EconomyBookings Explained: What to Know Before Booking

EconomyBookings is one of the many car rental comparison platforms available to travellers looking for a vehicle for their next holiday.

But how does it actually work, and what should you know before making a reservation?

Hiring a car can make a real difference to a holiday, particularly when you want to explore places that are difficult to reach by public transport.

I have often found this to be the case when travelling through France. A car gives you the freedom to discover little villages, stop at viewpoints and explore the countryside at your own pace.

But before setting off, there is one important step: finding the right rental car at the right price.

With so many car rental companies and comparison websites available, choosing where to book can sometimes be confusing.

In this guide, I will take a closer look at EconomyBookings, explain how the platform works and share my own experience of testing its booking process.

I will also examine some important points worth checking before making a reservation, particularly concerning prices, insurance, deposits and cancellation conditions.

Please note: I tested the online booking process up to the driver's details stage without completing a reservation. This article is therefore an examination of the platform and its booking process, not a review of an actual car rental experience.

What is EconomyBookings.com?

EconomyBookings is an online car rental comparison and booking platform operated by Booking Group Corporation Ltd, a company registered in Latvia.

The service has been operating since 2008 and connects travellers with car rental companies in destinations around the world.

According to its official company information, the platform works with hundreds of rental suppliers worldwide.

The important point to understand is that EconomyBookings is not a traditional car rental company with its own fleet of vehicles.

Instead, it acts as an intermediary.

When you search for a car, the platform brings together offers from different rental providers, allowing you to compare prices and conditions in one place.

Once your reservation has been confirmed, the vehicle itself is supplied by the rental company named in your booking documents.

This distinction matters because the supplier's own conditions will apply when you collect and use the vehicle.

How does EconomyBookings work?

The basic idea behind EconomyBookings is straightforward: rather than checking several car rental websites individually, you can search for offers through one platform.

Here is how the booking process is organised.

1. Enter your destination and travel dates

Start by visiting the official car rental booking platform.

You will be asked to enter your pick-up location, the dates and times of your rental, and whether you intend to return the car to the same location.

You should also indicate the driver's age, as some rental companies apply different conditions or additional fees depending on the age of the person driving.

For example, if you are planning a road trip through Alsace, you might search for a car at Strasbourg Airport.

Alternatively, you could compare options at another convenient location, depending on your itinerary.

2. Compare the available rental offers

EconomyBookings displays offers from participating rental companies, allowing you to compare vehicle categories, prices and rental conditions.

During my test, I noticed several useful filters, including automatic transmission, low deposit, unlimited mileage and air conditioning.

You can also select a vehicle category, adjust your budget and view available pick-up locations on a map.

You may find several offers for similar categories of vehicle.

However, a lower advertised price does not necessarily mean that one offer represents better value than another.

Before choosing, it is worth checking what is included in the rental price and whether you will need to pay anything extra.

3. Read the rental conditions carefully

This is probably the most important part of the process.

Each rental company has its own requirements regarding deposits, driver eligibility, insurance, mileage and fuel.

EconomyBookings provides access to the relevant rental conditions during the booking process.

Take the time to read them, even if the price looks particularly attractive.

For example, one company may require a substantial security deposit, while another may have different rules concerning the driver's credit card.

These details can make a considerable difference when you arrive at the rental desk.

4. Review the price and complete your reservation

Once you have selected an offer, you can proceed through the booking stages and review the price breakdown.

Depending on the offer, payment arrangements may include full prepayment, partial prepayment or payment on arrival.

The platform also offers a Reserve Now, Pay Later arrangement on certain eligible bookings, subject to additional conditions and a separate reservation fee.

Before proceeding, check the total amount, any selected additional services and the sums that may still be payable at collection.

Once the booking has been confirmed, you will receive the relevant confirmation documents and voucher according to the payment and reservation conditions.

You should check these documents carefully and keep them available for collection.

My Experience Testing the EconomyBookings Booking Process

To get a better understanding of how EconomyBookings works, I decided to try the booking process myself, without completing a reservation.

For this test, I chose Strasbourg Airport in eastern France, a location I know well and a convenient starting point for exploring Alsace.

