Best Car Rental Companies in Europe

Europe is one of those destinations most travelers end up wanting to visit sooner or later in their lives. And the truth is that it is simply a continent with so much to see and to experience, that it would be too hard not to plan your next vacations to a European country or several.

Apart from the great quality of life, food, variety of cultures, art, architecture and overall beautiful places with lots of history; Europe is a relatively small continent, which makes it great to visit more than one city or country on a single trip, which we wouldn’t do as easily in America, for instance.

Precisely this characteristic of it being a small continent, also makes it easier for travelers and foreigners to visit it by car, and here is where car rental companies come into play. Most European countries have serviced some of the most popular car rental companies in the world available, plus some exclusively working in Europe.

This is a piece of great news because it means that you will be able to rent a car on your next trip to Europe. However, what companies should you choose? Ultimately, that is a personal decision, but we will make it a bit easier by giving you an overview of the best car rental companies in Europe.

This is the ultimate Ranking of the Best Car Rental Companies in Europe in 2023. We hope it helps you to decide on your next car rental booking.

#1 – SIXT (8.3/10) 🏆

SIXT rent a car was born in Munich in 1912, and today is one of the first and most influential international car rental companies in Europe, earning a trusted reputation as a global leading car rental provider.

SIXT is present in over +105 countries with branches in over +2,200 locations. You will be able to easily find and book throw our website the SIXT car rental services internationally in almost every major city, airport, train station, cruise port, and tourist destination in Europe.

SIXT is characterized by offering ranges of premium vehicles at very affordable prices. They have in their fleet models from some of the best car manufacturers in the world, including German favorites such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Volkswagen, Opel, Mini, Ford, Toyota, and more. Their rental cars are regularly replaced so you can feel confident that, with SIXT, you will be behind the wheel of a well-maintained and up-to-date rental.

SIXT customers value the quality and cleanliness of the cars, the customer service, and in general, the overall quality of the service.

SIXT customer ratings:

• ⭐ Excellent cleanliness of the car
• ⭐ Excellent service at the rental desk
• ✔️ Quick pick-up process
• ✔️ Quick drop-off process
• ⭐ Excellent overall value for money

Book Now!

#2 – ENTERPRISE (7.2/10) 🥈

Enterprise was born in the USA in 1957. Its headquarters are in Clayton, Missouri, United States. Today it is one of the most prestigious companies in the world, and also in Europe, and they have a huge network of approximately 1.5 million vehicles in 85 countries for corporate and personal use.

Enterprise offers one-way rental, long-term rental, and limited-term rental services for all vehicles. You can book any type of vehicle, Mini, Economy, Compact, SUV, minivans, 7-Seat or 9-Seat Minivan, Premium, Convertible, or even Cargo vans for business. Their pick-up and drop-off locations are mainly located near the main cities and airports in Europe, which makes it even more suitable for customers.

Most of the customers are highly satisfied with their professional services and highly efficient staff who help solve all the problems that customers may face from time to time. They maintain great cleanliness and maintenance standards for their vehicle too.

In rare cases, people face some problems because there are no proper notifications provided by the system regarding road works and road conditions. Also, some customer has received vehicle which is slightly different from their order. But it is only in the rush hour situation.

ENTERPRISE customer ratings:

• ✔️ Very Good cleanliness of the car
• ✔️ Very Good service at the rental desk
• ✔️ Quick pick-up process
• ✔️ Quick drop-off process
• ✔️ Very Good overall value for money

Book Now!

#3 – ALAMO (7.1/10) 🥉

Alamo is a well-known car rental company, though it’s a considerably smaller one among all of the major car rentals operating in Europe, with fewer offices both, in the US, and in the rest of the world, enough to rent a car with Alamo in most major cities in Europe.

The major positive point for Alamo is that it offers lower rates than other car rental companies, even if not necessarily the lowest, but you do can get better deals if you book your car ahead of time, while the closer you book to the day, the higher the rates.

If you are not constantly needing to rent a car in Europe or anywhere else, and you just want to find a good deal for the time you do need a car, then you might get your best deal with Alamo.

For those who are constantly needing a car rental company, then the rewards program of Alamo might not be as attractive as those offered by other companies, even though it does offer some advantages to make the check-in process easier, but they do not offer points.

