Auto-Europe: Underage Driver Fee?
 

Hi All,

I am looking at renting a car in France however both my brother and I are under 25 (we are 22 and 24). Auto Europe has the best prices (thus far) but they do not disclose the Underage Driver Fee. I am hesitant to book with them because the fee could be huge. Does anyone know what it is? Does it change company to company?

Thanks!
Allie

My daughter paid $25 twice to be able to drive an AutoEurope car in Italy. Don't know about other companies. Why not call them and ask? Wouldn't that be the smart thing to do? They are easily reachable at 800-555-2323.

You are way smarter than me! I called and it is 33 EUR per day for an underage driver! Yikes. Thanks for the tip!

I AM ASKING MY SON AND I ARE GOING TO SPAIN ON JULY 2011 .HE IS 20 YEARS OLD COULD HE DRIVES AN AUTO CAR?

"<i>o be able to drive an AutoEurope car in Italy</i>"

No one 'drives an AutoEurope' car in Europe or anywhere else. AE is a broker -- they hook you up to different rental companies depending on your requirements. So you would be driving a Hertz car or a Europcar car, or an Avis car, or a Sixt car -- but not an AutoEurope car. Underage driver fees are up to the rental company, not AutoEurope.

khled, yes, a 20 yr old can drive a car in Spain if he has a valid drivers license (some places require people to have had a license for a year) and an international drivers license if you are from certain countries (eg, not Europe). It is up to individual rental companies as to whether they would put a surcharge on an extra driver of that age, but it is legal. Also, if he is only a driver and not the renter, it may be easier as for a renter, he would have to have his own credit card for the rental, most likely. And the type of cars rented to someone that age could be limited.

You'll have to get special terms or surcharges from the company you choose, but it is legal.

No such thing as an AutoEurope car - correct, I mis-spoke. My daughter drove one Europcar car andone Hertz car, both rented through AutoEurope, in Italy a few years ago. Each of them cost $25 at the time, a one-time fee, not per day (33 euro a day is a LOT!).

Depending upon the time involved, you might consider a lease. Leases have no one way charges, no train station/airport pickup surcharges, no additional driver fees, no age limits on drivers, no environmental fee and no road taxes. Cars are leased with complete insurance coverage:

http://www.autoeurope.com/buyback_home.cfm
http://www.autofrance.net/

http://www.renault-eurodrive.com/