Europcar offers and deals

What can you hire from Europcar in the UK?

Europcar hires cars and vans by the day, week or month from airport, city-centre and station branches across the UK, from Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted to Inverness, Kirkwall, Lerwick and Belfast, plus the Jersey and Guernsey airports. The range runs from city cars to people carriers and SUVs, with hybrid and electric models, a premium Selection range (Audi, BMW and Mercedes at some branches, the brand says) and vans. Away from the airports, most branches can deliver a car to a home, work or hotel address and collect it again for £25 each way plus £2 a mile from the nearest branch, between 9am and 6pm on weekdays and 9am and 1pm on Saturdays, but not on Sundays.

What do you need to hire a Europcar car?

Every driver has to be at least 22 and to have held a full licence for 12 months, and UK licence holders need a DVLA Share Driving Licence passcode from gov.uk, which stays valid for 21 days. Drivers aged 22 to 25 pay a Young Driver Surcharge of up to £79 a day under the September 2026 tariff, some cars aren't offered to them at all, and Selection cars need drivers of 25 or 30. The June 2026 terms set upper age limits only at Orkney (75) and Jersey and Guernsey (79). The endorsement rules are strict: two or more disqualifications rule a licence out, drink-driving (DR) codes are accepted only three years after the offence and dangerous driving (DD) codes after four. Northern Ireland licence holders bring both the photocard and the counterpart. Europcar also runs a soft credit check, which doesn't affect the credit score.

How do the deposit and payment work?

The current UK terms accept most major debit and credit cards, provided the card is physical (Apple Pay and Samsung Pay aren't accepted) and not prepaid. Europcar's deposit policy sets the UK hold at £250 on a prepaid hire, or the rental price plus £250 when paying at the counter, falling to £100 with a zero-excess protection package. The policy puts the release at four working days after invoicing, though the terms warn that banks can take up to ten.

What extra costs can add up?

The damage excess is the biggest exposure. Under the September 2026 tariff it reaches £2,000 on small cars, £2,200 on larger ones and up to £4,000 on premium cars, and Europcar's Medium and Premium protection packages reduce it (Premium to zero) for a daily fee. Excess insurance bought elsewhere is accepted, but Europcar takes the excess from the renter first and leaves the claim to the insurer. Other charges from the same tariff:

• Additional driver: £19.10 a day, up to £191 per rental.
• One-way hire: allowed between all UK branches, with the charge built into the online quote; a car can never be left outside the UK.
• Driving abroad: the Europdrive Pack for Europe (up to £312) or the Cross-Border Pack for the Republic of Ireland (up to £187.43), both including the VE103B form.
• UK islands such as the Isle of Wight, Skye, Arran, Orkney and Shetland: the Island Explorer Pack, up to £48.
• Mileage on standard cars: unlimited for hires of up to 27 days.

Which? marked Europcar down for the same thing: its experts gave two stars for clarity of rental conditions, noting that some mandatory charges weren't itemised at booking.

What do customers say about Europcar?

Which?'s survey puts it in the middle of the pack, and Trustpilot reviewers are far harsher. Which? gave Europcar a 67% customer score in its February/March 2026 survey, with four stars for description against reality, vehicle condition and customer service, three for value and the collection process, and an average price of £60 a day. On Trustpilot the UK site scored 1.5 out of 5 from 17,444 reviews in October 2026, with 52% one-star ratings; the complaints centre on damage bills, long queues at the desk and pressure to buy extra protection.

How can you pay less with Europcar?

Several standing discounts sit alongside the seasonal deals on this page. A newsletter sign-up gives 10% off a first hire, and the free Privilege For You programme gives members 10% off hires all year, with upgrades and a free additional driver at its higher levels. Students verified through Student Beans get up to 15% off UK car hire and 7.5% off van hire, graduates of the last five years get up to 15% through Grad Beans, and business accounts up to 10%. Cancelling or changing a booking is free with 48 hours' notice unless the rate was non-refundable; after that, a late cancellation costs up to £54 and a no-show £134.