 Poster: A snowHead
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We are flying to and from terminal 2, Munich. Any recommendations for or against any car hire places?
We will need to drive to Austria so appreciate any advice on ones better for this... for example can you pre-book the vignette for the car?
Also happy to pay a bit extra for convenience...ie don't want to have to use transfer buses to get to car hire collections or from drop off points with the amount of luggage we will have.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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My knowledge is pre-Covid.
- If you use the one the airline has a deal with... and if you have skis/ snowboards, then as the boards are last out of the 'plane,
there is always a long queue for the hire car because everyone else uses the same one and they're in front of you.
It's better to use a different company, and preferably to have one of their cards (they're free) so you get priority treatment anyway.
They will try to sell you extra stuff which costs more than the car hire, as usual. They won't sell you a Vig.
- When driving to Sölden, if you drive over the Fernpass, you don't need to use the roads where you need a Vig.
Otherwise you can buy a Vig at the gas station by the border, I believe. There are usually speed traps just on the Austrian side of that border.
- The main hire car companies are right there in the terminal: Sixt, Budget, Avis etc. You can probably google an up to date list.
It feels like you're in a shopping centre, with the hire cars in the multi-story car park for it. The light is bad for checking cars, but
I just take photographs and haven't had any fraud attempted there. The big-name companies small cars have all been in good nick.
- There's a petrol station amongst the airport buildings which you'll see signposted as you get close to the rentals return.
It's off the main route and requires a turn or two, but it's easy enough to find and it is right there.
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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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If I am going on holiday I hire from Sixt, they are not the cheapest but never had any issues with cars I have hired from them or any grief with "damage", in fact quite the opposite with small damage being ignored. However I know there are some stories of folk who have bad experiences, I guess its the same for all hire companies. Over the years no issues with Avis or Europcar either.
As far as I know all the companies with desks in the building between the two terminals have their cars in the adjoining multi story car park (definitely Sixt, Hertz, Avis, Europcar etc). Pushing heavily loaded trolleys can be a bit of a pain. Note also that when returning the vehicle you have to pay for trolleys (€2 I think but it might just be €1), you will need coins no cards (or wasnt the last time I dropped of a car).
Sometimes you are lucky and find a car with a valid vignette but generally not. You can buy a digital vignette online from https://shop.asfinag.at/en/ (you have to tick "I am a company" to ensure that it is immediately valid), there are some "resale" sites too, best avoid those. Otherwise simply buy from the services at Kiefersfelden (ask for "eine Zehntage bitte" assuming a stay 10 days or less)
Not sure there is any benefit in the Fernpass route, it is shorter to western Tirol but often slow traffic through Garmisch, the roadworks for the new tunnels between the end of the autobahn & Garmisch and the Munich ring road can be congested. Also busy main holiday weekends over the pass. Personally think you are generally better off sticking to the autobahn (watch the 100km/h speed limit in the Inntal) unless one of the big holiday weekends in winter or summer. Very unlikely that UK driving licence holders will get Austrian speeding tickets but there is the hire company "admin fee".
There have been reports of some hire companies insisting on UK licence holders have an IDP but that does not seem to be correct.
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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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Yeah I've had good experiences with all the majors there, including Sixt.
Oh, the UK "check code " driving license thing - you need to have the code in Iceland and sometimes UK at least, but I've never been asked for it in North America or in the EU.
Even so, I'd have it or know how to get it on demand: https://www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence
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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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Its not that but an "International Driving Permit", it is not required for UK licences but there have been reports of UK driving licences holders being refused hire cars without one. How much of an issue this is impossible to know, it could easily be one single occurrence of a misinformed hire car company employee amplified through social media into a "problem".
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Its not the code that you may need (thats for renting a car in the UK using a UK license), its an IDP as @munich_irish, said.
We rented a car ex-Geneva a few weeks ago with Alamo whose T&Cs were ambiguous (said drivers from outside the EEA needed one, even though Swiss rules clear say we didn’t need one). For the sake of no hassle and £5.50, a passport photo and 5 mins in the local post office I got a 1968 IDP (of course there are 3 to choose from  ) and was it asked for…………..of course not, but better safe than sorry
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I hired in München Airport earlier in the year.
Just used one of the comparison sites and went for the cheapest. I have my own hire car insurance(cheaper for the year than they are for the week) I video and photo the car before I set off . I hire cars a fair bit and never had any drama with any hire company.
All the hire desks are in the same area as are the collect and drop off points
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@Mother hucker, enterprise are coming up cheapest ... who did you end up using?
Thank you all for helpful information
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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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@NickyJ, enterprise are very good
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@NickyJ, can't remember but I changed several times as prices kept dropping when I kept checking.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Does anybody know the Enterprise cross border fee? I switched to their site direct in the hope I could add as an extra but not an option and reading their pages, it says that I need to inform them and there will be one but not how much.
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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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I had a recent hire at MUC with Global. Their desk was closed and we were redirected to Enterprise.
My Auto Europe confirmation stated that the cross-border fee was €18. However, I was charged €38 on the day. I have raised the issue with Auto Europe.
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@NickyJ, I think you need to assume there will be one, just one more way of keeping the "headline" figure down and pilling on "extras".
If you go with Sixt one elephant trap to watch out for is that their basic cost only covers third party insurance (the legal minimum). Unless you take the first level of insurance (from memory €950 excess) you are responsible for entire cost of the vehicle should it be stolen or written off (could easily be €60k). Excess insurance policies dont cover this. Worth keeping an eye in case any other companies are starting to do this.
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You know it makes sense.
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I've always used https://www.arguscarhire.com/ mainly as they have a very good cancellation policy! for my recent Munich trip I was booked with Alamo that picked up at Europcar. They tried to add in a cross border charge, but Argus included it so they couldn't add it on 
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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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We always rent through rental cars.com
They usually have free cancellation upto 48 hours however, we used OK rental at Christmas but they hve a €10 a day surcharge for taking car out of Germany
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Poster: A snowHead
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We use Avis, have used their Munich Apt location a couple of few times, the last being in December 21, I registered for the Avis preferred programme and don't queue, just go straight to the Avis location in the car park, can't remember which floor, they do have someone wondering around with an iPad to help out when it's busy and direct your to the correct lift and floor, never had a issue with damage.
I vary from booking through BA or direct, always double check the rates as it has on occasion been cheaper direct.
Excess insurance is through http://icarhireinsurance.com/
No cross border fees with Avis, for Saalbach we don't need a vignette no motorways, you can always set Waze to avoid tolls depending on where you are going.
Return at Munich is easy, there is a petrol station by the airport for that last minute top up.
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