Car Hire - 18yr Old?

wba88

Hey I have been looking for car rental companies who will rent to 18yr olds (with full licences obviously). So far all I can find is 21 being the lowest. Specifically looking for Birmingham, UK. If any1 has had any previous experience or knows of any1 who does it, it would be very helpful. Thanks

ballooba

Not a chance I'm afraid.

bazz26

Very unlikely I'm afraid. Any rental companies I have used while in the UK (and other countries I have rented in) all carry the standard 21 years or older with a full licence for at least 12 or 24 months.

Seems to be the industry standard, more than likely it is related to the terms and conditions their insurance carriers require.

Tony Danza

bazz26 wrote:

Very unlikely I'm afraid. Any rental companies I have used while in the UK (and other countries I have rented in) all carry the standard 21 years or older with a full licence for at least 12 or 24 months.

I noticed companies say you need to be driving a year or two, but how exactly do you prove that? Surely the date of issue on your license just means when you got that particular one, it could have been renewed or your previous one lost etc. Just asking out of curiosity.

bazz26

Tony Danza wrote:

I noticed companies say you need to be driving a year or two, but how exactly do you prove that? Surely the date of issue on your license just means when you got that particular one, it could have been renewed or your previous one lost etc. Just asking out of curiosity.

I don't think they mean that you have to be driving for 1 or 2 years, they mean that you have to hold a full driver's licence for at least 1 or 2 years. This probably has no bearing on how good a driver you are or aren't but there has to be some standard set if you passed your test.

Tony Danza

bazz26 wrote:

I don't think they mean that you have to be driving for 1 or 2 years, they mean that you have to hold a full driver's licence for at least 1 or 2 years. This probably has no bearing on how good a driver you are or aren't but there has to be some standard set if you passed your test.

But I'm just wondering how it is you prove that you've passed your test a couple of years ago? Again, I'm just curious, to me it seems impossible to tell when somebody has passed they're driving test/how long they've been driving just by looking at a license?

Stephen

Even if you are over 21, you will usually get hit with extra fees for being under 25 as well! I rented a car for work in Switzerland and had to pay about 100 euros extra because I won't be 25 for another 4 months :rolleyes:

bazz26

From the date that the full driver's licence is issued to you.

They accept that if you have a full driver's licence that you then have acquired a certain standard of competent driving. You then have been tested on that standard of driving for which you have passed.

We know in reality that just because someone has a full licence doesn't automatically make that someone a great driver but there has to be some sort of baseline standard out there.

wba88

thanx for the replies lads. gonna have to think of a way around it