Europcar Reviews 

I booked a car online with Europcar on 30th March. I requested a car with a sat-nav. The rental was to begin on 9th May from Munich Airport for a period of two weeks.
My flight time was changed by Lufthansa which meant that I arrived in Munich three hours earlier than originally anticipated. I went to the Europcar desk to see if I could start my rental three hours earlier. I fully expected to pay an additional fee for the extra three hours which might have been as much as a full day’s hire. I was dealt with by a Herr Berber. Herr Berber had a choice. He could either be helpful or he could seek to exploit me. Herr Berber decided to exploit me. He told me that there were no other cars available in the category I had booked. This was a lie. Europcar has landings full of all categories of cars at the airport car park. According to Herr Berber the only possible alternative was to change my entire booking to a BMW and to pay an additional €387 on top of the £417 I had already paid. I declined his ‘offer’ and instead spent 3 hours hanging about the airport.
Three hours later I attended at the Europcar desk again. I made it clear to the lady who I was now dealing with that I had booked a vehicle with a sat-nav. She took the additional payment for it and gave me the keys for my car. Off I went to the car park laden down with all my luggage to find the vehicle. Having located it and put my luggage in I switched on the engine to find the sat-nav. There was no sat-nav. In case I was mistaken I went off to find a Europcar employee to see if he could enlighten me. Having finally found such an employee I took him to the car and he confirmed there was no sat-nav. I would have to return to the main hall he said. So off I went, laden down with luggage yet again, to the Europcar desk. I stood in line again but was then dealt with by another lady. I expressed my frustration to her about being given a car without a sat-nav when the entirety of my dealings with the previous lady had been about a car with a sat-nav. I also expressed my frustration with the way Herr Berber had tried to exploit me earlier that morning. She intimated that had she been the one dealing with me that morning there would have been a different outcome. She provided me with an email address if I wanted to make a complaint. When I was leaving I made a barbed comment to Herr Berber which I do not think he received very well. I made my way to the car that I had now been allocated to - amazing isn’t it how cars in my category were now suddenly available- and it thankfully did have a sat-nav. I was now an hour late in setting off and in my haste I neglected to take photographs of the vehicle.

Two days later I emailed Europcar’s complaints department. I wanted to know if Herr Berber’s unhelpfulness was due to him acting of his own accord or was this Europcar policy. I also asked to be compensated for the lost hour that had been occasioned due to their incompetence. I suggested being compensated at the same hourly rate that Herr Berber had tried to sting me for - €130 or there about. Europcar replied to that email but only to bizarrely claim that the complaint could not be investigated because the rental was still on going!
I returned the vehicle on 23rd May. I returned it in the same condition that I received it. However, the employee who took receipt of the car keys also decided to take a minute interest in the car itself. Was this revenge for my barbed comment to Herr Berber a fortnight before? Many other cars were being left off at the same time but he only had eyes for mine. He carefully examined the exterior. Nothing was to be found. He checked the fuel. It was full. But then his eyes lit on two small marks on the driver’s seat. He immediately claimed that I would be liable for a “special cleaning” charge. I told him this was nonsense as those marks were on the vehicle when I picked it up.
The following day I emailed Europcar’s complaints department again. I informed them that the rental was now over and asked for a reply to my original email. I am still waiting. I also raised the suggestion that had been made about the special cleaning charge. I made it clear that this was very much in dispute. Their complaints department did not bother replying to that email either. Instead just two days later Europcar without telling me helped themselves to £104 from my credit card. Am I to assume this is their special cleaning charge? I do not know but I do know that what they have done is theft. I read in another review someone describing Europcar as scumbags. This really is much too measured and polite.

Very bad experience with Europcar in Stuttgart.

I had a confirmed reservation but was refused the car because they suddenly asked for an International Driving Permit. This requirement was not mentioned anywhere in the confirmation email.

I previously rented from Europcar in Karlsruhe and Frankfurt Hahn with the same driving license without any problems.

Completely inconsistent rules and zero customer care. I was left without a car and no solution was offered.

I do NOT recommend Europcar.

They charged my Card many times. I had to ask Bank to investigate, why these people are stealing money from card. After 6 month, they again send me another Bill to pay, saying I still did not pay them. After long correspondence with them, I found out they have no control of funds they are receiving from Customers. Very bad experience, no more rent car from this Company.

