Discover Cars Review: Is Discover Cars Legit? (2024)

Disclaimer: I am a member of the Discover Cars affiliate program. If you make a purchase after clicking a link, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you.

Discover Cars is a legitimate site for car rentals abroad. Read our Discover Cars review for the nitty gritty on this rental car website!

While you’re undoubtedly excited about your upcoming international road trip, there are a lot of logistics to figure out! Truthfully, finding a reliable car rental company can be overwhelming.

I was nervous the first few times I rented a car in Europe—even though I lived there. But, I learned that it’s actually super simple to book a car using a website like Discover Cars.

Wait, is Discover Cars legit? Yes! I’ve used Discover Cars personally and had great experiences each time!

We know security is a top priority when it comes to booking online, especially in a foreign country.

So, we put together this comprehensive Discover Cars review. In this post, we’ll explain how the website works, how to book a car, and the pros and cons of using the site.

Scroll to get started.

Is Discover Cars Legit?

Let’s start with the question many of you are wondering, “Is DiscoverCars.com legit?” Yes, it is safe to book through DiscoverCars.com.

Founded in 2013 in Europe, Discover Cars (formerly Discover Car Hire) is an award-winning aggregator of vehicle rental services. Providing a reliable online car booking platform, they now facilitate bookings for 10,000 rental locations in over 145 countries.

Plus, how’s this for trustworthy—Discover Cars rental reviews get 4.6/5 stars on Trustpilot. It’s rated “Excellent” and actually has over 120,000 reviews!

There are also customer reviews on each car rental agency. You are encouraged to read these when comparing your rental car options.

As for car providers, you’ll find brands you recognize like Hertz, Avis, Budget, and Sixt along with many local providers. Major booking engines Kayak and Skyscanner also display DiscoverCars.com deals.

All of these companies trust Discover Cars to help people discover the freedom and joy of travel!

One thing to remember is that Discover Cars is not a car rental company. It’s a booking engine. Think Booking.com but for cars instead of hotels! It finds all the best car options and shows them to you so that you can make a good decision. Just like you won’t find a Booking.com branded hotel, you won’t find any Discover Cars logos on vehicles!

Thus, it’s still up to the individual car companies to honor your service agreement and provide good service.

Ready to book a car on Discover Cars? Search for a deal now ⤵ 

What is Discover Cars?

Simply stated, Discover Cars is a third-party website that you can use to search for, compare, and book a car rental globally!

In other words, you don’t have to worry about tracking down different car rental providers in different countries to compare quotes—which would be hard considering Discover Cars has over 10,000 rental locations in its database!

Instead, Discovercars.com works by comparing rental deals for you. Just put in your pick-up city and desired rental dates. In seconds, Discover Cars will determine the best and most affordable rentals.

You can then scroll through your rental car choices, filter or sort as needed, and read reviews—all on one user-friendly website.

Saving time AND money with Discover Cars?!

What could be better?

Well, you can access customer service in English, pay via credit card, and get your confirmation number sent to you by email!

In addition to a rent-a-car comparison, Discover Cars offer a straightforward and low-cost insurance package. You can easily add an optional policy when you book.

Really, there’s a reason why DiscoverCars.com is a leader in online car rental bookings!

How to Book a Car on Discover Cars

Want to give booking with Discover Cars car rental a try? Go to Discover Cars.com, and follow the steps below.

1. Enter the pick-up location and the dates

Enter your pick-up city.

For some cities, you’ll see additional locations pop up (for example airport, train station, downtown). If you don’t have a preference, simply choose “all locations” next to the city name. Discover Cars will show the best deals at all nearby locations.

If you’d like to return the car to a different city, unclick “Return the car in the same location” and enter the drop-off location. (Note, this can be much more expensive, but sometimes it’s worth it.)

Choose the date(s) for your rental.

Click on the “Search now” button.

2. Compare cars for hire

Discover Cars will pull all of your results and display them.

On the left-hand side, you can filter your results by locations, special offers, car specifications, and lots of other details. (If you don’t drive a Manual Transmission, be sure to select Automatic from the list, here!)

You can also easily sort by price or Discover Cars rating.

Scroll down to see the different car options and read reviews right on the website.

Click “View” for more details on each rental.

3. Choose your car on Discover Cars

Once you’ve compared rentals and decided which car is best for you, click “View.”

On the next screen, review your choice of car along with the dates, location, and price before insurance coverage.

Be sure to review the Conditions of your rental so there are no surprises should you need to change or cancel your rental.

Scroll to the Discover car rental insurance section.

