The wife and I will be traveling to Amsterdam this summer as well as some other European destinations. Has anyone on the forum rented a car in one country and then returned it in another country?

We will start from Amsterdam, visit the American Cemetery in Maargraten, Holland and then on to the Stuttgart area in Germany. At this point I am not even sure if you can take a rental car out of the country it was rented in. Anyway, assuming you can cross international borders with a rental, I would really like to return it in Germany rather than have to travel all the way back to Amsterdam.

What have been your experiences?

I don’t have a complete answer to your questions other than to point out that you will not have any “official” borders to cross.
It’s like driving from one state to another in the US and since they are all governed by EU regulations I would think it is possible but that’s just a guess.

I can answer part of your question. I rented a car in Amsterdam and drove to Hamburg, Cologne and back to Amsterdam no problem. I did get pulled over as we drove into Hamburg and asked about the nature of my travels. It was brief, professional and polite. No other issues.

Haven’t returned to different country but you can drive between certain countries with Europcar.

I've rented in Zurich and crossed into Germany without a problem. The boarder guards were quite bored with the whole affair. By the way, if you're a gearhead and in Stuttgart, I highly recommend the Porsche Museum (10-15 Euro) and sign up for the factory tour (free).

When you reserve a car, it may ask whether you intend to drive it out of country. If they're are problems or prohibitions, I'm sure it will be brought to your attention. Heck, just try booking for kicks and giggles.

I recall renting in San Diego and Enterprise was not keen on taking the car into Mexico.

Some years ago I rented a car in France and dropped it off in Zurich. Other than having to show the rental agreement at the border crossing, the rental was uneventful.

No problem with Hertz and other major companies at least. There are restrictions on taking rentals into a lot of eastern european countries, and taking very expensive models into Italy for example, due to theft, but standard models are not affected. They’ll explain it when you book.

Sixt is cool with cross country rentals.

I've had no issues, but it will totally depend on the rental car company you choose and the countries involved.

If you enter the pick up and return cities in Expedia or Kayak, it will block or alert you if it's not allowed. I've rented and driven cars all over Europe many times. I don't think I've ever returned to a different country than where I picked up, but I've done it at different airports within Germany countless times. There are just about no border checks in Europe, but you will need hwy. toll decals in CZ, Austria, SLO and Hungary.

Good info. Preliminary planning at this stage. Still wondering if, like here in the U.S. a one way rental will be so expensive as to erase the savings realized by departure in Germany vs driving it back to Amsterdam for the return flight,

If you're thinking of flying home from Frankfurt, beware that is one of the worst airports in the world and totally opposite the otherwise great German efficiency. Arriving there isn't bad, but departure can be hell. Last time I was there in Sept., I got there three hours early and still would have missed my flight, if I hadn't rammed my large suitcase through as carry-on. All Lufthansa's check-in kiosks went down at the same time and just getting to the end of the line was nearly a 30 minute walk. That would have easily been a five hour line. Other German airports are fine, but FRA SUCKS.

Oh and rent a manual tranny. Automatic are usually 50% higher. Its like a tax on Americans, many of whom cant drive stick.

Rent from a European company-likely cheaper (I found Sixt pretty good).

I rented an Opel Mocha (like a Buick Enclave) and drove from Munich to Prague then back to Germany and dropped in Heidelberg...easy peezy, not exactly what you are doing but should be similar.

Netherlands and Germany are both Euro currency...should be no problem I imagine.

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Originally posted by Steve Collins:
Good info. Preliminary planning at this stage. Still wondering if, like here in the U.S. a one way rental will be so expensive as to erase the savings realized by departure in Germany vs driving it back to Amsterdam for the return flight,

Last November my family and I rented a car in Paris and dropped the car off in Amsterdam. It was quite a bit more expensive to drop it off from somewhere other than where you picked it up. When I was checking it in at the end, the guy asked me how much time I had before my flight back home. He said if I had the time, I could drive the car back to Paris, take the train back to Amsterdam, and still come out ahead on the rental cost.

Next time we'll just be taking advantage of the trains, buses, and Ubers. Parking was a pain in the ass no matter where we were. In Belgium, we finally got a good spot and didn't move the car for 2 days. Also, driving out of the middle of Amsterdam after dark was a nightmare. At least in the daytime you could follow other cars to know where the lanes are. I went down a couple of bike-only streets and hit a few dead ends also. May have broken a few more traffic laws trying to get out of there, but who knows. I had no idea where the lanes were...

Our travel plans have firmed up and I will only need a car for basically a one day, day-trip and return. But I still have a couple of questions.

Do they generally have an option to rent a GPS along with the car? I have one but I don't relish carrying it all over Europe for just one day of use?

What, if anything, is required regarding a drivers license? Will my current drivers license be enough or are there other requirements? The day trip is confined to Holland.

Crossing into other countries within the Schengen Area is not an issue. Not uncommon for an English couple to drive onto the Eurostar, get over to France, then drive down to Italy or, Spain for a long weekend trip.

Car rental drop-off in another country depends upon which country the drop-off will be in. Like any other vehicle rental, its all about how much back n'forth there is between those two countries or, does the rental company, have to drive-back those vehicles. Regardless, expect to pay more than a round-trip.

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What, if anything, is required regarding a drivers license? Will my current drivers license be enough or are there other requirements? The day trip is confined to Holland.

Get an international drivers permit (IDP), if you're a AAA member, just go down to the office and fill out a simple form, and pay $20. Certain countries, when pulled over, will require you to show the IDP and your home country DL, others just the IDP.
Pay the rental with a premium travel credit card such as AMEX Platinum or, Chase Sapphire Reserve, amongst the many benefits is the car rental insurance and liability coverage.
Click here for more info and details on Euro car rental issues for Americans

I cannot help with the OP"s orginal question...but where you will be driving will the traffic be driving on the "wrong side of the road". have a safe and enjoyable trip .....drill sgt.

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I cannot help with the OP"s orginal question...but where you will be driving will the traffic be driving on the "wrong side of the road". have a safe and enjoyable trip .....drill sgt.

Same side of the road as here.

Driving in Holland is pretty civilized. Most rental cars in Europe come with built-in navigation. I just find Google Maps on my phone easier to use, since I have to have Verizon's Travel Pass when I go abroad anyway. You do not need an int'l. DL anywhere in the EU. And you should have a credit card that will cover your insurance needs.

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Originally posted by Rick Lee: You do not need an int'l. DL anywhere in the EU.

You won't need an IDP to rent a vehicle, however if you get pulled over by the police, you'll need to produce it. An IDP is a notarized document that the foreign drivers license that the policeman is lookin at, is valid. Your passport is also your ID but, it doesn't tell authorities that your country authorizes you to drive a vehicle. Its good piece of mind to have, especially if the OP is looking to drive thru Germany.