Can I take my hire car cross border from one country to another and how much will it cost me?

Find out what the general policy is on taking your hire vehicle cross border and any limitations you may face.

If you are picking up your car in one country and dropping it back in another

If you've arranged your car hire to pick up the car in one country and drop off in another then obviously it should be fine. You can expect significant extra charges to drop a car off across a border. This is in part because the car will need to be returned at some point. Only certain companies will allow this as there is a cost incurred with transporting the vehicle back to its original country and, in most cases, cars have individual number plates in line with those within each country and so they cannot be hired anywhere other than their original country. The price quoted would normally include the cross border charges but we'd recommend checking the terms and conditions of hire as it may be stated as a local charge to be paid at the hire desk.

If you are picking up your car in one country, driving to another, but returning to the original one

For car hire picking up and dropping off in the same country but allowing use cross border the picture is more mixed. Often cross border use is simply not permitted, but the closer you are to a border, the more likely it is to be allowed. For example if you hire in Munich then crossing the border into Austria is common. Some car hire brokers like our sister company Clarify Car HIre include a filter option on the quote form to indicate cross border use is required.

Always check the car hire terms and conditions for cross border charges. Often the hire company's insurance will be limited to their home country.

You will also normally find that the hire company will expect you to be responsible for ensuring any differences in compulsory equipment required by the cross border country are sorted. For example, you may need a single reflective jacket to be provided in the hire car in its home country but the country you intend to visit requires one per passenger. The AA and RAC have details about driving rules in other countries.

Should you have any further questions or queries, please do contact our team through either our online chat or telephone in our office hours and we will be happy to help!

Compare car hire insurance prices with MoneyMaxim

This content was last reviewed on 02/04/2024

Similar Questions

General Car Hire Queries Answered

• Can you tell me if my car hire company will be in the airport or if I will need to get a shuttle bus?
• Should I choose unlimited mileage with my car hire? And how do I?
• Can you provide me a quote for car hire and car hire excess insurance even if I have a pre-existing medical condition?
• Can I be charged a fee for cleaning my hire car?
• Do I have to use a credit card to hire a car?
• Can I take my hire car cross border from one country to another and how much will it cost me?
• Can I hire a car if I don't have my driving licence?
• Do I need an International driving permit to hire a car abroad?
• How do I Find the Best Deals for Cheap Car Hire?
• What happens if I forget my driving licence?
• Which fuel rules apply to hire cars?
• Will I be able to put a roof rack on my hire car?
• If I need a car for less than a week, is it cheaper to hire daily or weekly?
• If I arrive late and want to pick up my vehicle the following day is this OK?
• If I return the hire car late, will I be charged?
• What do car rental companies typically charge if you lose the keys to your rental car?
• What happens if the model I have booked is unavailable?
• Can I pick my car up in one place and return it to another?
• What if I am overcharged or do not get the car group I booked?
• Do hire cars have to be new and well cared for?
• What happens if the car or the boot is not big enough for my party?
• Am I able to accept an upgrade?
• Do car rental companies have spare keys?
• Will I get a Sat Nav with my hire car?
• I booked snow chains, a roof rack or a roof box - what happens if they are not there when I arrive?
• What happens if the car rental company do not have the car I booked?

Driver and Passenger Related Car Hire Queries Answered

• Does it cost more for additional drivers?
• Young Drivers (under 25 years old)?
• Am I too old to hire a car?
• If I want an additional driver on my hire car, will I have to pay more?
• What's the maximum number of passengers I can take in my hire car?