If you are over the age of 75 or 80 and have looked at hiring a car then you may have come across the issue with car hire age limits which are enforced by some suppliers.
Don’t be too concerned by this, it’s only a limited set of suppliers that enforce this rule so we will be able to find you an alternative rental company, as long as you are under the age of 99.
On this page we discuss car hire age limits & everything you need to know, use the navigation below to find the answers to your questions quickly.
In the UK the age to rent a car varies wildly but typically starts at 21, however what most don’t know is that rental companies can also have an upper age limit and may not allow drivers over the age of 75 to hire a car.
As a senior driver you need to be aware that there are car rental age restrictions in the UK & most other countries, here is what you need to consider:
You must be under the age of 99
Need to have held your licence for over a year at a minimum
Points or driving convictions will make hiring more complex as it will limit the car rental companies you can hire from
Contact us directly to find out which suppliers allow senior car hire, some popular car hire companies have restrictions for over 70’s.
What is the maximum age for renting a car?
As previously mentioned, it would depend on what car rental supplier you are looking to hire from. The car rental age limit for seniors that you tend to see is 70 years of age. Some rental companies will charge you a fee for being a senior driver, however there are rental companies that don’t have as strict upper age restrictions, as an example Enterprise car hire upper age limit isn’t specified and they allow any age as long as you are 25+.
The maximum age for car rental companies is set by the insurance companies, but different rental companies use different insurance providers. You need to ensure that you read the full T&Cs of the rental before booking.
CAR HIRE FOR OVER 70, 75 & 80s
When it comes to senior car hire many people get caught out by driver age restrictions as most suppliers do not offer car hire to the over 70s or charge an extra cost for the privilege of being more mature, which even the concept of this we find quite ridiculous, therefore we set out to do something about it and help our senior citizens get the car hire that they deserve.
A common question we get is “do you do car hire for over 80 year olds?”, the reason is many car hire companies tend not to offer senior car hire but in our experience, the older peer group are the safest and most responsible drivers out there, our senior citizens are a key part of the motoring industry and we felt it unfair to leave them unable to hire a car.
We have made an agreement with a number of rental suppliers to allow our older customers to continue hiring cars right up until their 99th birthday. These suppliers do still require certain criteria to be met similar to that of when you are hiring at any age which is why we ask you to contact us directly before making a booking, this way we can advise the best rental to meet your requirements and give you the best rental experience possible.
In summary each car rental company is different. Some car rental companies may start their daily senior driver surcharge for car hire over 75 years of age, others may start it from 80+ and some don’t have this policy at all. It’s our job to find you the best overall rental company that suits your requirement at the lowest price possible, taking into consideration their respective policies.
UPPER AGE LIMITS BY COUNTRY
If you’re looking to hire anywhere in Europe then you could potentially run into car hire age limit restrictions. We can always find a supplier that has an upper age limit of 99, but we’ve pulled together a list of countries and some of the suppliers age restrictions to give you an idea of what to look out for:
UK – Some suppliers will only allow you to hire between 25 to 75.
France – The only supplier we found with an upper age limit of 75 was Interrent.
Germany – There are a few suppliers in Germany that have an upper age limit of 80.
Italy – There are quite a few suppliers that have upper age limits of 74 & 75.
Ireland – There are quite a few suppliers that have an upper age limit of 75.
Spain – Quite a few suppliers have upper age limits of 69 at the lowest but mostly 74, 75 & 80.
POPULAR RENTAL COMPANY AGE LIMITS
Just to provide you with an idea of what companies may have upper age limits we’ve pulled together some of the popular rental companies and there restrictions, but these can vary from location to location so please always make sure you check the terms & conditions!
Rental Company
Upper Age Limit
Avis
80
Budget
99
Centauro
74
Easirent
75
Europcar
70
Firefly
69
Goldcar
99
Hertz
79
Interrent
99
Keddy
70
Record
69
Sixt
99
Thrifty
79
SENIOR CAR HIRE LOCATIONS
Below is a table some of the areas in which we can supply senior car hire.
Can’t find the location you are looking for? Don’t worry, we can still try and help! Just get in touch with us directly by calling +44 0113 880 0748.
SENIOR DRIVER FAQS
Can you hire a luxury car if you are over 70?
Yes this isn’t an issue we can offer luxury cars up until the age of 99.
Is there any “senior car hire fee” for over 70 car hire?
There can be yes however here at Indigo we have a worldwide supplier that offer this without a surcharge.
Can I add a second over 70 driver?
Yes, additional drivers can be added to the agreement, sometimes this can be free of charge.
Can i hire abroad over the age of 75?
We have suppliers all around the world who will allow you to hire a car. Always check the maximum age in the terms before booking, or to make it easier, just call us!
Can I Hire with a debit card over the age of 75?
We have numerous suppliers throughout the world that allow car hire with a debit card when you are over the age of 75. Please see the table of restrictions on the linked page for more details.
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Indigo Car Hire
Average rating:
8 reviews
Sep 26, 2018
by Tessa on Indigo Car Hire
It was such a relief to find indigo when I needed a hire car unexpectedly at pretty short notice. They were not bothered by my age (in my late 70s) whereas firms I had looked at before had specified I was out of their acceptable age range. Everything went well. Car in good condition, fairly new. Return went smoothly too. Thank you Indigo
Jun 6, 2018
by Graham on Indigo Car Hire
Simple... but effective
A complex process made simple. Efficient friendly service and at the end of the day I got hassle free car hire at a fair price. No hesitation in booking again.
Feb 28, 2018
by Belinda Harding on Indigo Car Hire
Car hire
We are very happy with Indigo Car Hire. This is the second time we have used Indigo and are very happy with the initial booking procedure right through to car rental return. Well Done Indigo
Oct 19, 2017
by Mrs Mary O'Brien on Indigo Car Hire
Reliable car hire
Booked through Indigo as over 75 year olds seem to have difficulty hiring a car anywhere. We went to Ireland and the car was ready, spick and span, at Dublin Airport. Prior to the trip I had contacted Indigo to arrange for a later drop off time from 09:30 am to noon. This information had not been passed on to the car hire company but all ended OK. Will certainly use Indigo again and would recommend them.
