Car Hire at Stansted Airport

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Car Hire Information

Information for Under 25s

There are so many different regulations regarding additional fees for young drivers and the minimum age of hire it can be confusing if you are looking to hire a car under the age of 25. The reason for this confusion is that all providers implement different regulations for young drivers.

The majority of car hire providers will only allow drivers over the age of 23 to hire a car with them and at a push, 21 is sometimes acceptable.

All of the car hire providers charge a young driver’s surcharge at Stansted Airport. This charge is for customers under the age of 25 and is an additional fee which is added to your booking because young drivers are considered high risk drivers. The charge varies for each provider and vehicle group.

Documents Needed

Customers at will be required to present the following documents in order to hire a vehicle:

Most imnportantly, you will need your driving license. Customers whose license is written in non Roman script such as Arabic, Chinese or Russian may need to obtain an international drivers permit before entering the UK.

You will also need a second form of identification. Your passport would be the most suitable document to present.

If your car hire provider requests any other documents they should ask for this in advance or provide details on their website.

Car Hire Tips

Hiring a car is a great way to get to or from the airport or for travelling around your destination. Car rentals can be cheap if you book them in advance, but there are various charges that car hire providers may add to your rental that you need to pay at the end of your rental. The following practical tips will save you money and help you avoid any additional charges:

• Hire your rental as far in advance to get the cheapest deal.
• Opt to pay when you make your booking rather than upon arrival at the location. Car hire providers prefer you to pay for your rental during your booking because it is more beneficial for them. They wish to deter people paying upon arrival at the location so they make this charge a lot more expensive. Therefore you save a lot of money paying for the rental when you make the booking.
• Add any additional drivers to you rental during booking. You can add drivers after you have made the booking but this may be more expensive.
• If you are renting from the airport add your flight number and arrival time to your rental policy if possible. This way you will not be charged if your flight is delayed.
• Purchase car hire excess insurance. Your own personal car insurance will not cover your rental. Providers can charge you an excess up to £2,000 if your vehicle is damaged during your rental. You can buy excess insurance from Insurance4carhire. Remember buying excess insurance can save you a considerable amount of money in the long run.

• Before driving away your rental vehicle check it works properly and check it has no damage. If you find any damage report it to your provider.
• Get to know your vehicle before you drive away; check you know how to use the headlights, windscreen wipers and whether it takes Diesel or Petrol fuel.
• Obey the driving rules and regulations in your rental country.
• Avoid receiving any penalties by sticking to the speed limit. You will be responsible for any penalties incurred during your rental and you may have points added to your license.
• Finally, try not to return your vehicle late. Sometimes provider will offer a 59 minute grace period but this is not always the case. Returning the vehicle late may result in a whole day’s hire being added to your rental.

These are just a few tips to help you with your rental. You can find more car hire tips at the Car Hire Centre.

Airport Surcharge

If you are hiring a vehicle from the airport then you will be charged an additional fee which is referred to in your rental as “Airport Surcharge”. This fee is added because it costs more for car hire providers to operate from airports than local branches, therefore they charge this additional fee to cover their costs. You should be aware of this charge as it is not always included in your rental policy and it may be charged separately from the rest of your rental.

One Way Hire

Something you may not have considered is a one way car rental to or from the airport. One way car hire means you can pick up the rental vehicle at a local provider branch and drop it off at their airport branch. Alternatively you can collect your vehicle from the airport and drop it off at a local branch or different airport.

Usually providers charge a large fee for this service as their cars are in different parts of the country. However, National Car, Europcar and Alamo provide Airport Connect to their customers which is a one way hire from £49.

Provider Extras

The good news is, all of the providers at Stansted Airport can offer child seats, Sat Navs and Disabled Driver Hand Controls as an addition to your hire. To make things even easier, they all also have a handy smartphone app to enable you to book your car hire on the go. The hard bit is now deciding which provider best suits your needs, so let us help you decide…

Mon-Sun: 08:00-01:00. Pick ups outside of these times are subject to additional charges On Airport Book Now   Europcar is one of the leading car hire companies in Europe and offer a selection of vehicles to their customers. Europcar offer one way car hire from £1!

Minimum Age The minimum age to hire a vehicle with Europcar is 21 years old. Please note; drivers under the age of 25 will be subject to the Young Drivers Surcharge. Additional Driver Additional Driver fees start at £10 a day. Disabled Drivers If you require any disabled adaptions, please contact Europcar directly on 0871 384 3113 to make arrangements

Mon-Sun: 06:00-23:00, including Bank Holidays On Airport Book Now   You can expect top quality vehicles at affordable prices with Sixt Rent-A-Car!

Minimum Age The minimum age to hire a vehicle with Sixt is 21 years old, but drivers under 25 will be subject to the Young Drivers Surcharge. Additional Driver Additional Driver fees start at £8.99 and will vary depending on the type of car etc. Disabled Drivers Sixt can fit adapted hand controls for disabled drivers, please give them at least 2 days notice if you require this service.

Monday-Sunday: 06:30-23:30 On Airport Book Now   Start your journey with Hertz by making the most of their fantastic value car hire from Stansted Airport.

Minimum Age Any driver under the age of 25 will be subject to the Young Driver Surcharge of which the cost varies depending on the location. Additional Driver Prices vary depending on location. Disabled Drivers Hertz have teamed up with Adaptive Vehicle Hire to ensure you get the right transportation for your needs. Prices start from £45 a day, so please call the Adapted Vehicle team on 01895 439111 for a quote or to book.

Mon-Fri: 06:30 – 00:00 Sat & Sun: 06:30 – 23:30 On Airport Book Now   Great prices and a wide range of vehicle choice; what more could you need?!

Minimum Age You’ll have to be 23 years old and have held a licence for at least a year to hire a car with Avis. Additional Driver The charge varies from each country, so this will be made clear at the time of booking. However, in some locations, additional drivers with the same surname as the main driver won’t have to pay the fee. Disabled Drivers Avis will add disabled hand controls to your hire vehicle free of charge.

Mon-Fri: 06:30 – 00:00 Sat: 06:30 – 23:30 Sun: Closed On Airport Book Now   Budget provide top rental cars at low prices. As their name suggests their rentals do not cost the earth but their cars are of the highest quality.

Minimum Age 23 is the minimum age requirement for a rental with Budget. Drivers under 25 will need to pay at least £32.50 per rental day as a young driver’s surcharge. Additional Driver There is a £11 daily charge for an additional driver. Disabled Drivers Budget are able to fit your vehicle with panoramic mirrors, Lynx hand Controls and steering balls. If you require any of these to be added to your rental car, please contact the team on 0808 284 4444, allowing at least 48 hours notice.

Mon-Sun: 06:00-00:00 On Airport Book Now   Book your car hire online or over the phone, quickly and easily with Enterprise rent a car. Remember to book in advance for the best deals.

Minimum Age Enterprise enforce age restrictions on their car hires for all vehicle groups. The minimum age to hire a vehicle with Enterprise is 25 years old, and may be higher for some car groups. Additional Driver There is a £10 daily charge for an additional driver. Disabled Drivers Enterprise provide specialised options for their customers with disabilities including adding Hand controls to their vehicles if needed and will require 2 days notice to fit them.