Car hire from local rental companies

No deposit car hire abroad

Compare local car rental companies in 19 destinations. Find cars with no deposit or no credit card, see each car’s insurance before you book, and pay the rest at pickup.

Choose your destination

Each destination has its own rules on deposits, cards and borders. Here is what to expect in each.

Balkans

Albania

Airport: Tirana

Pick up at Tirana Airport and you are about 35 min from the beaches at Durrës, about 2 h from Berat and about 4 h 15 min from Sarandë on the Riviera in the south. You can add a package for Montenegro, Greece and other neighbours when you book.

Montenegro

Airports: Podgorica, Tivat

Fly into Podgorica or Tivat. The two airports are 83 km apart, about 2 h by road, and from Podgorica Airport you reach Budva in about 1 h 30 min and Kotor in about 1 h 45 min. Some cars offer border packages; each car shows its options and the fee before you book.

Croatia

Airports: Split, Dubrovnik, Zagreb, Zadar, Pula

From Split Airport, Trogir lies about 10 min away and the Riva in Split roughly 30 min; from Dubrovnik Airport, Cavtat is about 10 min and the Pile Gate about 30 min. The coast road through Neum crosses Bosnia and Herzegovina, so it counts as leaving Croatia under the rental conditions.

Eastern Mediterranean

Greece

Airports: Athens, Thessaloniki, Rhodes, Corfu

From Athens Airport, Syntagma Square is about 35 min by road and the port at Piraeus about 45 min; from Thessaloniki Airport, the drive to the White Tower takes about 25 min. Driving across a border is not allowed, and taking the car on an island ferry needs prior arrangement.

Crete

Airports: Heraklion, Chania

Heraklion and Chania airports are 160 km apart, about 3 h by road. From Heraklion Airport, Hersonissos is about 30 min along the north coast; from Chania Airport, Chania town is about 25 min. Both manual and automatic cars are listed, so filter by transmission.

Cyprus

Airports: Larnaca, Paphos

Land at Larnaca or Paphos, 124 km and about 1 h 45 min apart by road. Larnaca Airport to Ayia Napa is a drive of about 50 min, and Paphos Airport to the harbour about 25 min. Traffic keeps left, and rental cars may not enter Northern Cyprus.

Western Mediterranean and the Atlantic

Sicily

Airports: Catania, Palermo

From Catania Airport, Taormina and Ortigia in Siracusa are each about 55 min by road; from Palermo Airport, the city centre is about 50 min. Catania and Palermo airports lie about 3 h 30 min apart, and one-way hire between them can be booked.

Malta

Airport: Malta

From Malta Airport, Valletta and St Julian’s are each about 15 min by road, Buġibba about 25 min and Mellieħa in the north about 30 min. Some cars can be delivered to an address in these towns, and traffic drives on the left.

Spain

Airports: Tenerife South, Tenerife North, Gran Canaria, Mallorca, Malaga

From Tenerife South Airport, Los Cristianos is roughly 30 min by road; from Gran Canaria Airport, Maspalomas about 45 min; from Mallorca Airport, Magaluf about 30 min; and from Malaga Airport, Torremolinos about 15 min. One-way hire between the two Tenerife airports, or from Malaga to Seville, can be booked.

Portugal

Airports: Lisbon, Faro, Porto, Madeira

From Lisbon Airport, Cascais is about 35 min by road; from Porto Airport, the city centre is about 20 min; from Faro Airport, Albufeira is about 55 min; and from Madeira Airport, Funchal about 20 min. Rental cars may not board a ferry between Portugal’s islands and the mainland.

Turkey and the Caucasus

Turkey

Airports: Antalya, Dalaman, Bodrum, Istanbul

From Antalya Airport, Belek is about 35 min by road and Side about 1 h; from Dalaman Airport, Fethiye is about 1 h, and from Bodrum Airport the town centre is about 40 min. No rental car may be driven out of Turkey.

Georgia

Airports: Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Batumi

From Tbilisi Airport, Freedom Square in the centre takes about 25 min by road and the drive to Sighnaghi roughly 1 h 30 min; Batumi Airport sits about 10 min from Europe Square. Rental cars may not cross the border and must keep to paved public roads.

Azerbaijan

Airport: Baku

From Baku Airport, the Old City is about 30 min by road, Gobustan roughly 1 h 30 min and Quba in the north about 2 h 30 min. Cash paid at pickup is paid in manat, and the car may not leave Azerbaijan.

Middle East and North Africa

UAE

Airport: Dubai

From Dubai Airport it takes about 20 min by road to Downtown Dubai, about 35 min to Dubai Marina and about 1 h 45 min to the Corniche in Abu Dhabi. The terms ask for an International Driving Permit with your licence, and the car may not leave the UAE.

Oman

Airports: Muscat, Salalah

From Muscat Airport the drive takes about 35 min to the Mutrah Corniche, about 2 h to Nizwa and about 3 h to Sur. A car booked here cannot be taken into the UAE, and if you plan to drive out of the province, confirm it when you book.

