European rental‑car prices can vary by up to 135 % across popular holiday spots
A study by the Arbeiterkammer Oberösterreich compared rental‑car offers in 18 well‑known vacation destinations during the first week of August 2026. Including taxes, unlimited mileage, full‑insurance and navigation, the cheapest weekly rate was €213 on Gran Canaria, while price gaps between the cheapest and most expensive offers reached up to 135 % in some locations. The analysis noted that differences of up to 165 % were observed between regions such as Lisbon, Madeira and Sardinia.
Separate research highlighted that picking up a car directly at an airport terminal instead of using a shuttle service can add a surcharge of roughly 80 % – for example, an extra €80‑90 per week in Málaga. Consumer watchdog OCU in Spain reported that five leading rental companies (Centauro, Europcar, Goldcar, Hertz and Sixt) use contract clauses it deems unfair, describing a “total imbalance” in damage assessments that often leads to extra charges for renters.
A comparison of vehicle‑type pricing showed that electric rental cars are generally more expensive than gasoline models in Spain, where they cost about €20 more per day, but are cheaper in several northern markets. In Denmark an electric car saves roughly CHF 45.60 per day versus a combustion‑engine counterpart, with similar advantages in Sweden and Canada. Overall, rental‑car pricing appears highly variable across Europe, with substantial consumer‑impact implications.
Entities: Arbeiterkammer Oberösterreich · Billiger-Mietwagen.de · Billiger‑Mietwagen.de · Bundesverband der Verbraucherzentralen · Centauro · Electric rental cars · European holiday destinations · Kayak · Oberlandesgericht Hamm · Organización de Consumidores y Usuarios (OCU) · Vueling
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Charging extra fees for multiple small hand‑luggage items was found to have no factual basis. (e9f8223d-1de8-4004-a9c9-e586efc2b7ea, cb5f2cd1-6e1d-4fe7-a299-70312f7c2804)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The case is filed under the docket number 13 UKL 4/25. (e9f8223d-1de8-4004-a9c9-e586efc2b7ea, cb5f2cd1-6e1d-4fe7-a299-70312f7c2804)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The ruling bans mandatory use of the airline’s app and fees for name corrections. (e9f8223d-1de8-4004-a9c9-e586efc2b7ea, cb5f2cd1-6e1d-4fe7-a299-70312f7c2804)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The Oberlandesgericht Hamm ruled in favor of the consumer association against Vueling regarding extra boarding fees. (e9f8223d-1de8-4004-a9c9-e586efc2b7ea, cb5f2cd1-6e1d-4fe7-a299-70312f7c2804)
- [● 2 SOURCES] New passenger‑rights measures, including free hand‑baggage and reduced claim periods, will take effect in summer 2027. (e9f8223d-1de8-4004-a9c9-e586efc2b7ea, cb5f2cd1-6e1d-4fe7-a299-70312f7c2804)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The Austrian study examined six rental‑car companies across 18 destinations during the first week of August 2026. (c34cb06c-d646-4827-9563-bfcef5ecfe99, 58477b4e-79b0-4cf2-a1c4-a14cbfdf40fa)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Skipping a deductible insurance option adds roughly €120 per week to the rental‑car price. (58477b4e-79b0-4cf2-a1c4-a14cbfdf40fa)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] In Spain an electric rental car costs about 20 CHF more per day than a gasoline car. (c244073e-e11e-4516-a777-3e26f5813a85)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The cheapest weekly rental car price found in the Austrian study was €213 in Gran Canaria. (c34cb06c-d646-4827-9563-bfcef5ecfe99, 58477b4e-79b0-4cf2-a1c4-a14cbfdf40fa)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Rental car price differences across European holiday destinations can reach up to 135 percent. (c34cb06c-d646-4827-9563-bfcef5ecfe99, 58477b4e-79b0-4cf2-a1c4-a14cbfdf40fa)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Billiger‑Mietwagen.de reported a relative surcharge of 80.7 percent in Málaga compared with the cheapest offers. (388b543b-7467-4d43-9213-b4d12dc0be18)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] In Denmark an electric rental car is about 45.6 CHF cheaper per day than a gasoline car. (c244073e-e11e-4516-a777-3e26f5813a85)