Zipcar now has partnerships abroad!

[anna7602]

I am going to guess this only affects a very tiny percentage of the Travel board population, if at all. Nonetheless, I was thrilled to get an email from Zipcar this morning telling me I can use my membership to rent cars in Barcelona and other international locations. It just so happens we're trying to go to Barcelona in 2015 and drive up the Catalan coast from there. Yay!

[Deleted]

Ooh, that's interesting.

Do you mind sharing how much you pay for Zipcar (for the membership and each time you use it)? Do you have to pay tolls?  Do you ever have trouble getting a car when you need one (particularly on holidays)?

My husband refuses to get rid of his car, which is a total PITA to have, so I'm trying to sell him on Zipcar.

Thanks!

[mdgirl]

Oo! This is good to know! I've looked into them a couple times for domestic trips when we don't think we're going to need a car the whole time, but it doesn't always work out.

v, I think my membership is $60 a year? I got it the first time as a deal on Gilt + a driving credit, so keep an eye out for those. The cars vary in price. The closest location to me has a Prius for $8.25/hour, or a Nissan Sentra for $10.50/hour. SUVs are $11.50/hour. When we got Car2Go here in Seattle I found this blog post comparing the two, and people in the comments section also discuss how the prices compare with traditional rental cars.

With Zipcar they have a pass for tolls and a gas card, so those are both included in membership.

[Deleted]

I'm assuming you don't need an international drivers licence to pick up a zip car in another country?

If so, thanks for posting this OP. You might have just changed my life.

[winnied]

Awesome! I just tried Zipcar domestically today and I loved it. H out OOT for a few months and I'm carless. It's usually ok but today I really needed on.

v, I signed up for the membership that was best for those who need it only occasionally. It's an annual fee or $60, a $25 application fee, and then the per hour/day rate depends on your location but I think mine was $7/hr. My friend in Chicago uses it and loves it. I assume it is difficult to get cars on holidays, but perhaps not. If you plan to use it for holidays, though,  you can reserve fairly far in advance. Alternatively, sometimes a traditional rental car may be your best shot. 

I believe some companies like Hertz and Enterprise are adopting Zipcar's methods.