Help with car hire for your camping holiday

The location where you want to pick up the car (city, airport, address). If you wish to return the car to a different location, tick the box “Different return location”, directly underneath the location field
Date and time of car pick-up
Date and time of car return.

Then simply click on “Search”.

Filters to refine your search

Once you have made an initial search using pick-up location and dates, you can refine your search by using the filters on the left of the search results page.

Here you can select the criteria most important to you in your choice of car (price range, automatic or manual transmission, diesel or petrol, customer rating, supplier, credit or debit cards, etc.).

Car hire options corresponding to your criteria will then be shown. If this has narrowed the selection down too much, widen your search by unticking the box to remove a filter.

It is important to check if unlimited mileage is included. This is normally included as standard, however, some car rental agencies still apply the ‘flat-rate mileage’ rule, which is only cost-effective if you make short journeys.

What’s the best category of rental car for a camping trip?

Using the Campsited car rental search tool will enable you to compare the available car hire options based on the type of car, price, excess, insurance and other detail.

Don’t forget to consider the number of people and the amount of luggage you might need for your open-air holiday, in choosing the size of car. It is never a good idea to have suitcases on the back seat, for security reasons.

Car hire options may include:

1/4 persons: Mini or Economy models – Designed for short, regular drives. Ideal for couples, these models consume less fuel and are easier to park. Renting a car of this type is less expensive, but be aware that these models can usually hold only one or 2 small suitcases.
4/5 persons: Estate or Intermediate models – Large and spacious models, they offer more comfort for family trips, with more leg space for the rear passengers. These models can usually hold 4-5 small suitcases.
4/5 persons: SUV model – Perfect for adventure trips in remote areas, this model is also made for rocky roads, dirt roads, or roads in poor condition. Ideal for 4 people, it can usually hold up to 4 small suitcases.
6/9 persons: minivan – The number of pieces of luggage that can fit in the boot is shown under the car image. Move your mouse over the luggage icon for more details.

Booking

How do I hire a car via Campsited?

Once you’ve used the search tool to find the right car for you, click on “Select”.
Add any extras you may need such as GPS, additional driver, child seat, etc. (to pay for on pick-up), then click on “Book now”, with or without insurance.
Check the Price summary at the top right of the page, which includes the car hire fee + any extras and insurance. There you will be given the price to be paid immediately and the balance to be paid on site.
You can check the summary of the booking (pick-up location, fuel policy, mileage, model, etc.) by clicking on “See full details”.
Enter the driver details and payment information. Confirm that you have read and agreed to the conditions of rental by checking the box “I agree to the Car Hire Terms and Conditions”. Click “Confirm Booking”.
Generally, your bank sends you a one-time code by SMS and a new page opens in your internet browser where you have to enter the code or password sent by your bank to authorise the transaction. If the transaction is successful, you will receive a confirmation email within 48 hours.

Will my car rental booking be confirmed immediately?

Most bookings are confirmed immediately, or within 48 hours.

If you haven’t received a confirmation email with your booking reference within 48 hours, please check your spam folder and/or log into the “Manage Booking” section of our car rental partner’s website www.cartrawler.com.

If you still cannot find your confirmation after 48 hours, you can send an email to [email protected]. Make sure to include the following in your email:

first and last names of the main driver
your contact details (email and phone number)

Booking paid but unconfirmed

If you receive an email that we are working on confirming your booking, this means that our partner, Car Trawler, is reaching out to the supplier to ensure that they have the vehicle available.

Your booking will most likely be confirmed. However, in the rare event that our partner, Car Trawler, is not able to confirm your booking within 48 hours, we will contact you to try and find a suitable alternative.

When your booking is in “unconfirmed” status, you can still cancel (your credit card will not be debited), or make changes to your booking on the “Manage Booking” section of the website www.cartrawler.com.

Booking temporarily confirmed

If you receive information that your booking has been provisionally confirmed, it means that there were difficulties during the payment attempt.

This may be due to incorrect card information being entered, insufficient funds on your card, your bank not authorising the transaction due to a limit on the card, or a similar issue.