4. Decide if you want Discover Cars’ insurance policy

Next, you’ll need to decide if you’d like to get full coverage on your vehicle. If the car is damaged or stolen, you may be responsible for quite a bit out of pocket, so choose wisely between “No” or “Yes”. 

(I usually call my credit card company at this point to compare the insurance coverage on my card vs. DiscoverCars. Then I can make a more informed decision on Discover Cars’ insurance. The decision is entirely up to you.)

Keep scrolling.

5. Select rental extras

If you’re planning to drive to another country, toggle this section open. Discover Cars will provide country-specific information or fees here.

Review any pertinent information.

Then choose any optional extras like an Additional driver.

Scroll to “Summary.”

6. Enter your driver details

Review the total cost of your rental.

Then, enter your driver details.

Enter your name, email, phone number, date of birth, and country of residents. Americans and non-Europeans will enter their passport number where it asks for ID.

If you’d like to enter your flight number or any other details/requests, you may do so.

If you’d like to get promotional emails from Discover Cars, check the box. You can always unsubscribe if you don’t get anything useful!

Click “Book now.”

7. Pay for your rental

Now, you’re at the final payment screen.

Enter your payment details and credit card.

Before you pay, review your rental details carefully to make sure there are no mistakes. Even the most seasoned travelers select the wrong date or change their mind about a second driver, for example.

Click, “Book Now” or “Confirm Booking” to complete your purchase!

By the way, you’ll notice that throughout the process your total price is displayed. Here, you’ll also see there are no hidden service fees!

8. Check your email

After you book, check your email. You will receive a confirmation email with your rental voucher (PDF). 

Keep this voucher handy, as you’ll need to show it to your supplier when you rent your car (or at least give the confirmation number.) 

You’ll also have all the supplier’s location and contact information, should you need to contact them directly.

Most places these days do not require a printout. However, read the email and PDF carefully in case there are requirements to print it out.

🚗 Want to compare rental deals? Start your search on Discover Cars now.

Pros of Renting a Car w/Discover Cars

Hiring cars is a great way to stay flexible and visit off-the-beaten-path destinations. Discover Cars can facilitate the reservation process so that you’re off on your adventure without a hitch!

Here are the 7 reasons why DiscoverCars.com is the best website to book your rental car for Europe (or globally).

1. Clear & Effortless Booking Experience

Discover Cars aims to create a seamless booking experience, where anyone can easily book a rental car. In this regard, they really excel.

In fact, you can book your car in just four clicks using their user-friendly comparison tool!

Just submit your pick-up details, and Discover Cars will show you the lowest prices.

The entire booking process is transparent. They show all sorts of search filters, options, and reviews you might want to look at. 

Plus, information about the costs, Discover auto rental insurance, deposit, etc. is stated upfront. Look for “Rental Conditions” for information about the deposit.

Confirm your details and payment method, and you’ll receive your rental voucher via email in a matter of minutes.

2. No Hidden Fees

Discover Cars prides itself on having no hidden fees. When booking, you’ll see the total price displayed. The company guarantees that the quoted total is what you pay at the rental facility.

No surprises.

This is really the only way Discover Cars can operate their business model. Customers must be able to compare car hire prices ahead of time to know they are getting the best possible deal. 

So while some car rental companies add mandatory fees, taxes, or tolls, this should not be the case when renting through Discover car rentals.

If there are any discrepancies when you try to pick up your rental car, contact Discover Cars support 24/7. An agent will be happy to assist you so that you are not overcharged.

3. Rental Car Free Cancellation (48-hour)

Discover Cars knows that travel plans change, often at the last minute. Thus, they offer a flexible cancellation policy. Customers may cancel their car booking up to 48 hours before the scheduled pick-up date for free. This is one of the best Discover car rental benefits.

If you need to cancel your booking, just head to the Discover Cars website or mobile app. If you have any issues, contact Discover Cars Customer Service.

If you cancel past the Discover Cars cancellation mark, you will incur some fees. In cases like this, we like to remind you that it’s always a good idea to get travel insurance to help cover unexpected expenses.

4. Low-cost Insurance Option

While many other rental car companies offer an auto policy, it’s not often that you see a travel comparison website handling insurance. In this way, DiscoverCars is unique. And, they can offer a low-cost policy, too! 

Discover Cars offer a flat-rate, full-coverage insurance option for about $7 per day.

The policy extends to damage, repairs, extra keys, etc. up to $3300. What’s really nice is that Discover Cars will handle the negotiation for you. Again, no hidden insurance fees upon arrival!

5. 24/7 Customer Service

Discover Cars prides itself on having good customer service. Currently, they offer reliable client services in 17 languages, so no matter where you are or what language you speak, you can get help when you need it. They offer 24/7 help in English.

