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

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Table of Contents:

Car rental in Frankfurt

Car rental at the airport of Frankfurt

Renting rules in Frankfurt

Where to go from Frankfurt

FAQs about car rental in Frankfurt

Car rental in Frankfurt

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 Frankfurt as the road connections are developed absolutely fantastic here. 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 Frankfurt to travel around Germany.

In Frankfurt you can find rental offices in almost any area of the city, as well as at the airport. There are a lot of distributors either international companies or local ones. The choice is up to you. Based on my thorough research, you can find rental offices in Frankfurt at the following addresses, for example (see on the map):

• 1, Ferdinand-Happ-Strasse (city center; Global and Buchbinder offices);
• 122, Westerbachstrasse (city center; Global and Buchbinder offices);
• 5, Carl-Benz-Strasse (city center; Thrifty, Keddy and Europcar offices).
• 21, Camberger Strasse (city center; Thrifty office);
• 399, Ludwig-Landmann-Strasse (western part of the city; Keddy and Europcar offices);
• 340, Hanauer Landstrasse (eastern district of the city; Sixt office);
• 179-181, Eckenheimer Landstrasse (northern part of the city; Europcar office).

The Central Railway Station is also considered to be a popular point for car rental in Frankfurt am Main. 5 + more suppliers are represented here at once, including wide-known Hertz, Keddy, InterRent, Sixt and Europcar. The total car park consists of more than 70 cars. You can compare car rental conditions in Frankfurt for all places and companies on international booking 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.

A useful tip! Booking online, you can choose a suitable car class, make a reservation and, thereby, save your time when registering a car for renting on the spot. In order to find the best option in terms of price, you can check the offers on all the listed services for comparison. I use both online services a lot when planning my upcoming trips as they have a convenient search with a lot of settings to narrow down the results as I may need.

If you travel mainly around German cities or only around Frankfurt, then, to my mind, a mini or medium-sized car may be enough for travelling. Please, remember that the historical centers of German cities have rather narrow streets. If you plan to visit German National Parks, mountains, waterfalls and other natural attractions, then it makes sense to take a car in a larger size and with a manual transmission, although, in general, the roads in Germany are so good that in most cases it is quite possible to travel by car with automatic transmission. I have travelled by car from Frankfurt a lot and I can confirm that the highways (the so-called autobahns) are of excellent quality.

Car rental at the airport of Frankfurt

Frankfurt am Main is one of the largest cities in Germany, located in the Hesse region in the west of the country. Frankfurt is not only a significant business and cultural center of Germany, but also the largest air hub. Frankfurt Airport, according to statistics, is the busiest airport in Germany and one of the largest airports in all of Europe. It is not surprising that while staying in the city, a large number of tourists are puzzled by the question of moving around.

Renting a car at the Frankfurt Airport is a highly popular option. Many tourists fly to Frankfurt not only to see the city itself, but also to travel around the south-west of Germany, along the regions of Hesse, Baden-Wurttemberg, Bavaria, etc. At the Frankfurt International Airport, there are 8+ more rental offices of various suppliers at once, and the total car park is more than 100 cars. Here you can find cars of different classes, including small, medium, large, premium cars, SUVs and minivans. You can search on your own:

After some research, I found out that the following providers operate at the airport: Flizzr, InterRent, Alamo, Thrifty, Keddy, Hertz, Europcar, Sixt and some others. Please note that on pre-holiday days (Christmas, New Year, Easter) there may be queues at the rental offices, because this is a tourist peak-season; for these periods of the year, it will be more reliable to book a car in advance not to miss the car class you desire.

To sum up, I can say that car rental in Frankfurt is one of the most popular options for getting around not only in Frankfurt itself, but also in other regions of Germany. German roads (the so-called autobahns) have excellent quality; the process of renting a car is quite simple; getting around Germany can be fast and comfortable.

Step-by-step guide on how to book a car in advance using online services:

For those who decide to book car rental services in advance for the first time, my step-by-step instructions on how to use these services will be helpful so here they are:

1.On the main page of any of the online services, you must fill in the following data for the search: the place of picking up and dropping off, dates and time. After that, you will see available offers from various car renting companies. By default, the offer table is sorted by price from lowest to highest.

2.Here you can set up individual filters, for example, specify the required car class, limit the list of companies, select a car with automatic or manual transmission, clarify the available options for mileage and fuel. Under each offer you will find a tab called “Terms of Rent”. It will help you find out what documents will be needed for registration, what is the amount of the deposit, what bank cards are available for payment and other conditions.

3.Having chosen the appropriate offer, go to the booking page. Here you will need to fill in basic personal data, including last name, first name, phone number, email address, time and flight number (relevant if you book a car at offices at the airport). Here you can also choose additional necessary options for insurance and equipment. Payment is made by credit card fully or partially, depending on the terms of the renting.

4.After payment, a voucher with confirmation of the reservation will be sent to the specified email address. It must be printed and presented at the rental office. In the office you will be offered to sign the documents, to take insurance and then you will be given the keys. The procedure is simple and does not take much time. If you made a reservation in advance via online services, then registration on the spot usually will take no more than 20 minutes.

