Car Rental in Dusseldorf 2025 – things to know before you go

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Table of Contents:

Car rental in Dusseldorf

Car rental at the airport of Dusseldorf

Renting rules in Dusseldorf

Where to go from Dusseldorf

FAQs about car rental in Dusseldorf

Car rental in Dusseldorf

Dusseldorf is a fairly large city located in the west of Germany and has an international airport. The city is popular among tourists both as an independent travel destination and as a starting point for trips around Germany/Belgium/France. This partly explains the high popularity for car rental in Dusseldorf, since traveling by car on the roads of Germany and other European countries is fast and comfortable.

I have travelled a lot via autobahns in Germany so I can confirm they are pretty much comfortable and it is often the fastest way to get to the desired destination. Plus, you can conveniently and safely move around the southern regions available from Dusseldorf as the road connections are developed absolutely excellently. After some research and based on my own experience, I decided to put together information I have previously found out and create a complete guide on how to rent a car in Dusseldorf to travel around Germany.

You can find rental offices in Dusseldorf in almost all areas of the city, at the railway station, as well as at the airport. The rental price, depending on the season, starts from 25 euros per day. Travellers can choose a car in any class, be it mini, economy, compact, medium, family car, minivan, SUV, etc.

It is not complicated to rent a car in Dusseldorf; it is enough to have a passport, a driver’s license and a bank card for payment. In the rental office tourists usually sign the documents and arrange insurance. After payment is made, the deposit is blocked on the card. The amount of the deposit depends on the class of the rented car. You can also book the desired car class in advance via specialized services, then the time for registration on the spot will be significantly reduced. You can try some well-known international services such as:

Discover Cars is a service for searching, comparing and saving on car rental;

Economybookings is a service for finding cheap car rentals around the world.

Based on my experience, both online services are good. I would recommend comparing them to find out the best available variants.

A useful tip! In order to find the most suitable option in terms of price and quality, you can check the offers on all the listed services for comparison and choose the best one. It is better to use the services of well-known companies that have a reputation gained over the years, this will help to avoid problems during the rental period.

According to my research, rental offices within the city are located at the following addresses (some examples):

• 10, Willi-Becker-Allee, Dusseldorf, Germany, 40227 (at the railway station; suppliers are Flizzr, Sixt);
• 20, Georg-Glock-Strasse, Dusseldorf, Germany, 40474 (northern part of the city; suppliers are Flizzr, Sixt);
• 18 A, Niederkasseler Lohweg, Dusseldorf, Germany, 40547 (Seestern district; suppliers are Flizzr, Sixt);
• 1, Maritimplatz, Flughafenstrasse 120, Dusseldorf, Germany, 40474 (Unterrath area; suppliers are Flizzr, Sixt);
• 65, Immermannstrasse, Dusseldorf, Germany, 40210 (city center; suppliers are Thrifty, Hertz, Europcar, Avis, Sixt).

What about the prices?

The cost of renting a car in Dusseldorf starts from 25-30 euros per day for a small car. If you plan to drive only in cities, then a sedan-type car will be an ideal option. It must be remembered that in European cities, especially in historical centers, the streets are quite narrow, and a large car will experience some problems with moving on. However, if your goal is to travel to the countryside, then you can think about a more spacious car.

In general, the final rental price is affected by such factors as the class of the car, the rental period (the longer, the lower the rental rate per day), mileage restrictions (without restrictions, as a rule, more expensive). Additional equipment is paid separately, including a navigator, a child seat, a trunk (if needed). When booking a car for rent, you can purchase standard or extended insurance. It is also worth considering that usually the lower the rental price, the higher the deposit is.

Car rental at the airport of Dusseldorf

One of the most popular car rental options in Dusseldorf is the car rental service at the airport. There are 11+ more car rental companies at the Dusseldorf Airport, including Global, Buchbinder, InterRent, Alamo, Flizzr, Europcar, Thrifty, Hertz, Keddy, Avis and some others. The car park at the Dusseldorf Airport has more than 200 cars of different classes, including small cars, medium ones, large cars, minivans, and SUVs.

Car rental offices are located right in the terminal of arrival, so a rented car can also be a solution to the issue of transfer to the hotel. You can compare the offers of all rental offices open at the Dusseldorf Airport on special online services. There you can also book the desirable car class in advance. This will not only reduce the time of registration on the spot, but also provide an opportunity to use some additional bonuses.

For example, when booking online, as a rule, options such as free cancellation or changes to the order up to 48 hours before the start of the rental, theft coverage, and accident coverage are included (check when booking). You can also “catch” such special offers as free winter tires, free navigator, free registration of a second driver, etc.

When booking online, you can choose a car with or without air conditioning, with manual or automatic transmission, with unlimited or limited mileage. Remember, you must return the car with a full tank of fuel, unless otherwise agreed. You can do a search on your own:

My tips on how to book a car in advance on online services

For those who decide to book car rental services in advance for the first time, step-by-step instructions on how to use these services will be useful.

