TUI Cars vs Rentalcars: which car rental is cheaper? A general answer would be a guess, since rental prices depend on country, station, season and car class. What decides is what the price contains. We suggest TUI Cars as the starting point, because the provider spells out on its site exactly what is included: fully comprehensive cover with no excess, protection for glass, tyres and underbody, theft cover and a high liability limit. How Rentalcars handles this, the portal shows in the booking step. Put both offers for the same days side by side and you see the real difference. Status: October 2026, source is the TUI Cars site.
What is in the price at TUI Cars
TUI Cars calls itself a rental car broker with more than 4,000 stations in over 80 countries. According to the site, nearly all prices include: fully comprehensive cover with no excess, damage to tyres, glass, roof and underbody, loss of or damage to the car key and vehicle papers, theft of or damage to the radio and navigation after a break-in, and towing costs after an accident or breakdown.
A liability cover is added. Besides the usual local cover, TUI Cars lists an additional liability policy with a limit of 7.5 million euros, included in the rental price with no extra fee. It applies in all countries except Cuba, but in the USA and Canada only for customers who normally live in the European Economic Area or Switzerland. Unlimited mileage is usually included, with one partner in Germany as the exception.
What else to keep in mind
A deposit has to be left as security, so you need headroom on your payment card. Fuel follows the full-to-full rule: you return the car as full as you received it and pay only for the fuel you used. For an additional driver, TUI Cars says the extra cost is already in the price at many partners around the Mediterranean and in the Canary Islands. Whether young drivers, one-way rentals or child seats cost more depends on the station.
The same list serves as a test for Rentalcars. Deposit, excess, fuel rule, additional driver, minimum age and fees for one-way rentals appear there in the booking step and the rental terms. When you compare, write down for both offers whether an item is included, costs extra or is not mentioned at all.
Cancelling and changing
Up to 24 hours before pick-up TUI Cars offers rebooking or cancellation of cars with no fee, with an exception for one provider in Alaska. You can cancel the car yourself on the TUI Cars site. That is a common deadline, but do not wait for the last hour. For Rentalcars, read the terms of the fare you choose before you pay. Deadline and costs are stated there.
Pick-up and service
According to TUI Cars the vehicles are ready almost everywhere directly at the airport terminal, so a shuttle to the station is mostly not needed. At selected partners around the Mediterranean, for example on Mallorca or Crete, and in the Canary Islands the car can be delivered to your hotel. If you have questions you can phone TUI Cars, which several customer comments on the site stress. Those comments are the provider's selection and not an independent rating.
Payment
As with any rental car, the station asks for a card for the deposit. Which payment methods TUI Cars offers you see in the booking flow, and the same goes for Rentalcars. If you pay in a currency other than your card's, your bank may charge a fee for payments abroad, and that goes for both.
Before you pick up
Photograph the car all round, including wheels, windscreen and interior, and have every damage noted on the handover form. Check that fuel level and mileage match the paperwork, and keep the fuel receipt from the return. That holds with any provider.
Side by side
| Point | TUI Cars | Rentalcars |
|---|---|---|
| Fully comprehensive, no excess | per provider in nearly all prices | check in the booking step |
| Glass, tyres, underbody | named in the protection package | check in the booking step |
| Mileage | usually unlimited | check in the booking step |
| Deposit | yes, as security | clarify amount and type beforehand |
| Fuel rule | full to full | clarify beforehand |
| Cancellation | free until 24 hours before, Alaska excepted | read the deadline in the fare |
| Hotel delivery | at selected partners | clarify beforehand |
Who suits what
TUI Cars suits you if you want an offer where insurance and liability are part of the displayed price and you can live with a deposit and the fuel rule. Rentalcars can suit you if a particular rental company or fare appeals to you there. Then check what the price contains. A car without comprehensive cover in the price only looks cheaper at first glance. More on TUI Cars is on our provider page.