I entered 5 January 2027 as my pick-up date and 9 January as my return date, giving me a four-day rental.

The website displayed 225 available cars, with different categories and prices.

I particularly liked the range of filters available on the results page. You can narrow down your search by vehicle category, transmission, mileage allowance, deposit requirements and other useful criteria.

Choosing a Car at Strasbourg Airport

For my simulation, I selected a Peugeot 308 or similar compact car with automatic transmission.

The initial price displayed was £172.48 for four days, including taxes and fees.

The offer also highlighted several useful features, including unlimited mileage, a low deposit and free cancellation.

Clicking on View deal brought me to a more detailed page showing the vehicle's specifications, the rental conditions and the available additional services.

I appreciated being able to consult the rental requirements before proceeding further.

The selected vehicle was described as suitable for five passengers, with space for three suitcases and automatic transmission.

There were also links to the rental conditions, fuel policy and pick-up location.

A Closer Look at the Final Price

This is where I noticed something particularly important.

The original advertised price for my four-day rental was £172.48. However, when I reached the driver's details page, the total had increased to £259.45.

Why the difference?

Three additional services had been automatically preselected during the booking process, without me actively choosing them:

• Last Minute Cancellation: £21.67
• Full Coverage: £49.49
• Roadside Assistance: £15.81

Together, these extras added £86.97 to the original price, an increase of just over 50%.

Here is the price breakdown I was shown:

To be fair, EconomyBookings displayed these charges individually in the price breakdown and provided buttons to remove each service.

Nevertheless, I think this is something travellers should be aware of.

When booking a rental car, it is easy to concentrate on the original advertised price and overlook additional services that have already been selected for you.

My advice is to review the price breakdown carefully before proceeding to payment. Check which extras have been included, decide whether you really need them and remove any you do not wish to purchase.

In my case, these three additional services accounted for the entire difference between the original price and the later total.

Removing them would be expected to bring the total back to £172.48, provided no other changes were made to the reservation. I did not complete a separate price check after removing them.

This is precisely why I recommend checking the final amount rather than relying solely on the price displayed in the initial search results.

What About Additional Drivers and Equipment?

I also explored the optional extras available for my chosen vehicle.

For this particular reservation, EconomyBookings displayed the following prices:

• Additional driver: £76.94
• Snow chains: £86.25
• Built-in navigation system: £112.17
• Child seats: different models and prices were available

These extras were shown as payable directly to the rental supplier at collection, with availability not always guaranteed.

For a family holiday or a winter trip through Alsace, these costs could make a considerable difference to the overall budget.

It is therefore worth including them in your calculations before choosing a car.

My Impressions of the EconomyBookings Booking Experience

Overall, I found the website easy to navigate during my test.

The search results were clearly presented, and the filters made it relatively simple to narrow down the available offers.

I also appreciated the access to rental conditions, information about insurance and reminders about the documents required at collection.

An AI assistant, labelled as a beta feature, was available on the booking page, alongside a telephone booking service.

My main reservation concerns the automatically selected additional services, which increased the displayed price considerably.

Although they could be removed individually, I would have preferred them to remain unselected unless the customer specifically requested them.

I stopped at the driver's details stage, before proceeding to payment, so I cannot comment on the payment experience, confirmation process or actual collection of a vehicle.

However, the test gave me a useful insight into how EconomyBookings presents its offers and guides customers through the booking process.

What is included in the EconomyBookings rental price?

One of the things I always recommend when hiring a car is to look beyond the headline price.

A particularly cheap rental may still involve additional expenses, depending on the supplier and the conditions of the booking.

Before confirming a reservation, check whether the following are included or payable separately:

• Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) and Theft Protection
• Additional drivers
• Child seats or other equipment
• One-way rental fees
• Airport or out-of-hours charges
• Cross-border travel permissions
• Mileage limits
• Fuel arrangements

Not every fee will apply to every reservation.

In my Strasbourg simulation, for example, the basic rental price included unlimited mileage, Collision Damage Waiver, Theft Protection and Third Party Liability.

However, the website also presented supplementary protection products that increased the total price.

