Whenever we travel to a new country, having our own vehicle is an absolute must!
Renting a car offers the ultimate level of freedom and flexibility.
Allowing you to see exactly what you want and be in control of your itinerary, without the need to rely on complex foreign public transport to get around.
However, finding the ideal car rental firm can be a bit of a minefield.
As can finding the cheapest price.
This is where Discover Cars comes in!
For a few years now they have been one of our top choices for beginning and ending our car rental search, but now they are actually our top choice.
Having used them to rent cars in Norway, Italy. and the UK in just the last few months as of writing.
But they’re not perfect.
Below I want to take you through an in-depth personal review of Discover Cars.
Based on our experience renting through them in multiple countries around the world.
Let’s get straight into it …
Discover Cars is an online car rental platform that works to give you the best price, by comparing a variety of suppliers.
Rather than hiring a vehicle directly from a car rental company (such as Hertz or Europcar), or a car-sharing platform like Turo, you’ll be booking through this platform.
Founded back in 2013, Discover Cars' purpose was to offer a hassle-free booking experience when it comes to renting a car. They wanted to make the process effortless and clear, so customers knew exactly what they were getting.
It wasn't until 2017, that this platform started to pop up on websites such as Kayak and Skyscanner. Now millions of people use this website every day and they have nearly 135,000 reviews on Trust Pilot.
Thanks to their easy-to-use search bar, fantastic customer service, and other added benefits, Discover Cars is now considered to be one of the fastest-growing companies in Europe.
Not to mention, this company has won several awards since its founding.
As we mentioned before, Discover Cars is an online platform. It’s available in over 145 countries, with 10,000 locations in total, and works with over 500 different providers.
It works as an aggregator of car rental firms for each area, with agreements between themselves and those suppliers. This way, you don’t have to search on each company's website, making your job much easier.
The great thing about using Discover Cars is that they negotiate the deals for you, and all you need to do is search through their platform.
Once you’ve entered your trip dates and location, you’ll be given a range of vehicles that are available for those dates. After comparing the deals and reading the terms and conditions, you can simply book your vehicle, and Discover Cars will do the rest for you.
To give you a better understanding of the process, we’re going to go a quick run-through for you below!
The first step is just to search for your preferred dates and location on Discover Cars. You can then include whether you want to return to the same destination or not (a one-way hire is a popular option for longer road trips).
All you need to do then is edit the driver's country of residence and age, before hitting search. Then you’ll be given a huge variety of rental options.
You’ll now be given a list of the cars available and this can often feel very overwhelming as there are so many options. Luckily, Discover Cars has a fantastic filtering system.
To the left-hand side of the screen, you can easily filter out your search by car specifications, number of seats, payment options, and more. Honestly, finding the perfect vehicle has never been easier, as you can filter the search to exactly what you want.
When you find a few rentals that catch your eye, make sure you take a look at each one individually. This will allow you to see more details about the vehicle and rental company, such as the fuel policy, mileage, and pick-up location (if you’ve just typed in the city/destination).
You’ll also get details about the car such as its transmission, how many seats it has, and its features, such as whether it has air conditioning.
As Discover Cars compare a wide variety of rental cars (and their companies), the rental conditions will differ depending on the provider you choose. Taking a look at the supplier's specific rental conditions is a must before you book.
It’s found underneath the company logo and score (you can see it in the background of this screenshot) and includes information such as driver requirements, payment policies, and what the rate includes, among other things.
We’ll talk a bit more about this below, but Discover Cars offers you the chance to include full coverage in your rental. In our opinion, this is a great addition to any rental as you’ll be covered if the car is stolen or damaged (depending on a few factors of course).
It’s an additional cost and is paid daily for the duration of your hire, so just be aware that it can increase the price of your rental substantially.
After you’ve taken a look at the vehicles on offer and the rental conditions for the provider, it’s now time to book your vehicle. Yes, it really is as simple as that!
You’ll have a breakdown of the total cost and you’ll then need to give your details. This includes your name, email address, phone number, birthday, and country of residence.
After booking through Discover Cars, it’s then time to pick up your vehicle. This is your chance to ask any questions from your rental company, and some may even be happy to give you ideas of where to visit on your trip.
