Car Rental Age Restrictions
Temmuz 17th, 2008 | by admin |
Car rental companies tend to see car renting for the ages of 25 and 70, and for the group outside this range, there are really some issues to consider.
Actually many companies have long refused to rent to anyone under 25, which is already a known fact. But there’s actually good news on that front: Avis, Budget and Hertz have all lowered their minimum driving age to 21 since last summer, while Dollar, Enterprise and Thrifty have had that policy for a while.
The bad news: most companies still charge an extra daily fee for renters age 21 to 24 — typically about $25 a day, though, depending on the company and location, it can be much higher. For instance, New York and Michigan both have state laws requiring companies to rent to anyone 18 and older, but in New York, the under-25 surcharge can be more than $100 a day. Only for rich young people 
That said, these age-based fees can vary quite a bit, and some agencies waive them if you’re renting through a corporate account, so it’s worth shopping around. Also, don’t assume the same rules apply overseas, since many United States companies have lower age limits in other countries.
Actually if you’re traveling abroad, that’s when upper age limits might come as a surprise. Although generally not an issue if you’re renting in the United States, many American and foreign car rental companies do have maximum-age rules abroad, generally, because of local insurance policies. There’s no consistency about what age suddenly puts you in the passenger seat, but if you’ve celebrated your 70th birthday, it’s an issue you should ask about — and don’t count on the rental agency to bring it up.
“We wouldn’t in a normal script or process ask the customer their age,” said Charles Pulley, a spokesman for Vanguard Car Rental, which operates Alamo and National. “There are cues that might raise it, but the onus is on the driver to find out if they’re qualified.”
Most agencies have information about age restrictions on their Web sites, but you often have to click around to find it. Countries where upper age limits can be an issue include Ireland, Italy, Israel, Britain, Greece, Cyprus, Malta, Egypt and Morocco, but that’s not an exhaustive list, and policies can vary by company. For instance, Alamo’s maximum age for renters in Ireland is 74, and for Hertz it’s 75, but Enterprise doesn’t have maximum age limits in Ireland — or in any other country.
So, in short, do not get aged