In this instance, a representative from our partner, Car Trawler, will call you to reprocess the transaction. In the meantime, the booking is temporarily confirmed for you.

Booking declined

If your booking is declined, this means that the car hire supplier has informed us that they are not able to confirm the booking.

When this happens, our partner, Car Trawler, will try to find you an alternative car hire option. However, in very rare cases our partner, Car Trawler, may not be able to find a suitable option and must decline the booking. In these cases, your card will not be charged.

Making multiple bookings

Unfortunately, a separate booking must be made for each vehicle.

Vehicle received is different from vehicle booked

The cars displayed online are only examples of the type of cars you can get. The exact model of car you will receive will depend on availability from the supplier at the time of vehicle pick-up.

So, although our partner, Car Trawler, guarantees that you will receive a car in the same category as the one you booked, our partner, Car Trawler, cannot guarantee that you will receive the exact same model.

However, you can be sure that it will have the same type of transmission, number of doors, passenger and luggage capacity as displayed at the time of your booking and printed on your confirmation voucher.

Payments

Do I have to pay for car rental in full upon booking?

The majority of car hire bookings must be prepaid on booking.

For prepaid bookings, you will sometimes have the option of paying a non-refundable deposit at the time of booking, with the remainder of the payment being taken at a later date. However, the balance must be paid prior to pick-up.

Even though your rental cost is prepaid, some fees may need to be paid directly to the office upon arrival. These may include one-way fees, local taxes, baby seat, insurance, etc. This will be clearly indicated in the “Payments” section when you book online and on your booking confirmation voucher.

Can I use a debit card to rent a car?

You can use a debit card when booking online. However, in most cases, you will need to provide a valid credit card in the name of the main driver when you pick up your vehicle at the agency. If the main driver cannot present a credit card at the rental office, the car may not be released. In such cases, no refund will be issued.

However, there are some rental agencies that accept debit cards, in certain locations. When you search for a car online, click on the “credit card and debit card” filter. This will show you which rental agencies may accept a debit card.

You can also check this by clicking on the “Important Information” button of the car you are interested in.

This information is also shown in the “Payment” section, under “Debit and Credit Card Information”. If the agency does not specify that debit cards are accepted, you will not be able to rent without a credit card in the name of the main driver.

Secure payment

During the online payment process, 3D secure authentication may be requested by your bank.

Strong Customer Authentication standards introduced under EU law in 2021 customers may be asked by their bank to authorise a payment through their mobile app.

If authentication is required, you will be redirected to a new page where you will need to complete the authentication. There are different ways for banks to verify the identity of the cardholder, the most common being sending a one-time code or password via SMS. If 3D secure verification fails, you will need to contact your bank to find out how to activate and use it.

For security reasons, this process can only be dealt with by you directly with your bank.

Final invoice

The final invoice is provided by the car rental agency upon return of the car.

If you have any questions regarding the final invoice or if you have not received one, you should contact the car rental company directly. The final invoice is stored in the car rental companies system and Campsited or our partner, Car Trawler, do not have direct access to it.

If you have any problems obtaining your invoice from the car rental company directly, you can contact our partner, Car Trawler, by email at [email protected].

Please note: As our partner, Car Trawler, is not the service provider, they are unfortunately not able to provide an invoice with VAT. If you need an invoice with VAT, please ask the car rental agency directly.

Overcharge

Please review the details of your final invoice to check that any extras you have requested are listed correctly. This may include features such as GPS, child seats and extra insurance. These types of charges are payable at the rental office and would be in addition to the rental price on your booking confirmation voucher.

If you feel that you have been overcharged, you can contact our partner, Car Trawler, by email at [email protected] or directly by chat via the website www.cartrawler.com and provide supporting documents (rental agreement, final invoice).

Modifications and adding extras

Can I change my car hire booking with Campsited?

It is possible to change your booking by going to the “Manage Booking” section of our car rental partner’s website www.cartrawler.com.