Now it’s time to explore wherever you’re traveling and you’ll have plenty of flexibility, now you have your rental car.
First of all, Discover Cars prides itself on having no hidden fees. Far too often, we’ve found ourselves with a ‘great deal’ only to be hit with a ton of extra charges upon booking or collection. Not with this platform!
Another great reason to book with this platform is that they offer free cancellation. That means you can change or cancel your booking up to 48 hours before, which offers us travelers plenty of flexibility.
If you still weren’t convinced, then Discover Cars offers a price match guarantee as well. If you find your chosen vehicle cheaper elsewhere, they’ll match it.
They also offer 24/7 multilingual customer service, so there’s always someone on hand to help if you have any questions.
Honestly, Discover Cars offers a great car rental experience and we can definitely recommend them from our previous encounters with this platform.
This platform also offers extras when it comes to car hire, with the best being full coverage and a no-excess policy. As these are optional, you don’t need to include them on your rental as they will cost extra.
First of all, full coverage covers you if the car gets damaged or stolen. This could include a chipped windscreen, lost keys or lockout fees, or damage to the bodywork among other things.
If you go for full coverage, you’ll also be compensated for the deductible/excess which is taken by the rental company or insurance company. That means you won’t have to pay anything if you need to make a claim.
Now, you don’t have to opt for full coverage with Discover Cars as you can get it through another platform or insurance company. To give you an idea of what to do, here are some pros and cons of including this with your rental package.
Discover Cars are the perfect option as you can get some fantastic deals, sometimes up to 70% cheaper than standard rental companies. Of course, this will differ depending on when and where you’re going (peak season prices will always be higher).
When booking for Italy, we were originally going to go with Rentalcars as they had a deal for 40 euros per day and we thought that was great.
I only looked on Discover Cars for the sake of it and was shocked they had exactly the same car on offer for 40% less.
This certainly isn't always the case but it’s always worth checking!
As Discover Cars compare over 500 reputable providers, the amount of available vehicles that you can be offered sometimes feels overwhelming. Luckily, there’s a great filtering setting that will really help you narrow down your options and it’s super easy to use!
At the top, you’ll find a special offer filter that includes online check-ins, a free additional driver, and zero-emission vehicles. You can also filter the search by supplier and supplier ratings.
It’s also possible to filter out the search by mileage and fuel policies, payment types, and car specifications. The latter includes the number of seats, transmission, and air conditioning.
If you want peace of mind while you travel, then the no-excess option is always a great choice. In the case that you have to make a claim (for damages), you won’t have to pay the excess which will save you a lot of money.
Although it tends to cost more, it’s often worth purchasing with your rental. This way, you can be sure that you’re covered if anything were to go wrong.
Like with any insurance, there are always exceptions or ‘loopholes’ so it’s important to read the terms and conditions. You don’t want to be caught out further down the line.
A lot of rental firms, even bigger ones, have such outdated and clunky search engines for booking a car directly. This can especially be the case when searching on mobile.
When looking for rental cars, you want it to be an easy process. With Discover Cars, you can be sure that this is the case, as their platform is really easy to use. The process is quick too, with just a few main steps (which we touched upon before).
Thanks to their 24/7 multilingual customer service, you’ll always have someone on hand to help if you have any questions. What more could you ask for?
Another great reason to choose Discover Cars is that they negotiate all the prices for you. Essentially, it’s the fact they have to compete with other engines (like Rentalcars, etc) that they have to offer cracking deals and work for better prices with suppliers.
This is so you can benefit from great prices without having to be a Hertz loyalty member, for a decade for example.
Not only that, but this platform offers a price match guarantee. So if you were to find the vehicle cheaper elsewhere, they’ll match the price. This is always a huge bonus as you don’t have to go with another platform simply because they’re cheaper.
With Discover Cars, you can cancel or change your booking up to 48 hours before you pick up your vehicle. This is a huge bonus, especially if your trip isn't 100% set in stone or you’re not sure of the exact dates yet.
If you book with a standard rental company, you’ll find that this isn’t often the case. Unfortunately, this will cost you a lot of money further down the line if you have to cancel the booking.
Just another of the many reasons to book with Discover Cars, especially for those who prefer to travel without having their plans set in stone.
