Can I rent a car for a month or longer?

To answer the question at the top of this article right away: yes, you can rent a car for a month or longer. Before we explain how that works, let’s first clarify what counts as “long-term.”

Most car rental companies set the limit at 28 days (four weeks). So if you want to rent a car for 28 days or more, that’s considered a long-term rental. Some car rental companies set the limit at 29 or 30 days. Often, the daily rate goes down if you rent a car for a month or longer. But that’s not always the case—sometimes the rate actually goes up. We can’t tell you exactly why that happens here, because there are many factors that play a role. To name a few: the availability of a rental car for that longer term, the exact period during which you want to use the car, and how far in advance you book the rental car.

Booking a Long-Term Rental Car

If you want to rent a car for a month or longer, the process is very simple: it’s exactly the same as when you’re looking for a rental car for 1, 2, or 3 weeks. Simply enter when you want to pick up the car and when you’ll return it. Our system will then automatically show you which cars are available for that period and at what price.

If you’re searching for rental cars and comparing short-term and long-term options, you’ll notice that the selection of cars available for rent for a month or longer is more limited. That’s because not all companies offer long-term rentals. Naturally, we don’t include those in our search results. What you will automatically see are the rates for long-term rentals (if a rental car provider has separate rates for that).

What if you’ve found the perfect rental car, but the rental company doesn’t offer that specific car for a period of a month or longer? Read below to find out what you can do.

Renting a Car for Longer Than a Month: The 28-Day Trick

We’ve already mentioned that the daily rate for a rental car often goes down if you choose a period longer than a month. But not always! That’s obviously very frustrating if you’ve found a great car that’s attractively priced for a 21-day period but turns out to be much more expensive for a 40-day period. Or maybe that perfect car simply isn’t available for long-term rental. In such cases, simply split the rental period in two. For example: rent the car for 27 days first, and then for 13 days. But you can also choose other durations that add up to 40 days, as long as neither of the two is 28 days or more.

The advantage is that for those two separate periods, you can choose a rental car with unlimited mileage (which is almost never possible for a single long period). The downside is that you’ll have to return the car first and then pick up the rental car for the second period at the same address. That’s probably too much of a hassle for a long road trip, but in many other cases, it hardly needs to be an issue.

Why Rent a Car for a Month or Longer?

If you finally want to take that dream road trip during a long vacation, it naturally makes sense to rent a car for an extended period. But there are other scenarios where you might need a rental car for a month or longer.

If you usually drive a manual transmission car but are considering switching to an automatic or an electric car, it’s nice to try out those other types first. Renting such a car for a month is the perfect solution.

Or imagine that you’re stationed somewhere else for an extended period and don’t want to—or can’t—drive your own car there. For example, because your partner also uses that car. In that case, you’ll have no choice but to rent a car for an extended period.

Even if you don’t own a car, you might sometimes need the flexibility of a rental car. For example, if you anticipate having to do all sorts of things in the coming month(s) for which public transportation isn’t sufficient.

And, last but not least, the price. Suppose you’re thinking of renting a car for 24 days and you discover that the daily rate for 28 days is much lower, which also results in a more affordable total cost. Well, why not add four extra days to your vacation and rent a car for almost a month! But be careful: don’t assume you can take advantage of the lower rate to return the car 4 days earlier than agreed. There’s a good chance the rental company will still charge you the higher rate or additional fees, which will end up costing you more.

Long-term car rental: what should you keep in mind?

While you can opt for unlimited mileage with a short-term rental car, that’s usually not the case for longer-term rentals. If you want to rent a car for a month or longer, mileage limits almost always apply. Pay close attention to this, because you’ll have to pay for every kilometer over the limit, and that can really add up. The mileage limit is specified in the rental terms and conditions, which you should, of course, always read carefully before booking a rental car.

On a longer road trip, it’s common to cross a national border or drive to a destination that’s only accessible by ferry. You must always disclose your plans to travel to another country when booking the rental car. Not all car rental companies allow this, and even if they do, they sometimes charge additional fees. When it comes to ferries, think of (usually longer) routes between the mainland and an island or between islands. For example, from the Spanish mainland to the Balearic Islands or between Greek islands. Be sure to check whether such crossings are permitted for the car you want to rent.

Are the terms for long-term car rentals different?

The terms for renting a car for a month or longer are no different from those for short-term rentals. For example, the same age restrictions apply (though these may vary by provider). Furthermore, all rental cars come standard with damage, theft, and liability insurance, and you can, of course, opt for comprehensive coverage. However, the rates may differ for long-term car rentals—not only the daily rate (which is often lower) but also, for example, the security deposit (which is sometimes higher).