Best Car Rental Zurich Airport

RENTING A CAR IN ZURICH AIRPORT? – Read the things to consider before hiring a car in Zurich.

Do you plan on flying to Zurich in Switzerland for a vacation or business? Are you wondering which car hire company to use at Zurich Airport? Well, to answer these questions here is some information for you to read. It will help you understand which car rental companies to use, which ones to avoid, the rules and regulations in Zurich and many more. You need this information to also help you get around the airport without any issues.

Zurich just like any other city has its own laws and regulations for anyone who intends to hire and drive a car. It is easy to drive yourself in a rental car around Zurich and the entire country Switzerland but the laws must be respected. In this article, we have listed a number of car hire companies that offer services at Zurich airport based on real customer reviews with feedback both good and bad. You will also learn about government policies, tolls and toll gates, age requirements before you hire a car as a tourist, required documents and many other things. 

Driving Directions to Zurich Airport

Getting to Zurich Airport from the city centre is less than 20 minutes. Head onto the Limmatstrasse and continue onto Kornhausbrucke, then turn right onto the Rousseaustrasse. Continue on Rousseaustrasse and take a left turn onto Wasserwerkstrausse then the 1st left onto A1L. Continue on the partial A1L, get off on Exit 64 to merge with the A1/A4/E41/E60 towards Luzern and get off on Exit 63-Zurich-Nord. By exiting, you will merge onto A51 towards Bulach then take a left on Exit 6 towards Flughafen and from here it is easy to get to the airport.

Car collection desk at Zurich airport

A lot of car hire companies serve Zurich Airport which has 3 terminals (Terminal A/gates A, Terminal B/gates B and D, and Terminal E/gates E and their car hire desks can be located at the Airport Center on Level 1. All car hire desks are signposted at the airport, so it is hard to miss. People/tourists who wish to return hire cars at the airport, you should follow the signs for Rental Car Return at the departures wing.

Best Car hire companies at Zurich Airport

There are many car hire companies at the Zurich airport, and to get the best deal out of these companies is not that easy. This is why as a tourist, business traveller, student and so on, you need to know which companies have the best services based on customer reviews and recommendations. We have compiled a list of the best car hire companies at Zurich airport for you with real customer reviews and recommendations with links.

SIXT

This car hire company has a user review rating of 3.6 (120 reviewers) on Google and more good reviews than bad ones. Kurt Psaila a Sixt car user, stated that they have a five-star service, that is friendly and helpful. 

"FIVE STAR SERVICE, it's been a while that I picked up a vehicle and it felt so good, the girl at the desk not only was very friendly but very helpful, she took the time to give me tips where to go and how to get there. She also gave us chocolates, the car was impeccable, she gave us options and ended up taking a Mercedes for just a small upgrade fee. Great service from sixth, I recommend it to everyone. well done"

• Ed O'Sullivan a local guide also stated that:

“I rent several cars each year and find Sixt here to be very good. I've had issues with my account, items left in the car, incorrect bookings by the travel agency and all problems were handled very professionally by the staff both at the desk and also the customer service. This is my rental company of preference now.”

• Ryan Lackey also gave this company a 5-star review saying:

“My favourite rental car company (especially in Europe). The Zurich Airport location is exactly what you'd expect -- efficient, competent, and well-equipped -- but I was also pleasantly surprised by how friendly and helpful the staff were.”

EUROPCAR ZUERICH AIRPORT

Yaqoub Al Hosni left a 5-star rating for this car rental company saying:

“Landed in Zurich airport and walked to the Europcar counter that was manned by two employees. I think there was a customer or two waiting.
When it was my turn, all I had to do was to give my surname to the lady behind the desk to get an envelope with all the information and the car key.
It literally took less than a minute! The car was very clean and exactly what I expected.
The envelope contained a pictorial description with how to return the car. That was really handy.
Returning the car was easy. There was a person waiting in the Europcar booth!".