Morocco

Airports: Marrakech, Agadir, Casablanca

From Marrakech Airport, the drive to Jemaa el-Fna takes about 15 min and to Essaouira roughly 2 h 45 min; from Agadir Airport, Taghazout is about 55 min. Collect at the airport or have the car delivered in the city; it must stay in Morocco, and so no ferry.

Asia and the Indian Ocean

Thailand

Airport: Phuket

From Phuket Airport, Bang Tao Beach is about 30 min by road, Patong and Phuket Old Town each about 45 min, and Kata Beach about 55 min. Cars are collected at the airport or delivered, and traffic drives on the left.

Bali

Airport: Denpasar

From Bali Airport, Kuta Beach is about 10 min by road, Seminyak about 15 min, Canggu about 25 min and the palace in Ubud about 40 min. Rental cars must stay on Bali under the rental conditions, and traffic drives on the left.

Mauritius

Airport: Mauritius

From Mauritius Airport, Mahébourg is about 15 min by road, Port Louis about 40 min, Flic en Flac in the west about 45 min and Grand Baie in the north about 1 h. Traffic drives on the left, and cars can also be delivered to an address in town.

Low-price rental examples

Local companies in each destination, with the deposit, gearbox and cover shown on every car before you book.

Vehicle sizes and transmission

From small city cars to SUVs, vans and convertibles: pick the size you need and compare local companies in one search.

Economy cars are typically the cheapest. Automatics usually cost more, and how many cars are automatic differs a lot between destinations, so filter for automatic if you need one.

Compare the details before choosing

No credit card or deposit on many cars.

Local companies often keep payment simple, and each car shows its deposit before you book.

The price before you pay.

Each car shows its total, its deposit, its cover levels and any one-way or cross-border fee before you book.

Small payment now.

You pay an advance of 15 to 20% when you book and the rest to the rental company when you collect the car.

Local companies, clear terms.

You rent from a local company at the airport or in town. Its name and phone number are on your booking voucher.

Your rental company and its responsibilities

SabreCar compares cars from local car rental companies at airports and in towns. Side by side, you see the full price, the deposit, the insurance options and each company’s rules on the car before you book.

When you book, the local company sends you a voucher with its name and phone number, and it is the company you meet at pickup and deal with about the car.

If the car is not available

If a company cannot provide the car you booked because of a breakdown or another reason outside its control, it must give you a car of the same or a higher class, on the same terms and at the same price.

Renting from a local company

Every car on SabreCar comes from a local rental company. That changes how renting works:

Payment rules are often easier.

Many cars need no deposit, and many take a debit card or cash instead of a credit card.

Delivery to you.

On many cars you can choose delivery to your hotel or another address in town instead of collecting at the airport.

Someone meets you.

At the airport the company meets you as shown on your voucher. How and where varies by company, so read the voucher before you travel.

You check the car together.

Look the car over with the company at pickup and at return, and note any marks, so nothing is disputed later.

You call them directly.

If your flight is late or plans change, ring the number on your voucher.

Arriving late or early?

Search with your real arrival time. Some cars cannot be collected at night; any late or early handover fee shows before you pay.

Which cars need no deposit?

Some cars do, and each car shows its deposit, or none, before you book.

A no-deposit car means nothing is held on your card or paid in cash as a security deposit when you collect it. You still pay the rental itself and any extras you chose.

How to find them: tick “No deposit” in the search filters. Each car also shows its deposit amount (or none) before you book.

Another way to zero: on many cars the top insurance level, Full Coverage Plus, removes the deposit. It is not offered on every car, so check the car’s insurance options.

Still bring: your licence and the payment card or cash the car asks for, because the rest of the rental is paid at pickup.

It varies by destination

How many cars need no deposit differs a lot from one country to the next, and from week to week. Each destination page shows typical prices, and the search shows the cars for your dates.

Can you rent a car without a credit card?

It depends on the car: many local companies take a debit card or cash, and each car shows whether it needs a credit card before you book.

It varies by destination

In some countries almost no car asks for a credit card; in others many do. Each car shows whether it needs one before you book.

Paying by debit card or cash

Pay the advance online by card when you book. Pay the rest at pickup by the methods the car lists; some take cash or a debit card.

When a credit card is needed

It must be a physical card with raised numbers, in the main driver’s name, brought to pickup. Some companies take a debit card instead.

What does car hire insurance cover?

It depends on the level you pick: each car lists up to four, from damage to other vehicles only up to full damage cover. Its price, its deposit and which levels it offers show on the car before you book.

