Faremax: Travel Forums

What is the normal age requried to rent a car?  If you have good insurance, will they allow you to rent a car no matter what?  This would be good to know.

21 or 25, most places, irrespective of the legal driving age. Most of the big companies (Avis, Hertz etc) set the limit a few years above the legal driving age in whatever country they're operating for insurance reasons. Also, in the US it varies from state to state, though I don't think that effects your ability to drive across state lines if you're under the company's policy age in the state you're driving into. Your best bet is to check the company websites - all of them have pretty comprehensive guides on this sort of thing.

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billhilton.biz

Most providers allow you to rent a car at 21.  If you are 25+ you can actually decline insurance but for those drivers under 25 its a requirement and you should be prepared to pay anywhere form $5 to $25 per day on top of the actaul daily rental price.  Contact the provider before you make a booking so you know what you are getting into

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"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one." - Albert Einstein
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I concur.  Last time I went with Herts and it cost me $40/day for the car that was just $20 to those older than 25.

where was that? I'm 24 and last time I was in france i just paid 18 Euros a day, which is about the same $ value.

In good old USA.  Maybe in Europe its different.  Never rented a car in Europe, yet

Some places require that you must be 21 because when my sister was in collage she could not rent a car to get home my parents had to call and rent it and she had to go pick it up.

I think at least in Florida that the age is 25. I remember that because when I turned 25 it was my meek attempt at excitement over the slightest thing new I could figure out to do. I also got in many accidents as a teenager, thus, needing rentals, and could never get them easily. Usually my mother had to cosign for me and they'd allow it with multiple credit card backups of hers, and that's when I was 18. So I think it is technically 25 but they stretch the rules a bit for people that seem responsible. After all, it's more money for them.

 

Lovesong

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see, my first thought would be "as long as you're old enough to drive in that State!" but I see I'm woefully ignorant of this... interesting to see how it changed from company to company!

something to definitely check out before you make the reservation!

I think everywhere in the US you HAVE to be 21 to rent a car, and I have never heard of a place that didn't charge an underage surcharge of 5-20 $ a day if you were under 25.  Actually, I wanted to rent a car for 2 weeks, starting the week before I turned 25, and they were going to charge me the underage fee for the entire time!  The policy is "age at the time of rental..." or something like that.  Luckily, my dad let me borrow his car and he rented a car for him... Otherwise that would have doubled my rental fee!  So I don't think they waive the age rules for anything.  But that was Hertz. 

ebittner:

Some places require that you must be 21 because when my sister was in collage she could not rent a car to get home my parents had to call and rent it and she had to go pick it up.

I don't know how that works!  Normally when you rent a car, the person who is financially responsible for the car has to pick it up- Every place I have ever rented with, you have to pay fees for additional drivers... and they still have to qualify as renters...  What company was this with, do you know?  That would have been so handy in my younger years!!!

The US you have to be 25. They will let yunger people rent through their insurance agent, or with a special additional insuarnce.

If you are under the age of twenty five, they will rent a car to you but it will cost you a lot more than it would for someone who is older.  When I was twenty five they charges me a two hundred dollar security deposit, and this was everywhere that I went. 

Here in Ontario, Canada I know someone who couldn't rent a car a couple years ago because she was under 25.

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http://this-twisted-history.blogspot.com/

It varies from state to state and company to company.