 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi, hoping the huge font of knowledge that is Snowheads can help me here.
We are due to fly into Salzburg on 19/2/22 and having looked at hire cars are being quoted well over £1000 a week for an estate car!! I have discovered that Europcar has a branch in Freilassing (Germany) which is a 10 mins taxi ride away. From this branch I am being quoted just under £300 for the same period. I appreciate the convenience of airport collection but over 3 times the price just seems incredible.
Has anybody on here rented a car from just over the German border in the past? Was it easy enough to do? Are there any reasons I should not just jump into a cab and collect the car from there.
Thanks in advance.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@dking2001, where are you intending using the hire car, will it be in Austria? If so I know that for example from Munich Airport Europcar charge a daily supplement if you are going to be using their car across the border in Austria. Maybe worthwhile checking with the Freilassing branch?
Edit: It may have been a one off additional charge for the whole rental period rather than a daily supplement, I can't remember the exact details. 
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Thu 4-11-21 16:19; edited 1 time in total
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Thanks for the tip. Seems to be a €15 flat rate per rental for cross border travel Germany to Austria with Europcar (though other companies seem to charge per day up to €42.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Sign up to accor hotels & book through them. Will save you that 15 euro & possibly a bit more.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Thanks, I have booked a car via Accor. Booked at the nearest German branch which is approx €25 taxi ride from airport and was approx. £800 cheaper than the same car on airport. The booking is cancellable until 48 hours before so if the prices at Salzburg Airport return to sanity I have the option of booking a car from there instead.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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The cross boarder charge thing seems to be one of the myriad ways the car hire companies are attempting to claw back money. I know lots have said they have been charged especially from the airport and especially with cheaper companies or booked through consolidators. I only get a hire car a few times a year generally for trips to Italy, Austria or Czech and have never had to pay such a charge, folk around here would think it very odd.
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@munich_irish, not only through consolidators. Try booking a car from Munich airport from the sixt.de site, you'll find a 28 euro charge for crossing borders. Europcar charge 15 euros. I think Avis don't charge. I guess they charge it in places that are likely to generate income, as many rental cars from Munich airport are bound to Austria, Italy, Swiss. As long as it's disclosed up front and I can include it in the total price I don't think it's a problem.
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Bear in mind that depending on where you're travelling on to from Salzburg you will go into and then out of Germany again anyway.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Hertz at Munich airport don't always ask if you are crossing the border (especially if you use the Gold pickup service direct from the car park) and I don't recall seeing it as an option on the web site when booking.
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@Listening, I had a car from Sixt in the summer to go on holiday to Italy, I always say on the booking as some cars are restricted where you can take them (they have a habit of giving out fancy upgrades) no surcharge. I would whinge if there was one.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I am hoping to fly to Salzburg on the 15 Jan for a week and have been staggered by the car hire as well. I did find this that may be of interest - https://www.autorentals.com/
I need an estate for 4 people + bags and was quoted £440 with either Dollar / Thrifty being the rental company - however they haven't taken a deposit which leads me to think, whilst it can't be a scam, just whether or not there will actually be a car. I have amended the reservation a little just to prove that the reservation was in the system, but I am still concerned. I book cars abroad regularly and have always been asked for a deposit, and never been let down so I may be panicking unnecessarily.
I can cancel up to 24hours before so am keeping the options open, but the car hire in Germany does seem an attractive option and will save me £200 for a couple of taxi rides. As long as I can get a taxi from to the airport on the flight home
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@andyp95, Dollar and Thrifty are not at Salzburg Airport to my knowledge.
You can book via the Salzburg Airport website which currently shows an estate car for one week for €469 from 15th Jan. Prices are certainly higher this year.
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@Mankei, Thanks Mankei - I will look at that option. I was only going on the car rental comparisons for the in-airport rental and they showed up. That just adds to the nervousness now
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I have come across the Freislassing (effectively suburb of Salzburg but in Germany) option as well. Insignia Estate for 1 week is £286 with Europcar.
A mind boggling £500 saving compared to booking at the airport or even Salzburg city.
Seems a total no brainer for a 12 minute taxi ride from Salzburg Airport
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Poster: A snowHead
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| musher wrote: |
| Hertz at Munich airport don't always ask if you are crossing the border (especially if you use the Gold pickup service direct from the car park) and I don't recall seeing it as an option on the web site when booking. |
2 years ago we paid a cross boarder fee with Hertz
I may be wrong but if you don't declare and have a accident the insurance may be invalid
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@wasley,
My insurance isn't affected by where I drive in Europe.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@musher, I guess they mean the insurance you can take from the rental car co.?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I've hired from thrifty alot over here and the deposit for the cars up to prestige was about 700 and the nice cars was about 1500 unless you bought excess cover off them and the deposit came down alot.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| wasley wrote: |
| musher wrote: |
| Hertz at Munich airport don't always ask if you are crossing the border (especially if you use the Gold pickup service direct from the car park) and I don't recall seeing it as an option on the web site when booking. |
2 years ago we paid a cross boarder fee with Hertz
I may be wrong but if you don't declare and have a accident the insurance may be invalid |
I'm pretty sure you are right and likely any breakdown cover wouldnt cover you as well, that makes you declare properly and makes you pay.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Not directly relevant, but last week I paid a cross-border charge with Sixt in Geneva, as I was taking the car to France. That was the first time I'd been charged - and the woman in front of me in the queue, who sounded fairly local and had rented cars a lot, said the same thing.
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Ok I reserved through that original link and it was 25% cheaper than anything I've seen including dollar / thrifty themselves so hoping it's ok but nothing lost I guess. I did have a breakdown on my baby recently and the AA gave me a 3 day van which I was allowed to extend on their rates for 10 weeks at 15quid a day for a new auto ford custom so there is a load of room for movement. Looks like most of cost in Austria is tax
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FAQ
from Salzburg Airport.
