Europcar29 reviews
This score is based on 29 genuine reviews submitted via US-Reviews since 2017.
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Find companies you have experience with and write reviews about them! Your reviews contribute to a more transparent market and improve the reliability of companies.Mixed bag — good people, messy admin
I wouldn’t call this a smooth ride, but the people at the desks often pulled it back. I found out the hard way that their back office and the front-line staff live in two different worlds. I first started dealing with this in Feb 2025 when I booked a car for Jersey through a third-party site — my initial impression was okay, until the follow-up began.
Right away, questions that were routine for me turned into a long game of email ping-pong. Simple stuff at the counter went fine, but anything slightly off-script got bounced between teams like a hot potato. For weeks I chased confirmation that my reservation existed, called, emailed both companies, and kept getting variations of “we’re checking.” It wasn’t until I actually landed in Jersey that someone found the booking under my name and handed me keys. That felt both relieving and a bit annoying — why the weeks of hassle?
Same pattern with loyalty points: I asked for the rental to be credited to my account, and again it took ages and a few different people to get an answer. Eventually someone followed up properly and told me Jersey rentals weren’t in the points program. Fine — but that should’ve been said at the start. On the money side, they didn’t dither when charging me a fee for passing on a parking fine; that one landed fast and without question. Also worth noting: staff in Jersey, Guernsey, the UK and Cyprus were consistently solid, polite and helpful. The one sour note was a supervisor at Dublin airport who came off as pretty brusque, which left a bad taste.
So yeah, skeptical at first, but I ended up content with most face-to-face encounters. The back office needs clearer processes and quicker, honest answers though — saves everyone time.Last-minute upgrade went off-script
I dropped the car off and the attendant in the garage told me they didn’t need to check the vehicle because I had the premium insurance. That surprised me; I had not asked for premium and I hadn’t been told I was upgraded to it. I was rushing to my flight and couldn’t resolve it in person, so I left.
Later I sent emails asking for clarification and a partial refund for the extra insurance charge. The replies were short and firm: I signed the contract, so they assume I agreed to everything. No refund. No real explanation of why the premium plan was added without my clear consent. Repeated messages got me the same answer. It’s the typical “we show it on paper” defense.
The car itself was fine. Delivery at pick-up was adequate. But the way the agent handled the upgrade and the insurance felt pushy and unclear. If you rent through a broker, double-check the type of car and all insurance lines before you sign. Ask for everything to be printed clearly. Take photos of forms if you can. I wanted a straightforward week with a small car; I ended up spending more and following up by email. Not a disaster, but could have been handled much better by their staff.Rim worry turned into relief
what if they find something later? What if they charge me for stuff that was already there?
Return day came and one employee pointed out a super faint scratch on the front rim. I mean, it was barely visible, only at weird angles in good light — basically something that wouldn’t even show up in a normal photo. He insisted I was responsible and asked me to sign a damage report. I told him no, I wouldn’t sign for something I couldn’t prove I caused. I took a few extra shots, left, and spent the next two weeks kind of on edge waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Then I got a bill for nearly the cost of replacing all four rims. That’s when my frustration peaked — I felt accused and a bit helpless, because the “damage” didn’t appear in the photos they initially sent (they actually sent broken HTML links at first). So I wrote them back, calmly but firmly, requested clear photos and a proper damage report and a third-party repair estimate. I also sent the photos I had taken at return that clearly showed the wheels looking fine from my angles.
They dragged their feet a bit, sent junk files, didn’t answer properly for a while. I followed up, kept poking, and yes I nagged them. Two days after my final letter they finally voided the claim. No charge. No replacement bill. It felt like a small victory — vindicating, really.
So would I recommend them? Kind of a mixed bag. The car did the job for my move, and I’m relieved it ended without a charge, but the whole back-and-forth was exhausting. My takeaway: if you rent here, take tons of photos and don’t accept pressure to sign anything you don’t understand. Be persistent — it worked for me. I’m glad I stuck with it.Midway-through-the-trip reality check
I was halfway down the arrival hall, dragging a carry-on and already running through the clock in my head, when I remembered the booking confirmation on my phone. A friend had recommended Europcar — cheap rate, easy pick-up, he said — and I’d grabbed the first decent deal I could find online. Still, I’d spent the week before reading reviews and fuming over every warning about dodgy deposits and surprise charges. That left me skeptical, honestly. I almost canceled, but flights were nonrefundable and I didn’t want to spend more on taxis, so I stuck with it.
