Frequently Asked Questions
Car Hire FAQs
How can I pay for my rental? Payment by credit card is preferred; a credit card processing fee of 0.9% will apply. Auto Europe accepts American Express, Mastercard and Visa. If you'd prefer to pay by bank transfer, you can find our bank details on our payment options page.
How is my rate guaranteed? Our rates are guaranteed in Australian Dollars.
How quickly can I confirm my reservation? We can confirm most reservations with as little as 20 minutes advance notice. For last minute reservations, please call us at 1300 656 601.
Is there a fee for cancelling or changing a reservation? There is no fee to change a car rental booking provided that you contact Auto Europe before the start of the rental. All changes must be processed by Auto Europe and not through our rental suppliers and in some cases, supplier levied fees and/or travel agent charges may apply.
A fee of AUD $150.00 plus supplier-levied fees apply to all Car Hire bookings that are cancelled after collection, denied at pick up or marked as a non-collection. This fee applies but is not limited to:
- Bookings cancelled after the reserved collection time.
- If you have failed to collect by the confirmed time and your booking is considered a non-collection by the supplier.
- Rentals denied due to not providing a full, valid, physical drivers license in the main driver’s name noted on the Auto Europe voucher. Digital licenses are not accepted.
- Rentals denied due to not providing a valid, physical credit card in the main driver’s name noted on the Auto Europe voucher. Digital cards are not accepted.
- Rentals denied due to insufficient funds for security deposit.
- Failing to provide an international driver’s license (when applicable) in conjunction with your full driver’s license.
Supplier non-collection fees vary and in some cases are 100% non-refundable. Please enquire with Auto Europe for further information regarding non-collection fees.
What if I find a better rate for a rental car? Auto Europe guarantees the best rates and service available. If you happen to find a lower rate with comparable service, location, terms, and surcharges, we'll beat it! To submit the lower rate to us, please complete our Guaranteed Best Rate form.
What do I need to pick-up my car? Reservation vouchers are required. Auto Europe's vouchers contain specific information about the car you have reserved, the rental rate, and other details. Vouchers are emailed to you immediately upon receipt of payment. If you prefer a faxed copy, please let us know at the time of booking. A rental agreement is completed at the rental counter at the time of pick up.
What kind of insurance can I get for my rental car? Insurance coverage varies by country. Please see the insurance information per country where you will be renting a car or our detailed insurance information page.
When is your reservation centre open? Our reservations centre is open Monday to Sunday and closed on Australian National Public Holidays. Call us at 1300 656 601 or check our Contact Us page for updated business hours.
Do you have toll-free phone service from overseas? No. Should you require assistance after departure, you will need to use our Reservation number which can be found on our contact us page. Emergency road service is provided locally with every rental.
Where is the Auto Europe counter located? Auto Europe is independent, not an agent for any particular car rental company. The name of the car rental company is provided at the top of the voucher along with the location information for the supplier.
What is Breakdown Protection? Breakdown Protection is an optional pre-paid product offered by Auto Europe to reimburse you if your rental car breaks down. This is only offered in the USA. Read more about this product on our Breakdown Protection Summary.
What is Excess Refund Protection? Excess Refund Protection is an optional pre-paid product offered by Auto Europe to reimburse you for the excess amount charged by the car hire company/supplier. If the supplier charges you the excess amount on the vehicle, you can claim up to AUD $5,000. Read more about this product on our Excess Refund Protection Summary.
Do I need an International Driving Permit to rent a car? An international driving permit (IDP) is required when renting a car in many countries around the world. An IDP is a special licence for tourists as proof that you hold a current driver's licence in your home country. It allows you to drive in the specified country without further tests or applications, providing your home country driver's licence is valid. IDPs are issued through state and territory motoring clubs and costs vary between these clubs. IDPs cost from $35 per permit. To find out more, refer to your local authority's website: NRMA, RACQ, RACV, RAA, RAC, RACT or AANT.
Sample Voucher
What does my voucher look like? Please review our sample PDF voucher. This will open in a new window.
Membership Account FAQs
How do I become a member? There are two ways to sign-up. You can either go directly to our sign-up form under 'My Account' or you can simply complete a booking request as you normally would. After you send the request, you will have an opportunity to sign-up. If you choose to do so, when you go to the sign-up form, the information you provided for your request will be pre-filled in the sign-up form. For additional information, refer to the Membership Account FAQs on the side of the page.
Driver Profile Form
When will I need to fill out a Driver Profile Form? A Driver Profile Form is required if you are collecting and/or returning your hire car outside of office hours, require a meet and greet at an airport or train station or require a hotel delivery.