The key is to understand the full cost of your chosen offer, including any amounts payable directly to the rental company.

This is particularly important when comparing offers from different suppliers.

Understanding EconomyBookings Deposits and Insurance

Car rental insurance is one of those subjects that can quickly become complicated.

It is also an area where travellers sometimes misunderstand what they have already paid for.

What is a security deposit?

When collecting a rental car, the supplier will usually require a security deposit.

This is commonly taken as a temporary authorisation on a credit card belonging to the main driver.

The amount depends on the rental company, vehicle category and applicable conditions.

It is important to remember that paying for the rental online does not automatically remove this requirement.

A physical credit card in the main driver's name may be required at collection, even when a debit card was accepted for the online booking.

If you cannot meet the supplier's payment requirements, the car may not be released.

I would therefore recommend checking the deposit amount and accepted card types before booking, rather than discovering the conditions at the rental desk.

What is Collision Damage Waiver?

Collision Damage Waiver, usually abbreviated to CDW, is commonly included in car rental offers.

It generally limits the driver's financial responsibility for certain damage to the vehicle.

However, CDW often comes with an excess.

For example, if your rental agreement has an excess of €1,000, you may still be responsible for up to that amount in the event of covered damage, subject to the rental terms.

Some parts of the vehicle may also be excluded from standard cover.

What is EconomyBookings Full Coverage?

EconomyBookings offers an optional protection product called Full Coverage.

Under the official terms and conditions, Full Coverage is designed to reimburse eligible excess charges arising from damage or theft, subject to exclusions and financial limits.

The standard conditions effective from 5 October 2026 specify a maximum reimbursement of €1,700, or the equivalent in local currency, for eligible costs.

There is one important distinction to remember: Full Coverage does not remove the rental company's requirement for a security deposit.

If damage occurs, you may first have to pay the relevant charge to the rental company and then submit a claim for reimbursement.

Claims must be submitted within the deadline specified in the applicable conditions, together with the required supporting documents.

Before selecting additional coverage, compare it with the protection already included in your rental and any separate insurance you may hold.

It may also be worth considering the insurance benefits offered by your credit card, although these can vary considerably.

Can you cancel an EconomyBookings reservation?

Yes, EconomyBookings provides cancellation options, although the precise conditions depend on the type of booking.

Under its published cancellation policy, eligible car rental bookings cancelled more than 48 hours before the scheduled pick-up time qualify for a refund.

The amount is generally credited to the customer's E-Wallet as BookingCredit, with withdrawal to the original payment method available for qualifying refunds.

However, some bookings are non-refundable, and certain service or reservation fees may not be returned.

For standard bookings cancelled less than 48 hours before collection, a refund is generally not available.

What is Last Minute Cancellation?

EconomyBookings also offers an optional product called Last Minute Cancellation.

Under the published terms, this allows eligible customers to cancel up to one hour before the scheduled collection time.

However, there is an important detail.

For cancellations made between one and 48 hours before pick-up, the eligible rental amount is credited to the customer's E-Wallet for future bookings rather than refunded to the original payment method.

The cost of the Last Minute Cancellation product itself is non-refundable.

In my Strasbourg simulation, this service was automatically preselected at a cost of £21.67.

It is therefore worth checking whether this additional flexibility is necessary for your particular trip.

The best advice is to read the cancellation conditions attached to the specific offer before paying.

Also remember that cancellation requests must be made through the booking platform rather than directly through the rental supplier if you want its cancellation policy to apply.

What do customers say about EconomyBookings?

Customer reviews provide another useful perspective when researching a booking platform.

At the beginning of November 2026, EconomyBookings had a rating of approximately 4.4 out of 5 on Trustpilot, based on more than 155,000 reviews.

Many customers praise the ease of booking, the range of rental offers and the competitive prices they find through the platform.

Other reviews mention difficulties involving additional charges, booking details, deposits or problems encountered at vehicle collection.

These experiences are worth considering, although online reviews cannot always establish whether a particular problem originated with the booking platform, the rental provider or a misunderstanding of the rental conditions.

