What is the best car size to Rent in Europe? Compact vs SUV vs EV

In many parts of the world, bigger is usually better. But in Europe, renting a massive SUV to ‘be comfortable’ is one of the quickest ways to ruin your trip. 

From medieval streets built for horses to tiny underground garages, picking the wrong car size can cost you hundreds in extra fuel, accidental damage, and parking fines. 

And today, I am breaking down exactly what the best car size you should rent in Europe.

The “Compact” King

Let’s start with the Compact and Economy classes.

In Europe, these aren’t just for budget travellers; they are a good strategic choice.

Cities like Rome, Paris, and Lisbon were built for horse carriages, not Ford Explorers.

A small hatchback like a VW Golf or a Renault Clio allows you to drive through tight corners and—most importantly—fit into tiny street parking spots that an SUV would have to pass by.

I find the Compact Cars to be ideal, especially for short trips and long weekends.

They are my favourite choice for a short break in Tuscany, or when I rented a car in Malaga for a coastal road trip in Andalucia, as I did a couple of years ago or exploring Santorini or Rhodes on a week-long trip.

The SUV Trap

Now, let’s talk about SUVs. You might be tempted to rent one for the extra luggage space, but there are two major downsides in Europe.

First: Width. Many parking garages in Europe have incredibly narrow ramps and pillars. Honestly, it’s not unusual for locals to scrape doors or side bumps.

Just check the cars around once you are in Europe. If you are not used to everything being narrow in Europe, the SUV can be challenging to drive around.

Second: Fuel. Gas, or petrol, in Europe is currently around €1.65 to €1.90 per litre—that’s nearly US$8 a gallon or AU$3 a litre. A large SUV is famous for petrol consumption, and those costs add up fast. 

Unless you travel in groups of 3-4 people or you’re heading into the Alps in mid-winter, you probably don’t need the bulk.

The Large Group (6–9 Seats)

Now, what if you are a group of six or more? This is where things get tricky in Europe. You have two main choices: the 7-seater SUV or the 9-seater Passenger Van.

Let’s start with the 7-Seater, like the Nissan X-Trail or VW Tiguan Allspace. 

Important here, when you pull up those two extra seats in the back, your trunk space literally disappears. You might fit a couple of baguettes, but you won’t fit a single large suitcase. 

If you are 6 people with luggage, a 7-seater SUV is not an option. However, it may be if you are on a short break or long weekend and you are travelling with just a small bag each.

You could potentially use the 7th seat, if unused, to stack up all the bags or keep your bag under the seat, like on an aeroplane.

However, if you want everyone in one vehicle, with a few big bags, you need a 9-seater van (like a Mercedes Vito or VW Transporter).

The Good News is that you can drive these with a standard car license as long as it has 9 seats or fewer.

What is the Bad News?

Well, these vans are tall. Many historic underground parking garages have a height limit of 2.0 meters or even less. A 9-seater van will often be too tall to enter, meaning you’ll have to find open-air parking lots outside the city centre.

But here is another suggestion for group travel. Unless you really want to be in one car, rent two smaller cars instead. It sounds counterintuitive, but two compact cars may actually be cheaper to rent than one large 9-seater.

Plus, it gives your group flexibility—half the group can go to the beach while the other half visits a museum. And, two small cars are definitely easier to park than one big van!

And I know, I gave you already plenty of car options in this post, and I still have to talk about EVs and another super important subject that can make or break your holiday.

The critical question now is how to compare all these options.

Well, for the last 7 years, I have been renting my cars on an aggregator called DiscoverCars, which I like to call the Airbnb of car rentals, where every provider is rated by actual customers between 5 and 10 stars.

I always filter above 8 or even 9 stars for the most trusted providers, and I select the car category that works for my roadtrip. As easy as that.

On DiscoverCars, I usually also add full insurance for 8-9 euros a day, which gives me always such peace of mind. Watch out because that full insurance at the counter usually costs 30 to 40 euros a day, and it may not include everything!

The EV Gamble

What about Electric Vehicles? Rental companies are pushing EVs hard right now with very low daily rates. But is it worth it?

The clear advantage is that you get to drive in ‘Low Emission Zones’, like in London or Milan, for free, and you can save quite a bit on fuel, especially if your hotel includes a charger during your stay, which is very handy.

In saying that, a few major cities like Rome are starting to charge EVs to access ZTL as well.

The disadvantage is that pre-planning is mandatory. If you’re doing a 5-hour drive across Spain, you must know where the fast chargers are.

Moreover, every country in Europe has a different set of charging apps, which are getting unified, to be fair, with Apps like Octopus Electroverse or ChargeMap.

My personal Advice? Only rent an EV if you are staying in one region with plenty of infrastructure (like Norway or the Netherlands) and your hotel possibly guarantees a charger. For a cross-country road trip? Stick to a Hybrid or petrol cars.

As a rule of thumb, the northern European countries have a much wider network of fast chargers and EV infrastructure.

The “Luggage Reality Check”

One thing people always miss is Trunk Space. A European ‘Compact’ usually fits one large suitcase and one carry-on. 

If you are four adults with four large suitcases, you cannot rent a compact car. You will end up with luggage on your lap for 6 hours.

An important tip here, if you travel in 2 people in a small car like a Fiat 500 it’s tempting to throw bags in the backseat while you sightsee, for example, you park the car outside Florence and walk into the historical centre.

Unfortunately, in many European cities, a visible bag is an invitation for a smash-and-grab. If it doesn’t fit in the boot, out of sight, don’t leave it in the car.

Of course, for groups of 3-4 people, look at the ‘Station Wagon’ or ‘Large’ category. Just be aware that street parking in the southern countries of Europe will be more challenging, and multilevel parking is typically the easiest option.

Key Takeaway

So, what is the verdict?

For 90% of European trips, a Mid-size Hatchback or a Station Wagon is the sweet spot. 

I would personally rent a SUV or a large car only if travelling with 3-4 people, or driving around the Alps area, like in the Dolomites, or just visiting mostly the countryside, like on my recent trip to Tuscany, where I always made sure to leave the car outside the medieval town and walked into the historical centre.