Cheap car hire in Cologne
| Mini |
| Economy |
| Compact |
| Intermediate |
| Standard |
| Full-size |
| Luxury |
| People carrier |
| Passenger van |
| SUV |
| Commercial |
| Pick-up truck |
KAYAK’s top tips for hiring a car in Cologne
- With so many sights to see along the Rhine, car hire in Cologne is almost essential if you want to take in as many as possible, without having to rely on fixed public transport schedules and routes. A short drive from the centre to the north of the city is Cologne Botanical Garden, with its glass palace and tropical greenhouse. There are also too many museums to count, including the Fragrance Museum, which is the oldest of its kind still existent in the world.
- Cologne has its own international airport, Cologne Bonn Airport. As a large European travel hub, it has convenient access to car hire facilities. Companies like Avis, Enterprise, Budget and Hertz can all be found in Terminal 2, in the public area outside D Arrivals. Once all your Cologne car hire necessities have been seen to, you’ll merely have to cross the road outside the terminal exit, Kennedystrasse, and the hire car parking area will be on your right. If you’re travelling from the airport directly to the centre of the city, it will take you about 15min to make the 17 km (10.5 miles) drive.
- Cologne strives to be a very green city, and certain areas in the city require you to have a green environmental sticker on your windshield. This is known as the Cologne Low Emission Zone, and it is very clearly marked out. The required stickers should be supplied with any hire car you choose that has an Emission Group 4 rating, so make sure of it when you collect your car, otherwise you could find yourself unwittingly facing a fine. Alternatively, you can park your car outside the Low Emission Zone in one of the many city car parks and take one of the frequent buses into the zone.
- Rush hours in Cologne can be every bit as congested as in any other major European city. The congestion starts to build up from about 07:30, with peak hour from 08:00 to 09:00. Expect the traffic in the afternoon to start building from around 16:00 and become densest at around 17:00. The busiest streets are the most central ones, like Hohestrasse and Schildergasse, which are both vibrant commercial and shopping districts. Plot your route to avoid travelling along these roads during rush hour.
- Book your car hire in Cologne at least 2 days before your trip in order to get a below-average price
- Mini car hire in Cologne are around 52% cheaper than other car types, on average
Cologne car hire experiences: the best tips from KAYAK users
FAQs about hiring a car in Cologne
What type of car is recommended for driving in Cologne?
Given the significant emphasis on green driving in this city, try to get as eco-friendly a vehicle as you can when you book car hire in Cologne. Look for the latest, most fuel-efficient models with small engine capacity and a low carbon emissions rating when browsing through the options. A small city car is all you’ll really need in the city, unless there are a few of you together, in which case a compact saloon will do nicely. Just remember to make sure that it has its green sticker when you collect it at the airport.
What’s the speed limit in Cologne?
In the centre of the city and other built-up areas of Cologne, the speed limit is 50km/h (30mph). Once you get further out you can go up to 100km/h, which is just over 62mph. When you’re clear of any towns and are travelling on the large motorways you can push it to 130km/h (80mph).
Where are the best places to park in Cologne?
There are plenty of car parks and parking areas in Cologne city centre, with free Park and Ride parking areas towards the outskirts. For the latter, head to P+R Stammheim or P+R Welden West. The car parks in the inner areas include Parkhaus Am Dom and Parkhaus Gross Sankt Martin. The average cost is between €1.50 and €2.50 per hour (approx. £1.30 to £2.20).
How much is the price of fuel in Cologne?
The average price of fuel in Cologne is R136,95 per litre over the past 30 days. Filling up a tank of fuel costs between R1 643 and R2 191, depending on the car size.
What is the most popular car hire in Cologne?
Mini (Kia Picanto or similar) is the most frequently booked car hire type in Cologne.
How can I find car hires near me in Cologne?
Take a look at our extensive car hire location map to find the best car hire deals near you.
How much does a Mini car hire cost in Cologne?
A Mini car hire in Cologne costs R963 per day, on average.
How much does an Economy car hire cost in Cologne?
An Economy car hire in Cologne costs R1 644 per day, on average.
