Best Car Rental Companies in Europe 2025

When you rent a car in Europe, you're almost always booking through an aggregator or broker rather than directly with the company that owns the cars. Understanding the difference between the booking platforms — and which ones genuinely offer the best combination of price, transparency, and support — will save you money and stress. We tested all five major platforms across 20 European locations in 2025.

1. DiscoverCars — Best Overall for Eastern Europe

Best for: Baltic states, Eastern Europe, price transparency, insurance options

Trustpilot: 4.4/5 (70,000+ reviews)

DiscoverCars is an Estonia-based aggregator that has grown significantly over the past five years. It features a mix of major brands (Europcar, Hertz, Budget, Alamo) and local operators, particularly strong in Eastern Europe and the Baltic states. It's known for price transparency, showing the full total price including mandatory fees before checkout.

Strengths

• Includes local and regional operators alongside major brands, often unlocking lower prices not available elsewhere — especially significant in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, and the Balkans
• Full price shown upfront including all mandatory fees and taxes
• In-house "Full Coverage" excess insurance add-on at booking: €5–€12/day depending on vehicle, covering excess, glass, tyres, and loss of use
• Strong free cancellation policy on most bookings
• Wide car category filter options including gearbox type, fuel type, and specific car models

Weaknesses

• Local supplier quality can vary — the platform is only as good as the local operator on the day
• In some Western European markets, the selection of local operators is smaller and major brands dominate

Verdict: DiscoverCars is our top pick for Lithuania and the broader Baltic region. Coverage, pricing, and transparency are all above the market average. For renters based in or travelling through Eastern Europe, this is the first place to check.

2. AutoEurope — Best for Western Europe and One-Way

Best for: France, Spain, Italy, Portugal; one-way rentals; complex itineraries

Trustpilot: 4.3/5 (50,000+ reviews)

Long-established platform (since 1954) with strong negotiated rates with major suppliers in Western and Southern Europe. AutoEurope's one-way rental handling is among the best in the market — drop fees are shown upfront and some popular routes are offered without drop fees. They often waive the additional driver fee, saving €50–€100 per rental. Good US dollar and euro pricing, popular with North American travellers visiting Europe.

Weaknesses

• Baltic and Eastern European coverage is thinner than DiscoverCars — fewer local operators
• Interface feels slightly dated compared to newer platforms
• Does not always offer the lowest headline price, though inclusions (like additional driver waiver) mean total value is often competitive

Verdict: AutoEurope is excellent for French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese rentals — particularly for one-way trips. Less compelling for Baltic rentals where DiscoverCars has better local inventory.

3. RentalCars.com (Booking.com Cars) — Best for Mainstream Markets

Best for: Popular Western European airports, travellers already using Booking.com

Trustpilot: 3.6/5 (180,000+ reviews)

Very large supplier network covering hundreds of airports and cities across Europe. Integration with Booking.com makes it convenient for travellers already booking hotels there. Good filtering tools including transmission type, fuel policy, and deposit amount. Competitive pricing at high-volume Western European locations.

Weaknesses

• Customer service reputation is mixed — complaints about dispute resolution are common in reviews
• Some prices shown at headline rate exclude mandatory fees that only appear at checkout
• Relatively poor coverage of local operators in Eastern Europe

Verdict: Good for price comparison at mainstream airports, but scrutinise the total price carefully. Not our first choice for Baltic or Eastern European rentals.

4. Holiday Autos — Best for UK and Irish Travellers

Best for: UK and Irish travellers, mainstream Western European destinations

Trustpilot: 3.8/5 (20,000+ reviews)

Part of the Car Trawler group which powers rental booking for major airlines. Works exclusively with major brands (Europcar, Hertz, Avis, Budget, Enterprise), which means consistent service standards at the desk. Strong coverage in popular British holiday destinations (Spain, Portugal, Greece, Canaries). Good GBP pricing for UK customers.

Weaknesses

• No local operator inventory — misses cheaper regional options, especially in Eastern Europe
• Baltic coverage adequate but not competitively priced vs DiscoverCars
• No own insurance product — you buy from the desk or sort separately

Verdict: Solid and reliable for UK travellers heading to Western European beach destinations. Not the cheapest option for Baltic or Eastern European trips. See our DiscoverCars vs Holiday Autos comparison for a detailed head-to-head.

5. Kayak — Best for Initial Price Discovery

Best for: Initial research and comparing across multiple aggregators at once

Kayak is a metasearch engine that links through to multiple aggregators — useful for initial price discovery. Its price calendar feature helps identify cheaper pickup dates. It shows results from DiscoverCars, AutoEurope, RentalCars.com, and others in one place. However, you ultimately book through a third party — Kayak itself doesn't take your booking, so any issues need resolving with the actual platform. Prices shown can be the headline rate before all fees — always click through to confirm the total.

Verdict: A good starting point for research. Once you've narrowed down options, go direct to DiscoverCars, AutoEurope, or RentalCars.com for the full comparison.

How to Use These Platforms Together

The optimal approach is to check DiscoverCars and AutoEurope for every booking, with RentalCars.com as a third check for Western European locations. For Lithuania specifically, DiscoverCars is consistently the best option for both price and local operator access. Start your search at Vilnius Airport or Kaunas Airport through our comparison tool.

Scoring Summary