Do you need to rent a car and are wondering which option is the best? And what are the main differences? To have everything nicely organized, we’ve outlined it all for you in this article.
Car rental agencies are certainly a more traditional approach. Typically, you’ll find them at airports, mainly catering to tourists. You need to arrive at a pre-arranged time, and the car will be waiting for you with a full tank. You also need to return it to the same location with a full tank, which can be a hassle as refueling might be expensive.
At the beginning, you also need to place a deposit, which you’ll get back upon return if everything is in order. Electronic payment may take some time, so you might not have access to the money for several days.
On the other hand, carsharing represents a new approach to car rental. Typically, you’ll find cars parked around the city, and you can rent one directly from the street via a mobile app. You can rent a car for just a few minutes or even for the entire weekend.
You don’t need to return the car to the same location; you can simply park it anywhere within the city where carsharing is operated – this area is typically called the “home zone”. A big advantage is that you don’t have to worry about refueling. You only pay the rental price, and the rest is taken care of.
Another advantage is that carsharing is typically more focused on urban operations, so you can park in resident-only zones. For example, in Prague, you can park Anytime cars in purple and blue zones without any additional fees.
You don’t have to go anywhere or arrange a meeting with anyone; you handle everything through your smartphone. Also, there’s no need to place a deposit or security deposit.
Compared to car rental, carsharing has several advantages. If you’re not looking for long-term rental (more than a week), it’s usually the better choice in most cases.
