We checked popular car-hire tips against official sources from the EU. Some are backed by an official rule, some are only partly true, some are contradicted by official sources and some have no official evidence either way. Each answer below gives the verdict, a short explanation and the official page to check.
“You can cancel an online car-hire booking within 14 days for a full refund”
Verdict: Official sources say otherwise. Your Europe states that car hire is not covered by the EU 14-day cooling-off rule, so there is no automatic right to cancel and get a refund. UK law excludes vehicle rental with a specific date or period. The hire company's own terms may still allow cancellation.12
“Big car-hire firms in the EU have to be upfront about fuel policies, insurance/waivers and damage charges”
Verdict: Partly true. The CPC Network (national consumer authorities) published commitments by the five major car rental companies in 2017 on price transparency, insurance and waiver clarity, refuelling options and fairer damage handling. These are company commitments, not a law for every hire firm, and the 2019 assessment found some firms still had changes to make. Your Europe adds that third-party liability insurance should be included in the price.13
In the official wording: In January 2017, the CPC Network published commitments made by the five major car rental companies.
3
“Photograph or film the hire car before you drive off and get every scratch on the form”
Verdict: Backed by an official source. The CMA's consumer advice says damage charges are the single largest cause of car-hire complaints and suggests inspecting the car, taking photos or video and getting all defects noted on the signed pre-rental form. This is guidance from 2016, not a legal requirement.4
In the official wording: Damage charges are the single largest cause of complaints.
4
“Check the excess, the deposit, what the CDW leaves out (tyres, glass) and the fuel policy before you book”
Verdict: Backed by an official source. The CMA explains that the excess is the most you pay if the car is damaged, that the standard Collision Damage Waiver usually does not cover everything (often leaving out tyres or glass), and that some firms require you to buy a tank of fuel from them. These are typical patterns described in the CMA's advice of 2016, not rules every firm follows.4
In the official wording: The excess amount is the most that you will have to pay if the car is damaged.
4
“Buy excess cover from an independent insurer instead of at the rental desk”
Verdict: Partly true. The 2016 CMA advice says you do not have to buy excess insurance from the rental company and that buying from an independent provider is often much cheaper. It also says the rental company may still require a deposit, and you then reclaim repair costs from your insurer. "Often" and the 2016 date mean this is not a general rule.4
In the official wording: If you have independent insurance, note that the rental company may still require you to leave a deposit.
4
“Tell the hire company if you plan to drive the car into another country”
Verdict: Backed by an official source. Your Europe says that if you plan to drive the rental car in several countries you must inform the rental company when booking, so it can check documents, insurance and breakdown cover. Special rules apply when mixing EU and non-EU countries (e.g. Switzerland).1
In the official wording: If you're planning to drive your rental vehicle in several countries you must inform the rental company when booking the vehicle.
1
What these verdicts cannot tell you
Each verdict says what the official sources we read state, for the places they cover. Rules change, and the booking's own terms can give you more than the law requires. This is not legal or financial advice: check the official page, or the authority, before you rely on a rule.
What this page cannot tell you
- Official sources only. We did not use airline, hotel, booking-site or blog claims as evidence.
- Rules change. Check the linked official page before you rely on any of this.
Related: Travel hacks, checked · EU flight delay compensation · Pay in local currency or home currency?.
Key takeaways
- Read the verdict, then the official page linked under each answer.
- Where official sources say nothing, we say so rather than guess.
- What we would skip: any travel hack that does not say which rule or source it comes from.
Sources
Every verdict rests on official pages saved on 5 October 2026; claims with no official evidence say so. See how we research.
- European Commission, Your Europe, Car rental abroad. Read it. Accessed 5 October 2026. © European Union, licensed under CC BY 4.0; we summarised it.
- legislation.gov.uk, Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 28. Read it. Accessed 5 October 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- European Commission, Consumer protection enforcement actions: other travel services. Read it. Accessed 5 October 2026. © European Union, licensed under CC BY 4.0; we summarised it.
- Competition and Markets Authority (GOV.UK), Hiring a car: what you need to know (2016). Read it. Accessed 5 October 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Changes made. We summarised the official pages in our own words and gave each claim a verdict: backed, partly true, contradicted (official sources say otherwise) or no official evidence. The verdicts are ours, from what those pages state. US rules are quoted from the Code of Federal Regulations edition of 1 January 2025 unless a later notice is cited.