A smooth pickup starts before you travel. These are practical checks you can make on a real offer and at the rental desk. Provider examples are identified below; the conditions for your particular car remain the reference.
01 BEFORE YOU PAY
Check the deposit card, not just the payment method.
Paying online doesn’t confirm that your card will be accepted for the deposit. Read the collection requirements for the actual supplier: card type, main driver’s name, physical card and available funds or credit. A phone wallet or a card in your travelling companion’s name may not meet those rules.
DiscoverCars also lists original driving and identity documents among its pickup requirements. For a licence in a non-Roman alphabet, it advises bringing an International Driving Permit as well. Check your supplier’s document requirements and save the voucher before travelling.
OFFICIAL GUIDANCEDiscoverCars: documents required at pickup
02 UNDERSTAND THE COVER
Extra cover can still leave a deposit to pay.
The deposit is money the supplier may hold or collect. The excess is an amount you may be responsible for under the applicable cover or waiver. Reducing one does not necessarily remove the other.
DiscoverCars describes Full Coverage as reimbursement for eligible charges, subject to its terms. It does not remove the supplier’s deposit requirement. You may need to pay a damage charge first and then submit a claim with supporting documents.
OFFICIAL GUIDANCEDiscoverCars: how Full Coverage works
03 ON YOUR WAY
If your flight is delayed, call the rental desk.
Provide your flight number when the booking allows it. If a delay affects collection, call the local desk using the number on your voucher and give your revised arrival time. A flight number alone is not a promise that the reservation will be held.
Desk hours, grace periods and after-hours fees differ. A missed collection can become a no-show. Confirm any new arrangement directly instead of assuming the counter will wait.
OFFICIAL GUIDANCEDiscoverCars: late arrivals and missed pickups
04 BEFORE YOU DRIVE AWAY
Photograph the car. Report anything missing.
Walk around the car and compare its condition with the supplier’s report. SIXT recommends documenting damage and taking photographs of all four sides and the odometer. Use your supplier’s desk or reporting channel for any existing damage that is missing from the record.
A photo is useful evidence, but it does not replace reporting a discrepancy through the required process. Raise it promptly, before driving away, and ask for an updated record.
OFFICIAL GUIDANCESIXT: reporting damage already present at pickup
05 PLAN THE RETURN
Meet the agreed fuel level. Keep the receipt.
Check that the fuel level recorded at pickup matches the gauge. For a full-to-full agreement, leave time to refuel before return; bringing it back short can mean paying for fuel plus a service fee.
SIXT’s fuel guidance distinguishes self-refuelling from prepaid fuel. With its prepaid option, unused fuel is not refunded. Other providers’ terms can differ, so a prepaid tank is not automatically the better deal.
OFFICIAL GUIDANCESIXT: fuel policy and refuelling options
06 SHARING THE DRIVING
An included second driver still needs registering.
Check whether an additional driver is included in your actual offer. Even when it is, that person must still meet the supplier’s age and licence requirements and be added to the agreement.
DiscoverCars says additional drivers need to attend collection with the required documents. A free additional-driver offer also does not automatically remove an age-related surcharge.
OFFICIAL GUIDANCEDiscoverCars: adding an additional driver
07 WATCH THE CLOCK
Treat the return time as part of the price.
A few extra hours may trigger another rental day and a late fee. Check your agreement’s exact return time and any grace period, rather than assuming you have the rest of the day.
If you need longer after collecting the car, arrange the extension with the supplier and ask for the charges. DiscoverCars also says its Full Coverage does not automatically extend when you extend the rental with the desk.
OFFICIAL GUIDANCEDiscoverCars: returning later or extending a rental
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE AN OFFER
Compare the complete trip.
Use the same dates, collection and return times, car category and driver details. Then read these four parts of the offer:
- The full-period price
- Check required fees and what is due now versus at the desk. Keep the security deposit separate from the rental charge.
- The extras you need
- Look for additional drivers, child seats, one-way fees and after-hours collection. Count only items your trip actually needs and avoid counting included items twice.
- The route you will drive
- Check the mileage allowance, permitted countries, toll arrangements and any restrictions that affect your route.
- The cancellation terms
- Save the deadline, time zone, fee and refund method shown for your booking. Check both reservations before switching to a different offer.
Who can book with Sunny Cars?
Sunny Cars may suit you if you want an all-inclusive package and meet the specific rental conditions. Finding a car in a search is not, by itself, confirmation that you qualify for that rental.
| Where you live | Where to start |
|---|---|
| Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Switzerland or France | Sunny Cars lists a dedicated website for each of these countries. Use the appropriate residence route, then read the conditions for the actual car. |
| Another country | Sunny Cars’ country selector has an Other route, which currently opens its English Netherlands website. This is a booking route, not a blanket eligibility promise. Confirm with Sunny Cars that your residence and intended rental are accepted before paying. |
Your country of residence is where you live. Do not substitute your holiday destination, airline base or the language you want to read. If those details differ or the rules are unclear, ask Sunny Cars to confirm your particular case.
Check the destination and dates, residence or local-renter restrictions, driving licence, age, accepted payment card and deposit. The requirements can vary with the local supplier and car. Being airline crew does not remove them.
If the offer does not fit, explore another booking route and check that provider’s conditions too. You can return to all three partner options.
Sources checked 10 September 2026: Sunny Cars country-of-residence selector, specific rental conditions and customer service.
READY FOR THE ROAD
Keep a little checklist with you.
Take the useful checks to the counter. Our free list covers booking, pickup and return, and can be printed or used on your phone.
Open the pickup checklist Explore the destination guidesThe seven tips were checked against the linked official sources on 11 September 2026. Sunny Cars residence guidance was checked on 10 September 2026. We may earn a commission through booking links; the source links above are editorial references. How we prepare our guides.