Additional Frequently Asked Questions About Renting a Car with Auto Europe
Our Auto Europe reservations is staffed with knowledgeable friendly agents ready to help you in anyway at any hour of the day! Please feel free to contact us 24 hours a day, Monday to Friday on our toll free reservations line 1300 656 601 or make a reservation online.
Auto Europe accepts both credit and debit cards as payment methods for your prepaid reservation rate. However, most car rental suppliers require a valid credit card in the primary drivers name in order to pick up a rental vehicle. In the event the supplier does accept debit cards the rental would be treated as a cash rental.
Although it is not the norm, Auto Europe may sometimes be able to book cash rentals depending on the supplier contracts we have in your desired location. In order to book a cash rental you will be required to take an inclusive rate and payment to Auto Europe would still be required prior to departure. At time of pick up you will be required to leave a cash deposit with the supplier, in the form of a charge on your debit card.
If you do not have a credit card, please call us at 1300 656 601 to see if a cash rental is possible for your desired rental specifics.
Like all car rental companies, Auto Europe cannot guarantee the make or model of the rental vehicle you will receive; what can be guaranteed is the transmission and size of the vehicle. If you would like a specific make or model we will be more the happy to request it for you, however all car rental companies are unlikely to guarantee specific makes or models outside of luxury/specialty vehicles.
At this time we strongly suggest you to visit our driving information section for the country you will be traveling to or our detailed insurance information page as insurance coverage is different from country to country.
If you select a basic rental rate your price will include value added tax (VAT), public liability insurance, fire insurance and unlimited miles(otherwise stated). If the inclusive rate is selected it will include everything in the basic rate plus collision damage waiver (CDW) and theft protection for the rental vehicle.
Auto Europe does not accept credit card points or airline miles towards car rentals. We strongly suggest for you to check with the car rental company locally when you pick up your rental.
Auto Europe gladly accepts American Express, Mastercard and Visa. Personal Checks are also accepted providing you purchase CDW and Theft Protection on your rental. At this time we would like to advise that personal checks are not accepted locally.
All rates are guaranteed in Australian Dollars and for most reservations we require prepayment, local costs such as additional equipment and one way fees may apply.
If you would prefer an alternative payment credit other than the booking engine please visit our secured server for credit card payment or call us toll free at 1300 656 601 and one of our reservations agents can take your payment over the phone.
Most Auto Europe reservations are confirmed soon after after making payment. If making a last minute reservation (pick up within the next 48 hours) we strongly suggest you contact our reservations toll free at 1300 656 601.
There is no fee to change a car rental booking provided that you contact Auto Europe before the end of the rental period. All changes must be processed by Auto Europe and not through our local car rental suppliers/affiliates. Changing a reservation may subject you to the current rental price, as it is at the time of modification.
One of the many great things about Auto Europe is our rental rates and services are guaranteed to be the very best in the industry. If you come across a lower price from a competitor and the rate is on a comparable vehicle including the same terms, locations, and rental car fees we will be glad to beat the price for you. Please complete our Guaranteed Best Rate form if you have found a better rate with one of our competitors.
For bookings created from 1 May 2021 and cancelled after the confirmed collection date or is a 'non-collection', the FULL PRICE of the rental will be charged. Credit card fees apply.
Please call us toll free at 1300 656 601 and a reservations agent will gladly send a copy to you by fax or email (PDF or HTML format), or you are always to complete our Reservation Look Up Form to view a printable copy online.
To pick up your rental you will need a reservation voucher from Auto Europe. A reservation voucher contains specific information needed by the car rental supplier at time of pick up. Reservation vouchers will be either faxed or emailed to you immediately once payment is applied to the reservation. Reservations made online can be mailed to you upon request. Please feel free to take a look at our Sample Voucher for more information.
An international drivers license is required in several European countries and is strongly recommended if you are planning to travel to a country where English is not the dominant language.
Auto Europe does not represent any particular car rental company we are an independent wholesaler. At time of booking the name of the car rental company and where their desk is located will be provided at the top of your reservation voucher.
Should you require assistance after departure, you will need to use our Reservation number which can be found on our contact us page. Emergency road service is provided locally with every rental. Please take note that Emergency roadside assistance numbers will be provided locally by the rental company.
Additional Information
Where can I get more information? For some great links to travel information sites including official tourism websites, blogs, accommodation and tour suppliers, see our useful travel links page.
For additional Terms & Conditions, visit our terms and conditions page.