Remember, in order to access Discover Cars’s fast and friendly customer service, you must book through them. If you book a car on a partner’s website, you will have to contact them directly if you have any questions.

They also have a useful Help Center, where you can find answers to just about everything.

If you need any help or have questions, contact Discover Cars directly. You can typically reach them by phone, email, or live chat via their online car booking website.

6. Competitive Prices

On the whole, Discover Cars offers an affordable car rental experience when in comparison to to other 3rd party sites. While they aren’t the cheapest at first glance, you’ll quickly see that’s because they show you the total upfront (whereas others typically show the prices before taxes and fees).

In fact, when compared to using other booking engines or rental car companies’ websites, Discover auto rentals has been known to be approximately $20-40 cheaper per day.

While prices and car availability vary depending on which country you’re in driving in, DiscoverCars.com works hard to negotiate fair rates for customers.

7. Ratings and Reviews

When browsing through rental car options, you can see Discover Cars car rental reviews and ratings for each automobile option. So, even if you don’t know the rental company, you can rest assured knowing others found it trustworthy. 

You can also leave a review after your rental period ends. This is yet another transparent feature of the DiscoverCars site!

Traveler Tip: Discover Cars recommends choosing an option with an 8/10 or higher for the most reliable experience.

Cons of Renting a Car with Discover Cars

Of course, no website is perfect. There are some negative reviews of Discover Cars, some of which are legitimate concerns.

Here are 6 things that Discover Cars could improve on.

1. Smaller, lesser-known companies

A potential downside of renting through Discover Cars is their partnership with lesser-known rental companies. You may feel more comfortable renting through a familiar name like Hertz, Thrifty, or Avis (who do work with DiscoverCars.com, by the way). Or, you might even have a credit card or loyalty program with some of those companies.

However, DiscoverCars.com is dedicated to finding the cheapest options available. This means they work with many companies you’ve probably never heard of.

Here’s where the reviews come in. DiscoverCars helps you to make an informed decision by making comparing car hires easy. They show their partners’ ratings and reviews and give out excellence award badges. You can see a full list of suppliers & ratings on DiscoverCars.com.

In the end, if you want to get a cheaper rental, you might have to go with someone you haven’t heard of! Who knows, maybe they’ll end up being the best rental car provider ever!

2. Short-term Rentals (<3 Days) Are More Expensive

If you only want to rent a car for one day, you might have to compare car rentals on your own. Typically, rentals under 3 days are more expensive than longer rentals—for both the car rental and the Discover Cars full coverage.

This isn’t just a Discover Cars complaint but of rental cars in general.

It may be cheaper and make more sense to use public transportation or take a guided day trip over renting a car for one day.

3. No Loyalty Program

If you rent cars often, you may get special perks through a company’s loyalty card. This could come in the form of points towards rentals or upgrades.

While Discover Cars doesn’t have a loyalty program, the rental platform does aim to keep their prices low across the board by negotiating to get you the best rates.

4. Higher Age Threshold (30+)

Discover Cars’ best rates are for people aged between 30-65. If you’re under 25, you may end up paying a premium cost for your Discover rental car.

This is pretty standard practice with car hires, but it does vary by service provider.

5. Rental car extension is not available

Once you pick up your rental, Discover Cars cannot help you if you want to extend your rental past the agreed-upon return time.

For example, once you’re on your road trip, you realize you need to return your car a few hours late. Or, you want to extend your rental terms by a few days. Unfortunately, Discover Cars cannot help in this instance.

It’s up to the individual car rental agencies to set a grace period and terms for extensions—which may or may not be available. (DiscoverCars will allow you to extend your car rental insurance coverage, however.)

You also cannot extend your booking via DiscoverCars.com before your trip. If your dates change, your only option is to cancel your booking and start again. Remember, you get free cancelation 48 hrs or more before your trip. Be aware, that your original rate isn’t guaranteed as rates are contingent upon a number of factors outside of DiscoverCars’ control.

6. Discover Cars App Gets Poor Reviews

The Discover Cars app can be glitchy, and thus it gets terrible reviews. Book via their website instead of the app. If you do choose to use the app, only use it when you have strong data or wifi to avoid any issues your service may cause.

On the upside, Discover Cars Help Center is responsive and can help you resolve any issues.

Cost of Renting a Car on DiscoverCars.com

The exact cost of renting a car through Discover Cars varies depending on where you are traveling, what type of car you choose, the rental period, and the demand for cars at the time of booking. However, Discover Cars works hard to keep prices lower than others.