In order to find yourself a great car rental company, you can make use of http://www.tripindicator.com/ to compare prices and deals from local and international car rental companies and get yourself the best deal for your trip through Zurich airport, or around Switzerland.

COMPARE ZURICH AIRPORT CAR HIRE PRICES NOW >>

DON’T HIRE CAR FROM THESE:

The following are companies you can hire cars from at your own risk. We have compiled a list of 2 companies in Zurich with really bad reviews and recommendations from previous users.

AVIS AUTOVERMIETUNG

Daniel Afonso, a local guide gave this company a 1-star rating saying his experience with Avis was disastrous and he would never do business with them again. Here is why:

"There were several issues from check in to check out. Initially, I made a reservation for 12 noon. When I arrived to pick up the car, it was 2PM of the same day due to delays in my transportation to Florence. The counter staff gave me a hard time before the delay arriving there. I had never had an issue with any other car rental provider due to arriving after the reservation time. Although I had booked my car rental with the child car seat, the staff charged me with additional fees for the use of the car seat over $100 Euros and did not allow me to take the car unless I purchased additional coverage worth over $300 Euros. The car was not clean, the car seat was dirty, the car made loud noises and the tires were not balanced and the thread was low. At check out, I called the number provided by AVIS to call, and it was a call centre out of the country. It took us a very long time to find the correct return location. At check out, they wanted to charge us for pre-existing damage to the car, even though we had purchased the forced additional coverage. Thanks to my wife's due diligence to take pictures of all sides of the vehicle, we were able to show that the damages were already there. The staff was very rude throughout the process and I will be disputing the additional charged to my credit card which I was forced to accept in order to continue with my vacation. Overall, my experience with Avis has been disastrous and I would never do business with that company again."

You can check out for other reviews HERE!:

ENTERPRISE

A previous user Júlia Coelho Dourado, said this rental company neglected his security and that of his family. Here is why: “The ENTERPRISE of Zurich Airport was negligent with the security of my family because they rented a car with the brakes compromised and the ENTERPRISE of Nuremberg was dishonest to retain the vehicle with damaged brakes and to offer us another, informing that we would be reimbursed by the ENTERPRISE Zurich.
We reported with education and evidence what happened and they simply ignored us, did not return the money and even put the blame on us for everything.” There are more bad reviews here: Google Reviews

Documents required for hiring a car at Zurich Airport

To drive a rental car in Switzerland, you must meet certain requirements and possess certain documents such as:

1. A valid driver’s license for EU citizens
2. A valid driver’s license for non-EU citizens
3. International Driver's Permit (IDP)
4. A valid passport
5. Your driver’s license must be in English or at least a translation.

Credit/Debit Card Requirements at Zurich Airport

Generally, all car hire companies accept credit cards but some also accept debit cards from customers as well. So before you pick up your rental car at Zurich airport, you must have to leave a deposit according to the car rental companies policy. Some companies may require up to 1200 Swiss Franc which is equivalent to €1000+ as a deposit. This amount is held on your credit card or charged on debit cards which will be refunded back to your account once you return their car in good condition or the same way you collected it.

NOTE: Make sure you have a driver’s license in English or a translated version and-or an International Drivers Permit (IDP). Some companies may require them.

Driver Min and Max Age requirements to rent a car at Zurich Airport

The minimum age requirement to drive a car in Switzerland is 18 years and 21 years for hiring a car. But rental companies often have their own age requirements starts from 25 years, this means drivers under 25 will have to pay a Young Drivers Surcharge or excess. The maximum age for renting a car is 70-75 years with doctors approval depending on the company, so always contact them for more information before to reserve a car.

Road Rules & Laws Tourists Should Know When Renting a Car in Zurich

Like every other city in the world, as a tourist, you must learn to understand and abide by the laws and rules of driving in a foreign country. Below are some of the rules of driving in Zurich and Switzerland as a country.

