Advertiser disclosure
Advertisers are not responsible for the content of this site, including any editorial or review that may be published on it. For complete and up-to-date information about any product featured, please visit their website. We maintain business relationships with certain partners mentioned in our communication tools. While we may receive compensation if you sign up for a product or service through our affiliate links, our reviews and content are based on an objective assessment. Value estimates are established by Milesopedia and are not provided, endorsed, or verified by the issuing financial institutions. †*Terms and conditions apply.
With decades of experience and an ongoing commitment to innovation, Europcar remains a key player in the car rental industry, offering customers convenient and flexible mobility solutions worldwide. Their loyalty program, Privilege Club, is therefore an interesting option to consider if you happen to rent a car.
Europcarnow one of the world’s largest car rental companies, traces its roots back to the post-war years when a Parisian visionary named Raoul-Louis Mattei had an innovative idea: to allow people to rent cars when they needed them, even if they couldn’t afford to buy one. And so, in 1949, L’Abonnement Automobile was born, a company that would later become Compagnie Internationale Europcars and then Europcar.
The concept of driverless car rental has quickly caught on with the public, responding to a real need for mobility. In 1951, Abonnement Automobile was the first car rental company of its kind, with a fleet of 750 Renault 4 CVs.
Despite its expansion and growth, the original vision that inspired the group’s creation remains intact. Europcar Mobility Group continues to respond to changing mobility needs and adapts its business model to the era of the usage and sharing economy.
Europcar Mobility Group now offers a wide range of car and van rentals, from short term rentals of a few hours to daily, weekly, monthly and longer rentals.
Europcar offers its customers a diversified fleet to meet all their mobility needs and avoid bad experiences. Whatever your destination or preference, Europcar is likely to have the right vehicle for you.
Europcar offers compact and city cars for exploring Europe’s small towns. These fuel-efficient vehicles are ideal for maneuvering in tight spaces and provide an agile driving experience.
Europcar offers a fleet of electric cars that combine performance and environmental responsibility. They offer a clean, quiet ride and feature cutting-edge technologies for a modern, eco-friendly driving experience.
The company also simplifies the charging of these electric cars by taking care of the process, eliminating the need to stop at gas stations.
Europcar has a wide range of electric cars, from the Hyundai Kona, an SUV with a range of up to 484 km, to the Lynk & Co 01, a plug-in hybrid that adapts to your needs, to the Mercedes-Benz eSprinter and Tesla.
Convertibles, SUVs, sports cars. Europcar has a range of luxury cars to suit all tastes and requirements. Whether you want to drive a Mercedes, BMW, Tesla or Lynk & Co, it’s possible.
Europcar provides practical, economical vans for large transport or moving jobs. Please note that the use of these vehicles is restricted to mainland France, excluding Corsica. Renting a van to live the van life on Europe’s roads is therefore impossible.
Europcar has nearly 4,000 locations worldwide in more than 140 countries. In France and the European Union, you can find Europcar in almost every major city.
When you rent a car with Europcar, you will automatically be covered by the Basic Protection. This policy gives you peace of mind, but limits your financial responsibility in the event of theft or collision to a maximum deductible of 1100 euros.
There are also two additional insurance packages, Medium and Premium, which, for an additional fee, protect customers against glass breakage, headlights and tires, and offer personal protection in the event of an accident.
If you do not take out the insurance offered by Europcar,However, it is essential to make an inventory, analyze the vehicle and take photos of any defects, especially on the rocker panel, the underside, the rear deck and the bumpers, so that the company doesn’t blame you when you return the vehicle.
It is not mandatory to take an insurance pack when renting a car. It’s also useful to know that you can choose customized insurance to suit your needs.
When you’re on the road, the journey can bring surprises, some less pleasant than others. Vehicle damage or theft are situations for which it is wise to be prepared. Europcar offers several options to protect you against these eventualities.
In addition to protecting the vehicle itself, Europcar offers insurance options to cover the driver, passengers and personal belongings.
Europcar‘s loyalty program, called Privilege Club, offers travelers a host of benefits and rewards with every rental. Customers can join the program and start earning points from their very first rental.
Therefore, the program is designed to reward member loyalty with status updates every two years from the date of enrollment. In order to upgrade to a higher level or simply maintain current status, members must meet or exceed rental or rental day requirements before their membership level expires or by using certain credit cards.
Member benefits include a 10% discount on car or van rentals of more than three days and a faster, time-saving vehicle pickup process. A secure reservation also guarantees that the reserved vehicle will be available, even in the event of delays.
Club Privilege is the entry level. After just two rentals, status holders will receive a 10 Euro discount voucher and after the third rental, a free weekend.
Thanks to strong partnerships, status holders can even enjoy a 15% discount at all participating Accor hotels. The opposite is also true. If you are a Flying Blue member, for example, you can earn Miles for every rental.
Privilege Executive status is available to people with at least ten rentals or 40 rental days. In addition to all the benefits offered to Club Privilege status holders, Privilege Executive status holders are entitled to these additional privileges:
This premium status is offered to anyone who has made more than 25 rentals with Europcar or rented cars for at least 85 days. In addition to all the above benefits, this status comes with these additional privileges:
Privilege Elite VIP status, Europcar’s highest status, is offered to all company customers who have made more than 40 rentals or rented cars for at least 130 days. The big advantage of this status is free Priority Pass membership, which can be used at over 1,000 airports worldwide. And unlike the Privilege Elite, the 30-euro discount coupon is available after the fourth rental.
Europcar stands out for its quality service and attentive employees, its professional environment, its fleet variety, its ease of booking, its transparent pricing, its easy pick-up and drop-off and its attractive loyalty program.
One of Europcar‘s strengths lies in the diversity of its fleet of vehicles. Like Sixt, one of its biggest competitors, it offers a wide range of cars, from city cars to SUVs and environmentally-friendly electric models, to meet the varied needs of travelers.
Booking procedures, whether online or by phone, are simple and efficient. The rates are transparent, so there is no ambiguity about the cost, and they are often very attractive. What’s more, Europcar stands out for the ease with which vehicles can be picked up and dropped off, as well as for its active, attentive customer service.
Despite its many assets, Europcar is not immune to some negative customer reviews. Although Europcar enjoys a solid reputation and a large number of positive reviews, there are also criticisms linked to vehicle cleanliness, refund delays, fuel policies and customer service.
The cleanliness of the vehicles is one of Europcar‘s weak points. Some customers who have had bad experiences have reported that the cars are not always clean when they are picked up. Delays in returning security deposits are also often cited. Many customers have expressed their frustration at the slowness of the refund process.
Finally, although similar to its competitors, Europcar‘s fuel policy has also been criticized. In fact, as is often the case when renting a car, the vehicle must be returned with a full tank of fuel, otherwise additional charges may apply and the rental price may be higher than expected.
Savings this way:
You can change your preferences or opt out at any time by clicking on one of the hyperlinks available at the bottom of each newsletter.
If you are already a subscriber and would like to unsubscribe, you can click on the link at the bottom of any of our e-mails.
