What to compare (without guessing numbers)
No invented prices. If it isn’t stable across suppliers or seasons, you confirm it once, in writing, for your exact booking.
What to compare (without guessing numbers)
This page avoids provider-specific promises and unstable prices. It focuses on the repeat failure points: deposits, payment enforcement, timing constraints, and winter clauses.
No fake numbers. If a detail isn’t stable across suppliers or seasons, we don’t estimate. You confirm it once, in writing.
The table people wish they had before paying
Read it like a checklist. If one row is unclear, pause and verify.
| Category | What to check | Why trips fail | Copy-paste question |
|---|---|---|---|
Deposits & payment | Hold required, accepted card type (debit vs credit), cardholder name rules, whether a backup card is expected. | Desk enforcement overrides booking pages. Holds quietly break budgets, and card mismatch kills pickup. | Ask the desk: “What card types do you accept for my booking, and what is the deposit/hold for my exact car category? Also: when is the hold released after return?” |
Liability & insurance wording | Excess (deductible), exclusions (glass/tyres/undercarriage), what changes with upgrades and third-party add-ons. | "Insurance included" can still mean a high excess and exclusions. Coverage can reduce liability without removing the hold. | Ask the desk: “What is my excess for this offer, and which damage types are excluded (glass, tyres, undercarriage)? Please confirm in writing.” |
Pickup / return constraints | Desk hours for your exact pickup point, after-hours rules, late arrival handling, and no-show rules. | Late arrivals + early closures create "no desk, no car" failures. Assumptions die late in the day. | Ask the desk: “If my flight is delayed and I arrive late, what happens? Do you offer late pickup, and what is the exact procedure (and cost, if any)?” |
Mileage & geography | Mileage caps, how overage is charged, cross-border permissions, restricted areas, and road limitations. | A “cheap” offer can explode if your route is excluded or mileage is capped. Finland is big. Small caps break plans. | Ask the desk: “Is my planned route allowed (regions/borders), and is there any mileage cap or restricted road policy for my booking?” |
Fuel & cleaning | Fuel policy (full-to-full vs prepaid), return condition, cleaning expectations, and penalties. | Small print becomes large money at return. This is where “easy deals” turn into arguments. | Ask the desk: “What exact return condition avoids fees (fuel level, cleaning standard), and what triggers cleaning/fuel charges on return?” |
Winter clauses | Winter equipment (tyres), seasonal restrictions, and what is “included” vs merely “available” at pickup. | Winter compresses buffers and increases the cost of being wrong. The same plan can fail just by season. | Ask the desk: “For my dates and vehicle class: what winter equipment is included in the price, and what is optional (and how is it charged)?” |
Cancellation & change | Free-cancel window, amendment fees, no-show terms, and which terms win (platform vs provider) if they differ. | Flexibility is often the real value, not the headline price. Conflicts happen when terms differ. | Ask the desk: “If plans change: what fees apply for cancellation/changes, and which policy controls the booking if platform and provider terms differ?” |
Three sanity checks before you pay
If one unchecked detail can cascade into a missed pickup, cancelled tour, or broken day, don’t “hope”. Verify.
Payment: is your backup ready?
If a hold is required, assume your first plan can fail. Bring a backup card or choose an offer that matches your card rules.
Late arrival: will you still get the vehicle?
If timing is fragile, you need a written late-arrival procedure. If they won’t confirm it, change the plan.
Winter: does your route still work with buffers?
If winter slows the plan, reduce scope or add time. Tight chains fail first, especially late-day transfers.
Next steps
Go to the page that matches where your plan is most likely to break, then verify the details in writing.
Last verified: 2026-01-09