Pros and cons of rental versus short term lease Netherlands

[Whining&dining]

Hi all, we are travelling to Europe in early September and will require a hire car for around 36 days whilst in the Netherlands. I've been trawling online for some weeks now trying to get a decent deal, various reviews of some of the biggest companies in the business seem to reveal that few if any offer truly excellent service. GreenMotion for example looked like the cheapest for most categories of vehicles but there are horror stories regarding customers returning cars and being hit with spurious charges for damage etc. Even the biggies, Europecar, Hertz, Avis, Thrifty et al have many negative reviews and poor ratings.
Whilst looking (yet again) at some of the aforementioned a window popped up from Avis that indicated that our rental period exceeded a month and qualified for an "Avis Car Subscription". Car subscription – from 1 month – easy long-term rental | Avis I made an email enquiry and received this reply:
Thank you for your application for Avis Abonnement.
We can offer you a Renault Captur or equivalent with 1500 free kilometers for a monthly price of €914,03 incl. 21% VAT.
Upon collection, the deposit is €1825, this includes the deductible of €800 and the rent.
You can lower the deductible with an extra insurance of €125 per month, after which the deductible is €300 and the deposit is €1450. The deposit will be returned if no damage at return.
This is very sharp pricing for the vehicle type and duration of hire, for standard car hire the major companies all load the base price with various insurances (if you take them up) that push the price way up, something I'm sure you're all familiar with. We are fairly risk averse but feel that maybe the subscription model is preferable in this case, any thoughts/experience from the AFF cognoscenti will be gratefully received, sorry for the lengthy post...

 

[Mattg]

Paging @Jacques Vert

 

[OZDUCK]

Have you had a look at leasing a car through the Tax Free Renault or Peugeot programs? They worked well for us in the past for long term holidays. A quick look at a site like Renault Autodrive.com.au comes up with price around A$2,652 for a Capture. However with these deals there is zero excess and unlimited kilometers.

 

[Whining&dining]

Thanks @OZDUCK, I was aware of those programmes but unfortunately have had to discount them as an option as our pick-up and return locations are both Amsterdam, we had already locked in our travel plans when a family member who is putting us up in Noord Holland let us know that they were located in an area in NL that, interestingly, has very limited options in terms of accessing public transport . We are very grateful for the free accommodation but we had stitched up every other aspect of our sojourn including a side-trip to UK and ultimately using high-speed rail to Paris then Barcelona to eventually leave at the end of October from Madrid; the hire car scenario was a bit left-field for us. I think we are resigned to the extra cost but obviously want to minimise it if possible.
It seems that the excess and other charges are the real killer with car hire both here in Oz and elsewhere in the world, we are fairly risk averse but equally don't want to get fleeced....

 

[Jacques Vert]

Paging @Jacques Vert

We leased a car in Framce for 6 months from Citroën and were very happy with how it all went. However, as you have found out, to pick up a leased car outside France costs extra. (And Citroën don't hàve a pick up option in Amsterdam.)

In your case I would hire a car and make sure my travel insurance covered the excess. Also check what's covered and what isn't.

I usually book through arguscarhire.com or qeeq.com

And while you are wise to be aware of the scams, you can reduce the risks by taking precautions. My tips are in this post on another thread.

Post in thread 'Article: The Car Rental Industry is Ripe for Reform'

May 24, 2025

I've rented cars in numerous countries. The most common issue I've come across is the fuel scam (in Spain, South Africa & others). To protect myself I now do the following:

1. I fill up with fuel at the nearest service station to the drop-off point and ask them to include the mileage on the receipt. When dropping off the car I place the receipt on the dashboard alongside the odometer and take a photo. I make sure the attendant is watching me while I take the photo (or at least aware of what I am doing). It's my belief that it is the employees that fill up their own cars and charge...

• Jacques Vert

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