Wait time was horrendous. 5 staff working in total, 4 open tills, and three staff not even working, just sat there off to the side. We were waiting for 1 hour and a half. For a damaged Car, that wasn’t even what they said we would get, or similar to it. When we returned it, they blamed the damage of us. Specifically requested automatic, because we were new to driving manual. Worst car rental ever. Do not recommend.

I rented an SUV online, which was the vehicle category I specifically selected. Upon arrival for pickup, I was initially offered a limousine instead. I declined, as the booking clearly stated that customers would receive the selected vehicle category or something similar. After some back and forth, I was eventually provided with an SUV, which indicated that one had in fact been available from the beginning.

I collected the vehicle in Duisburg, drove approximately 40 km to Düsseldorf, and then continued to Antwerp, Belgium, a trip of around 181 km. I had already informed the company in advance that I would be driving to Belgium and paid the required additional fee for cross-border travel. While in Belgium, I made only two very short stops, each involving less than 10 minutes of driving. I then returned directly to Duisburg the same evening with little to no traffic.

The following morning, I returned the vehicle. The car was inspected, and I signed the return form. Unfortunately, I did not carefully verify the recorded mileage at the time of return. The agreed mileage allowance was 400 km, so receiving an invoice later claiming that I had driven 1,056 km was extremely surprising and, in my view, completely unrealistic based on the actual journey completed.

I contacted the company several times in an attempt to resolve the issue, but the discussions were unproductive and no correction was made. In my opinion, the invoicing was inaccurate and handled dishonestly.

My advice to others is to document everything carefully, including the vehicle’s mileage at pickup and return, and not to rely solely on the rental company’s records. Ensure that all details are verified before signing any return documents to avoid being charged for distances you did not travel.

Great experience at Europcar's Frankfurt Train Station branch. They went above and beyond to help me get a car last minute, after Alamo cancelled my reservation.
I'm just reducing 1 star because I found it quite expensive (perhaps because I decided to book all of the insurance perks) but other than that the service was excellent, the car was great, and I returned the car without any problem whatsoever. They saved me and my wife's roadtrip in Germany!

Hired a car in Malta, charged us to visit Gozo 25 euros, didn't go..returned car and there was a scuff on bumper. Husband began to rub at it and it would have come off,charged us 300 euros for damage and on the invoice charged us again for Gozo. Never use Europcar. They charge people for damages but obviously never use money to repair cars as they are covered in scratches

I am writing to file a formal consumer complaint regarding the conduct of Europcar Germany, a subsidiary company of EMobG Service Germany GmbH.
Background of the case
I rented a vehicle from Europcar in Munich in March 2025 and was subsequently charged a “cross-border fee” over eight months after I returned the car. Despite having both my email and credit card information, Europcar notified me of this allegedly unpaid charge via slow international mail, supposedly mailed with no postmark in November 2025, but not received by me until late January 2026. I contacted Europcar immediately upon receiving the original notice, and multiple other notices within days, to let them know I was disputing the charge as I had discussed paying it with the attendant and had been charged 78 euros upon my return of the car on 28 March 2025 for various fees, which I believe included a single additional driver, return to different location, and cross-border fee. I let Europcar know that I was disputing the charge in full until they could provide an itemized invoice about what charges the 78 euro covered. Instead of trying to resolve this with me right away, Europcar referred me to the company eCollect for collection action, and this company tacked on fees to raise the amount owed to over 330 euro, while also sending me threatening notices, eventually referring me to the the Astras Veritas company for legal action.
As I continued to dispute this charge with all three of these companies, I finally was able to get Europcar to admit there was a billing mistake in my favor, for which they not only reimbursed me 24 euro, but also stated in an email that “I am also pleased to confirm that there are currently no outstanding invoices and that the matter has been fully resolved.” I also called Europcar Germany and spoke with another representative who sent me an invoice where it appeared that instead of charging me a cross-border fee of 30 euro, the attendant had made a mistake and charged me a second additional driver fee of 54.50 euro, hence the 24 euro reimbursement to me.
Despite Europcar reporting to me that this matter being resolved, they refuse to contact eCollect to let them know that an error was made and there is no debt, instead telling me to try to resolve the matter with them. eCollect nor Astras Veritas will close this case until EuropCar directly tells them that it is resolved.
Impact
As a consumer, I am being subjected to repeated payment demands and escalating fees for a charge that I do not owe. This has caused unnecessary stress and many hours of my time responding to three different companies. I am very careful to pay all legitimate bills on time and value my creditworthiness and do not want this unsubstantiated and settled debt unresolved.
Request for assistance
I respectfully request that Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband:
Review the conduct of Europcar in this matter;
Assess whether their practices comply with applicable German and EU consumer protection laws;
Contact Europcar in your regulatory capacity and urge them to formally tell eCollect that the debt is settled and no further collection activities are warranted and must cease;
Advise on any other appropriate next steps for resolution; and
Consider whether broader consumer protection action is warranted if similar practices are affecting other consumers.
I am prepared to provide all relevant documentation, including correspondence, invoices, and collection notices, upon request. My Europcar Case # is 25859621.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I appreciate your assistance in ensuring that consumers are protected from improper billing and collection practices.

