Once on a train ride from Warsaw to Krakow, I decided I needed to rent a car for three of the days I would be in Krakow. I had a journalist assignment and it was clear that public transportation wasn’t going to get me to where I needed to go.
So, I hopped on Kayak.com on my smartphone, and using the train’s free WIFI, I started my search. I was honestly shocked at the prices Kayak started spitting out. Sure, everything in Poland thus far had been tremendously cheaper than the Western European countries I had visited months earlier, but I didn’t expect renting a car to be this cheap! The price came to $8 to rent the car. Now, that was NOT $8 a day (which, honestly, would have been in and of itself amazing). That was $8 for the ENTIRE rental period of three days!! I knew I couldn’t pass up this offer for several reasons.
First, it was $8! Only $8!!!
Second, it would make an AMAZING story to tell about my abilities to find sick travel bargains!
So, I booked the car. I even splurged and got the $35 car insurance. . . just because I figured, why not!?
However, once I clicked “book” and received my email confirmation, the “fun” with this rental really began.
On the Hunt for a Printer
The email specifically stated that I needed to bring a printed copy of the rental agreement with me to pick up the car. Uh, excuse me? I was traveling. In Europe. And what traveler hoists around a printer in their backpack or luggage just for kicks and giggles? Weird. I felt like this was hoop #1. It seems that whenever something’s really cheap, there’s always a catch and multiple hoops to jump through. I cringed a little to think of what the other hoops might be.
I was in Poland. I had no idea where I could find a Kinkos or Staples that would print my documents. Did they even have such places? I had no idea.
I certainly did not want to show up WITHOUT these printed, because maybe that would mean I’d be denied the car. So, I decided to ask my fantastic AirBnb host, Gabriela, for advice. I had just had my first interactions with her a day before when I booked her apartment and she had already been super helpful. So, maybe she’d have a suggestion.
ME: “Hey, Gabriela” I texted on the AirBnb messenger. “I need to get my rental car paperwork PRINTED, which is totally ridiculous. Do you have any suggestions on someplace near the apartment that I could go to print these documents?”
Gabriela: “I don’t know of anywhere nearby. Except, for wait, there’s a Sheraton just a short distance from the apartment. I bet if you go in there and explain your situation, you could get them to print it for you, probably even for free. You’re a journalist. Just work it!”
ME: “Fantastic idea! I actually just stayed two nights at the Sheraton in Warsaw and checked out this morning. I bet that might be a way that I can approach it, too, since I have recent Sheraton ties. Thank you so much for your help!”
Later that evening after I got settled in the AirBnb apartment, I used my Google maps to find walking directions to the Sheraton. Gabriela was right. It was just a short, easy and safe walk to the hotel. Once inside, I approached the front desk clerk and explained my situation, including the fact that I had just barely checked out of the Sheraton in Warsaw that morning.
He very graciously said it was no problem for him to print the entire document for me—all 11 pages of it. So kind! I offered to pay and he said it wasn’t necessary.
Knowing that I needed to find some place to eat anyway, I opted to just eat right there in the hotel lobby restaurant. I figured giving business to the hotel’s restaurant was the least I could do since they were so kind to print that lengthy document for me.
Eating at the Sheraton that night is a story, but needless to say, the food was great and so was the company. I sat near two other Americans—one was there on business and the other on leisure. The business traveler just happened to be from my home state. But it was the tourist from California whom I hit it off immediately. We exchanged phone numbers and actually ended up meeting up every night in Krakow for dinner during the length of our stay. We’re still friends to this day!
Ubering it to the Airport
The next morning, I ordered an Uber and journeyed out to the airport to pick up my car. It was about a 30-minute drive or so and it cost me a grand total of approximately $4. The driver was great and even though the scenery was grey—the sky, the land, and the skeleton trees—it was still interesting. I appreciated seeing this new part of the world that I had never visited before.
