Car Hire: Free Additional Driver

Whether you are renting a car for a few days or a month (or more!), if you’re travelling with the family or in a group sharing the driving with someone else can be very welcome. You might be driving long distances and want to break up the drive between 2 or more drivers, or just want to share the burden of the driving on your holiday. Many car rentals are advertised as including a FREE additional driver which offers a great value add for the that particular rental if you were planning to pay extra for this option.

Which car rental companies offer free additional driver?

No particular car rental agent offers additional drivers for free on all rentals. They are usually limited time special offers aimed to offer a more attractive overall car rental package. As we’ve said many times, the headline daily rate is only a part of the equation when it comes to selecting the best value car rental. If you require any optional extras such as additional drivers, Child Car Seats, GPS or sat nav, the cost of these extras can vary greatly so it pays to compare like for like.

What does free additional driver actually mean?

Quite simply, it means that another person can driver the rental car and be fully covered under the insurance policy of the rental. Rental agents often limit the number of additional drivers on any given rental to 3 (making 4 drivers in total), however this varies by agent so if you need multiple drivers please check terms. The additional driver fee is per driver, so 2 additional drivers would incur 2x the fee.

Can an under 25 be a free additional driver?

Yes, however the main driver will still be subject to the young driver surcharge for the duration of the rental. Sadly, it’s not a hack or workaround the young driver surcharge. We do however offer an under 25 car hire discount to help offset the surcharge levied by the rental agent.

Why does additional drivers cost more?

Car rental agents charge extra for additional drivers to cover the extra cost of the insurance. However in reality, only one person can drive the rental car at any time, so whilst they claim it is to cover the extra insurance, as their policies cover multiple drivers anyway, in reality it’s just another car hire extra or add-on that if the rental can get away with charging, they will. When they offer ‘FREE’ additional drivers it’s a good marketing tactic also.

How much does an additional driver cost?

The cost of adding an additional driver to your rental car varies by supplier and location. We've looked at some of our most popular locations and rental agents and compared prices (daily charge) for a weeks rental in July.