Once logged in, click “Amend / Update Booking”. Here you can request a name change, add optional extras, change vehicle, dates, times or location, as well as updating your flight number.

Changes are based on availability and can be made up to your pick-up time. After the pick-up time has passed, changes will not be possible. Some changes may take up to 48 hours to process, depending on the nature of the change.

Any funds you have already paid for your car rental will be transferred to the new booking in the rebooking process. You will only be charged or refunded the difference in the price, rather than having to pay the full amount again.

For more information, you can also contact our partner, Car Trawler, by email at [email protected] or directly by chat via the website www.cartrawler.com.

Change fees

Our partner, Car Trawler, does not charge an administration fee if you change your booking.

However, any changes you make may affect the price of your booking. Most changes require a new booking and prices will depend on the rates and availability at the time of the change, not the rates at the time of the original booking.

Since prices are live and subject to availability, we recommend that you make changes as soon as you are aware of them, as prices generally increase closer to the pick-up date.

Can I change the primary driver on my car rental booking with Campsited?

You can change the primary driver by going to the “Manage my booking” section of our car rental partner’s website www.cartrawler.com. Once logged in, click on “Edit / Update Booking” and “Update Driver Name”. Here you can request a name change.

If the pickup time is less than 72 hours, please contact our partner, Car Trawler, directly via “chat” through the website www.cartrawler.com so that they can help you change the name immediately.

In some cases, our partner, Car Trawler, will need to cancel your existing booking and create a new one, in order to change the name. If this is the case, they will contact you. As with all changes where a new booking is required, this will most likely change the price, as prices are live and based on availability.

Can I add a driver when I rent a car with Campsited?

You can add another driver in the second step of the booking process when booking online.

If you already have a booking and need to add an additional driver, simply let the agent at the counter know when picking up your vehicle. There will be a charge for this option, unless a free additional driver is already included in the cost of your booking.

The person added as an additional driver must always be present at the rental office with a valid driver’s license in order to be added to the rental contract. In the event of an accident with an undeclared driver, all insurance will be invalid.

Adding extras to booking

The fastest and easiest way to request optional extras is to pre-book them when you book online.

When you select the car you want to book, the second step of the booking process will show you the optional extras available on request. Here you can choose to add child seats, satellite navigation, snow chains, etc.

If you already have a booking, go to the “Manage my booking” section of the www.cartrawler.com website. Once logged in, click on “Edit / Update Booking” and then “Add Optional Extras”. If you are unable to add the equipment you need here, we recommend that you contact the rental company directly (the number will be indicated on your booking form).

Optional extras may also be purchased when you pick up your car, subject to availability. Such extras are not included in the price and are always payable directly to the car hire company, in local currency, when you pick up your car.

Important information

What documents do I need to present when collecting a rental car?

In most cases, the following documents must be presented to the car rental company when you collect your vehicle:

A credit card with sufficient funds to cover the excess. Please note debit cards are rarely accepted – see the ‘Debit and credit card’ section for more information.
A valid driving licence, held for at least one year. However, some suppliers require more time, please check your terms and conditions.
One piece of identification.
Your booking voucher.
Any other documents specified on your booking confirmation voucher.

Rental voucher

A printed copy of your rental voucher must be presented to the rental agency on arrival.

Failure to present the rental voucher may result in additional local charges being applied by the rental agency. Furthermore, where any of the required documents are not presented or are not valid, or if the driver’s credit card has insufficient funds, the car rental agency may refuse to release the vehicle, without any refund.

Your voucher is automatically emailed to you once your booking is confirmed. If you have not received it, please check your junk mail folder or contact the customer service at [email protected], or by chat on www.cartrawler.com.

What age do you need to be to rent a car?

It depends on the country and the car rental agency, but in general the minimum age is 21 years old. You will also need to have held your driving licence for a minimum of a year, sometimes more, depending on the destination or the category of the car rented.

In most cases, you will have to pay an additional fee if you are under 25 or over 75 years old, to cover the cost of additional insurance. The amount varies by car rental company but is usually quite high.