Alamo customer ratings:

• ✔️ Very Good cleanliness of the car
• ✔️ Very Good service at the rental desk
• ✔️ Quick pick-up process
• ✔️ Quick drop-off process
• ✔️ Very Good overall value for money

Book Now!

#4 – EUROPCAR (6.5/10) 🔝

Europcar is a very important car rental group in Europe, and one with a quite good reputation across many countries. With over +60 years of experience in the car hire sector, Europcar guarantees a good service and offers a wide variety of cars to meet all rental needs.

When renting a car in Europe with Europcar, customers can expect to receive a car with unlimited mileage and well-maintained conditions, which is one of the major concerns amounts of people renting cars. This is a reputed company and it is known for its clean cars, friendly staff and great service.

Europcar offers a wide range of options for mini and economy models, intermediate, luxury, SUVs, and minivans or cargo vans, so you can travel with your friends and family to all places you choose, starting from less than 10€.

EUROPCAR customer ratings:

• ✔️ Very Good cleanliness of the car
• ✔️ Very Good service at the rental desk
• ✔️ Quick pick-up process
• ✔️ Quick drop-off process
• ✔️ Very Good overall value for money

Book Now!

#5 – HERTZ / FIREFLY (6.1/10) 🔝

Among the things that we must take into account at the moment of deciding on a car rental company for our trip to Europe, there are things that are evident, such as getting good deals, while there are other more subtle ones, such as a company a good rewards program.

In the case of Hertz, a company with many years of reputation as a car rental all over the world, with a very strong presence in Europe, the first factor, that is, the price might be one of the reasons for some not to go with Hertz.

However, this is relative, as they daily prices might be some of the highest for some of the locations, but this is only for daily rates, as, when it comes to renting a car for a week or more, the deals at Hertz get quite better, being sometimes some of the cheapest.

Being Hertz a car rental company with so many locations in Europe, it’ll be easy to fix a pick-up place other than the airport of the city you are visiting, which can make the price lower, but in case of wanting the advantage of an airport picks up, you’ll also be able to book for one with Hertz.

Hertz’s rewards program is a very good one, as it has very few restrictions, and it’s even possible for those who don’t rent a car too often to still get benefits, which could be a reason to reconsider renting a car with Hertz.

HERTZ customer ratings:

• ✔️ Good cleanliness of the car
• ✔️ Good service at the rental desk
• ✔️ Quick pick-up process
• ✔️ Quick drop-off process
• ✔️ Good overall value for money

Book Now!

#6 – AVIS (6.0/10) 🔝

For another option on car rental companies in Europe with a well-established reputation, we must talk a bit about Avis, which scale of pros and cons might be pretty neutral, as it is a good and trusted car rental with average prices.

When it comes to the rates of renting a car with Avis per day, they are pretty much within the average, which makes it a great option for those who don’t want to spend more, but who don’t want to pay less in a less-known company either. While their weekly rates get much better, making it more of the best option when renting for a week or longer.

If having a generous rewards program is also important in your decision, Avis does count with a rewards program, but it requires more points than most others to claim free rentals, but you might end up saving a bit compared to other companies with more generous rewards, but more expensive rates.

AVIS customer ratings:

• ✔️ Good cleanliness of the car
• ✔️ Good service at the rental desk
• ✔️ Quick pick-up process
• ✔️ Quick drop-off process
• ✔️ Good overall value for money

Book Now!

#7 – THRIFTY (5.8/10) 🔝

Among the well-established yet smaller car rental companies available in Europe, Thrifty is a very good option in a matter of prices, with some of the lowest prices available for renting a car, especially if you are renting for less than a week.

Week-long rentals are a bit higher, but they are still lower than some of the most expensive companies, and you can always get better deals by booking your car around two weeks before the date of the pick-up.

In regards to its rewards program, Thrifty offers a generous enough program, which lets you earn points per dollar invested. However, there are some restrictions on when you can use the free days you’ve earned with the points.

THRIFTY customer ratings:

• ✔️ Good cleanliness of the car
• ✔️ Good service at the rental desk
• ✔️ Quick pick-up process
• ✔️ Quick drop-off process
• ✔️ Good overall value for money

Book Now!

