Does anyone know of a car rental company that will except a debit card instead of a credit card in Germany?
Looks like we may be using the train.

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ok, stupid question here - if one uses a 'Visa' or 'MasterCard' branded Debit card, how does a merchant know it isn't a credit card (from an online reservation request)..? all they will recieve is a 16-digit card number and expiration date...

I think if it is a visa or mastercard related debit straight from your bank account then it also acts as a credit card. Mine is.

yes - it "acts" as a credit card. But it isn't a cc. The numbering system, etc is different so the card reader knows which is which. A debit card may not be accepted some places where a cc is, and vice versa.

Sorry jobietron, I personally don't know of a German rental agency that accepts debit cards. I'd give autoeurope a call and talk to their customer service. They might be able to help you.

In the US, the only major agency that takes debit cards is Budget, so it might be worth a try to see if the same holds true in Europe.

I don't know if it is accurate, but this company has a chart about which countries accept debit cards for car rentals (either for deposit, which almost no one will as it is meaningless and offers no security, or for payment). It says you can't use it for either in Germany.
http://arac.com/international.htm

Budget requires a credit card in Germany. The thing is that a credit card is required because it is used as a credit check, in a way, and as a deposit. A debit card doesn't provide any security in either way, as it has nothing to do with being creditworthy and it doesn't guarantee any amount of money will be there at any time to charge against.

If you don't have a credit card they will typically require you to take full insurance covering car damage and loss of use - plus leave a cash deposit equal to whatever the deductible on the policy is.

The other thing to keep in mind is that if the company does accept a debit card, at the beginning of the rental they usually debit a large amount from your account. At the end of the rental they refund the difference between what they debited and he actual charges, but in the meantime the money is gone from your account and you cannot access it.

One problem with using a debit card is that money in your account can be "locked" by hire companies / hotels to cover "unexpected" costs.

That could mean you go to the ATM and find you can't withdraw any cash.

So the best advice is to get a CC

"Looks like we may be using the train."

If you really wanted to rent a car, I will be sorry in your behalf that it will not work.

On the flip side, trains are great in Germany. We owned a car for six years in Germany and enjoy traveling in them. Now that we are returning for visits, we have learned what a real pleasure it is to take the train, especially when you are traveling into and from cities. Take a look at the train website:

http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en

Plug in a couple cities to see how it works. For less expensive fares change the "Means of transportquot; to "only local transport". For faster trains leave format as you find it. If you have questions about train travel, this is a good website and "Tripadvisor" Forum is even better.

Regards, Gary