I asked the driver to drop me off at arrivals, instead of departures, since I assumed the rental car counters would be somewhere near there.
The confirmation email said that the rental car counter was in the orange lot, which appeared on the map to be a parking garage. I’ve been to plenty of rental car counters inside parking garages, so that wasn’t unusual at all. I went to the parking garage, though, and found no rental car counters on any of the floors. I looked back over the materials again, and referenced an airport map at a kiosk, and still could not figure out where this rental car office was located. No orange lot was anywhere to be found.
Finally, I gave up trying to figure it out on my own and went into the airport to the customer service booth. Fortunately, the young college-age gal behind the counter spoke perfect English. I explained that I was looking for this car rental company (I’ll give it a fake name here to protect its identity) “Emerald Movement” and showed her the paper.
Customer Service Gal: “I’ve honestly never even heard of this company before. What did you say the name of it was?”
Me: (THIS IS NOT A GOOD SIGN! I showed her the printed documents.) “I think it’s Emerald Movement. The logo is kind of small on this paper, so it’s hard for me to read.
Customer Service Gal: Yeah. That’s what it looks like to me, too. I’ve never heard of them ever!
ME: (A sinking feeling with those words) There’s a phone number here. Would you be willing to call them for me to find out where they are located? I’m worried that I may not understand the directions they’ll rattle off. Since you’re so much more familiar with this airport than I am, you might be able to make better sense of the directions they give you.”
Customer Service Gal: “Sure, I’d be happy to call.” (She pulls out her personal smartphone and dials the number.)
After talking to the rental car person on the other line in Polish, the Customer Service Gal gets off and explains.
Customer Service Gal: “Okay, yes, It’s actually in this obscure lot just outside these doors.” (She leads me to the doors and then points down the sidewalk.) “It’s where the cars come in when they first enter the airport. You can just walk down this sidewalk and then cross at the crosswalk and it’s in a lot with a fence around it. You should be able to see their office when you get into the lot. She said it’s right there.”
I thanked her profusely for her help, and then headed down the sidewalk to the rental car office. The walk wasn’t too bad, but it certainly was a lot farther off airport than I had imagined it would be. I was glad that it wasn’t stormy weather, since after all, this was January in Poland!
Renting Out of a Trailer
Once I got to the lot, I almost laughed. Their office was in a ramshackle moveable trailer. I thought, “Hmmm, not looking good.”
A part of me wanted to just go in and cancel the reservation and book through a bigger-named, more reputable brand immediately. I mean who is Emerald Movement anyway, especially since the airport employees had never heard of them?
However, I really wanted to be able to tell people about the time I rented a car for $8 for 3 days!
So, into the trailer I went.
The rental car people were very nice. They verified that I had purchased the insurance when booking so I didn’t need to buy anything additional at the counter. I presented the paperwork I had printed at the hotel. However, the gal helping me just shook her head with a smile and said that it wasn’t necessary. I almost laughed as I thought about all the hassle I had gone through the night before to get it printed. And they didn’t even need it. Hoop #1 must have been a test? Or just a pretend hoop? Maybe.
She took me outside to show me the car that they had for me to rent. It was the only “economy” they had on the lot, she said. When I saw it, my immediate thoughts were, “Oh no! This is OLD!” In my experience, rental car companies always had new cars on their lots, generally vehicles with a few thousand miles on them! This was definitely not that. I mean, it wasn’t a complete jalopy, but it wasn’t your typical rental car either!
As I looked over the vehicle with her, seeing the worn tires, the scratches on the paint, a few marks on the bumper, I suddenly had this sickening thought creep over me, “Wait, what happens if something happens to this car? What if I get a flat tire? What if the car dies or something else goes wrong with it?”
Me: “So, hypothetically, let’s say something happens to the car while I have it, like it won’t start or I get a flat tire or something and I’m stranded alongside the road. Is there a number I can call for assistance?”
Rental car gal: (With a puzzled expression) “Well, I guess you can call us here at the office during our office hours.”
