How strictly do large car-hire companies in Central Europe enforce the license age condition?
I've recently received a driving license (first license in my life) in Czech Republic and plan to do some traveling in Central Europe (Germany, Austria, Northern Italy, Denmark, Poland). In some of the cities it would be nice to get a car for a couple of days. Unfortunately most large car hire companies, such as Hertz, enforce a one-year minimum validity rule on license holders:
At time of rental, the renter must present a valid driver's licence issued from country of residence that has been held for a minimum of one year.
This got me thinking over possible workarounds:
Perhaps the rental desks don't bother to check the license age and I can just show up at the desk without worries
It could be possible to email the company after the reservation and ask for an exception
It might be possible to haggle with the rental car employee on the spot (e.g. get some sort of an additional insurance)
So the question is - is it possible to override the license age rule for major rental companies in Central Europe?
P.S. I am aware that it might be easier to just buy a car than bother with rentals, but would like to find out about rental options first.
Best Answer
From my experience: Forget your idea, you will be stopped dead cold at 1.
Because many people here in Germany who have for good reason no driving license (dangerous driving, alcohol) tried to get one abroad and tried to rent cars with it, they will always ask for the license and check it together with the ID (you know, stolen/invalid/fake licenses).
From my experience in Germany: a resounding NO.
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Can you hire a car in Europe if you are over 70?
The average maximum age is 75 years, but car rental suppliers can choose to set their own limit. The good news for senior drivers is that this restriction does not exist in most European countries. As with young drivers, surcharges can also be charged to senior drivers.What is upper age limit for car hire in Europe?
In most of Europe, there is no car rental age limit for drivers over the age of 65. Germany, France, Spain and the United Kingdom all have all car rental over 80 years old. In parts of Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia there are restrictions or surcharges for senior drivers.Is there an age restriction on car hire?
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While there is no maximum age to rent a car in the US, it can be a different story when you travel elsewhere. Age limits vary between rental agencies and from country to country, but often fall between age 70 and 80.Turo the Cheapest Rental Car in Orlando
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