What an absolutely terrible company. Charged me an extra quarter tank of fuel plus handling charges. Only because I had photographed the gauge at pickup and drop off did they finally refund the incorrect charges.
Then if that wasn't good enough, they charged me for cross border travel having received verbal agreement at pickup this wouldn't apply. I had no proof so I have had to pay this incorrect charge & handling. No wonder their reviews are dire. Stay clear. Don't believe what the counter staff tell you. Get it in writing. Even the debt collection company put in writing that even if the Europcar counter staff state something, it doesn't alter the T & C's. No point asking for any advice, as it is worthless. Shocking experience. I've been fighting this issue since last October.

I recently rented a car with Europcar in Munich and the experience was quite frustrating overall.

To be fair, the car was practically new and in perfect condition, and the staff at pickup was friendly and professional.

Unfortunately, everything that happened after the return completely overshadowed the positive aspects. I experienced multiple incorrect charges, several re-issued invoices with inconsistent amounts, and a very confusing refund process.

I had to contact customer service multiple times (via online form and phone) just to understand what was going on. I mainly interacted with the Italian customer service, who acted as an intermediary with the German office, which made the process slower and more complicated.

At some point, I was seeing additional charges and refunds appearing and disappearing, making it extremely difficult to understand the actual final cost. This level of lack of transparency is not acceptable.

Eventually, the situation seems to have been resolved, but only after significant time and effort on my side.

In summary: good car and good service at pickup, but very poor administrative management afterwards. This has negatively affected my overall trust in the service.

Terrible service at the airport, car took more than an hour for them to get post landing despite having given them the right time ETA.

For 4 months after our vacation where we had rented they continued to randomly charge arbitrary sums to my on file card. Emailed their support, got a refund, but then the same thing would keep happening and more charges would appear.

Got to the point I had to ask the bank to block them as a vendor.
Save yourself the hastle and book with someone else.

We initially received and signed an offer, but the employee on site did not include the second driver for free as promised and added random protection extras although we already a good projection pack pre booked and payed. Because of this, we had to go back and redo the contract, removing any additional protections and only keeping what we had already paid for through TUI, as stated in our documents.

Additionally, the employee stated that the costs listed on the contract were “for overview purposes” and pointed to a section showing applicable charges, which was indicated as £0 at the time. This added to the confusion and inconsistency in how the terms were explained.

After we pointed out that the second driver should in fact be free, the staff member became visibly annoyed and insisted on creating an entirely new contract, claiming the original one was no longer valid. This whole situation happened in person between the Europcar employee and my two colleagues.

Overall, the experience felt highly unprofessional and unclear. The way the situation was handled raises concerns about transparency and consistency in the contracting process, and gave us a very uncomfortable impression of how terms may be presented or adjusted. If any additional charges are applied, we will not hesitate to pursue legal action.

Almost a month later we then got an invoice over 160£ and the online support was very unhelpful and unwilling to resolve the case with the person responsible.

I booked a car for 3:00 PM at Europcar Klagenfurt, but I arrived a bit later. When I got there, the office was already closed.