ME: “But what happens if something occurs OUTSIDE of your office hours? I see here that you’re only open for a few hours every day.”
Rental Car Gal: (Looked at me blankly and shrugged her shoulders) “Uh, I don’t really know. Good luck?”
A tiny wave of panic flowed over me. That should have been my cue to just say, “Uh, no thanks. I’ll go rent from a company that has a 24-hour help line that I can call in case of an emergency.”
But I didn’t.
I still wanted the story, remember.
Plus, I really needed to get to that journalist assignment and didn’t have the time to hunt down another rental car company this late in the day. It had taken me so long to find this place and now I had limited time to get to the press conference.
So, I decided just to cross my fingers, hope for the best, and just go for it.
With her by my side, I snapped a bunch of photos of every angle of the car (just to verify the condition I was taking the car in).
Then, I signed the paper.
Climbed into the car.
And made my way onto the motorway.
I would have crossed my fingers, and my toes for good luck, but considering this was a manual transmission, that kind of contortion would have caused me to crash for sure! I’d have to just cross my fingers in my mind and hope that would provide me with the luck I needed.
Three Days of Worry
Over the next three days, I worried quite often.
Every time I came out to start the car on one of those frigid January mornings, I thought, “Oh, please don’t let the battery be dead!”
Every time I drove down a rural forest road, I thought. “Ugh, please don’t let me get a flat tire!”
Every time I pulled onto the motorway and I thought of the ice that could have possibly been glossing its surface, I thought, “Oh..please..don’t let me get into a wreck!”
And, NONE of these thoughts would have really crossed my mind if I had rented from a company with guarantees, protections in place, and options for the driver in case of an emergency.
But in this situation, I had nothing.
I’m the kind of person who likes to have a backup plan if anything goes wrong. Without a backup plan with this rental, I felt extremely vulnerable and truly at the mercy of fate.
In the end, did anything catastrophic happen with my cheap rental car? Nope. The gods of fate were definitely on my side this time and everything ended up being just fine.
However, it didn’t HAVE to turn out that way.
I really was just lucky.
In the end, the peace of mind of having some kind of back up plan in place would have been totally worth the extra money to rent from a bigger name brand that offered 24-hour roadside assistance.
Returning Early
I had originally scheduled my rental car to be dropped off on the morning of my 6am flight to Tel Aviv. This was long before the rental car office opened (obviously) and so they told me just to leave it in the lot, fully fueled, and drop the key in a box.
This is standard fare when it comes to dropping cars after hours. The majority of rental car companies have this kind of policy. So, no big deal. Nothing unusual here about this.
However, I was a little worried that since this car was so cheap that maybe they had the unwritten policy of using some kind of other fines and fees to make up the price difference. The slightest little scratch which they didn’t see before could end up costing me hundreds of dollars. You know, kind of like how budget airlines nickel and dime you down to the penny to make up the difference on their cheap airfare: You want a seat? That’s extra! You want to use the lav? That’s going to cost ya.
So, my gut was kind of screaming at me to drop the car off early. I knew that if I dropped it during business hours, I could have an attendant look it over and give me written proof that everything was fine with the car before I left the lot. That way I wouldn’t have any kind of sneaky fees pop up after I had left the country.
This time I listened to my gut and I did just that.
At 3:00 in the afternoon, more than 12 hours before I was supposed to drop off the car, I made my way back to the airport. I fueled up the car, then pulled into the rental car lot. Immediately, I took a bunch of photos of the car to verify its condition when I dropped it off (TIP: Make sure the time, date, and location stamp is turned on in your metadata). Then, I went into the office to let them know I was dropping it off early.
The attendant, a new one this time, followed me outside. He examined the car like he was Sherlock Holmes looking for clues with his magnifying glass. He marked copious notes on his clipboard. Finally, he was done.
Rental Car Guy: “Okay, looks alright. You’re ready to go.”
