Dublin Named Top European Pickup City for U.S. Travelers
Auto Europe, a provider of international car rental services, has released a study with the top 10 European pickup cities for U.S. travelers from Jan. 1 through June 20, 2016. Dublin was the top city for rental car pickups for U.S. travelers.

The most popular car rental pickup destinations for the second half of 2016 compared to 2015. Charts courtesy of Auto Europe.
Auto Europe, a provider of international car rental services, has released a study reviewing the results of the first half of 2016 (Jan. 1 through June 20) and trends for the rest of the year.
Based on Auto Europe’s data on car rentals picked up in Europe by U.S. residents, the top 10 European rental car pickup cities had some shifts since the first half of 2015.
One of the most notable changes was Lisbon, which jumped 11 positions to make the top 10 list. Dublin also went up three spots to claim the No. 1 spot for pickup cities in 2016, according to the report.
Rank | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|
1 | Dublin | Paris |
2 | Rome | Rome |
3 | Paris | Florence |
4 | Florence | Dublin |
5 | London | London |
6 | Milan | Milan |
7 | Munich | Frankfurt |
8 | Frankfurt | Munich |
9 | Nice | Nice |
10 | Lisbon | Edinburgh |
When looking at the popular pickup countries for U.S. travelers, Italy continues to be the most popular European pickup location — accounting for 23.5% of all U.S. bookings made in the first half of 2016, according to the report. France and Great Britain take second and third for most popular pickup countries — accounting for just over 17% and almost 10%, respectively.
For rental car pickup locations, U.S. and Canadian travelers preferred the pickup location to be at airports (68%), downtown (19%), and then rail (13%), according to the report.
When choosing a vehicle, more U.S. and Canadian travelers preferred to rent a manual transmission vehicle (68%) over an automatic transmission vehicle (32%), according to the report.
"This year Dublin has really jumped in popularity as a rental destination for U.S. citizens," said Scott Braun, Auto Europe’s chief marketing officer. "Additionally, we continue to see that while manual transmission vehicles are the default rental car offering in Europe, a substantial number of North Americans are requesting automatics. To meet this need, we always make special arrangements with our suppliers to set aside automatic vehicles so that we are uniquely positioned to be able to deliver what our customers demand."
As part of the report, Auto Europe also looked travel trends for the second half of 2016, including the most popular pickup destinations based on advanced bookings by U.S. and Canadian residents compared to last year.

The most popular car rental pickup destinations for the second half of 2016 compared to 2015. Charts courtesy of Auto Europe.
Rome will continue to be the most popular pickup destination for the second half of the year as it was last year at this time, according to the report. One difference between the forecast for this year compared to last year is Dublin increased in popularity, pushing Paris down to the third most popular ranking.
In terms of duration of rental, travelers scheduled to pick up their vehicles during the second half of this year have extended their trips slightly in four of the top five pickup cities. Travelers to London were the only ones to reduce their travel.
Click here for the full Auto Europe report.
More Rental Operations

The $100,000 Insurance Trap in Exotic Car Rentals
Exotic rental agencies often rely on customers’ personal auto policies to protect six-figure vehicles. But policy language can dramatically change the coverage for vehicles over $100,000 MSRP.
Read More →
The Booking Is Confirmed, But Is Your Customer Ready to Drive?
For international renters, a confirmed reservation doesn’t always mean they’re eligible to drive. Earlier checks can help operators catch documentation and payment issues before the customer reaches the counter.
Read More →
ICRS 2027 Opens Call for Papers
The International Car Rental Show seeks session proposals on the business, operational, and technology issues facing car rental operators. Submissions are due Jan. 15.
Read More →
Turo to Launch Vehicle Delivery Service
Turo Delivered will let travelers search for vehicles that hosts can deliver directly to hotels, homes, airports, train stations, and other locations.
Read More →
Palm Beach Airport Code Change Creates Car Rental Distribution Gap
A test of rental searches under the old PBI and new DJT airport codes returned largely different sets of brands and vehicles, highlighting a potential distribution problem for rental operators.
Read More →
U-Save Continues Dominican Republic Expansion with Launch in Punta Cana
The new franchise location builds on U-Save’s existing Santo Domingo operation and will begin taking reservations for October 2026.
Read More →
When AI Books the Rental Car, Who Controls the Sale?
As AI moves from comparing rental rates to completing transactions, operators need to understand how travelers find, interpret, rank, and ultimately see their offers. (Part 2 of 2.)
Read More →
European Booked Car Rental Rates Fell 5%, Results Varied by Country
Ireland, Cyprus, and the United Kingdom saw steep declines, while booked rates rose in Poland and Hungary.
Read More →Is It Time to Rethink Rental Categories?
As traditional economy and compact cars disappear from the market, longtime rental operator Mike DeLorenzo asks whether the industry’s familiar vehicle categories still make sense — and what operators need to rethink along with them.
Read More →
Who Owns the Rate? AI Is Creating a New Distribution Problem for Car Rental
Generative Engine Optimization asks whether AI can find a rental company, but operators also need to know whether the agent inspected enough of the market, compared equivalent offers, and presented a rate the traveler can actually book. (Part 1 of 2)
Read More →
