Port of Southampton Car Rental

The minimum age to rent for all vehicles is 30. Renters aged 25 or older may rent cars and SUVs of the categories Mini, Economy, Compact, Intermediate and Standard, Small People Carriers as well as Vans except for Luton Vans with tail lift for which the minimum age is also 30. No additional surcharges apply. Renters aged 19 years or older who have held a full driving licence for at least one year, can access a vehicle through Enterprise Car Club. Find more information at www.enterprisecarclub.co.uk.

Customers who collect a vehicle from the UK mainland and wish to drive within the Republic of Ireland or mainland Europe are required to purchase European Travel Coverage. European Travel Coverage provides customers with our written consent (VE103B form) to drive the vehicle in the countries stated below and to access 24/7 international breakdown cover through the AA.

In all cases, customers must inform the rental branch of their intention to leave the UK mainland with the vehicle and require our authorisation. Customers are required to inform the rental branch with no less than 72 hours' notice prior to collecting the vehicle to arrange their European Travel Coverage.

European Travel Coverage is only available to customers paying with a credit card and the vehicle must only be used in the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, UK. This includes the destination and any countries customers might travel through. Premium, Luxury and Executive vehicles are excluded from the European Travel Coverage product and are therefore not allowed to leave the country.

The charge for European Travel Coverage is 300.00 per rental for all cross-border travels. Customers renting from Northern Ireland wishing to cross the border into the Republic of Ireland will only be charged 25.53

Please note that we are unable to provide any additional equipment or permits and certificates that may be compulsory for driving abroad (e.g. breathalysers, warning triangles, first-aid kits etc.) and this responsibility rests on the driver. Customers are required to be aware of any requirements of the destination and any countries or regions customers might travel through.

Advice on driving in other European countries following the United Kingdom leaving the European Union may be found at www.gov.uk/driving-abroad

Damage Waiver (DW) reduces the liability of the renter in the event of damage to or theft of the vehicle. If DW is not included in the reservation, the renter has full liability for the vehicle. DW is available for purchase.

If included in the reservation, the excess amount is 1500 GBP for all cars and SUVs of the categories Mini, Economy and Compact. All other vehicles have an excess of 2000 GBP. The excess will be charged every time a vehicle is damaged, lost or stolen.

Before purchasing DW, it is advisable to determine if the renter's personal coverage is adequate to cover damage, theft, loss of revenue, administration fees, diminishment of value, and any towing, storage or impound fees. If DW is declined, the renter will be required to pay these charges and seek compensation through their carrier of personal coverage. DW is not insurance.

Renters wishing to discuss or dispute any matters concerning damage to the rental vehicle may contact our damage recovery department. Please email damageclaim@em.com or call 00 44 (0) 345 604 2881.

All rentals where the vehicle is not returned to the same location as it was collected from will be subject to a one-way fee. The one-way fee varies based on car category, location and pick-up date. The exact amount of the one-way fee will be displayed during the reservation process when entering the dates, desired route and car category.

Excess Protection (EP) is an optional coverage available only if Damage Waiver (DW) is included in the rate or purchased. EP reduces the applicable Damage Waiver excess amount. If EP is not included in the reservation, it is available for purchase.

For all Cars and SUVs of the categories Mini, Economy and Compact the excess can be reduced to 100 GBP. For all other vehicles the excess can be reduced to 250 GBP. Excess will be charged every time a vehicle is damaged, lost or stolen.

Before purchasing EP it is advised to determine, if a personal coverage is adequate to cover damage, theft, loss of revenue, administration fees, diminishment of value, and any towing, storage or impound fees. If EP is declined, the renter will be required to pay these charges up to the Damage Waiver excess amount and seek compensation through their carrier of personal coverage. EP is not insurance.

If the renter does not choose to purchase an optional fuel product at the start of the rental period and does not return the vehicle with the same level of fuel as at the start of the rental period (as indicated on the Rental Agreement) the renter will be required to pay a refuelling service fee calculated as the difference between the fuel level recorded on the Rental Agreement and that recorded upon the return of the vehicle multiplied by the fuel price displayed at the branch, plus a refuelling charge of up to 15 GBP. Unused or excess fuel will not be refunded.

Where the vehicle is an electric vehicle and is returned with less charge than was provided at the start of the Rental Period (such level as indicated on the Rental Agreement Summary), a re-charging fee calculated as the kWhs needed to charge the vehicle to make up the difference between the charge level recorded on the Rental Agreement Summary and that recorded upon the return of the Vehicle multiplied by the kWh price displayed on the Rental Agreement Summary plus, an additional charge as indicated on the Rental Agreement Summary. No unused or excess charge will be refunded. 

Mileage- all vehicles include unlimited mileage

All major debit and credit cards, issued by either Visa, Mastercard or American Express, are accepted. All cards presented must be in the renter’s name. A security deposit plus the estimated cost of the rental will be taken at the time of rental. Cash, checks, prepaid cards, Diners Club and Discover Card are not accepted. For all Cars and SUVs of the categories Mini, Economy, Compact, Intermediate, Standard, Small People Carriers and Vans a deposit of 200.00 GBP is required. These vehicles may be rented with a debit or credit card. Large People Carriers, Compact Elite, Full Size SUVs and all Premium vehicles require a deposit of 500.00 GBP. For Luxury and Executive vehicles, a deposit of 1000.00 GBP applies. A credit card is mandatory to rent these vehicles.

Airports Only - Debit cards are accepted at the time of rental with a round trip plane ticket or flight itinerary that shows the renter's name and discloses the return date. Debit cards are not accepted from local customers. Local renters must present a valid credit card in the renter's name. If using a payment source registered outside of the United Kingdom, this location cannot be responsible for any fluctuations in the currency exchanges while the deposit is being held.

Roadside Assistance Protection (RAP) is an optional 24-hour emergency service including tyre and glass repair or replacement costs except when part of a larger repair, replacement keys costs and all recovery and call out charges as result of a fault caused by the renter.
RAP does not apply if there is a breach of the rental agreement or if a wrong fuel type is used. The renter pays a flat-rate fee that covers all roadside assistance services. Before purchasing RAP, it is advised to determine if a personal coverage is adequate to cover these charges. If RAP is declined, the renter will be required to pay any applicable charges and seek compensation from the carrier of personal coverage. RAP is not insurance.

All drivers must present a fully valid and unexpired driving licence (digital licences are not accepted). If the driving licence is written in a language and characters different from those of the country of rental, an International Driving Permit is also required. Renters are advised to check whether local authorities require foreign drivers to present an International Driving Permit to avoid the risk of potential fines. Renters with licences from countries that are not part of the International Driving Permit Agreement should carry a certified translation.

All renters must provide a valid photo ID such as a driving licence, passport or ID card. Visitors to the UK must also provide proof of return travel and accommodation information while in the UK. Please note that we reserve the right to request additional ID or conduct further identification checks if needed, which may include an identity check with an external organisation.