Just over seven in ten (74%) UK car hirers feel misled by the headline car hire price, with a further 77% saying they are frustrated by hidden costs that only become apparent late in the booking process, according to new research from iCarhireinsurance.com, a leading provider of car hire excess reimbursement insurance.
The Opinium1 survey of 1,000 hire car drivers also finds that 69% believe rental companies make it difficult to find the total cost of their booking until the final stages, while 37% struggle to find information on the price of extras such as additional drivers, child seats or excess protection. Similarly, 69% agree that extras sold at the rental desk, such as child car seats and sat navs, are over-priced.
New pricing analysis by iCarhireinsurance.com2 of six major car rental providers (Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz, and Sixt) across seven popular European holiday destinations this spring reveals how these extras can significantly drive up the cost of a hire car.
The research finds that while the average weekly rental cost is £297, typical extras from a rental company, including an extra driver (£73), a child’s car seat (£76), a sat nav (£85) and excess protection (£246), bring the total to £777 – more than double the headline price.
Excess protection is usually the single biggest additional cost at the rental desk. On average, renters face an excess liability of around £1,800, according to this study, if the vehicle is damaged or stolen – even if the incident isn’t their fault. Purchasing excess protection from the rental company costs £208 for a week’s standard excess cover and £38 for type and windscreen excess cover, bringing the total to £246. By contrast, a standalone excess reimbursement policy from a specialist provider like iCarhireinsurance.com is available from just £33.153 or £41.993 for an annual European policy.
Standalone car hire excess reimbursement policies not only offer significant savings but typically include cover for damage to vulnerable parts of the vehicle, such as tyres, windscreen, undercarriage and roof – areas often excluded from rental company policies. Renters should note that they will still need a credit card for the rental company to hold the excess as a deposit, as standalone insurance reimburses the hirer directly.
Ben Wooltorton from iCarhireinsurance.com said: “The extras sold at the rental desk can add hundreds to your bill. It’s vital to compare not just the headline rental price, but also the cost of all the extras you’re likely to need. Buying excess reimbursement insurance in advance from a specialist provider, like iCarhireinsurance.com, and bringing your own sat nav or child seat can help you keep the costs down.”
Sources
1Opinium online survey with 1,000 adults who have hired a car in the UK or abroad took place between 16 - 23 March 2026.
2iCarhireinsurance.com surveyed the costs for a week’s car hire and extras (such as excess protection, car seats, sat navs and extra drivers) from 4 - 11 April 2026. Prices were checked across six major rental companies - Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz and Sixt - in seven popular Easter destinations: Barcelona, Crete, Dubrovnik, Faro, Milan, Nice and Tenerife.
It found to hire a sat nav for a week cost on average £85, an extra driver (£73) and child car seat (£76). While the average the weekly cost for car hire excess protection cost was £208 and average cost Tyre and windscreen excess cover was £38, making a total of £246 average cost.
3£33.15 based on a 30-year-old UK resident buying an 8-day single-trip car hire excess policy from iCarhireinsurance.com for use in Europe. £41.99 annual price is based on a UK resident aged between 30-80 purchasing an excess Europe annual policy excluding in-country (UK) cover.