Me: “Can I please take a photo of that document so that I can have it for my records?”
Rental Car Guy: (Hesitating, slightly) “Uh, sure. Or I can get you a printed copy if you’d rather.”
Me: “Nope. A photo is just fine.”
And that was it. The car was returned and I no longer had that albatross hanging around my neck like a massive ball and chain!
Moral of the Story
So, the big question is, what did I learn from this experience? A few things actually, and here they are.
- If you’re going to rent a car ANYWHERE (including the U.S.), find out what kinds of emergency roadside services are offered by the rental car company or their associates. Get the number of where you are supposed to call. Find out if this is a 24-hour service.
- Jot down the emergency number (like 911) in the country where you are renting the car. If you need police or an ambulance, it’s a good idea to know what number to call. In fact, this is actually a great number to have handy as a tourist, regardless if you’re renting a car. Check out this great resource from the state department: Emergencies Abroad.
- You can certainly rent a car for cheap, but just know that it could end up costing you more (in peace of mind and possibly the almighty dollar) than renting from a bigger name company. Remember, everything has a price. And you generally get what you pay for. Those phrases aren’t just cliches. They’re 100 percent truth!
- Taking photos (or even video) of the car before you leave the lot and after you return is a fantastic idea, no matter where or from whom you rent. Then, you have proof of the condition of the car IN THE LOT should any claims be made against you at a later date.
- Are you a AAA member in the U.S.? If the answer is yes, you’ll want to check out this great article. I did not realize this, but AAA has agreements with many other international autoclubs. Some will provide you with the EXACT same coverage for roadside service as if you were in the U.S. using your AAA. Of course, Poland is not one of those countries, but this knowledge would definitely give me peace of mind if I was renting in a country that did have that AAA exchange program. Shoot, let’s get real, I’d seriously rent the $8 car again without any worries at all if I could just simply call AAA for any of my roadside service needs! That’s the kind of backup plan that gives me the peace of mind I require!
FAQ: Adventures and Lessons from Renting a Car in Poland
Q1: Why did you decide to rent a car in Krakow?I needed a car for a journalist assignment in Krakow, and public transportation wouldn't suffice. The flexibility and convenience of a car were essential for getting around efficiently.
Q2: How did you find such a cheap car rental?I used Kayak.com to search for car rentals and was pleasantly surprised to find a rate of $8 for the entire three-day rental period.
Q3: Why did you need to have the rental agreement printed?The rental company required a printed copy of the agreement for pick-up. I faced the challenge of finding a printer while traveling in Europe.
Q4: How did you overcome the printing issue?I sought advice from my Airbnb host and visited a nearby Sheraton hotel, where they kindly printed the document for me. I also had a memorable meal there and made new friends.
Q5: Did you encounter difficulties locating the rental car office at the airport?Yes, the rental car office was situated in an obscure lot outside the airport. It wasn't prominently marked, and airport staff were unfamiliar with the company "Emerald Movement."
Q6: Were you concerned about the car's condition and emergency assistance?Yes, I worried about potential car issues without having access to 24-hour emergency assistance. I felt vulnerable without a reliable backup plan.
Q7: How did the rental car experience unfold?While the car was older and not what I expected, it served its purpose without any major problems. However, I was consistently worried about potential mishaps.
Q8: Why did you decide to return the car early?I wanted to avoid potential issues upon return and opted for an early drop-off during business hours. This way, I could ensure the car's condition was verified before leaving.
Q9: What did you learn from this experience?Several lessons emerged: always know the emergency roadside services offered by a rental company, have local emergency contact numbers on hand, consider the peace of mind offered by reputable companies, document the car's condition with photos, and explore any possible coverage options through organizations like AAA.
Q10: Would you recommend renting such a cheap car again?While the $8 rental was a unique experience, having access to reliable emergency assistance and peace of mind might be worth the extra cost from a reputable rental company, especially when traveling in unfamiliar locations.