The Discover Cars website is free to search and find a car. You don’t need a membership or login.

For extras like an additional driver or a car seat, the prices are clearly displayed. If you choose any of them, they will be added to your total, which you can on the same page. 

Why is Discover Cars so cheap?

Discover Cars also has some of the lowest prices (if not the lowest) on the market. Since Discover Cars work directly with hundreds of rental companies worldwide, they are able to secure lower prices for their customers.

Rental Deposit

When you pick up your Discover rental, you’ll have to pay a deposit. This is usually in the form of a hold on your credit card. The charge won’t go through unless you damage or steal the car. Deposits can vary greatly. Check the Rental Conditions in advance so you know what to expect.

Paying on Discover Cars

You do not have to worry about paying on the site. DiscoverCars.com is not a scam! All payments are secure when using the Discover Cars website or app. They accept a variety of payment methods including most major credit and debit cards. They even accept PayPal for bookings with partial prepayment.

Do note that you’ll almost certainly need a credit card when picking up the car. This usually needs to match the name of the main driver. Details can be found on the Rental Conditions before booking.

Canceling or Changing Discover Cars Rentals

If your plans change, you can cancel your rental agreement until 48-hours before the pick-up time for free. To cancel your booking, submit a cancelation request in the My Booking section on DiscoverCars.com.

In the case of a Discover Cars refund, you will be refunded in the form of a Booking Credit for a future booking. You may request it go back to your card if you’re not planning to re-book anytime soon.

If you cancel within 48-hours of the pick-up time, you will be charged the full amount for the rental. However, you will be refunded for the full insurance coverage.

If you need to modify your booking, please note that rates and availability may change. You will very likely need to cancel and start over, and the options will have changed.

How to Find a Great Car Rental Deal on Discover Cars

DiscoverCars will take care of finding the lowest price for you. But, here are some tips for getting the best deal on a rental car.

Book in Advance

Prices generally rise as it gets closer to the starting date of your trip. Book early to get the best rates. You can always cancel for free up to 48 hours before pick-up if your plans change. It’s better to secure your rate and cancel than to wait until the last minute.

Read the Reviews

One of the best things about Discover Cars is that it includes reviews for the rental supplier right on its website. Click through these Discover Cars opinions to verify that the supplier you’re looking at is reputable. Discover Cars recommends going with companies that get a rating of 8 or higher.

Watch the Deposit

While Discover Cars doesn’t have any hidden fees, each rental company will charge a deposit (that you get back). You can see how much it will be under the Rental Conditions for each car. (There’s a link near the Reviews on the bottom left-hand side of the screen.)

The rental car agency will typically take the deposit by putting a hold on your credit card.

Read the Fuel and Mileage Policies

Every rental agency has different fuel and mileage policies. Make sure to read the policies in advance, and verify them at the time of pickup. You’d hate to incur costly fees because you didn’t realize you were supposed to fill up the tank before returning the car, for example!

Discover Cars Rental Insurance

Discover Cars offers its own Full Coverage insurance which you can add to your rental when booking. It has comprehensive rental car coverage, and it’s reported to take care of payouts quickly and without any hassle.

Should you damage the car, you’re typically responsible for covering the cost with the rental company. Then, Discover Cars will reimburse you when you make a claim via PayPal or bank transfer.

Here’s what DiscoverCars.com Full Coverage doesn’t support:

• Damage that occurred while breaking any laws or violating your rental agreement
• Cleaning costs or damage to the car’s interior
• Damages from unforeseeable events
• Personal possessions
• Damage that occurred while breaking any laws or traffic violations
• Third party damages

If you extend your rental through the rental agency, you must extend your Full Coverage by contacting Discover Cars directly. If damage occurs while you are not covered, you may be liable.

Discover Cars Reviews

If you check reputable review sites like Trustpilot, Review Centre, or Google Reviews you’ll see that Discover Cars gets excellent reviews and ratings, for the most part.

See some Discover car hire reviews from happy customers:

“I only can say excellent service !!! Customer service were excellent answering all my questions and resolving my changes with my reservation. I would recommend to anyone to use Discover Cars. ;)” — Giuseppa, Ford Fiesta in Sicily (Trustpilot)

“Easy to use, easy to understand. Well displayed and laid out user interface. I would highly recommend this service to friends and family. Not a bad word to say about it.” — Santiago, VW Polo in Azores Islands (Review Center)

With hundreds of thousands of reviews, there are bound to be a few Discovers Cars complaints. Some of them appear to be legitimate complaints while others have more to do with not reading the fine print. Take reviews—good or bad—with a grain of salt.

