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Whether it's a short Eurotrip or you're backpacking across Southeast Asia for six months, you're bound to cross some international borders. If you're planning on renting a car to get around (and sometimes, you don't have any other options), you might run into some metaphorical road blocks when entering new countries with a domestic national car rental! Luckily, we've got you covered with four apps that are great for international car rentals.
Sixt
Sixt operates in over 100 countries and can convert rental rates into tons of different currencies, so you can find local deals listed in prices you'll understand. This is means you'll find shockingly cheap car rental deals, because some countries have a really good conversion rate to the US Dollar! Choose from over 180,000 vehicles to find the right one for your travels (and your budget).
You may notice a slight discrepancy on vehicle prices when comparing search results on the Sixt website and the Sixt app. While nobody really knows why this happens, here's a secret: the prices are actually cheaper on the app than on the website. If you're looking for a budget rental car, then you better download the app quick, before the developers notice this glitch!
Europcar
For those of you planning a Europe trip, this is the app for you. Don't get the logo confused with the green "E" of the American Enterprise Rent a Car company; this is Europcar! Europcar operates in 150 countries worldwide, but specializes in the UK and Europe - which is perfect when you plan on driving all the way from Portugal to Italy! From the app, you can browse special offers, make a reservation, manage your rental, and even contact roadside assistance. That offers some pretty good peace of mind for travelers.
However, American travelers should be aware that it can be troublesome to make a reservation from the app with a US phone number. Europcar is made for Europeans, after all. But you know what they say: when in Rome, do as the Romans do... and pick up a cheap European SIM card so that you can still use your phone abroad!
Rentalcars.com
So far, Rentalcars.com takes the cake for the most international options with locations in 163 countries worldwide. Specifically designed with world travelers in mind: you can translate the app into 40 languages, convert rates into over 90 currencies, and even chat with a multilingual customer service team when you need assistance. Can the Enterprise app do all that?
While international travelers rave about how the Rentalcars.com app is essential, users in the United States have had less success. For whatever reason, Rentalcars.com doesn't have as many tight relationships with many US-based rental car agencies as with international companies. But if you're looking for apps for international travel, why would you need to rent a car within the states anyway?
CarzUP
CarzUP operates largely across the US, Canada, and Europe, and partners with the most well-known car rental companies. The list includes Avis, Alamo, Budget Car Rental, and more. The thing that makes CarzUP really unique, though, is the option to reserve a car now and pay later - you don't even have to put in any card information!
Because you don't pay for your reservation in advance, you may find you're missing out on some information before you pick up your car. For instance, a Canadian law might require you to have a Canadian driver's license in order to drive a rental car in Canada - but you might not know it until you got to the counter. CarzUP makes the reservation for you, but it's always good to do a little research on your own to make sure you're prepared for your travels.
International travel can be stressful, but renting a car internationally doesn't have to be. If you're looking for more apps to help make your car rental experience easier, check out the Best 10 Car Rental Apps.
How We Choose The Best Apps
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Broad Search :
Our unique algorithm scoured the App Store and Google Play Store by searching renting a car, car-rental companies, car rental and 5 other keywords. From there, we retrieved a total of 740 unique (349 Android apps and 391 iOS apps) as potential candidates -
Filter only high-quality apps :
We then selected the highest quality apps from the 740 apps listed. We compared the number of stars, downloads, and reviews along with the velocity of these apps to create a list of the Best Car Rental Apps for both Android & iOS. -
Rigorous Research by Editorial Team :
Finally, our editorial team spent tens of hours checking every single listed app on our Best 10 list, comparing these apps and their features, to come up with the Best Apps for International Car Rentals just for you!
just for you! If you are interested in learning more about our process, find out here.