1. In Scotland, driving is on the right-hand side of the road just like in the UK.
2. In Switzerland, the speed limit is indicated on the signs in kilometres Per Hour (Kph) and the speed limits on the roads are as follows: 100-120Kph on a Motorway, 80 Kph on a Dual Carriageway, 50 Kph on Other Roads and 30 Kph on Built-up areas.
3. Use of mobile phones is illegal and may lead to your arrest with a fine if caught. Only use mobile phones with hands-free devices.
4. Drink driving is a serious offence anywhere in the world and Switzerland does not take it likely. Any alcohol level above 0.005% or 50mg in the bloodstream is illegal and may lead to fine and prosecution to serve a jail sentence depending on how serious it is.
5. Children under 12 or 150cm in height must be secured and restrained with car seats or the appropriate equipment in the car at all times.
6. All passengers must wear their seat-belts both in front and back seats.
7. There are speed cameras all over the country, so drive with caution and obey traffic lights and signs.

Few Road Signs

• NO STOPPING: Means you can’t stop or park a car here or even drop a passenger unless on medical emergencies.
• PAID PARKING: This sign means you have to pay before parking using the parking metre depending on the stipulated time.
• PEDESTRIAN PATH: This sign indicates that you can’t drive on the path, only pedestrians are allowed.
• PARKING ZONE: Means the start of parking area and cars are allowed.
• SNOW CHAIN REQUIRED. It means you must use metal snow chains on at least two wheels of the same axle on your car to continue on the road; it also applies to three-wheelers.

You can read more about the road signs in Switzerland here https://www.e-university.ch/index.php/en/e-driver-driving-theory-test/road-signs-in-switzerland

Tips to avoid car rental companies RIP-OFFS

As a tourist, travelling is for fun and adventurous purposes. It is not time to spend extravagantly on unnecessary activities or things. This can be said car rental in your travel destination as well, you are not travelling to Zurich to spend all your cash on car hire but to enjoy the most of your time with friends, family or alone. These tips will guide you towards avoiding rip-offs by car rental companies.

ALWAYS COMPARE CAR RENTAL INSURANCE

Car rental companies will capitalize on this policy to rip travellers off. This is the reason why you must always make sure you plan ahead by checking and comparing car rental policies from different companies to see which one favours you the most before you book. Most of these rental companies charge more for this insurance making the total cost of the rental car higher than anticipated.

To Avoid Rip Off, You Must:

1. Always buy only standalone car insurance, it is way cheaper than those sold by the car rental companies.
2. Make sure you have travel insurance. It usually covers car hire damages.

BOOK IN ADVANCE

It will save you a lot of money and time when you book for a rental car online months or weeks before your trip. This is a better way to avoid being ripped off by rental companies and by doing so, you won’t have to waste a lot of time processing your car at the car rental desk in Zurich airport.

FUEL POLICY

Avoid car rental companies that will want to pick you up at the airport with an almost empty fuel tank and tell you to return the car with a full tank. These companies just want to rip you off by making you pay for their fuel. Often look for companies that allow full-to-full fuel policy. This means you get the car with a full tank and you get to return it with a full tank the way you picked it up.

EXTRAS

Extras like satellite navigation, baby seats, maps and many more may lead you to get ripped-off by rental companies. They will charge you so high for extras which is even more expensive than buying new ones. So always pack extras you might need from home along with you to save cost.

Tolls Gates and tolls fees in Zurich

Switzerland's motorways are all toll roads and a vignette is required to drive on such roads. The Vignette is a yearly pay that entitles people to drive on these motorways but does not cover tunnels. As a tourist using a Swiss-registered rental car will most likely have a vignette, but always confirm with them or risk paying a fine of 200 Swiss Franc. The vignette must be stuck on the inside of the car windshield.

Zurich Airport Contact Details

You can call +41 43 816 22 11 for general inquiries at Zurich Airport or leave feedback on their website at https://www.zurich-airport.com/.