My advice would be to look not only at the overall rating of the comparison website but also at reviews of the individual rental company supplying your vehicle.

After all, it is that company which will hand over the keys and deal with the practical side of your rental.

What are the advantages of using EconomyBookings?

There are several reasons why travellers might find the platform useful when planning a holiday.

A wide choice of rental providers

With hundreds of participating suppliers, EconomyBookings offers the opportunity to compare offers from different companies without visiting each website individually.

This can be particularly convenient when researching an unfamiliar destination.

The possibility of finding competitive prices

Comparing suppliers can reveal differences in prices for similar vehicle categories.

The platform also advertises special offers and discounts, although availability and prices change depending on the dates and destination.

As with any comparison website, it is still worth comparing the final price and rental conditions rather than choosing on price alone.

Access to rental conditions

Being able to consult the supplier's terms before reserving is useful.

This helps travellers understand the requirements relating to deposits, insurance, fuel and driver eligibility.

During my booking test, the links to these conditions were easy to find on the vehicle details page.

Of course, the information is only helpful if you take the time to read it.

International coverage

EconomyBookings operates in destinations across Europe and beyond.

For travellers who regularly hire cars in different countries, using a single platform to research different locations may be convenient.

What should you watch out for when using EconomyBookings?

Although comparison platforms can save time, there are several points I would pay particular attention to before booking.

First, check the actual rental supplier. The booking platform arranges the reservation, but the supplier provides the vehicle. Look at its collection location, reputation and rental conditions.

Second, verify the security deposit. Make sure the main driver has the required credit card and sufficient available funds.

Third, review all automatically selected extras. As my Strasbourg simulation showed, additional services can considerably increase the total price.

Fourth, read the insurance conditions. Do not assume that additional coverage removes the need for a deposit or covers every possible incident.

Fifth, understand the cancellation policy. Some refunds are initially credited to an E-Wallet, and certain optional cancellation products may provide credit for a future booking rather than a cash refund.

Finally, double-check your reservation details. Dates, collection times, the driver's name and pick-up location should all be correct before payment.

These are sensible precautions when booking through any car rental intermediary, not just EconomyBookings.

Is EconomyBookings worth considering?

EconomyBookings is certainly a platform worth including when comparing car rental options for a holiday.

Its principal attraction lies in bringing together offers from numerous suppliers, allowing travellers to examine prices and rental conditions in one place.

During my own test, I found the search filters useful, the interface generally straightforward and the rental information reasonably accessible.

However, I was less impressed by the automatically preselected additional services, which increased the displayed price by more than 50% in my Strasbourg example.

Although these services could be removed, it reinforced my belief that travellers should always review the final price carefully before committing to a booking.

I would not recommend choosing a rental car solely because it has the lowest advertised price.

The actual supplier, the insurance conditions, the deposit and the cancellation rules are just as important.

A slightly more expensive offer may sometimes provide better value if its conditions are more suitable for your journey.

For my part, I consider comparison websites most useful as research tools. They help establish what is available and provide a starting point for making an informed decision.

The final choice should always depend on the particular rental offer and your own requirements.

Final Thoughts on EconomyBookings

Hiring a car can open up many possibilities when travelling, especially in regions where some of the most interesting places are away from the main railway lines.

Whether you are exploring the villages of Alsace, driving through the Normandy countryside or planning a longer road trip across France, having your own vehicle gives you considerable freedom.

EconomyBookings offers one way to research and compare rental cars before setting off.

My experience of testing the booking process was generally positive in terms of navigation and the information available. However, the automatically selected extras were a useful reminder of why it is important to look beyond the initial advertised price.

My recommendation is simple: compare the available offers, read the rental conditions carefully, review the price breakdown and make sure you understand what will happen when you arrive to collect the vehicle.

You can compare available rental cars and prices before planning your next journey.

A little preparation before booking can help you avoid unpleasant surprises and concentrate on enjoying your holiday.

Disclosure: This article was produced as part of a paid collaboration with EconomyBookings. The opinions and editorial recommendations are my own. I tested the online booking process without completing a reservation or renting a vehicle. Prices, availability and booking conditions may change, so always check the latest information before making a reservation.