1.On the start page, you must specify the data to search for a suitable rental option, including the place of picking up and dropping off, dates and time. If necessary, you can specify the different places of picking up and dropping off. This option is for you, in case you are planning a non-circular route.

2.On the search results page, you will see all offers from suppliers available for your dates. By default, the list is sorted from lowest value to highest value. You can also enter additional filters for a more precise search, for instance, specify the companies you are interested in, car class, transmission type, additional equipment, etc.

3.Under each available option you will find a “Rental Terms” tab. Here you will find information such as documents required for registration, cards accepted for payment, conditions for fuel and mileage, insurance options, deposit amount and some others. This information will help you to choose the best option for rent.

4.After you have chosen a car, you can proceed to the booking page. Here you will need to fill in personal data, including last name, first name, contact phone number, email address, flight number (if you pick up the car at the airport). Next the payment page comes. At this stage, you can take out extensive insurance and purchase additional equipment for rent, for example, a navigator or a trunk. Payment is made by bank card.

5.After payment, a confirmation voucher will be sent to the specified email address. It is necessary to present it at the rental office. Then, at the office, you will need to sign the documents, arrange an insurance (if you haven`t done it before) and pay for the service (if partial payment has been selected on the online service). Then you will receive the keys and instructions on where to look for the car at the parking lot.

Renting rules in Dusseldorf

Before driving, please, take a note on some driving rules in Germany. The speed limit on German roads is as follows:

• in the settlement – 50 km/h;
• outside the settlement – 100 km/h;
• on autobahns (highways), speed is not limited, except for the sections marked with signs.
• The recommended speed for driving on the autobahn is 130 km/h.

Any maneuvers on the autobahn, such as stopping, parking, turning around, are prohibited. The exit and entry to the autobahn is carried out only in designated places (be guided by the word “Ausfahrt” – exit).

⇒Please note that to enter the historical centers of large cities (for example, Berlin), you must pay a sticker for an environmental fee before entering. This sticker costs about 15 euros. To avoid these expenses, it is better to leave the car in a parking lot outside the historical center of the cities.

In Germany, they refuel with 95th, 98th gasoline and diesel. Refueling can be automatic or manual. At automatic gas stations, it is customary to pay with a bank card on a special reader. At manual gas stations, the tank is first replenished with fuel, and then payment is made at the cashier. 95th gasoline corresponds to the “super”, and 98th is “super plus” (words are used instead of numbers).

As far as I know, parking in Germany is considerably different, so pay attention to it. As a rule, there are few free parking lots in large cities, and even if you are lucky to find such a place circled in white, you can stop the car there for no more than 2 hours; a special reading indicator is installed on the car to count the time you use on a parking lot.

Usually, the parking lots in German cities are paid; more often it is underground multi-level parking garages. In order not to look for where to park the rented car, it is recommended to book a hotel or an apartment, offering parking services.

⇒Please note that if you plan to travel outside of Germany, some driving rules may differ, especially when it comes to speed limits. For example, in Belgium the speed limit is as follows:

• in the settlement – 50 km/h,
• outside the settlement – 90 km/h (70 km/h – in the Flanders region),
• on the motorway – 120 km/h,
• on the highway – 120 km/h.

In France:

• in the settlement – 50 km/h,
• outside the settlement – 90 km/h,
• on the motorway – 110 km/h,
• on the highway – 130 km/h.

In France, the highways are usually paid. In Belgium and Germany, some tunnels and historic city centers are paid. I have travelled to France from Germany by car and it has been an excellent experience.

In general, I can say that car rental in Dusseldorf is one of the most convenient ways to move around. The excellent quality of the roads makes car rental a fairly profitable option, especially in the case of multiple trips. Dusseldorf is a convenient starting point for traveling around central and western Europe.

Where to go from Dusseldorf

There are quite a few ideas for traveling from Dusseldorf, both within Germany and to neighboring countries. According to my map research, the following are approximate distances between the settlements:

Dusseldorf	Duisburg	30 km (18.6 miles)	# В8 and А59
Dusseldorf	Essen	35 km (21.7 miles)	# А52
Dusseldorf	Dortmund	70 km (43.5 miles)	# А52 and А40
Dusseldorf	Wuppertal	35 km (21.7 miles)	# А46
Dusseldorf	Cologne	45 km (28 miles)	# А57
Dusseldorf	Brussels	200 km (124.3 miles)	# Е214

 

FAQs about car rental in Dusseldorf

✓ Can foreigners rent a car in Dusseldorf?

Yes, they can. In that case you may need an International Driver’s Permit. You can get it at your local automobile association before the trip.

✓ What license do I need to rent a car in Dusseldorf?

You must present a valid non-expired driver’s license. If you hold a license issued in a Non-Latin-Letter Alphabet, you must also present a valid International Driver’s Permit (see information above). You also require a passport as well.

✓ Can I go to other countries when renting a car in Dusseldorf?

Generally, you can, but you must notify the car rental company when you register a car for renting. You may be offered cross-border insurance in that case.

Photo above the article: Oliver Gran