Renting a car in the Netherlands comes with a long list of advantages. Although all the major cities are accessible via public transportation (buses and trains connect these cities), visiting smaller towns and natural attractions—like the forests near Utrecht and the sand dunes, swamps, and marshes near Drenthe—is much more easily accomplished with a car.
Netherlands is extremely bike-friendly, and bicycles have the right of way, so be sure to exercise caution when driving around the cities, where bicycle traffic can be heavy throughout the day. While not as common as bicycles, motorcycles and mopeds are also something to watch out for.
The car seat laws in the Netherlands are consistent with much of Western Europe, requiring that those under the age of 12 and shorter than 1.35m (4 ft, 6 in) must be secured in an EU-approved car seat when traveling in a vehicle. Most car rental companies in the country will offer car seats as an add-on, but if you’re bringing your own seat, make sure that it meets the specifications for EU approval.
The Netherlands is surrounded by other popular Western European destinations, and since these are also members of the EU, you can often take your rental car across borders without any issues or additional insurance. Larger companies like Enterprise and Sixt don’t charge any fees when given prior notice of border crossing, but it’s best to double-check for potential fees when renting a car from smaller companies.
25% of our users found rental cars in Netherlands for $69 or less
Book your rental car in Netherlands at least 1 day before your trip in order to get a below-average price
Off-airport rental car locations in Netherlands are around 31% cheaper than airport locations on average
Compact rental cars in Netherlands are around -52% cheaper than other car types, on average
FAQs about hiring a car in the Netherlands
On average a car hire in the Netherlands costs $70 per day.
Compact (Kia Stonic or similar) is the most frequently booked car hire type in the Netherlands.
In the past 72 hours, the cheapest car hires were found at Thrifty ($47/day), Europcar ($57/day) and Enterprise Rent-A-Car ($77/day).
Based on ratings and reviews from real users on KAYAK, the best car hire companies in the Netherlands are Alamo (7.7, 50 reviews), and Sixt (6.9, 147 reviews).
Take a look at our extensive car hire location map to find the best car hire deals near you.
Based on car searches on KAYAK, the most popular cities to hire a car in the Netherlands are Amsterdam (84% of total searches of users looking to hire a car in the Netherlands), Utrecht (5%) and Arnhem (5%).
On average a car hire in the Netherlands costs $525 per week ($75 per day).
On average a car hire in the Netherlands costs $2,250 per month ($75 per day).
The rules of the road and the road systems in the Netherlands are largely similar to the rest of Europe and the US, which makes driving in the country as a visitor fairly straightforward. Some differing laws to take note of are the restrictions on horn usage (only permitted in dangerous situations) and the requirement to only use low beam headlights after dark.
To rent a car in the Netherlands, you must be at least 19 years of age. However, much like in the United States, most car rental agencies will apply a surcharge to drivers under 25. You can drive on your home country’s driver’s license in the Netherlands, but it is recommended for US nationals to obtain an international driving permit.
Petrol prices are more than twice the price that they are in the United States, due to the high taxes in the Netherlands. In the US, a gallon of petrol will cost you around 2.50 USD, while the same petrol in the Netherlands will cost around 6,50 EUR (7.30 USD) per gallon. Petrol stations are plentiful, and debit and credit cards are widely accepted, so you won’t have to worry about carrying a pocketful of euros to fill up.
The speed limits in the Netherlands are consistent with most of the speed limits in Europe, which are similar and in places slightly faster than in the US. The speed limits in urban areas in the Netherlands are 50 km/h (31 mph), the limits outside of urban areas are around 80 km/h (50 mph), the limit on expressways is 100 km/h (62 mph), and the limit on motorways is 130 km/h (81 mph).
The rates displayed include all taxes and fees for hire cars for the class listed and were found by KAYAK users in the last 48 hours. Offers are subject to change and may not be available on all car hires listed or dates of travel. Some hire car providers charge additional fees for other services (GPS, infant car seats, etc.). Please check the website of the respective hire car provider.