Your Guide to Car Hire in Europe

Sixt is proud to offer you a vehicle for whatever your budget and purpose. And with over 15 different car brands, over 5 van brands, motorcycles plus bicycles, Sixt is your cup of tea. Bargain hunters can source a great cheap deal whilst car enthusiasts can find their dream vehicle to experience on their dream European break.

Our cheap and cheerful range of economy hire cars, like the Skoda Citigo and Seat Ibiza, are perfect to hop into to whizz around the city or countryside, whilst leaving you enough spare change to enjoy your holiday to the maximum. With our city compact hire cars you can ride in style on the historic roads of classic European cities, and look good with a vehicle heritage to match in cars such as the Fiat 500 and Mini Coupe. For those looking to cruise in comfort, our BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz C Class provide luxury car hire with luxury customer service ensuring that your European drive goes smoothly and successfully. If you're looking for more space and safety whilst driving in the European countryside, our 4x4 and SUV hire cars are for you, such as the Volvo XC90 or Range Rover Vogue. And if you're still looking for something a little bigger to fit all of your family or buddies then our people carriers and minibus hires including the Vauxhall (Opel) Vivaro and Volkswagen VW Transporter are here to help make sure that everyone is on-board and comfortable. We also offer van hire from classic vans such as the Ford Transit and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. We have a special treat for those in Mallorca, where you can whizz down the coast on a motorbike with one of our BMW motorcycle rentals, and in Riga where you can pick up a rental bicycle and take advantage of our bicycle network to see the beautiful country of Latvia.

Sixt can match you with an innovative ride to suit your preferences. We also offer the choice of a manual car or automatic car across the full range of car hire categories, whether it be economy, family, 4x4, van, luxury or sports car. After selecting your ideal pick-up location in the booking process, you will be presented a list of all available car hire categories.

Any driving trip requires preparation, and more so when driving in Europe which has its differences to the UK. We can support you with any advance preparation and knowledge that you need, so that once you're on the road you have a safe and happy drive. For comprehensive driving information by country, our Driving Tips pages has information on key driving rules & regulations, speed limits, necessary equipment & documents and additional information such as road signs per country. 

Here is our European driving checklist. Be aware that requirements may change if you cross borders so ensure that you know the laws for each country.

• Left and right hand drive: Are you comfortable with driving on a different side of the road? Driving an automatic vehicle instead of a manual can help you acclimatize.
• Insurance: Do you have the right level of insurance that covers you for the country that you are driving in? Not every insurance company insures for driving in all European countries.
• Documentation: Do you know what identification, vehicle and insurance documents are required? Keeping your passport to hand may be a good idea if you are crossing borders.
• Speed Limits: Are you aware of the speed limits for different types of roads? The UK has one of the lowest motorway speed limits although the speed limit for urban areas is mostly the same as the UK across Europe.
• Tolls and Permits: Are you aware of toll roads, permits and limited access zones, including Austrian/Swiss vignettes and Italian ZTLs? Do you know where and how you pay?
• Vehicle, Driver and Passenger Equipment: Do you know what mandatory and recommended equipment is required for your drive? Most European countries require vehicles and drivers to carry more equipment than the UK, including reflective vests, emergency triangles and headlight beam converters.
• Winter Tyres / Snow Chains: Do you need winter tyres or snow chains? Unlike the UK, these can be mandatory by law in some countries during certain seasons.
• Mobile Phones: Do you have a hands-free kit? All European countries prohibit the use of handheld mobile phones whilst driving, and many have stricter laws than the UK on when and how you can use your phone whilst in your vehicle.
• Sat Nav / Route Planner: Do you have a sat nav? Route planning and navigation can be tricky enough in the UK, but on unfamiliar roads the distraction of route planning and driving without a sat nav can be dangerous as well as stressful.
• Alcohol Limit: Do you know the legal alcohol limit? The UK, along with Portugal, have the highest alcohol limit in Europe and many European countries have a limit of zero.