Renting car in Germany- Driving Berlin to Switzerland/Spain

[Mckenzie]

I'm just about the plan the second leg of a trip where we need to get from Berlin on June 19 to Valencia Spain by Sat June 26. We were thinking of renting a car and driving the autobahn through to Switzerland or even right into Spain, depending on rules, or what there is to see.

Anyone have any experiences or inputs here?

Thanks

[Kobe]

Never gone to switzerland/spain in a car from Berlin, but I know we have rented a car in Germany more then once and drove it to Poland...

[Mckenzie]

So is it possible to return in a different country then? What kind of rides were available?

[jaysas_63]

Originally posted by Mckenzie
So is it possible to return in a different country then? What kind of rides were available?

the rental company i dealt with didn't allow certain cars inside of Italy because of theft

[sweeks]

It all depends on the rental company so check websites/call around and expect to pay a bunch to be able to do so.

Also France is between Switzerland and Spain.

[Mckenzie]

^Yah anything between Berlin and Valencia is fair game. I'm sure 5-6 days cruising through random spots on that route would be quite a fun trip. Love road trips...

[71/454]

I've done this a few times but never returned outside of the country I rented from. Switzerland requires a 100 euro premium. I think it's for road tax or something, you get a sticker. If you get caught without paying it's a fine. As far as taking the car to other countries, this can depend on the rental company and type of car rented. I always rented from avis and some countries were restricted but you could take the car there if you paid an additional 8 euros a day (mostly eastern bloc). Some cars are not admissible to certain countries at all. I can't remember it all but something like BMW 5 series and some Mercedes were restricted from Italy and other places.

[gstone]

You have to read the fine print which is provided on all of the major rental companies websites. Like mentioned above, certain cars are not allowed in certain countries mostly due to insurance/theft reasons. In my experience avis has been somewhat more open than other companies.

[Palmiros]

I am also looking to rent a vehicle in Germany for my upcoming Europe trip. I am not leaving the country; just interested in renting for a day and driving the autobahn etc. Are there any age restrictions similar to Alberta where you can only rent if you're over 25, etc?

[rojhero]

Gemut.com is a great place and they will answer all your questions. They're based out of the states, but specialize in car rentals especially in Germany. Bob Bestor is great to talk to and I believe they also price match.

There are "underage" fees that you have to add if you're between 21-25. Although an IPL (International Driver's Permit) is not required, we got one just in case. They also provide a list of road signs, etc. with the permit.

Last year, we drove from Munich to the Nurburgring and then dropped off in Frankfurt. My advice would be to rent a GPS unit if you don't already have one with world maps. Also, it's much easier and cheaper to rent if you know how to drive manual.

You'll love driving on the autobahn. I was pleasantly surpised at how orderly, efficient, and safe the drivers were. Also, on the unlimited sections, you get to test the top speed of your rental . Nothing quite like driving >200km/hr legally and fairly safely on a public road.

[Mckenzie]

Great info everyone- thanks!

Really looking forward to cruising the autobahn and not feeling guilty about doing more than 120 km/h.

[Mitsu3000gt]

The Autobahn is the safest highway I've ever been on BY FAR. Everyone has perfect etiquette, knows how to drive, and the roads are in amazing condition. I drove it several times along with many other roads between Germany, Switzerland, and Italy.

When we went, the cars we rented had built in GPS and it saved us so much precious time on many occasions. Unless you have nothing but time I would recommend paying extra for a GPS. Also it's rare to find an automatic rental car there unless you want to pay extra, so if you can drive a standard you're all set in that department.

Some countries require an international license, some don't. I'd recommend getting it to avoid any possible hassles and because it's so cheap. They asked to see mine in Italy even though prior research suggested I didn't need one.

Also rental car companies won't let you take their cars around the ring anymore. Too many cars coming back with no brakes and bald tires haha. People got away with it for the longest time because it's actually a public road, not a dedicated race track.

[LadyLuck]

Check this link:

SIXT Rental

I used to get the best rental rates through this company.
If you drop it off in Spain prepare to spend a ton of money, dropping it off in Switzerland is a bit cheaper per day.

Last year I rented a car for 2.5 weeks from them, took it through 5 countries with unlimited km and spent only 400 bucks, that was with insurance.

[cycosis]

I always rented through europcar when I lived there. Got upgraded to an E-class Benz for free cause they fucked my order. Never had any issues. Also, the autobahn isnt continuous no limit highway driving. Autobahn is just "highway" in German. Depends on the time of day whether there are speed limits or not. Plus they have lots of speed cameras, distance between car calculators, and hidden portable cameras.

Not that its not all boooo. I did find an empty section form Munich to Prague where I had 3 hours of 160km/h +. freakin amazing! Just learn the signs and you'll be good.


Also, grab yourself a diesel. Only gas in Germany is premium and it was a euro fifty when I was there for 1 liter.

[Ukyo8]

I rented a Benz in Germany, and returned it in a location on the other side of the country.

Never had any issues

I Used Europcar

[bart]

i rent cars in germany all the time to drive around europe, usually for 4-6 weeks, here's a 520d from a past trip

dont forget about your IDP's, you don't need them for renting a car but if you got into an accident you are in big trouble

[soccernut]

Just make sure you get a rental with unlimited mileage.
most of them have a limit. I have rented with Europcar before and they have been pretty cheap with unlimited mileage.

Also look at Autoeurope.com which can give you better prices than everyone else's. Make sure to look through all the different versions of the site (Euro/US/Canadian) and find the best deal. believe it or not, they are different.

[nancy121]

I used the services of http://www.germanycarrentalsite.com last year and they offered me a great deal. But my pick-up and drop off locations were both within the country. They are covering good network of locations within Germany.

[hrdkore]

also please check that you might need a international driver's license.. can get one from local ama...need a passport photo though and costs about $20.

[core_upt]

Got back from driving in Germany a couple weeks ago, so I thought I'd add a bit from my experience.

1) Do NOT rent the cheapest car!! I always try and rent the smallest car category, thinking most people do the same, and have always been upgraded since they don't have the stock. This have worked out every time, except in Bonn, where I was given a 70hp Opel Corsa 1.2L
Driving with such an underpowered car on the highways is pretty unnerving. Cars on the highway travel between 100 and 200 km/h, meaning you need to have some power to pass other cars at 140 km/h, and get out of the way as someone goes to pass you at 180km/h.

2) Gas is pricey in Germany - I drove about 1,000KM and spent over 100 Euro on gas. Get a diesel if you can.

3) To drive on the highways in Switzerland you need to get a 'vignette' which is basically a sticker that shows you've paid the toll. All highways in SWZ are toll roads, and then one vignette takes care of it all. More info: http://www.autobahnen.ch/index.php?lg=001&page=014

4) Driving in Spain is great on the highways, they move fast like Germany. But their city driving is a nightmare (based on driving in Seville). Traffic is a mix of cycles, mopeds, horses cars, buses and trucks, lined up 9 across in a four lane road. Also, it's a little hard to find your way as every street name is long and Spanish, which can make them all look and sound the same.

5) Get a discount code! I use K444404 which is 40% of Avis rental. If you google it, it's for a company called JetBlue, and there is some discussion on people that have had issues using it, but I have yet to have it questioned in Europe.

6) Most of the highways in Germany have a posted speed limit, and it is enforced by photo radar, most commonly found at the end of tunnels or underpasses. Speed limits are usually 130km/h and most people go much faster on the open road. Accidents do happen, we saw one around Stuttgart that had the entire highway closed going the other way and traffic was backed up for over 7km.

7) Black Forest! We drove through parts of the Black Forest, from Konstanz (on the Swiss border) around Bonndorf and to Bernau. The roads are narrow, slower, and windy, but quite fun to drive. Really nice small 'real' German towns and amazing scenery. I'd recommend it if you have time, but it is a slow route.

8) I did not need an international DL, but the counter person at Avis was a little puzzled as to why my Alberta licese is called an 'Operator's License' and not a 'Driver's License' and she recommended I have an Intl DL, but it wasn't required.

Let me know if you have any questions and I can try and answer.