Midnight pick-up that went downhill
the car looked and smelled old (there’s a strong cat-urine smell that won’t leave your nose), several bits were broken or barely working, and overall it felt like a poor-quality vehicle sold as “premium.” The thing I want to focus on though, because it kept me up at night later, was the child seats. We rented two for our 1- and 3-year-old. They arrived dirty, worn, and looked like they had seen a few lives too many. I kept checking the straps and mounts while we drove, and it never felt right. For me that was the most dangerous part — not the scratch on the bumper or the wonky steering, but that two things designed to protect my kids were sketchy. We did end up fine, thankfully, and that’s the main relief I have: nobody was hurt and we made it through the trip. Still, the lack of care was glaring. Other issues: headlights that only worked on high beam (staff shrugged and said that was normal there), a defogger that didn’t work on the driver side, and tinted windows that made mirror use at night useless. On day one we got a flat. Roadside assistance was supposedly included but all they told us was to put on the spare ourselves and go find a tire. Half a day of searching on a Sunday later, we paid for a replacement out of pocket. Returning the car was another low point — their rep showed up over three hours late. So yeah, a lot went wrong. I’m grateful things didn’t turn into something worse and that the kids were okay, but I can’t honestly recommend renting here unless you insist on seeing the exact car, test the child seats yourself, and take photos of everything. Tip to others: bring your own car seats if you can, and document every problem the moment you get the keys.
Not worth the premium
I wouldn’t recommend this airport location — the car and support were way below what we paid for, though I’m genuinely relieved we all got home safe. We arrived late at night with two little kids and ended up waiting almost an hour and a half after customs because the vehicle wasn’t there. That set the tone. When the car finally showed up it looked ancient and smelled bad — honestly smelled like cat urine — and there was no time or energy to argue with toddlers in tow, so we took it reluctantly. After that it was small things and big things. The headlights only worked on high beam, the driver-side defogger was useless, tinted windows made side mirrors nearly blind at night, and the front passenger floor mat was soaked from a leaking AC. The engine felt underpowered and the steering kept pulling to one side. On day one we got a flat. Roadside assistance was supposedly included but instead we were told to put on the spare ourselves and go find a replacement tire. We spent half a day looking (it was Sunday) and ended up buying a tire at our own cost because nobody came. We had also rented two child seats — for a 1- and 3-year-old — which were dirty and clearly worn; not the kind of safety equipment you expect when you pay premium prices. Returning the car didn’t help: the staff arrived more than three hours late to the drop-off, which added unnecessary stress right before our flight. I filed a complaint and was dismayed by how it was handled; their response included inaccuracies about where we had the flat, which was inside the city, not some remote spot. That felt like gaslighting. A small positive: we’re thankful nothing worse happened and the kids were fine, so I’ll say that — a little relief goes a long way. Advice to others: inspect the vehicle thoroughly before you sign, take time-stamped photos of everything, test lights and mirrors, and insist on fresh, certified child seats if you’ve paid for them. If anything seems off, walk away. This place could be okay with proper management and honest customer care, but our experience was disappointing and unsafe in parts, and for the premium price you expect much better.
Model choice disappointment
I want to share about my not-so-great experience with a car rental company. I reserved a car online and chose an Audi A3 as my preferred model. But when I got the confirmation email, they switched it to a Volkswagen Golf 1.6 TDI. It was annoying because their website said I could drive the exact model I picked, but that didn't happen. So, I ended up with the Golf, but it wasn't what I was expecting and I wasn't happy about it.
Car rental in New Zealand
Renting a car in New Zealand costs an arm and a leg, especially when you're talking about an electric car. Getting the car was simple enough, but they kind of dropped the ball on giving us the lowdown on electric cars, especially about how to charge them up. The cable they gave us was like a slow drip, and they made us download an app just to find a charging station in New Zealand. It was a real pain having to figure all that out on our own.
Van rental experience
My experience with the rental company wasn't great. I reserved a van online, but they canceled my booking 8 hours before I was supposed to pick it up because they didn't have any vans available at the location. They took my payment right away, but I was frustrated by the lack of communication and the delay in getting my refund. I never got an apology for the inconvenience, which made me pretty unhappy with their customer service. I'd suggest avoiding this company if you can.
Hire car too small
Today we picked up our rental car at the place near our flight. The car ended up being too small for all our stuff. But then, this guy Evan came in and saved the day by showing us other cool cars that would fit us better. He was really nice and didn't rush us at all, even though there were a bunch of people waiting. Huge shout out to Evan for helping us out! I'm excited to rent from here again in the future.
Car rental experience
So, we rented a car at this place, you know? And they really tried to trick us. We reserved a regular car, but they insisted we had booked an electric car and wanted us to pay more. No way, man! We ended up with a small Fiat 500 and had to fork over extra cash. Not cool at all. But we spoke with our travel company and thankfully got our money refunded. We're definitely not going back to Europcar again, that's for sure!
Rental experience with returned damaged vehicle
I just rented a car and when I brought it back, they charged me for a tiny scratch that was actually marked down on the car before I even rented it. Even though the scratch was in an area that was already messed up, they still charged me way more than what I paid for renting the car, wiping out my whole deposit. I think it's not right and doesn't match up with the usual costs for car damage in Europe. I want to make a complaint about this.
Car rental at Stansted airport
I rented a car at Stansted airport with my two young kids recently. There was a staff member named Fahad who tried to sell me insurance I didn't need by pretending it was a "staff discount", but really it was just a scam to make more money. He made me believe the insurance I already got online wasn't showing up in his system, so I thought I had no coverage. I felt like he was taking advantage of me and being deceitful. I would advise against renting from this place and dealing with people like Fahad in the future.
