About VIP Cars

VIP Cars is a car hire booking site rather than a rental company: it compares rates from the big suppliers and a long tail of local ones, and you collect the car from whichever of them you booked.

How the booking works

You search a location and dates, compare quotes across suppliers including Europcar, Avis, Hertz, Sixt, Enterprise and Budget, and pay a deposit online with the balance settled at the rental desk. Coverage runs to tens of thousands of pickup points across a long list of countries, and quotes generally show collision damage waiver, theft protection, airport surcharges and taxes with a full-to-full fuel policy.

What the quote does not include

This is where hire cars catch people out, and it is worth reading twice. Collision damage waiver is not full insurance — it caps your liability at an excess, and that excess can run into four figures. It is held on your credit card at the desk, which is why almost every supplier requires a credit card in the main driver's name with enough available balance. The desk will offer to sell you excess cover; a standalone annual policy bought beforehand is usually far cheaper, though it works by reimbursement, so you still need the deposit available.

Before you drive away

Take photographs of every panel, the wheels, the windscreen and the fuel gauge before leaving the bay, with the time visible, and do the same on return — that five-minute habit settles almost every damage dispute. Check what a young or additional driver costs, since drivers under twenty-five and sometimes over seventy pay a surcharge. In Europe check whether the hire allows crossing borders, and outside the EU check whether an international driving permit is required. Free cancellation is offered up to a stated point before pickup, so book early and re-check nearer the date.

Using a VIP Cars discount code

Run the search, choose the supplier, and put the code in the promotional field before the deposit is taken.