Car Sharing

Car sharing lets you use a car for short periods — minutes or hours — without the formalities of a traditional rental. You find a nearby car in an app, unlock it with your phone, drive, and end the trip, usually paying by the minute, hour or distance.

It is built for quick, occasional needs rather than holidays: a grocery run, a cross-town errand, a one-way hop. There is no desk, no paperwork each time, and fuel or charging and insurance are typically bundled into the per-use price.

It differs from car rental mainly in duration and overheads. Rental suits a day, a week or a road trip with one contract; car sharing suits dipping in and out of a car many times for short bursts, with the membership doing the admin once.

For a visitor on a touring holiday, a traditional rental is usually the better fit. Car sharing comes into its own for residents or longer stays in a city where you only need a car now and then.