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Car rental in Poland

Car rental Advice for Poland

If you type "car rentals Poland" into Google then the first few results gives you the web pages for the car hire companies themselves making if difficult and frustrating to find simple, objective and impartial advice.

We will try to give you some guidance on the best deals available on car rentals in Poland, what paperwork is required and what you can expect with your car hire agreement. We also recommend you read our section on "driving in Poland" as it provides invaluable tips on driving around the country.

Car rental requirements in Poland

1/ Driving Licence:- It may sound obvious but without a licence the only thing you'll be renting in Poland is a bicycle. Be advised that you would need to have owned your licence for a minimum of 12 months before the car hire date and some rental companies only accept a full and clean licence.

2/ Passport:- Maybe it's a throwback to the Communist years but many places in Poland still request your passport before you can book into a hotel or hire a car.

3/ Credit Card:-Some car hire companies in Poland will simply not accept cash and in a way it's understandable. By giving your credit card details over to the car rental company they then have a guarantee that should any damage occur to the vehicle then they have the right to charge your card for the value of the repairs. Visa and Mastercard are as widely accepted in Poland as anywhere else in the world but it's always wise to check the car rental company's websites to verify which credit cards can be used.

4/ Minimum Age:- Most car hire places in Poland require the driver to have a minimum age of 21 years (dependant on the type of car selected) and some rental companies will also charge a "young person's surcharge" upto the age of 27 (dependant upon the type of car selected). The maximum age to rent a car in Poland is normally 70 yrs old but this should be verified with your chosen car hire company.

Options available with your Car rental in Poland

When hiring a car in Poland you may need to consider if you require anything else to make your journey more comfortable. So if you may need a child booster seat or a Sat Nav system then log onto the rental company's website for price quotes.

Car rental in Warsaw

On arrival at Warsaw airport you will find a good selection of car hire companies to choose from. You would only really need a car rental in Warsaw if you wanted to explore places outside the city. Kazimierz Dolny, Wilanow, and Pulawy can all be reached by car. Even Lublin is only around a couple of hours drive from Warsaw. If you need to get a transfer from Warsaw airport to Warsaw city centre then there are many buses that stop outside the airport terminal and there is also the option of organising an airport transfer from Warsaw airport to the city centre.

Having said all of that, car hire in Warsaw isn't a problem and you will find most of the top car hire companies operate from the arrivals terminal of Chopin Airport (Warsaw's main airport). The car hire companies below all have English and Polish language websites with the option to contact them directly if you prefer to speak to somebody on the phone.

Car rental in Krakow

Arriving at John Paul II airport (also known as Balice airport) in Krakow there is a very good selection of car hire companies to choose a rental package from.

The Old Town of Krakow is easily navigable by foot and therefore a hire car is only really necessary in Krakow if you prefer to do some driving outside of the city. Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camps, the mountain resort of Zakopane and Czestochowa, the spiritual heart of Poland, are all within driving distance from Krakow.

As Krakow is extremely popular amongst tourists then there are many companies offering escorted trips to these places but if someone prefers the independence that a car rental brings then you will find seven car hire companies at the arrivals hall of Krakow airport.

Car rental in Gdansk

Gdansk offers the tourist three cities for the price of one due to Gdansk being so close to it's neighbouring towns of Gdynia and Sopot. Although it's very easy to catch a local train or bus to shuttle between the Tri City a car hire option from Gdansk airport really opens up the possibility of exploring some wonderful places from this part of Poland such as the Hel Peninsula, Kaszuby lakelands, Malbork castle and even the famous Mazury lake district.

Car hire in Gdansk is well recommended to truly get the best from your trip here and you will find a good variety of car hire companies at Gdansk's Lech Walesa airport.

Car rental in Wroclaw

Upon arriving at Wroclaw airport (Copernicus Airport) you will again see a very good selection of car hire companies to choose from. The Old Town of Wroclaw is very easy to wander around by foot but if you want to venture further afield then renting a car in Wroclaw may be a good idea.

Wroclaw is close to the German border so it's possible to explore parts of Eastern Germany although please check with your car hire company that this isn't against their terms and conditions