Discover Cars Discount Code

At this time, there are no promo codes for Discover Cars.

However, after you book your first rental with Discovercars.com, watch your email. They sometimes send emails with a Discover Car rental discount.

(We will update this section with Discover Cars coupons as we hear about them.)

Discover Cars FAQs

Is Discover Cars trustworthy and reliable?

Yes, Discover Cars is a safe and reliable company. With over 500 travel partners in 10,000 locations, you can trust Discover Cars as your trusted online car booking site. Utilizing their user-friendly tool on the homepage, you can compare car rental deals and make a reservation in minutes. Your payment will be processed securely, and you’ll have access to a quick and responsive Customer Service team if you have any problems.

How much is the Discover rental car insurance?

If you’re looking for affordable rental car insurance, Discover Cars offers a flat-rate insurance option for less than $10/day—no matter where you’re renting the car.

What do you need to bring to pick up the rental car?

The Discover Cars rent-a-car pick-up process is straightforward. In general, you need the following items to pick up your rental:

• Valid driver’s license
• International Driver’s Permit (if driving in a foreign country)
• A second form of ID (passport) if a non-citizen
• Credit card
• DiscoverCars booking voucher (paper or mobile)

Can I get a refund if I cancel my Discover Cars reservation?

Yes, you can get a full refund if you cancel up to 48 hours before the scheduled pick-up. If you would rather cancel your booking and make a new one, you can take a “Booking Credit” and apply it towards a new booking.

Is renting cars with Discover Cars affordable?

Yes! Discover car rental works with rental companies to keep rates low. When comparing the price of Discover Cars with others, you’ll see that the offer some of the best rates!

What is Discover Cars’ contact number?

There isn’t a Discover Cars phone number listed on their website. Instead of calling them, you need to submit a request for Discover Calls to review. Contact Discover Cars by heading to the Help Center on their website. Enter your booking number and email address to access a particular booking and request assistance.

Does Discover Cars work in the United States?

Yes, you can book a rental car through Discovercars.com in the United States. Simply head to the website, and complete the search parameters. Available partners like Hertz and Thrify will show up.

Is Discover Car Hire and Discovery Cars the same company?

Yes, Discover Car Hire is now Discovery Cars! The company rebranded itself to DiscoverCars.com to better align with its global presence in 2019.

What types of vehicles can you rent on Discover rental cars?

You can hire all sorts of vehicles with Discover rent a car, from economy cars and SUVs to luxury cars and passenger vans. Like any other rental car company, you usually book the style of car you prefer.

How long can you hire a car with Discover Cars rental?

In general, most rental companies allow rental periods from one day to six months or even a year! Each of Discover Cars’ car rental partners has its own policies. If you’re looking for a long-term rental, simply search for your desired rental dates to compare available cars for hire.

Is a security deposit required when renting?

Yes, when renting a car through Discover Cars, plan to pay a security deposit directly to the provider upon pickup. This is required to cover any possible damages that occur during the rental period. Discover Cars is transparent about what the security deposit will be, but you should check the rental conditions beforehand so you know what to expect.

What countries is Discover Cars available in?

Discover Cars is available in nearly 150 countries around the world. No matter where you’re looking to rent a car, the website will provide you with the best possible Discover rental car deals available. Some of the most popular tourist destinations that Discover Cars services are:

Albania, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sardinia, Spain, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, and the UAE, UK, USA.

Who is the Discover Cars CEO?

The Discover Cars CEO since 2015 is Inna Vilenska, a professional with 10+ years of experience in financial services and technology companies. Inna is passionate about her job and works tirelessly to exceed customers’ expectations.

Is there a Discover Cars app?

Discover Cars also has an app so you can make bookings directly from your phone while traveling! However, the website has better functionality when it comes to comparing cars for rent!

Is Discover Cars worth it?

From our perspective, it’s 100% worth using Discover Cars. It’s a fast and legit car rental comparison website that comes in handy for renting a car worldwide. In our books, DiscoverCars.com is the number one car hire website out there!

To sum up this Discover Cars rental review, utilizing Discover Cars allows you to compare car rental options using a user-friendly website, access ratings and reviews to extra peace of mind, and purchase rental car coverage—not to mention find the cheapest rental rates online!

We hope this review of Discover Cars helps you rest easy knowing Discover Cars is a reliable, legit company!

✅ Ready to use Discover Cars for your next road trip? Compare rental car prices now.

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• What Plug Does Spain Use? (Travel Adapter for Spain)
• Can You Drink the Water in Spain? Tap Water in Spain 101
• Discover Cars Review: Is Discover Cars Legit? (2024)