Car rental: tips and documents
Hidden car rental costs and how to avoid them
The daily price is only the start. Here are the fees often added at the end and how to check them before you sign.
An offer of a few euros a day can look irresistible, until the bill at the end of the rental is twice as high. Most hidden car rental costs are not illegal: they are written in the contract, but nobody reads it. This guide shows you where to look.
Insurance and the excess
The biggest possible cost is not the daily price but the excess: the amount you pay yourself after damage. With a high excess, even a small scratch on the bumper can be expensive. Compare offers with the same level of cover and ask what it costs to lower the excess.
The fees added most often
| Fee | When it applies | How to avoid it |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel | When you return the car with less fuel | Choose full to full and refuel near the return place |
| Out-of-hours handover | Pick-up or return at night or early morning | Ask for it when booking and check the price |
| Airport or hotel delivery | When the car is brought to an address | Compare with pick-up at the company office |
| Additional driver | For each extra driver on the contract | Ask whether the second driver is free |
| Young driver | Under a certain age or with a new licence | Check the age terms before booking |
| One-way | Return in another city | Plan a route that returns to the same place |
| Child seats, GPS | Extra equipment per day | Ask for them when booking |
| Cleaning | Very dirty car, sand, pets | Shake out the sand after the beach |
| Late return | Return after the contract time | Ask how long the grace period is |
Kilometres and trips abroad
Many offers include unlimited mileage, but not all. With a daily limit, every extra kilometre is charged separately, and on a tour of the whole country that quickly adds up. To drive to Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia or Greece you need the company's permission and the insurance documents: this usually has its own fee.
Fines and administrative fees
Traffic and parking fines go to the company, because they are linked to the car. The company may pass the fine on to you, often with an administrative fee, even weeks after the return. The best way to avoid it: follow the traffic rules and park only where it is allowed.
Damage claims after return
- At pick-upPhotograph and film the car and check that every mark is on the handover form.
- At returnAsk for the inspection with you present and photograph the car, the fuel and the mileage.
- After returnAsk for written confirmation that the car came back undamaged and that the deposit is released.
Work out the real price
Before choosing, add up the rental, the cover you need, the fuel and the extra fees. Our calculator works out the rental at real platform prices, the fuel and the tolls for your itinerary.
Trip cost calculator
Rental at real platform prices, fuel and road tolls.
Full calculator →Car rental glossary
- CDW (Collision Damage Waiver)
- Cover that limits what you pay for damage to the car to a fixed amount (the excess). It is not full cover: it often excludes tyres, glass, the underside and keys.
- Excess
- The most you pay yourself after damage or theft, even with CDW.
- Deposit
- An amount blocked on your card or paid at pick-up and returned after the car is checked. It is usually linked to the size of the excess.
- Green Card
- The international insurance certificate that lets the car be driven in the other countries of the system. To leave Albania with a rental car you need the company's permission and this document.
- Fuel policy (full to full)
- You get the car with a full tank and return it full. If you return it with less, the company charges the missing fuel, often with a service fee.
- International Driving Permit (IDP)
- An official translation of your licence, carried together with the original. Recommended when your licence is not in the Latin alphabet or when the company asks for it.
Frequently asked questions
Is full cover worth it?
Often yes, especially on mountain roads, in busy towns and when you do not want a large deposit. Compare its price with the excess you would pay without it.
Why is the deposit bigger than the rental?
Because the deposit covers the excess in case of damage. It is not a cost: it is returned after the car is checked at return.
Can I be charged for damage after the return?
Yes, if the damage was not on the pick-up form. That is why photos at pick-up and return are your best protection.
How do I know there is no hidden commission on BookaRental?
The platform adds no commission to the company's price and you pay the company directly. Any extra fees are those of the company's contract.