Renting car after issue with another rental company
My family and I were planning on renting a car from somewhere else, but they were trying to charge us so much just because we had a debit card. We were pretty frustrated about it, but then we decided to check out another car rental spot and that's where we met Mattia. He was super friendly and managed to hook us up with a solid deal that didn't break the bank. We really appreciated Mattia coming through for us and turning our day around!
Fast and efficient customer service
I was really impressed with the customer service I got at this car rental company. I had a little issue with the car after only four days, but they fixed it super fast and even gave me a free upgrade. I was so happy with how they handled everything, it went above and beyond what I expected. I'm definitely going to stick with this company for all my rental car needs in the future.
Rental car pick-up in Split
We had planned to pick up a rental car in Split, Croatia for a week-long trip. But when we got there, they told us the car wasn't ready like it was supposed to be. Even though we were on time, we had to wait for who knows how long. We asked again after an hour, and still, the car wasn't ready. Finally, they gave us a different car and even upgraded us for free, adding another driver at no charge. Even though it was annoying to wait, we were grateful for the upgraded car and extra driver as a way to make up for the delay and inconvenience.
Easy car rental
Renting a car was actually super easy and I had a good time doing it. I had to change where I was supposed to drop the car off at the very last minute, but the support team took care of it right away without any issues. I was impressed by how smoothly I was able to pick up and return the car, all thanks to the really nice and helpful staff. And the best part? No unexpected fees or extra charges to stress about.
Car rental experience
I was so frustrated with my car rental experience the other day. I had already paid for the rental, but when I got to the airport, they didn't have a car for me. It was such a hassle, I had to go find another rental company close by. But, I lucked out and actually got an upgraded car for £200 less than what I paid with Europcar at first. The way Europcar handled this situation was not cool at all and it really made me not want to use them again.
Delayed flight resulted in missed car rental, poor customer service
I had a really bad experience with Europcar. Our flight was late, so we missed our car rental pickup time and ended up stuck at the airport. The people working there didn't seem like they wanted to help us at all. We had to take a taxi to our hotel, and the next day we found out there wasn't even a car for us anymore.
Rental scam at Mallorca Airport
So my boyfriend and I got totally scammed when we tried to rent a car at the airport. The bill we got was way higher than what we were told originally. It was super upsetting and made us feel like we were taken advantage of. I just want to warn everyone to be really careful when renting from that place, maybe even record your conversations so you have proof of what was agreed upon.
About Europcar
There are many reasons why we need to rent a car. It could be that we are yet to get a car but we need the flexibility of having a car of your offers for a day or more. Even if you have a car traveling to another city or country you can’t drive to or having a faulty car, you would also need to rent a car during your stay in that city or till the car is fixed. One of the companies you can rent a car from in the USA or when you travel to other countries is Europcar. However, before giving them a try, we suggest that you read reviews of the company left for them here by customers who have patronized them before. This will help you to know if they have been as efficient as they claim.
About Europcar
Europcar is a company that offers car rental services in the USA, Europe, and several other countries in the world. They claim to have an extensive network and a modern fleet. They pride themselves in having the selection of prestige rental where you can arrive with one of their prestigious rental cars that include sporty, luxury, and executive rental cars. They claim to deliver their mobility solutions globally through an extensive network in over 140 countries.
Services
The services of Europcar include express pick-up, VAT refund, Deliver & Collect as well as E-invoicing. Some of their UK deals include monthly car hire from € 105 a week, long term car hires from € 249 amongst others. They also have a loyalty program aimed at rewarding their customers. Members are privileged to a 10% off their public rate for renting a car or van for three or more days with no exclusions. With this, you can save more during the period. Also, being a member, you get to enjoy a faster vehicle pick-up process and rewards like free weekend rentals and value off coupons. Interested parties can join for free. Europcar vehicles are enabled with GPS services to help guide customers who might not have a clear idea or are unfamiliar with their destination. Why choose Europcar? They provide a convenient car rental experience, fast pickup times on arrival, and excellent prices. Their online check-in allows you to view, modify or cancel your reservations at any time by entering the relevant details. The most appealing part of Europcar is that they can deliver their hire cars to wherever you are and collect from any UK address saving you time. Delivery and collection for all types of vehicles are conducted starting at € 10. To receive news and special offers from Europcar, simply subscribe to the Europcar newsletter.
Compliments, Complaints, and Opinions
Have you tried any services of Europcar before? If yes, how easy was it to find the model of the car you wanted to rent? Would you recommend Europcar to other people who want to rent a car? Kindly share your experience and thoughts below.
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Categories Europcar
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Last update: October 2025
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Review with most votes
Perfect for a road trip
We rented a car in New York and drove all the way to Los Angeles. Perfect car. No problems. Took us a whole month, and we saw a lot! Car had no problem driving in the scenic ro... Read onBy: John