If I return the hire car late, will I be charged?

We explain how to avoid or minimise charges that can be incurred from being late dropping back your hire car

Will I be charged for returning the car late? The short answer is Yes. Once you’re outside the allotted time of the rental agreement you are subject to local charges which may be significantly higher than the daily rate you have paid. If you know you are going to be outside of the agreement we would recommend you contact your hire car company to discuss the cheapest way to extend your rental.

Try not to just turn up late without alerting the hire car company of your situation as, if you do this, you are likely to end up with penalty charges from the firm that you have hired from. After all, they may have needed that car for another customer!

The best option is not to be late so, particularly in countries where you are not familiar with the roads or where you are going, it is worth setting off a little earlier than you would usually! Allowing an extra hour or so on top of the time the journey is meant to take may save you a hefty bill!

If you have any further questions, please get in contact with our team and we will do our best to help you!

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This content was last reviewed on 09/10/2023

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