Driving licence

You will need to present your original driving licence document at the time of pick-up – a copy will not be accepted.

If you have lost your licence and have already booked a car rental through us, we recommend that you request a change of name of the main driver, or cancel the booking if this is not an option. If you change the driver, remember that he/she will have to present all the required documents in his/her own name to the rental office, as well as a credit card with the necessary funds.

If you wish to change your name and your pickup is within the next 72 hours, please contact our partner, Car Trawler, immediately via live chat on the www.cartrawler.com website.

Unfortunately, the car rental agencies our partner, Car Trawler, work with do not accept provisional driving licences. You must have a valid full driving license to rent a car.

Roadside assistance

Roadside assistance is provided by the rental agency, so you should contact them directly to report any mechanical breakdowns. You can get more information about the roadside assistance conditions from the rental company.

Damaged vehicle

Vehicle damaged at the time of pick-up

It is essential to check the vehicle before taking possession of it.

If you notice any damage (scratches, bumps, etc.) not specified on the pick-up form, report them immediately to the counter staff and make sure they are added to the documents, which should be dated and signed.

Make a note of the damage on all copies of the contract and/or on the vehicle condition sheet, otherwise the responsibility will be assumed at the time of return of the vehicle.

If you feel that the car is not safe to drive and the supplier is not able to offer you an alternative, please contact our partner, Car Trawler, from the car rental office and they will do our best to assist you.

Vehicle damaged during rental

The first thing to do if you have a car accident during the rental is to contact your rental company. They will tell you what to do about the damage to the vehicle.

Inspection of the car at the end of the rental

When a driver signs the rental agreement at time of pick-up, he or she agrees to pay the cost of repairs for any damage caused during the rental. When you return the car, inspect it thoroughly and take pictures before you hand over the keys. If there is an agent, stay with him or her during the inspection and take a copy of the completed return form.

The rental company uses two documents to show that a car has been damaged.

Pick-up form – records the condition of the vehicle at the start of the rental.
Return form – records the condition of the vehicle at the end of the rental.

These forms usually show a sketch of the car on which the rental company lists the damage. If the return form shows new damages compared to the pick-up form, the driver is legally responsible for the costs of repairing them.

Prices and additional fees

Excess

The excess is the amount you are responsible for if the rental car is damaged or stolen during your rental.

Your excess is stated in the rental conditions and on your booking voucher, both of which can be accessed via the “Manage Booking” section of the www.cartrawler.com website.

For example, if your excess is 1000 EUR, you are liable to pay up to 1000 EUR in case of damage or theft of your rental car. If there is damage costing more than the excess amount (in this example more than 1000 EUR), any further cost on top of the excess will be covered by the included Collison Damage Waiver (CDW) or Theft Protection (TP).

Tyres, windshields and undercarriage are not always covered by these insurances, so you may be responsible for these items in addition to the excess amount.

When you pick up your car, the car rental company will charge the amount of the excess to your credit card as a damage deposit. This amount will be removed when the car is returned without damage, but it may take a few days for the amount to be available in your account.

If you purchase excess reimbursement insurance, you will still need to leave a deposit for the amount of the excess and pay for potential damage at the car rental agency. Then you file a claim with your excess reimbursement insurance company for a refund.

Fees included in the rental price

All mandatory fees that apply to your booking are included in the rate displayed online or described in your terms and conditions.

This is of course as long as you have entered the correct pick-up and drop-off times and locations and the age of the main driver (if he/she is under 25 or over 70), since additional fees related to these elements may be payable.

Remember that a security deposit will be required at the rental office when you pick up the car and, in some cases, an additional deposit for fuel. These must be paid by the credit card of the primary driver, so make sure they have sufficient funds on their card.

There may be additional charges if you do not present the required documents at the counter, if there are insufficient funds for the deposit/deductible, or if you opt for additional products such as child seats, additional drivers, satellite navigation, insurance, etc.

