Car Rentals Coupons: 15 Verified Brands | Oct 2026

Many countries require visitors to carry an International Driving Permit alongside their home licence. The permit is a translation of your licence recognized under the 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna road traffic conventions, and it is issued in your home country, usually by a motoring association, before you travel.

Paperwork, insurance and fuel rules decide most of the real cost of hiring a car, often more than the daily rate. This category covers car rental companies, comparison sites, self drive platforms and airport transfers, from RentalCars.com, Hertz UK, QEEQ, Localrent and Trip.com to Zoomcar in India and transfer services such as Minicabit and CarmelLimo.

For taxis and ride hailing, see Rideshare, and for trains, Rail Tickets.

What this category covers

Comparison site or direct with the rental company?

Comparison sites such as RentalCars.com show prices from many suppliers at once, and often find cheaper rates than booking direct. The car still comes from a rental company at the desk, so check that company's reviews, not just the booking site's.

Booking direct with a major company can make changes and complaints simpler. Loyalty members sometimes skip the queue at airport desks.

Understanding insurance and the excess

Most rentals include basic damage cover, called a collision damage waiver, but with an excess, the amount you pay if the car is damaged. That excess can run into four figures in many countries.

The desk will offer extra cover to cut the excess to zero, usually at a high daily price. Standalone excess insurance bought before you travel is often much cheaper, though you pay the rental company first and claim it back.

Deposits and credit cards

Rental companies hold a deposit on a credit card in the main driver's name, and many will not accept a debit card for it. The hold can be large if you decline their extra insurance, so check your card limit before you arrive.

Which fuel policy is best?

Full to full is usually the fairest policy: you collect the car with a full tank and return it full. Full to empty policies charge you upfront for a tank of fuel, often at a high price, with no refund for fuel left over.

Keep the receipt from a fuel station near the drop off point, in case the company questions whether the tank was full.

Checking the car at pick up

Walk round the car before you drive away, and photograph or film every panel, the wheels, the windscreen and the fuel gauge. Make sure any existing damage is marked on the rental agreement.

Do the same when you return the car, especially if you drop it off out of hours. Photos with timestamps settle most damage disputes.

Age limits and young driver fees

Many companies charge a young driver fee for drivers under 25, and some set a minimum age of 21 or higher for certain cars. Some also charge extra for drivers over a certain age, so check the terms if either applies.

Extra drivers, child seats and extras

Adding a second driver usually costs extra per day, though some deals include one free. Child seats and GPS units rented at the desk are expensive, and for longer trips, bringing your own child seat can save money.

Crossing borders and one way rentals

Driving into another country often needs permission from the rental company and a cross border fee. One way rentals, where you drop the car in a different place, can add a large fee, especially across borders.

Tolls, congestion charges and fines

Many countries have motorway tolls, low emission zones and city congestion charges. Rental cars may come with an electronic toll tag billed later, plus an admin fee for each toll or fine the company processes.

Self drive car sharing

Self drive platforms such as Zoomcar let you book a car by the hour or day through an app. Check the kilometer limit, whether fuel is included, and the security deposit, since these vary widely between cars.

Airport transfers instead of a rental

If you only need to get from the airport to a hotel, a prebooked transfer or minicab with a fixed price can cost less than a rental plus parking. Services such as Minicabit let you compare fixed fares in advance.

When is car rental cheapest?

Rental prices rise sharply in school holidays and peak summer, when fleets run short. Booking early on a free cancellation rate and checking again closer to the date is the most reliable way to save.

Making a car rental coupon go further

Car rental coupons often apply to rentals of several days or to specific car classes. Compare the final price including the excess, deposit and fuel policy, since a cheaper headline rate can cost more at the desk.