Cologne car rental reviews and directory
Avis
10,0
Wonderful
7 reviewsCleanliness
10.0
Comfort
10.0
Pick-up/Drop-off
10.0
Value for money
10.0
4 locations in Cologne
Filters
Reviews
8,0 Very Good
Aug 2017
Pros:
Great guys at stationCons:
Your staff needs to know if the car they are renting me has a CD player or not. Several times I've been told the car has on e, and it does not. Basically, creates a hassle and wasted time sink to switch out for another rental car that has one. Thx9,2 Wonderful
Oct 2016
Pros:
The woman at the counter in the train station was kind and helpful.Cons:
It was not clear where at the Cologne train station we were to drop off the car. We were lucky to find the drop off point so quickly. It would have been helpful to have an address that we could have plugged into our Navi as well as a written description of the drop-off procedure. There is no AVIS personnel at the drop-off point5,2 Fair
Jun 2016
Pros:
No thingCons:
We change our reservation to frankfurt and it was so bad location for drop off the car. It was in central station in crowded area and parking was so far from their office. the park man couldn't speak English!!Thrifty
8,8
Very Good
1 reviewCleanliness
10.0
Comfort
8.0
Pick-up/Drop-off
8.0
Value for money
10.0
5 locations in Cologne
Budget
8,5
Very Good
2 reviewsCleanliness
10.0
Comfort
10.0
Pick-up/Drop-off
7.3
Value for money
7.3
5 locations in Cologne
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Reviews
10,0 Wonderful
Sep 2022
10,0 Wonderful
Sep 2016
Pros:
Service at the counter was great, Sheila was excellent, thank you very much!Cons:
None reallyEnterprise Rent-A-Car
7,1
Good
26 reviewsCleanliness
8.0
Comfort
7.3
Pick-up/Drop-off
7.2
Value for money
6.9
9 locations in Cologne
Locations in Cologne
Filters
Reviews
10,0 Wonderful
Jul 2019
Pros:
Everything was perfect.Cons:
nothing8,4 Very Good
Jul 2019
Pros:
The staff were nice and helpful, pickup and drop-off went smoothlyCons:
The fuel policy was same-to-same, which is much less convenient than full-to-full8,4 Very Good
May 2019
Pros:
Staff were helpful and turnaround time was quick, we were glad it was open on Sunday!!10,0 Wonderful
Mar 2019
Cons:
I had a situation that i'm not happy about. The wind screen had a small crack on the driver side and the crack got bigger every day. I had to pay 400€ for the damage and is not right. How many people look at the wind screen when they rent a vehicle. Can you come back to me with a solution? Thank you10,0 Wonderful
Nov 2017
Pros:
The staff was professional and the entire process of car hire was an excellent experience. Its a true value for money. So impressed!!!Cons:
None except the excgange rate difference.6,4 Okay
Dec 2016
Pros:
Efficient staff, and a swift process to return, and the requested taxi arrived quite speedily.Cons:
Someone literally parked their car smack in the center of the two available spaces as we were driving into the lot to drop off the car. We had to park temporarily blocking another vehicle in until they moved again. The office itself was chill and bare, with no real place to wait.Alamo
6,6
Okay
4 reviewsCleanliness
7.3
Comfort
6.6
Pick-up/Drop-off
6.6
Value for money
6.0
2 locations in Cologne
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5,6 Fair
May 2019
Pros:
Drop off super easyCons:
The insurance is way too high and cost more than the car rental itself! Also the car selection is always a mess because there is no standard rule for the car group or at least the front desk won’t really give options just go directly with his pickup option.4,4 Mediocre
Mar 2019
Cons:
Very slow at the pick up and given the wrong size car. Still waiting on the deposit to be paid back.9,2 Wonderful
Jan 2018
Pros:
Very friendly staff (Kevin Zeitler) at pick-up - Coffee supplied for four and everything explained. Again at drop-off same staff very helpful..Cons:
The only disappointment was that quoted rental charge furnished on line did not include any damage cover to car (I would have been liable for up to €26,000). I accept that here is always a basic excess of €1.000/€2,000. Therefore I consider that your quoted rates are misleading.Flex To Go
6,0
Okay
1 reviewCleanliness
4.0
Comfort
4.0
Pick-up/Drop-off
2.0
Value for money
8.0
One location in Cologne
Hertz
5,7
Fair
17 reviewsCleanliness
6.4
Comfort
5.7
Pick-up/Drop-off
6.3
Value for money
5.4
5 locations in Cologne
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Reviews
10,0 Wonderful
Nov 2021
4,0 Mediocre
Oct 2021
10,0 Wonderful
Jul 2018
Pros:
Price2,0 Poor
Jun 2018
Pros:
ShameCons:
Ladri!6,4 Okay
Dec 2017
Pros:
