Majority of U.S. Travelers Book Car Rental in Advance
According to a survey by Auto Europe, 40% of North Americans plan to visit Europe in the next 12 months as part of an annual trip. And of those travelers, 56% will book their rental car two or more months in advance.

Courtesy of Wikimedia.

Courtesy of Wikimedia.
Auto Europe, a global car rental aggregator, has conducted a survey to find out more about the preferences of North Americans planning to travel to Europe.
According to the survey, 40% of North Americans planning to visit Europe in the next 12 months do so as part of an annual trip, while 30% travel to Europe multiple times a year and 24% travel to Europe every two to three years.
When it comes to the top destinations in Europe, 53% of North American travelers plan to visit Western Europe, 20% plan to visit the U.K., 13% will travel to Eastern Europe, 7% said Ireland, and 2% will go to Iceland.
The majority of travelers will go to Europe with 2 to 3 people in their party (70%) while only 5% plan to travel in a group of 5 or more, according to the survey. Most travelers plan to visit Europe with family (74%) while 13% plan to travel with friends.
When booking a rental car, 56% of travelers will book two or more months in advance. According to the survey, they book in advance because they “want the best price” and “like to feel relaxed leading up to their trip by booking early.” Only 2% plan to wait to book their rental vehicle within 72 hours of their trip.
“We were not surprised to hear that so many of our customers are frequent travelers to Europe,” said Imad Khalidi, Auto Europe’s president and CEO. “Our expertise in the European market helps ensure clients have a smooth rental experience, and we go to great lengths to ensure that we have the types of vehicles they are looking for even in peak travel months.”
More Rental Operations

Clean on Paper: Red Flags in Exotic Car Rental Verification
A suspicious $45,000 Lamborghini booking reveals the strengths and limitations of renter verification, from forged insurance documents to coverage gaps and unauthorized drivers. (Part 2 of 3)
Read More →
Turo and Tesla Take the Next Step Toward Autonomous Car Rentals
The partnership brings Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Supervised) technology into the rental experience, offering a glimpse of how increasingly automated vehicles could change car rental.
Read More →
How Rental Operators Can Navigate Personalized Pricing Rules
As regulators scrutinize the use of customer data in pricing, rental operators need to know whether they can explain why one renter pays more than another.
Read More →
Direct, Broker or Hybrid? How Travel Retailers Source Rental Cars
As travel retailers weigh direct supplier relationships against third-party distribution, rental operators need to understand how those decisions affect their business.
Read More →
How Did This Independent Rental Operator Grow to 170 Vehicles in 4 Years?
With 170 vehicles across three Kentucky locations, Joel Price relies on an overseas team to handle reservations, payments, and after-hours customer service. It's one part of an unconventional approach to growing an independent rental operation.
Read More →
What Does It Take to Succeed in B2B Rentals?
The fundamentals may be familiar to daily car rental operators, but project-based truck rentals put different demands on the fleet and the business.
Read More →
NPR Builds on International Partnerships to Grow Rental Bookings
With Ana Laborde supporting broker development, NPR Auto Group is tailoring distribution strategies, rate packages, and partnerships to grow international reservations across its three brands.
Read More →
Advantage, Sixt Place Among Top Five in Annual Satisfaction Study
While Enterprise and National retain the top spots in JD Power’s 2026 rankings, the latest customer satisfaction results suggest renters can find competitive service beyond the biggest car rental names.
Read More →
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 →
