Auto Europe Car Rentals

Auto Europe is a US-based (Boston, Portland Maine) car rental broker specialising in Europe-wide rentals, aggregating inventory from Hertz, Avis, Budget, Sixt, Europcar, Enterprise, and select regional operators. Founded in 1954, the platform gives Australian travellers a single-portal comparison across Europe's rental market with English-language support and consolidated billing. Auto Europe books the rental on the operating company's stock; pickup, drop-off, and vehicle service are handled by the operating rental company at the destination. Book via autoeurope.com and activate ShopBack via the ShopBack Auto Europe Car Rentals merchant page to earn cashback on eligible bookings at the current published rate.

Auto Europe does not run a standalone consumer loyalty programme. However, when booking a rental through Auto Europe, the operating rental company (Hertz Gold Plus Rewards, Avis Preferred, Sixt Card, Europcar Privilege) typically credits the rental to the customer's own loyalty account when the operating-carrier loyalty number is entered at booking. Australian travellers should link their Hertz Gold, Avis Preferred, or Sixt Card number at booking to accumulate loyalty across both Auto Europe bookings and direct-airline rentals. Verify current partner rental company list on autoeurope.com.

Auto Europe runs periodic promotional windows around Black Friday (November 27, 2026), Cyber Monday (November 30, 2026), Boxing Day (December 26, 2026), and pre-summer Europe travel promotions in February to April. Advance-purchase discounts are typically available for bookings made 30 to 60 days out. Promo codes for further discount typically apply at checkout, but stacking multiple offers may not be permitted. Verify current promotional dates and eligible countries on autoeurope.com.

Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) is the rental insurance that limits or eliminates the renter's financial liability for damage to the rental vehicle. In Europe, many rental car rates include a basic CDW with a high excess deductible (potentially over 1,000 euros). Auto Europe typically offers a Zero Excess CDW upgrade that reduces the excess to zero at an additional daily rate, and a Full Protection package that covers additional damage categories. Australian travellers should verify what CDW is included in the base rate and consider the Zero Excess upgrade versus separate travel insurance rental car excess cover. Verify current CDW terms on autoeurope.com.

Both Auto Europe and Rentalcars.com (owned by Booking Holdings) are broker platforms aggregating rental inventory from major operators. Auto Europe has longer specialisation in Europe with English-language North America-based customer service and specific expertise in French, Italian, Spanish, and German rental markets. Rentalcars.com has broader global coverage with tighter integration into Booking.com hotel bookings. For a Europe-only rental itinerary, Auto Europe typically wins on Europe-specific service. For a globe-spanning itinerary with mixed regions, Rentalcars.com typically wins on breadth. Compare same-vehicle same-dates total price including insurance before booking.

Booking directly with Hertz, Avis, Sixt, or Europcar typically gives the best loyalty status recognition, upgrade priority, and direct-brand customer service in case of issues. Auto Europe often surfaces lower base rates through negotiated broker discounts, plus consolidated multi-country comparison. For a Hertz Presidents Circle or Avis Chairman member wanting status benefits, direct booking typically wins. For a non-status Australian traveller booking a Europe rental at best price, Auto Europe typically wins on rate discovery. Loyalty accumulation still works via Auto Europe when the FFP number is entered at booking.

Auto Europe covers all EU member states plus the UK, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Turkey, and select non-EU Balkan countries. Coverage extends beyond Europe to North America, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and select Latin American countries via partner networks, though the platform's core competency remains Europe-specific. Auto Europe is particularly strong in France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Portugal, and the UK. For Iceland-specific rentals with F-road (4x4-only) coverage, verify vehicle category and insurance terms carefully. Verify current country list on autoeurope.com.

Australian travellers get most Auto Europe value on European self-drive itineraries covering multi-country trips (Italy to France, Spain to Portugal, UK to Ireland), fly-drive combinations, or specific driving-heavy destinations like Tuscany, Provence, Andalucia, or Bavaria. The platform's Europe-wide comparison and English-language customer service reduces friction versus booking directly with local rental operators. Cross-check trip planning via Europe 2-weeks budget, timing via cheapest months Australia to Europe, and currency handling via Europe FX guide.

Empty any pending Auto Europe booking cart, then click through fresh from the ShopBack Auto Europe Car Rentals merchant page to autoeurope.com. Complete the booking in the same browser session and confirm the reservation email. Avoid pasting unofficial third-party promo codes at checkout since they can break cashback tracking. Cashback tracks on eligible completed rental bookings on the paid rate. Rates and eligible booking types vary; see the current published rate on the ShopBack Auto Europe Car Rentals merchant page.

Yes. Any cancelled or refunded portion of your Auto Europe booking is voided from the ShopBack cashback total, since Auto Europe only pays commission on completed rentals. If you cancel a reservation within the free-cancellation window or the rental does not commence, the pending cashback will not confirm.