Renting a car under 25 abroad? The young driver fee nobody warns you about

You can rent a car under 25 in most countries, but you will usually pay a young-driver surcharge, face a higher minimum age for bigger cars, and need to have held your licence for a set time. The rules are set by the rental company country by country, not by law. Sixt’s own terms, for example, let 18-year-olds rent in Germany, France and Italy but charge a surcharge up to 25; in Great Britain it starts at 21 and the surcharge runs until 28. In France Sixt’s young-driver fee is €40 a day, capped at €400. Read the terms for your pickup country before you book.

Why young drivers pay more

Rental companies charge under-25s extra because the insurance they buy for their cars costs more for younger drivers, and they pass that cost on as a daily fee. Avis’s UK help page puts it directly: the fee depends on where you rent “because the law and insurance terms vary between countries”. That is why there is no single young-driver rule, even within one brand.

The surcharge is usually charged per day and per driver, so adding a second young driver can double it. Some companies cap it for longer rentals. Sixt France, for instance, stops charging after €400 on one rental, which works out at ten days.

Minimum ages and surcharges by country

Across the countries below, the minimum age runs from 18 to 23 for a small car, and the surcharge applies up to age 23, 25, 28 or even 30 depending on where you pick up. These figures are from the rental companies’ own published terms, read on 27 September 2026. Where the company does not publish the fee, it is quoted at booking.

Two things jump out. First, “minimum age” means the smallest cars: Sixt’s French terms ask for two years of licence for several car groups, five for larger ones and seven for sports and luxury cars. Second, the surcharge threshold is not always 25. A 26-year-old picking up in Great Britain or Portugal from Sixt still pays one.

Renting under 25 in the United States

In most US states the minimum age is 20 or 21, with a daily fee until 25; New York and Michigan allow rentals from 18, at a higher fee. Avis publishes its exceptions, which show how much the fee moves by state.

Avis also bars renters under 25 from luxury cars, minivans, specialty cars and full-size and premium SUVs. Sixt’s US terms set the minimum at 21 (18 in New York) and limit under-25s to economy through full-size sedans, compact to midsize SUVs and minivans.

How to cut the young-driver fee

The biggest saving is a membership waiver; after that, book the smallest car, keep to one driver, and compare the surcharge rather than the headline rate. A cheap daily rate with a large young-driver fee often costs more than a pricier rate with a small one.

• Use a membership. AAA says Hertz waives its young renter fee for AAA members aged 20 to 24 who meet the standard rental rules, a saving of up to $29 a day, at participating locations in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico. It needs the AAA discount code in the booking and a reservation 24 hours ahead.
• Check student and employer rates. Avis runs a college-student offer in the US; company and government travel often carry different age rules.
• Book the smallest class that fits. It keeps you inside the lowest minimum age and away from the classes under-25s cannot rent.
• Limit drivers. Every additional young driver usually adds another daily fee.
• Read the country terms page before paying. A prepaid booking with the wrong age can mean a refused car at the counter.

What about Nepal

In Nepal, visitors almost never self-drive, whatever their age; you hire a car or jeep with a driver instead. Mountain roads are narrow, often unsealed and shared with buses and trucks, and a local driver who knows them is worth far more than the saving. If you are heading to Pokhara or a trailhead, our team arranges the transfer, and a pickup from a Pokhara hotel is free on treks that start there.

If you are driving somewhere that keeps left, as Nepal, the UK and Australia do, read what goes wrong the first time you drive on the left before you collect the car.

Keep reading

Sources: Sixt, country rental information (terms) pages for Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Switzerland, Ireland, Great Britain, Iceland, Australia, New Zealand and the United States; Avis, US age requirements FAQ and Avis UK FAQ; AAA, Hertz member benefits page. All read on 27 September 2026. Rental companies are not paying us for this page. This is general information, not legal advice; rules change, so check the official source before you travel.

Photos via Pexels: Gustavo Fring, Niclas Haritos, Negative Space