Poland is a modern European country with great opportunities for both business representatives and travel enthusiasts. At the same time, mobility is important for both of them to achieve their goals. This request, as well as additional wishes - representativeness, comfort, etc. - are satisfied by such a service as car rental in Poland. It is worth considering a few nuances, and rest or solving business issues will be simplified without harming the wallet.
The best sites for finding a car for rent
Car rental is a demanded service in modern society. Accordingly, the number of companies that offer car rental is growing rapidly all over the world, including in Poland.
There are many national car rental agencies on its territory, each of which has a website:
- Rentis
- OSEK Rent a Car
- Panek
- Carfree
- Car Net Polska.
Local firms offer a good level of service and reasonable prices. The minimum daily rental of a class A car is $ 16-20.
In Poland, international companies with an extensive network of car rental offices have also established themselves well. Among the key foreign players on the Polish market, we would like to point out:
- Hertz
- Budget Car Rental
- Sixt
- Alamo.
It is worth noting that the pricing policy of international companies is somewhat higher. So, for a class A car per day you will have to pay at least $ 18-24, but this difference is covered by additional bonuses: the ability to rent a car outside the rental location and outside the office hours, as well as the availability of different types of insurance.
If it is difficult to decide on the choice of a car among the offers of local and international car rental companies, you can use the aggregator sites:
- Carrentals
- Carngo
- Economycarrentals
- Economycarhire
- Autoeurope
- Arguscarhire.
Such portals are intermediaries between the rental company and the client, so their services may additionally include a commission, however, aggregator sites often make special discounts on car rental.
Prerequisites and requirements for car rental in Poland
Since a car is primarily a big responsibility, the requirements for renting it are high.
Documents and conditions required when renting a car:
- Passport or other document proving identity and age. In Poland under the age of 21, it is possible to apply for a car rental only in a few companies. If you are under 25 or over 65, renting is allowed but will incur additional costs.
- A valid international driver's license (IDL) as well as a driving license from your home country. The document must confirm the presence of a driving experience of at least one year, and when renting a prestigious car - at least two years.
- Bank card of MasterCard or Visa payment system. It should be noted that the availability of exclusively credit cards is almost always taken into account, and when renting an expensive car, you will be asked to present two cards at once. Only a few local car rental shops accept cash.
When registering a car for rent, the operator does not require a health certificate. But if he notices that the client is intoxicated or behaves inappropriately, the service may be refused.
How much does it cost to rent a car in Poland
When planning a budget for a trip with a rented car, there are some nuances to consider. Knowing them, you can consciously choose a car and save money. The amount of rent is directly influenced by:
- Duration of the lease. The daily rental cost decreases if you rent a car for a longer period.
- Advance booking. Renting a car that is booked early is always cheaper than renting a car that was paid at the last moment. In addition, advance booking guarantees a wide range of cars.
- Vehicle class. Class A cars are reasonably cheaper than Class C cars.
- Transmission type. Driving a car with a manual transmission turns out to be more economical, while renting such cars is also cheaper.
- Season. The price significantly depends on the seasonality factor.
- Location of the car rental point. For example, renting a vehicle at the airport in Warsaw or Gdansk is approximately 26% more expensive than renting at a point located within the same city.
- Car return time. Billing is carried out not by the hour, but by the number of full days: if you used the car for two days and one hour, you will have to pay for three full days (sometimes 2.5).
- Additional devices. Sometimes a child seat or a GPS-navigator is more profitable to buy than to rent.
- Additional services. It happens that the client is charged a surcharge for the second driver without warning.
In order not to face additional costs during the return of the car, it is important to clarify whether the declared price includes airport taxes (Premium Location Fee), taxes, total mileage, whether the tank must be full when returning the car. It is also recommended to take pictures of the car before receipt and at the time of return, especially if any nuances were noticed.
Before signing a car rental agreement, you should study in detail the conditions of insurance, which is provided automatically and is included in the rental price.
For the driver's peace of mind, it is advisable to make sure that the insurance includes a deductible - limitation of liability in case of damage.
True, this option is provided mainly only by large car rental companies.
Let's get acquainted with the prices for specific examples. So, on the website of OSEK Rent a Car, it is stated that renting a Seat Ibiza Combi car with a manual transmission for two weeks in the center of Krakow without additional options will cost $ 404. The price per day will be about $ 29.
Service benefits
For those who have never rented a car before, it seems that the service has many rules, requirements and nuances. But it is enough to carefully study them once, and renting a vehicle in Poland will give only advantages in the form of comfort, mobility, accessibility to remote places, and, if desired, representativeness.