Insurance

Insurance is an important criterion to check before renting a car. Some insurance options to consider are:

Cancellation insurance. This is normally covered with Mastercard Gold and Visa Premier cards if you use them to pay for your booking, but if you do not have one of those cards, be sure to check the cancellation policy in case there is a cancellation charge.
Collison Damage Waiver (CDW) or Loss Damage Waiver (LDW). This insures you against theft and loss of the vehicle and sometimes reduces the amount of the excess.
Basic insurance, such as third-party insurance. With this insurance, you will not have to worry about any damage caused to another vehicle.

Some agencies also offer complete or total insurance which is supposed to cover all possible costs. If you purchase this with the rental agency when picking up the car, this can allow you to avoid having to leave a deposit.

Additional charges for drop-off at another location

When you initiate a search where the drop-off location is different from the pick-up location, any applicable one-way fees will be included in the price displayed on the search result page.

If the one-way fee is payable upon pick-up rather than upon booking, this will be indicated in the “Payments” section during the booking process and on your booking voucher.

Additional charges for late pick-up or late drop-off

When the selected pick-up or drop-off time is outside of normal rental office hours and after-hours charges apply, this will be included in the total rental cost displayed online at the time of booking.

Additional charges for mileage

Check the mileage policy when making your booking, as the mileage included in your rental can vary.

If you have limited mileage in your booking and you exceed this mileage limit, the additional cost charged by the supplier per km/mile may be high. To avoid unexpected mileage charges, we recommend that you choose an option with unlimited mileage, or make sure you have enough miles/kilometres included in the rental for your intended trip.

When you search online, there is a filter option that allows you to filter by limited or unlimited mileage.

If you’ve already booked, the mileage policy will be outlined in the rental terms and conditions on your booking voucher. You can also access your rental conditions by logging into the “Manage Booking” section of the www.cartrawler.com website.

Cross-border charges

We recommend checking your cross-border policy to make sure that the car rental provider allows you to take the car to the country or countries you wish to travel to, and if there are any additional charges. Cross-border travel fees vary, so considering this potential cost will help you choose the most economical option for your planned trip.

To check your cross-border policy when booking, click the “Important Information” button for the car you are interested in.

If you already have a booking, the cross-border policy will be described in the rental conditions on your booking form. You can also access your rental conditions by logging into the “Manage Booking” section of the website www.cartrawler.com.

Returning the car sooner

There is no refund for unused days if you return the car early, as it will have been held for the entire rental period.

Cancellations

Can I cancel my car rental booking through Campsited and get a refund?

You can easily cancel your booking on the “Manage Booking” page on the website www.cartrawler.com.

Once logged in, click on the “cancel” option from the menu and follow the steps. You will be able to review the cancellation policy before proceeding with the cancellation.

Depending on the car hire company you booked with and the circumstances, cancellation policy and administration charges may vary. Below is an overview of standard cancellation policies:

If you cancel up to 24 hours (in some cases 48 hours) prior to your pickup time, in almost all cases you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel less than 24 hours (in some cases 48 hours) prior to your pickup time, in almost all cases, you will receive a full refund minus the administration fee stated in your terms and conditions.
Once the pick-up time has passed, cancellations are not possible.

Cancelling extras may not be possible less than 24 hours before pick-up.

If you had additional insurance on your booking, this will cancel automatically when you cancel your car hire.

For more information on your cancellation options, please see your booking terms and conditions. To verify if you are entitled to a refund, please refer to the cancellation policy outlined in the terms and conditions of your insurance product.

Can I cancel my booking directly with the rental agency?

No. All cancellations must be made in our “Manage Booking” section of the www.cartrawler.com website.

If you do not cancel directly with us more than 24/48 hours prior to the scheduled pick-up time (even if you have informed the car rental company), your booking through us will remain confirmed, and no refund will be issued.

No-show policy

A “no-show” means:

You did not notify us of your cancellation prior to the pick-up time.
You did not pick up the car at the agreed upon time and date.
You did not provide the necessary documents to pick up the car.
You did not provide a credit card with sufficient funds available.

In any of the above situations, the car rental agency reserves the right not to provide the car and you will not be entitled to a refund.