As you’ll see in my review summary below, I'm not head over heels or solely committing to Discover Cars.
They don't always have the best deals, so it's always worth a quick search on Rentalcars or another site just before you book to ensure you are definitely getting the best deal.
Not only that, but you’ll find that some companies offer fantastic deals directly on their website. As such, it’s worth taking a quick look at a few popular rental companies (like Hertz or Enterprise), to see if it’s cheaper to book directly.
As you’ll be booking through Discover Cars we have found that you don't always get the smoothest end process with the rental firm (who you’ll be getting the car from).
For example, you may turn up and not realize a few key terms of the rental firm's policies such as with relation to credit cards, a deposit amount, or extra changes (this is why it’s super important to read up on the rental conditions of each company beforehand).
To help counter this, your other option is to contact the rental firm itself in the run-up to your trip. This way, you can run through the booking details to make sure you haven’t missed anything.
Continuing off the previous point, every supplier that Discover Cars uses will have their own specific rental conditions. You can easily check these when you click into each vehicle, and we highly recommend that you do so.
This will include information on driver requirements, payment policies, security deposit, and rental rates, among other things. It won’t take you long to scan this information and it can save you lots of problems down the line.
You’ll especially want to double-check this information regarding small, lesser-known companies, or rental companies that you’ve simply never used before (or heard of).
Through the Discover Cars rental website, you’ll be offered a wide variety of vehicles upon your search. This could include everything from a compact vehicle to a huge SUV, so there’s something for everyone.
However, you can’t search for a specific car. Although many people won’t find this to be an issue, it’s a comforting thought to go for a vehicle that you’re used to driving
You can filter the search by transmission which is helpful, but it would be easier if there was a way to search for a specific car make or model.
The one thing we will say is that short-term rentals tend to be much more pricey than long-term rentals. Although beneficial for longer road trips, if you’re looking to hire a car for just a couple of days, you can expect to pay over the odds.
In general, we find this to be the case with most rental companies and comparison websites, not just Discover Cars. However, it’s certainly worth mentioning.
If you’re only in need of a rental for a couple of days, then that’s more of a reason to shop around to ensure you’re getting the best price.
Unfortunately, you can’t extend your hire period past the return date with Discover Cars. If you get in touch with them over 48 hours prior, then they may be able to help you out. However, it will depend on the vehicle availability of the supplier.
If you need the vehicle for longer, you’ll need to message the rental company directly (the vehicle supplier). Then it’s up to them to see if it’s possible.
If you do manage to extend the rental and you’ve opted for full coverage through Discover Cars, then you’ll need to contact customer service to extend that too.
Honestly, no travel booking company is perfect, nor is an aggregator such as Discover Cars.
I’m not going to say that if you book through them then you are 100% to get either the cheapest price or necessarily have a perfect experience.
It doesn’t happen.
However, would I personally use them? Yes. Absolutely, hands down.
As long as you understand a few top tips for having a smooth rental process and also understand that Discover Cars is still a middleman, then you are okay.
They truly are a fantastic way to help get a cracking deal on car rentals all around the world!
It’s hard to understand how good their rates are sometimes; like our experience renting a car in Italy where we paid just 30 euros per day for an amazing car.
Or our experience in Norway where we had an electric Ford Mustang for just £33/day (and that’s including the no excess cover!).
That experience had some sour points, but if I’m being rational it was our own fault for not having the correct credit card on arrival, and had zero to do with Discover Cars, and everything to do with the firm we went through and our own preparation. (I know right, we still make mistakes! I guess no one’s perfect).
My top tip will always be the same, do a search on both Rentalcars and then Discover Cars, as the stock can vary. Then go with whoever you find to offer the best deal for you. Whether that’s a certain vehicle, the lowest price, or a mixture of the two.
When you search, you may be overwhelmed by the sheer number of options available to you. However, they have a truly great filtering system, so use it!
If price is simply your choice, then that’s easy, sort by price. If you’re a family of 7 and like a premium vehicle, then it’s easy to quickly narrow down right away and remove all the dead weight.
The filter list can be found on the left-hand side of the screen, where you’ll see drop-down menus. These include special offers, car specifications, suppliers, and payment types.
