Decision Guide
Cheapest Time to Rent a Car in Europe (2026)
We pulled the cheapest-month and priciest-month rental rates straight out of our city-by-city decision guides — no estimates, no averages. Only cities where both figures are stated explicitly made the table below, sorted from the lowest off-season rate to the highest.
| City | Cheapest month | ~$/day | Priciest month | ~$/day | Full guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ibiza, Spain | February | $5–7.60 | July | $46 | Full guide → |
| Chania, Greece | February | $8 | August | $42 | Full guide → |
| Porto, Portugal | January | $9 | August | $43 | Full guide → |
| Krakow, Poland | November & March | $10–16 | July & August | $35–40 | Full guide → |
| Rome, Italy | November & May | $12–13 | July | $39 | Full guide → |
| Paphos, Cyprus | February & March | $12–15 | October | $33 | Full guide → |
| Alicante, Spain | November | $13 | July | $29 | Full guide → |
| Barcelona, Spain | November | $14–18 | December & July | $28–41 | Full guide → |
| Bari, Italy | January | $14 | July | $37 | Full guide → |
| Milan, Italy | November | $16–18 | July | $45 | Full guide → |
| Verona, Italy | November | $16–22 | August | $41 | Full guide → |
| Budapest, Hungary | January & February | $19–20 | July | $38 | Full guide → |
| Naxos, Greece | December & January | $20–21 | August | $68–72 | Full guide → |
| Madrid, Spain | November | $22 | July | $40 | Full guide → |
| Vienna, Austria | November | $22–26 | August | $48–73 | Full guide → |
| Copenhagen, Denmark | March | $38–41 | July | $94–108 | Full guide → |
Data: DiscoverCars aggregated seasonal rates, as cited in each city guide · Last checked July 2026.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What’s the cheapest month to rent a car in Europe?
It varies by city, but the lowest rates in this comparison are in Ibiza (February, ~$5–7.60/day) and Chania (February, ~$8/day) — both shoulder-season months, well outside the summer peak.
Why are car rental prices lower outside summer?
Tourist demand — and with it, rental fleet demand — drops sharply outside the June–August peak, so suppliers cut rates to keep cars moving. In this comparison, 15 of the 16 cities hit their most expensive month in July or August; only Paphos, Cyprus peaks later, in October.
Which city has the cheapest off-season car rental in this comparison?
Ibiza, Spain — around $5–7.60/day in February, according to our Ibiza guide. Chania, Greece (~$8/day) and Porto, Portugal (~$9/day) follow closely.