Fuel Policy

Fuel Policy overview

The fuel policy is determined by the car rental supplier and can vary between options and locations.

You should check it prior to booking in the “Important Information” section of the car’s description. It will also be clearly indicated on your rental voucher.

Types of fuel policy:

Full to full: This usually ends up being the most economical fuel policy. You will receive the car with a full tank of fuel and leave a deposit. As long as you return the car with a full tank of fuel, you’ll get the deposit back. If you don’t return the car full, you’ll be charged for missing fuel and a refuelling fee.
Same to same: Your vehicle will be supplied with fuel and you need to return the car with the same amount of fuel. You may be required to leave a fuel deposit reserved on your credit card that will be released when you return your car with the same amount of fuel. If you don’t return the car with the same amount of fuel, you’ll be charged for missing fuel and a refuelling fee.
Pre-purchase with partial refund: Your car will be provided with a full tank of fuel for which you will need to leave a deposit at the rental desk. You do not refill the car with fuel during your rental. Upon return of the car, you will be refunded for the unused fuel, but you will be charged a mandatory admin fee. The admin fee is non-refundable, regardless of the amount of fuel upon return.
Prepaid fuel: You pay for a full tank of fuel when you pick up the car, and you can return the car empty. However, you are usually not refunded for fuel you don’t use, and the fuel is usually charged at a higher-than-normal rate. In some cases, this may be offered at the desk as an option. Some people prefer this policy for convenience, as they don’t have to worry about refilling the car before returning it.

Overcharge for fuel by the car rental agent

If you think you have been overcharged by the rental car company, our advice is to first try and sort this out with the car rental company directly. They will have a full overview of the charges that were applied at the desk, and it is often faster to get a resolution by discussing directly with the car rental company.

If you are unable to contact them or do not receive a satisfactory response, please feel free to contact our partner, Car Trawler, by email at [email protected] or directly by chat via the website www.cartrawler.com. We will certainly try to help.

Depending on the complexity of the issue, it can take up to 20 working days for a case to be investigated and resolved.

Changing the fuel policy

If you are not happy with the fuel policy on your booking, you can usually easily change to a different option by logging on to www.cartrawler.com. Click on the “Manage My Booking” section at the top right of the page.

As the fuel policy is tied to the specific booking chosen, you will need to select a different vehicle in order to change the fuel policy. If you click on “Change Vehicle”, this will give you the opportunity to search again and select an option with the fuel policy that you like.

If the price of the new option is higher or lower than your original booking, only the difference will be charged or refunded.

Pick-up and return of the rental car

Vehicle pick-up location

You will find instructions on how to pick up your car on your booking confirmation voucher. The address of your rental car agency will be clearly indicated.

Delays

Unless you notify the car rental company at the earliest opportunity, there is no guarantee that the car rental company will hold the car for you in the event of a delay.

If you know you are going to be delayed, please call the number indicated on your rental voucher. If they do not hear from you, the rental agency will check the status of the flight number you have provided, to see if you are stuck on a delayed flight and cannot call, before giving away your vehicle. If you have not provided any flight number, however, they cannot do this and will expect notification from you. With notification, the vehicle can be held for a maximum of 12 hours.

If the vehicle is returned after the time you indicated when booking, additional hourly charges will apply. These hourly fees are listed on your rental agreement. Generally, if you return the vehicle more than 2 hours late, you may be charged an additional day’s rental.

Returning the vehicle earlier than planned

You will normally be able to drop off the car earlier than stated on your voucher. However, no refund is available for unused days or early returns.

You must contact the car rental agency directly to let them know if you plan to return the vehicle early.

Extending the rental period

Depending on availability, this may be possible on request directly from your rental car agency. There will be an additional cost.

Returning the vehicle when the agency is closed

If you want to return a vehicle when the rental agency is closed, check when you pick up your vehicle to see if a key box is available after opening hours and where you should park the vehicle.

This service is usually only available at agencies in train stations or airports, not in city centre agencies. It may be free or at a cost, depending on the agency.

Choosing a car

Finding a car