At the beginning the lady was not aware of the booking. Then she found the booking. Bu she told me that there is no insurance for rental period. And after a little argument I had to add an insurance for full coverage. The rent was around 180Euro but the insurance for 4 days was around 370 Euro. Which makes totally 550 Euro. Also some more for the guarantee and totally I made 800 euros.... I hated this....Cons:
The whole pricing... Awareness...10,0 Wonderful
May 2017
Pros:
long walk from where the car was rented to where it was parked in the garage, exp when 2 of us pulling 3 suitcasesCons:
somewhat difficult locating exactly where the rental was at the Cologne/Bonn airport when we dropped off my German relatives.Sixt
5,6
Fair
5 reviewsCleanliness
6.1
Comfort
6.0
Pick-up/Drop-off
5.4
Value for money
5.8
8 locations in Cologne
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Reviews
2,0 Poor
Oct 2022
10,0 Wonderful
Jul 2019
Pros:
Very friendly. Car was great. Process was extremely easy.6,0 Okay
Aug 2023
Dollar
9,2
Wonderful
No reviews available
Cleanliness
10.0
Comfort
10.0
Pick-up/Drop-off
8.0
Value for money
10.0
5 locations in Cologne
National
6,0
Okay
No reviews available
Cleanliness
6.0
Comfort
6.0
Pick-up/Drop-off
6.0
Value for money
6.0
2 locations in Cologne
Global Rent A Car
10,0
Wonderful
No reviews available
8 locations in Cologne
keddy by Europcar
9,6
Wonderful
No reviews available
11 locations in Cologne
Locations in Cologne
Filters
No reviews available
10 locations in Cologne
Locations in Cologne
Bergisch Gladbacher Strasse 696
+49 4922 1639900
Frankfurter Strasse 464
+49 2203 9803210
Koblenzer Strasse 1-9
+49 4922 19347870
Koelner Strasse 133
+49 2203 699 240
Linder Hoehe
+49 221 9810390
Mietwagenzentrum
+49 4922 03955880
Robert-perthel-strasse 28
+49 4922 19584410
Trankgasse 11
+49 4922 11392748
Widdersdorfer Strasse 213
+49 4922 13106350
Willy-brandt-platz 2
+49 4922 19810390
Filters
No reviews available
5 locations in Cologne
Locations in Cologne
Frankfurter Str. 200
+49 221 9639 0710
Mietwagenzentrum
+49 40 520 187 222
Oskar-Jäger-Straße 115
+49 221 954 8410
Filters
No reviews available
One location in Cologne
Locations in Cologne
Butzweilerstraße 35-39, 50829 Köln, Germany
+49 221 78879966
Filters
No reviews available
One location in Cologne
Locations in Cologne
Oskar-Jäger-Straße 115
+49 221 9548410
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No reviews available
One location in Cologne
Locations in Cologne
Mietwagenzentrum, Terminal 1, Köln, Germany
+48 12 333 73 13
Filters
No reviews available
21 locations in Cologne
Locations in Cologne
Filters
No reviews available
12 locations in Cologne
Locations in Cologne
Cologne Central Railstation
+49 180 666 6666
Deutz-Mülheimer Str. 22-24
+49 89 6606 0060
Genovevastr. 11-15
+49 89 6606 0060
Johannisstraße 11
+49 180 6 666666
MIETWAGENZENTRUM Ankunftsebene 0 Terminal 2
+49 180 666 6666
Widdersdorfer Str 369
+49 180 666 6666
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Reviews
10,0 Wonderful
Dec 2017
Pros:
I rarely rent from Sixt since they came up expensive usually, but I had this great offer and it was not listed as Sixt but rather FLIZZR. The car war new and clean, No issues with picking up the car, very helpful customer service as I had experienced in former encounters with Sixt. Also the customer service representative hinted clearly on all and any pre-conditions (scratches, small dents), which I would have never been able to detect, since the rental place at the Cologne airport is rather a dark parking garage. I was even able to get an automatic for a small additional charge ($5 a day).Cons:
The car, an Opel (Vauxhaul or General Motors), was supposed to be an automatic, but felt like a hybrid manual and had a very strange way to shift. Didn't shift smoothly, but I was stagnantly shifting, at least I did not have to shift manually.8 locations in Cologne
Locations in Cologne
Frankfurter Str. 464
+49 2203 9803210
Koblenzer Strasse 1-9
+49 203 860510
Mietwagenzentrum
+49 2203 955880
Robert-perthel-strasse 28
+49 203 860510
Terminal 1 Mietwagenzentrum
+49 2203 10 427
Trankgasse 11
+49 221 1392748
Widdersdorfer Strasse 213
+49 203 860510
Willy-brandt-platz 2
+49 203 860510
Filters
No reviews available
4 locations in Cologne
Locations in Cologne
Bergisch-Gladbacher-Str. 1051-1053, Köln
+49 221 989 4370
Kalk-Mülheimer Str. 177, Köln
+49 221 989 4370
Luxemburger Str. 181, Köln
+49 221 937 580
Oskar-Jäger Straße 155, Köln
+49 221 540 2210
Filters
No reviews available
2 locations in Cologne
Locations in Cologne
MIETWAGENZENTRUM Ankunftsebene 0 Terminal 2
+49 421 3385 3380