To filter the searches, all you need to do is tick the features that you want for your rental (as shown in the image above). To make sure the search has updated, scroll to the top, and you’ll find your filters in blue.
I really feel that going for a zero-excess policy is a great option when going for a rental. This way, you won’t have to worry about anything going wrong as you’ll be covered if you do need to make a claim (and you won’t lose a ton of money).
Now, the Discover Cars Excess is a fantastic option. However, it’s not always better than what the rental firm itself will offer you.
Also, you will still need to cover the cost of the damages through your deposit, and then Discover Cars refunds you afterwards.
As such it’s worth checking out what the actual supplier will offer first, before committing to the Discover Cars policy. It may not work out much differently, but it’s best to check first.
When you first search, you’ll need to adjust your age. The results are typically tailored to those aged 30-65, and if you’re under or over this age, you may be subject to extra charges.
Not only that, but your age also affects the sorts of cars you can rent. For example, I know that I still can’t rent a Tesla as I need to be 30!
Your age will also impact whether you can hire a vehicle at all because some countries have much stricter policies when it comes to this. In some countries, you can hire as young as 18, while others require you to be 21 or even older. For EV’s, a lot of the time it seems to be 30 and older.
As you would with any rental company, it’s important to book in advance. Although Discover Cars works with over 500 reputable companies, availability can still be low during peak travel seasons, especially if you’re booking last minute.
If you book early enough, you can find some cracking deals - sometimes up to 70% off, which means you can spend more money while on the trip itself.
Thanks to the platform's free cancellation policy, you can always cancel your booking further down the line if you need to. You can also change the dates if your trip changes.
A key thing to check when hiring any car is the fuel and mileage policies. These can be easily be seen on each vehicle listing when searching with Discover Cars.
If you can, opt for a car that has unlimited mileage. This way, you won’t incur any extra charges for going over the mileage limit, and this can be filtered, so the website only shows results that offer this.
When it comes to fuel policies, there are typically two; full to full or same to same. Again, you can filter the results with these, and we’d recommend going full to full. You’ll be leaving the pick-up location on a full tank of gas so won’t have to worry about filling up anytime soon.
We can safely that, that Discover Cars is a reputable company. We’ve used them several times over the years, and we find that they offer some fantastic deals.
With nearly 135,000 reviews on Trustpilot, you can trust other people’s opinions as well as ours. Although some of the prices seem too good to be true, you don’t have to worry about this company being legitimate!
All you need to do is input your travel dates and location, then Discover Cars does the hard work for you. They will compare deals from hundreds of reputable providers, and then bring together the best options.
You can easily compare these deals on the website, and filter them further by mileage, supplier, car specifications, or optional extras among others. Then it’s just a case of booking!
First of all, Discover Cars prides itself on only working with reputable car rental companies. This means, they only work with companies who have great reviews, to ensure their customers get a seamless rental experience.
Other factors may include the rental company not having a big enough fleet to cater to a large car rental agency, or being a relatively new company, which doesn’t have a reputation yet.
The cost of using Discover cars to book a rental varies. The price will differ depending on which country you’re visiting, the dates, which rental provider you go for, and so on.
You can expect to pay anything from £10 a day all the way up to over £100. The make you choose also plays a big role in this, so it’s best to shop around as we mentioned earlier (especially if you’re going for a larger/more luxurious vehicle).
This platform negotiates prices directly with the car hire companies, which means they can secure lower prices for their customers.
They also don’t have any hidden fees, so you don’t have to worry about extra charges being added on when you book the vehicle.
Hopefully, this Discover Cars review has given you a good idea of what this company has to offer and how it can benefit you as a renter.
Boasting a no-hidden fees policy, affordable deals, and free cancellation, this platform is a great option for those who want to rent a car.
Not only is this website super easy to use but you’ll be given a quick idea of the vehicles available for your dates. It’s also very easy to compare the different deals, and you can easily filter out the searches to find your perfect vehicle.
As this platform covers 145 countries (10,000 locations) you won’t be short of epic road trip opportunities, so the world is your oyster. Just make sure you shop around for the best prices as well, to ensure you’re getting the most for your money.
Now it’s time to plan your trip!
Will you be using Discover Cars?
Or, is there another popular platform that you like to use?
Here are some other guides you may find helpful:
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