#8 – GLOBAL / Buchbinder (5.7/10) 🔝

GLOBAL Rent-a-Car is an innovative modern car rental company with a worldwide presence, based on an entirely new franchise concept. The reason for this is that GLOBAL Rent-a-Car cooperates with the best local car rental operators, who can provide their customers with customized regional offers on attractive terms.

GLOBAL customer ratings:

• ✔️ Good cleanliness of the car
• ✔️ Good service at the rental desk
• ✔️ Quick pick-up process
• ✔️ Quick drop-off process
• ✔️ Good overall value for money

Book Now!

#9 – DOLLAR (5.4/10) 🔝

The name of Dollar car rental is taken seriously, as it does offer many benefits when it comes to finding good deals. It’s not always the cheapest car rental in Europe, but many times you can get the rates with them.

Their prices get especially competitive when it comes to renting a week or more long. Also, booking a car with Dollar further than the pick-up date will also lower the prices, so if your trip is already well planned and you know when you will need the car, it might be a good idea to rent a car with Dollar.

One of the best aspects of Dollar, especially for users who often need a car rental service is their rewards program, which is free to join and is quite generous, being able to claim a free rental for fewer points than other companies.

Dollar is a smaller company compare with others, though you will be able to rent the car you need in most major cities in Europe, their locations are mostly in airports, which often increases the prices a bit.

DOLLAR customer ratings:

• ✔️ Good cleanliness of the car
• ✔️ Good service at the rental desk
• ✔️ Quick pick-up process
• ✔️ Quick drop-off process
• ✔️ Good overall value for money

Book Now!

#10 – BUDGET (5.0/10) 🔝

This is yet another important company in terms of the number of offices, many in the US, but they also have a great number of offices across Europe, so you will most likely be able to rent a car with Budget in most major cities in Europe.

Even though its name suggests that this is going to be one of the cheapest options, this won’t always be the case. However, even if Budget doesn’t usually offer the lowest rates among other car rental companies in Europe, you can find better deals with them than with some of the most expensive companies.

If a good rewards program is also important for you when deciding which company to rent a car with, then it’s important to know that Budget might not offer as many advantages as others do. But, for those wanting to commit to using Budget most of the time, the benefits will definitely be there.

Overall, with their so many locations all around the world, you can book your car with enough time, and you might want to avoid requesting it at the airport, as this can make it a bit more expensive, making Budget a solid option, if you are not necessarily in a too constrained budget.

BUDGET customer ratings:

• ✔️ Good cleanliness of the car
• ✔️ Good service at the rental desk
• ✔️ Quick pick-up process
• ✔️ Quick drop-off process
• ✔️ Good overall value for money

Book Now!

#11 – GOLDCAR / INTERRENT (4.5/10) 🔝

Goldcar and Interrent are both subsidiaries of Europcar Group.

GOLDCAR customer ratings:

• ✔️ Good cleanliness of the car
• ⚠️ Poor service at the rental desk
• ⚠️ Slow pick-up process
• ⚠️ Slow drop-off process
• ⚠️ Poor overall value for money

Book Now!

#12 – ACE Rent a Car (4.2/10) 🔝

ACE is the smallest car rental service on the list, but it does have the advantage of offering some of the lowest prices, making it great whenever there are deals available with this company.

They have few locations in the US, but in Europe, you’ll probably be able to rent a car in most major cities in the continent, and even though they are not near as big as the major competitors, and they are not owned by the major car rentals in Europe and the world, they’ve been able to position themselves quite well.

Their rewards program at ACE is not very attractive, which could turn it into one negative point, as you cannot redeem the points you can earn by each dollar spent on free rentals, though you do can get gift cards or electronic devices.

Overall, ACE is a car rental company that might serve you well if you are not constantly in need of renting a car and they happen to offer the best deal in the city you are travelling to.

ACE Rent a Car customer ratings:

• ✔️ Good cleanliness of the car
• ⚠️ Poor service at the rental desk
• ⚠️ Slow pick-up process
• ⚠️Slow drop-off process
• ⚠️Poor overall value for money

Book Now!

We hope you liked this article. Now you can continue reading our article about the differences between Avis, Budget, Hertz, Europcar, Payless, Sixt, Thrifty, Dollar, Alamo, National, and more, or, use our search engine below to book your car.

You might also be interested in: