A well planned trip abroad that includes careful review of cheap travel options, including cheap airplane tickets and discount hotel rooms, can end up costing a lot more than planned if you rent a car and are unaware of your car rental companys additional fees.
The following are some of the fees to pay particular attention to:
Premium station fees are often charged on cars picked up at airports or major train stations. Such fees range from 15 percent (Italy) to 20 percent (Austria, Germany, Switzerland), or it is a flat fee as high as $57 in Spain. Your best option is to take a taxi to an off airport rental location. Usually such fees only apply to pickup and you can return your car to an airport or train station without an upcharge.
Border crossing fees can be prohibitive. By driving one way and dropping a car off in another country you will face a fee of anywhere between $70 to $4,000, depending on how far you drop the car off from where it was picked up. It is important that you comparison shop before renting, since fees vary by company and country.
Road tax, or vehicle licensing fee (vlf), costs as much as $5 per day. Although this fee cannot be avoided, by booking your rental through a European agency, such as Auto Europe, Gemut, or Europe by Car, you will be quoted all taxes and fees so you will not be surprised when you pay for your car rental.
Late return charges run a full day extra and typically kick in when you are more than 29 minutes late in returning a car.
Often there is a charge for winter tires. Nevertheless, if you will be driving during winter, you should request such tires in advance. The cost ranges from about $3.50 per day in Austria to about $21 per day in Germany with the maximum charge running about $170. If this add on appears too costly, consider taking an alternative mode of transportation.
Unfilled tank charge results in an additional fee on top of the inflated per liter rate the car company charges. www.cheapfares.com