Car Rental

Car hire is one of the areas where the forces community gets consistently good value. Several major rental brands run confirmed military discounts, and unlike some sectors where the offers are patchy, car rental has multiple providers with active schemes worth comparing before every booking.

Which Car Rental Companies Offer Military Discounts?

Several major rental brands run confirmed forces discounts in the UK:

Europcar — up to 20% off for MOD employees and armed forces via a dedicated MOD staff landing page. 10% off for DDS members. No promo code needed, discount applies automatically at booking. Present military ID at collection.

Hertz — up to 20% off car hire for the armed forces community, applied to the base rental rate. Covers serving personnel, veterans, reservists and military families.

Enterprise Car Club — pay-as-you-go car sharing with forces deals available. A practical alternative to a second car for households near a car club location.

SIXT — up to 15% discount for armed forces members on UK station rentals, applied to online bookings through their dedicated forces page. Government or military ID required at the rental counter.

How to Get the Best Car Rental Deal as Forces Personnel

1. Check DDS, Blue Light Card and TroopScout before booking — different platforms carry different rates for the same brands.
2. Book as far in advance as possible. Rental prices climb steeply close to the collection date regardless of any discount applied.
3. Compare the forces rate against the current public promotional rate — the general offer sometimes beats the forces discount on specific bookings.
4. Have military ID ready at the counter. Most forces rates require ID at collection even when booked online.
5. Decline the counter excess waiver hard sell if you already have annual excess insurance — it's typically the biggest margin item at the desk.

Why Car Hire Matters for Forces Families

Military life generates a lot of car rental need. Postings without a vehicle, a car in the garage during a training course, family visits when the household car is elsewhere, and holiday travel from airports all create rental requirements that civilian households encounter less often. Having a working knowledge of which brands do what discount saves real money over a career.

For long-term hire, Europcar's Long Term Hire product is worth investigating for postings where a vehicle is needed for months rather than days. It typically prices better than repeated short-term rentals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which car rental company has the best military discount?

Europcar offers up to 20% for MOD employees through its dedicated forces route. Hertz also offers up to 20% off the base rate. Comparing both for a specific booking is the reliable approach as pricing varies by location and dates.

Do I need to show military ID when collecting a rental car?

Yes — most forces rates require valid military service ID at the rental counter, even when the discount was applied at online booking.

Can veterans get car rental discounts?

Yes — Hertz, Europcar and other providers extend forces rates to veterans through DDS, Blue Light Card or TroopScout membership.

Is car club membership better than rental for forces families?

For short, frequent trips near a car club location, Enterprise Car Club can work out cheaper than repeated rentals. For longer trips or airport collections, standard rental usually wins on price.

More Forces Deals You Might Like

The Europcar forces discount page covers the dedicated MOD scheme with up to 20% off. The Hertz forces discount page covers up to 20% off car hire. The motoring forces discounts section brings together current deals on car hire, tyres, servicing and breakdown cover for the armed forces community.