They did not leave the key in any drop box or provide any alternative. I also did not receive any clear notification by email; this information only appears at the end of the booking process, in an email where it is written in barely noticeable small print.

When I contacted Europcar Spain, the service was quite unfriendly, and the only options I was given were: wait until the next day (losing a full day of my trip) or pay €95 for a “no-show” and rent the car again. I was forced to pay this extra fee.

What is most concerning is that if your flight is delayed, you end up in the same situation, with no consideration from the company.

I had other trips booked with Europcar and have cancelled all of them. After this experience, I will not use their services again.

This was by far the worst service experience I have ever had.
Nearly every car I received was in poor condition or already defective. It felt like none of the vehicles were properly maintained or even checked before being handed over. Repeatedly dealing with malfunctioning cars was not only frustrating but also a complete waste of time.
What made the situation even worse was the lack of support. When a car broke down or stopped working, there was absolutely no help available. Instead of offering assistance or solutions, I was met with dismissive and unhelpful customer service.
At one point, I spoke to a staff member who showed a very unprofessional attitude, essentially saying they didn’t care and that the condition of their cars was “not their problem.” This level of indifference toward customers is completely unacceptable.
Overall, the combination of unreliable vehicles and extremely poor customer service made this a terrible experience. I would strongly advise others to avoid this company.
Never again.

We had bought a full coverage via the broker and the customer service person at Europcar insisted that we don’t have an insurance eventhough we presented all documents. Kids were tired and we left the office and called the broker on the way. We indeed were fully insured but Europcar took no responsibility for giving wrong information at the desk. The person at the desk tried also aggressively to sell upgrade. Recommend avoiding this place as there are other service providers in Munich airport.

Europcar Albania: Dishonest Pricing & "After-Hours" Traps – Avoid this location at all cost!
​I am a frequent renter, and this was by far the worst experience I’ve had. If you value price transparency and honest business practices, do not rent here. This location is a poor reflection on the Europcar brand.
​The main issues:
​Hidden Surcharges: Even with a pre-paid voucher from a third party (in my case Check24) that clearly stated my pickup time, Europcar charged an extra €24 at the desk for a 7 PM Saturday pickup. The 'total price' you see online is not what you will actually pay.
​Cleaning Fee Scam: There was a sign in the car stating a €10 fee for returning it dirty (see photos). Despite the fact that your car definitely will get dirty when using wet Albanian roads, they charged me €20. When I challenged this, they claimed it was 'extremely dirty - a completely subjective and random definition used to extract more money. There is zero transparency here despite their indication!
​Fuel Policy: My contract stated 'Full-to-Full,' yet I received the car with a nearly empty tank. My first 'vacation activity' was hunting for a gas station.
​Avoid the headache and book with a different company. I will not be using Europcar again. Very disappointed.

Unexpected transactions on my credit card even after three months after renting a car with them. I called them and they tried to explain it saying that they charge 40€ for processing user ID. But they were not able to provide a bill for it. It happen twice for the same amount. I needed to block my card and ask for a new one.

DO NOT BOOK FROM EUROPCAR !!! - I have booked cars three times from europcar and had the worst experience all the three times. Never ever booking again from them as its basically a scam !!! .THEY WILL CHARGE YOU MUCH MORE THAN WHAT THEY QUOTE AS THEY'LL TAKE YOUR CREDIT CARD BEFOREHAND . There are so many hidden costs they won't tell about . For example - premium station surcharge ( I mean wtf is even that).

While the motability car we have is in for an emergency repair we have been told there's a 3 week wait to be able to get a car! The staff are totally useless when you call and the website state a hire place is open but when you call it says it's closed and cuts you off. How this is acceptable is beyond me

The staff behaved in a very rude and unprofessional manner. Instead of helping customers, they were wasting time and not taking their job seriously. They completely ruined my trip. When I went to pick up the vehicle, they suddenly told me the company wouldn’t give me the car because my german license is only 2.5 years old but my uk licence is 9 years old.

If this was a known requirement, why didn’t the company inform me at least 24 hours before my trip started? I could have made other arrangements instead of having my entire program ruined at the last minute. Without my permission they delete the booking from profile. This level of communication and service is unacceptable.