along with many others. Read the article till the end so that you don’t miss out on crucial details.
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Can you really cross European borders with the help of a rental car?
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The short answer to the question is – yes. The long answer to the question is – mostly, yes. Most of the car rental companies have no problem if you take their cars to another European country as long as you pay their additional charges. However, there are still a few car rental companies that disallow renters from traveling to specific countries.
If you want a meticulous list of which countries your car rental agency allows you to travel to, then you can simply check the terms and conditions of the agency or check out the specifications on their website or through call/text. There are quite a lot of options for you if you were wondering about crossing borders with rental cars.
However, there are also various people that ensure their cars don’t travel to another country no matter what. One prime example of this is how Germany never allows Mercedes’ or BMWs cars to enter Italy.
How do you take your car across European borders?
Taking a rental car across Europe is quite easy. All you need to do is inform your rental agency about the country, or countries, you will be heading to at the time you go to pick up your car. If the rental agency has an online portal, you can also do this online much more easily.
While rental agencies tell you if you choose a country they don’t allow their rental cars to go to, it is still a good idea to confirm the country’s permission in either the terms and conditions of the agency, asking them directly, or checking out their website.
If you, intentionally or by accident, leave a country by passing its borders without informing your agency, you may find yourself in big trouble. Car agencies are liable to charge you hefty fines and charges for crossing boundaries without their permission. You also won’t have any insurance on the car which means that if you break it by accident, the repair costs are coming out of your pockets.
How much does it cost?
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To cross one European country to enter the boundaries of another, you will be charged a special “cross border fee”. This fee is directly deducted from your credit card amount and the process is deemed completed once the agency submits your VE103 application to authorities which increases the longitude of insurance.
Coming down to the actual costs, it gets a bit trickier. Different companies charge different rates for cross-border fees. However, most car agencies only charge cross-border fees that are something in the range of 25-30$ per car rental. However, these charges are known to go as high as 90$ if you are traveling to multiple countries at once.
Is it possible to cross for free?
On the rarest of chances, it is possible to find a car rental agency that doesn’t charge you extra charges for traveling to another country. These agencies cover the feature in their rental plans which costs higher than the average car rental plan.
It is always a good idea to take a thorough look at these plans before you sign up for them. Read each term and rule carefully to ensure that you are not getting cheated in any way possible.
It is also important to note that no car rental agency gives you a free permit to travel in all the European countries for free without any charge. In case you get in contact with any company that does this and offers their plans for an unbelievable price, then you should immediately consider it as a red flag and stay away from them no matter what.
Can you leave the rental car in another country?
Source: rentcarla.com
It is completely possible to leave rental cars in another country if it is not possible for you to bring them back home. However, we would strongly advise against doing this because of primarily two reasons.
The first reason is that if you leave the car in another country for their agency outlet to pick it up, you will actually have to pay a one-way fee for not making full utilization of the car. These fees are quite expensive and if you are planning to leave a car, we strongly recommend searching for an agency that charges the least amount of one-way fees. The second reason is that there is no guarantee that you will find a reliable car rental agency in the country you land up in which can create an immense amount of trouble.
The best option in this scenario will be to simply go to a country and come back in the same rental car.
Conclusion.
Yes, you can cross the European borders with a rental car and we hope this article tells you how you can do it and how much you can expect to pay for that. If this article was insightful for you, please consider following our website for regular updates as it will help us out immensely.