Renting rules in Frankfurt

Germany is one of the most convenient countries for traveling by car, that is why car renting services in Germany are very popular among the travellers. The roads in Germany are either high-speed autobahns or picturesque city and countryside roads; based on my experience, both types have excellent quality coverage.

Since Frankfurt is considered to be the country’s largest air hub, many tourists start their journey exactly from Frankfurt. You can rent a car in Frankfurt am Main at numerous rental offices in the city, as well as at the airport. In order to rent a car, you must have basic documents – a passport, a driver’s license and a bank card to pay for the service.

As a rule, rental offices block a certain amount of money on the card as a deposit for the cases of unforeseen circumstances (accidents, fines, etc.). If no unforeseen circumstances occurred during the car rental, the deposit will be safely unblocked on the card within a month.

You should also be offered to take insurance at the rental office. It will save a fair amount of money in case of unforeseen circumstances. Please note fines and car repairs are quite expensive in Germany.

Regardless of which class of the car you take, it is acceptable to return the car with the same amount of fuel in the tank with which you have taken it. You can refuel a car in Frankfurt and other cities of the country at numerous self-service gas stations. 95th gasoline corresponds to the “super”, and 98th is “super plus” (names are used instead of numbers). The prices may vary, but you can check them on Globalpetrolprices.

Where to go from Frankfurt

Renting a car in Frankfurt opens up many opportunities for traveling in Germany; popular destinations are the cities of Baden-Baden, Karlsruhe, Heidelberg, Freiburg, etc. Also, using the route # A8 you can get to neighboring France; using the route #A9 towards the Bavaria region you can get to the cities of Munich, Nuremberg, Regensburg, Bamberg and others; and in fact, using the route #A6 for traveling around the Hesse region, you can get to Moselle Valley with its gorgeous medieval castles and further to Belgium. You can also be interested in some travel ideas below:

✓ Idea #1 is Wiesbaden (40 km). It is the administrative center of the Hesse region and a well-known thermal resort. Along with Baden-Baden, Wiesbaden is considered to be the oldest thermal spa in Germany. Tourists also admire some historical attractions such as the Ducal Palace, the buildings of the Old and New Town Halls, the neo-Gothic Marktkirche Church. In addition to the palace square, Biebrich and Luisenplatz squares are also worth seeing. The first is decorated in the Baroque style, the second is an excellent example of neoclassicism. The local Kurhaus, where the famous casino is located, is also considered to be a very interesting place. You also can use the funicular to the Neroberg Mountain to admire the views of the town. Frankfurt and Wiesbaden are connected with #A66 motorway (see on the map).

✓ Idea #2 is Heidelberg (90 km). The old part of Heidelberg is almost entirely included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Here, the medieval castle and the old bridge, the ancient gates and the university have been surprisingly preserved. The area is now completely pedestrian. No less interesting are the surroundings of the town. Heidelberg is located in the valley of the Neckar River, surrounded by mountains and picturesque forests. You can find here the famous “path of philosophers”. To climb the local mountain, you can use the funicular. The best views of picturesque Heidelberg open up here. Frankfurt and Heidelberg are connected with #A5 motorway (see on the map).

✓ Idea #3 is Karlsruhe (140 km). It is a traditional southern German city. It has a curious radial location of the buildings, where all 32 streets extend from the city center like the sunbeams. Thus, no matter how far you go deep into the city, you will always return to the central square, where a magnificent baroque palace flaunts. This is a favorite place for locals where you can take a walk in the French-style park and admire the palace, sculptures and landscape ideas brought to life. Wandering around the city, you will realize that the central palace of Karlsruhe is not the only interesting architectural object; many beautiful buildings, churches, and monuments have also been preserved here. Frankfurt and Karlsruhe are connected with #A5 or A67 motorways (see on the map). I have visited this city and it has charmed me a lot with its vibrant architecture and picturesque views.

✓ Idea #4 is Wurzburg (120 km). This town is considered to be a Franconian gem with its cultural sites. Geographically located in Bavaria, Wurzburg is easily accessible from Frankfurt. The town delights tourists with preserved medieval architectural monuments, whether it be the Wurzburg residence or the Marienberg fortress, St. Killian’s Cathedral or the Hofkirche church. Wurzburg is partially listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In addition, Wurzburg is famous for its wines. A wine fair is held here every year, which has gained fame all over the world. Frankfurt and Wurzburg are connected with #A3 motorway (see on the map).

✓ Idea #5 is Cologne (190 km). The city of Cologne is located in the area of the neighboring region called North Rhine-Westphalia and is famous throughout the world for its huge Gothic cathedral. The medieval cathedral of Cologne consistently ranks among the top ten must-see attractions in Europe. Cologne Cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The tourists can see the cathedral not only from the outside, but also from the inside, as well as climb to its inspiring observation deck. Frankfurt and Cologne are connected with #A3 motorway (see on the map).

FAQs about car rental in Frankfurt

✓ Can foreigners rent a car in Frankfurt?

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

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

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 Frankfurt?

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: Jorge Franganillo