Minimum coverageIncluded as standard
  • Damage to other vehicles (TPL) (included)
  • Damage to your hire car (not included)
Basic coverage
  • Limited collision cover (CDW) (included)
  • Damage to other vehicles (TPL) (included)
  • Glass and tyre damage (not included)
Full Coverage
  • Limited driver liability (Super CDW) (included)
  • Damage to other vehicles (TPL) (included)
Full Coverage Plus
  • Full damage cover (included)
  • No driver liability for accident damage (included)
  • On some cars a higher level lowers the deposit, and Full Coverage Plus can take it to zero. Full Coverage Plus is not offered on every car.
  • Standard insurance leaves out the wheels, the undercarriage, the windscreen and the car’s interior.
  • After an accident, tell the rental company straight away and get a police report, unless the company agrees otherwise; without both, the cover can be cancelled.

Documents to prepare for collection

Your driving licence, any permit your destination asks for, and the payment card or cash the car lists.

Driving licence

Your national licence, valid until the end of the rental. Copies and digital licences are not accepted. In many destinations the details must also be in Latin letters.

International Driving Permit

Required by the rental terms in some destinations and recommended in others. Each country’s rental terms say what applies to your licence.

Payment

The card or cash the car asks for at pickup, and a credit card in the main driver’s name if the car requires one.

Your booking voucher

Emailed after booking, it names the company and its phone, the meeting point, and any credit card rule. Keep it for pickup and cancelling.

A phone you can be reached on

Keep your number reachable from the day before pickup until return, by call, WhatsApp or Viber. If the company cannot reach you, you cannot complain.

Age and experience

Each car shows its own minimum age and years of driving. Some cars can be hired from 18; others need 21 or more and up to three years’ experience.

How booking works

  1. Search

    Your airport or town and your dates.

  2. Choose the car and options

    Compare price, deposit and payment rules, then add insurance, a cross-border package or extras.

  3. Pay the advance

    15 to 20% of the rental, online.

  4. Collect the car

    Pay the rest to the company and check the car together.

Changing or cancelling

  • Cancel without penalty up to 7 days before pickup (30 days for luxury cars and convertibles), or up to 24 hours before if your booking includes the 24-hour cancellation option. The processing charge still applies.
  • A processing charge of 6% of the advance is kept. The rest of the advance comes back within 14 days of your request.
  • Cancelling later, or not turning up, means the advance is kept.
  • To change a booking you cancel it and book again.

Driving across borders and one-way hire

Across a border: in some destinations you can drive abroad and back with a cross-border package added when you book; the car always comes back to the country you hired it in.

In some destinations many cars offer a cross-border package; in others the rental terms do not allow a car to leave the country at all. Each car shows its own package and fee, and each destination page explains the rules there. Tell the company before you cross.

One-way within a country

Collect in one town and return in another in the same country. Any drop-off charge is already in the price shown and differs by car and route; each destination page shows the one-way options.

Between countries

The car must come back to the country where you hired it, so you cannot drop it off in another one. A cross-border package only lets you drive abroad and back where permitted.

Seasonal availability

Prices follow the season: they are lowest in the quiet months and highest in summer. Each destination page has a month-by-month price table for its main airport.

Far fewer cars show for June to August than for the quieter months when you search a long way ahead, so check again nearer your trip.

Picking up and returning the car

At the airport

The company meets you as your voucher says. Some cars cannot be collected at night; any out-of-hours fee shows before you pay.

In town

Choose delivery to your hotel or address where the car offers it.

At pickup

Show your licence and payment, pay the rest of the rental, and walk round the car with the company.

Fuel

Return it with the same level you collected it with.

At return

Check the car together again. The deposit, if there was one, is returned under the company’s terms.

Questions

Do I need a credit card to hire a car?

Often not. Many cars from local companies need no credit card, and each car shows whether it does before you book. How many differs by destination.

Can I hire a car with no deposit?

Yes. Tick “No deposit” in the search, or choose Full Coverage Plus where a car offers it.

How old do I have to be to rent a car?

It depends on the car: some can be hired from 18, others need 21 or more and up to three years of driving. Each car shows its own limits.

Can I drive a rental car to another country?

In some destinations, yes, with a cross-border package added when you book. In others the rental terms do not allow it. The car must always come back to the country you hired it in.

Can I return the car somewhere else?

Within the same country, yes, with a drop-off fee shown in the price. Not in another country.

We are a group of seven. Which car do we need?

Filter for 7 seats or more. The largest hire cars on offer have nine seats, so a group of ten or more needs two cars. Check the boot size of the model against your luggage.

How much do I pay now?

An advance of 15 to 20% when you book. The rest is paid to the company when you collect the car.

Is insurance included?

Each car comes with basic cover and offers higher levels at a price. Standard cover does not include damage to the wheels, underbody, windscreen or interior; the car shows what each level covers.

How do I request a cancellation?

Email the cancellation request with your booking voucher. The applicable notice deadline depends on the vehicle category and any shorter-notice option included in your reservation; the cancellation section explains those deadlines and the processing deduction.

Who do I contact after booking?

The rental company, on the phone number in your voucher. For anything about this website, email info@sabrecar.com.

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