Health and safety measures for a car hire with Europcar during COVID-19

Launched in Paris in 1949 by Raoul-Louis Mattei as The Automobile Subscription, the company was subsequently re-named two years later as Europcar, now one of the industry's leading car rental brands. With its head-quarters in Voisins-le-Bretonneux, not far from the French capital, the company now caters for almost 8 million customers a year in 135 countries all over the world, being particularly active in its key markets of Germany, France, UK, Italy, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Portugal, New Zealand and Australia. With over 70 years of experience, Europcar today is part of the Europcar Mobility Group which has one of the largest fleets of any car rental supplier, with over 200,000 vehicles ranging from small, economical cars for city sightseeing to top-of-the-range SUVs, convertibles and other luxury cars. Book your car hire with Europcar during the COVID-19 outbreak with complete confidence knowing that you'll always be able to find the right car for your needs with a company you can trust.

Furthermore, the strong working relationship between Europcar and Auto Europe means that travellers are provided with affordable, high-value car hire bolstered by many years of solid experience, with reliable and efficient customer service always the main priority before, during and after each and every rental. With more than 24,000 pick-up and drop-off points available, Auto Europe is the perfect choice for people planning to pick up a vehicle at airports, railway stations and convenient downtown locations in over 180 destinations worldwide. Book direct on the Auto Europe website or call our rental specialists on +49 89 412 09 786 for help getting the best deal.

Car Hire Europcar - Safety measures to protect clients from Coronavirus

During the Covid-19 crisis, Europcar has been playing a leading role as a key provider of safe, reliable and, above all, clean transport services to aid the movement of people, medicine and food supplies. In uncertain times, it's good to know that well-established companies such as Europcar can offer such a sound alternative to the public transport system, which is considered a high-risk form of getting around for many people nowadays. Europcar will continue to offers its vans and other types of passenger vehicle to ensure clients a safe, healthy and flexible option for making deliveries during the pandemic.

Measures and procedures for cleaning

Customer safety is a matter of paramount importance for Europcar. The company collaborates with all the leading vehicle manufacturers in order to make sure that its fleet is the best in the industry. None of the vehicles stays on the road longer than eight months and each one is thoroughly checked and cleaned before the next period of rental. Besides the regular use of the most effective disinfectants (as advised by the World Health Organisation and national health authorities), Europcar has implemented a strict cleanliness programme at its many car hire stations around the world, meaning that all the desks and customer service areas are completely disinfected on a regular basis and a policy of zero contact is also maintained by all staff members who are in contact with the customers, including the handing over of the vehicle's key in a sealed envelope, etc.

Clients are also able to take advantage of the Europcar Premium Pick-up service at select locations. This self service lets customers pre-register and pick up the keys for the rental car directly from a key dispenser, limiting the number of people they come in to contact with while also saving time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I drive my car hire in all EU countries?

Yes. Europcar currently does not have any travel restrictions in place, although customers are strongly urged to follow all the necessary guidelines and travel regulations as stipulated by the authorities of the country in which they are travelling.

Can you guarantee that I will not get infected when renting a vehicle? Are special procedures in place to prepare the rental vehicles?

Yes. Every vehicle is thoroughly cleaned before it leaves the station. Europcar has also implemented a wide range of additional cleaning measures, such as the complete disinfection of all the surfaces most touched by the driver and their passengers, including the dashboard, door handles, etc.

How does the car hire drop-off/return of the vehicle work during COVID-19?

• Quite simply, just two clients are allowed to be inside a Europcar station at any one time, with just the driver permitted to enter the premises to drop off the vehicle. However, customers of limited mobility or with special needs are exempt from this rule and may enter the station, in which case the driver and one passenger will be allowed per rental.
• Additionally, and in order to further protect Europcar's customers and workers, a minimum distance of two metres is now required to reduce any risk of contagion. Drivers are kindly asked to present their documents by putting them in a dedicated box and then stepping back to maintain the required distance and avoid any unnecessary contamination.
• In the interests of hygiene, customers are asked to spend a few minutes making sure all the surfaces of their vehicle are thoroughly disinfected before Europcar can check it and complete the drop-off.
• Customers can also relax in the knowledge that Europcar operates a contact-free vehicle handover with the status of the vehicle being confirmed verbally and the drop-off papers marked as follows: ‘COVID-19 [drop-off] – No signature required'.

What happens to my Europcar rental vehicle if I get infected, test positive or I am quarantined?

In the event of a customer becoming infected while in possession of their car hire with Europcar during the Coronavirus crisis, or showing any symptoms of it, they will not be allowed to drop the vehicle off. Instead, they must inform the Europcar station staff immediately and the vehicle will then be placed under quarantine for 9 days to minimise the risk of infecting anyone else. In cases such as this, the customer must keep the vehicle for that period (free of charge) from the moment the Europcar staff are informed. Customers are forbidden from touching the vehicle during the quarantine period, and should they for any reason fail to return the vehicle without notifying Europcar in advance, they might be charged for the additional days even though there was no intention of keeping the vehicle before being infected or quarantined.