All-Inclusive Car Rentals That Eliminate Nasty Surprises
Sunny Cars is not a direct rental company like Hertz or Europcar. Instead, it operates as a specialized car rental broker that selects and negotiates vehicles with partner agencies, packaging them into an all-inclusive deal. In short, you book through Sunny Cars, but you pick up your car at a local or international rental agency on arrival.
Founded in 1991 in Munich by Kai Sannwald, the company remains independent and founder-owned. It employs around 140 team members split between Germany and the Netherlands. For the 2024/2025 financial year, Sunny Cars crossed the milestone of one million bookings for the first time, generating a revenue of approximately €450 million (about $485 million).
Coverage and Partners
The service covers more than 120 countries across roughly 8,000 rental locations. The most requested destinations remain Mediterranean classics (Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain) alongside long-haul trips to the United States.
Sunny Cars works with an average of three rental suppliers per destination. Recurring partners include:
- Alamo, Europcar, Budget, Hertz
- Drivalia, Sicily by Car, CarGest
- Local specialists selected according to Sunny Cars quality criteria
The name of the local provider is shared after you confirm your reservation. This detail matters because on the ground, you pick up and drop off the vehicle directly with that partner.
The All-Inclusive Formula: What is Included
The main selling point of Sunny Cars is its all-in package applied as a standard feature to every booking. The idea is to avoid hard selling and negotiations at the rental counter.
Included Insurances and Protections
- Supplementary third-party liability insurance (minimum €7.5 million, about $8 million, depending on the market, up to €10 million on the French site)
- Collision damage waiver (CDW) with full deductible reimbursement
- Theft protection with deductible reimbursement
- Coverage for damage to windows, tires, roof, undercarriage, and clutch
- Towing cost reimbursement in case of an accident or breakdown
Included Services
- Unlimited mileage
- Fair fuel policy (full-to-full)
- Local taxes and airport fees (with a few noted exceptions)
- 24/7 emergency hotline
- English summary of the local rental agreement
The company notes that all vehicles offered are under 3 years old. However, you are booking a vehicle category (city car, SUV, sedan, etc.) rather than a specific make and model.
Available Paid Options
- Additional driver
- Fastlane service (expedited pickup)
- Rental without a security deposit
- Child safety seat
- Cross-border travel and one-way rentals
- Vehicle delivery to your hotel
Conditions, Transparency, and Customer Feedback
Cancellation and Booking
According to the listed terms, cancellation is free up to 24 hours before vehicle pickup. We recommend checking the specific conditions for your booking since policies can vary depending on the offer.
Payment is normally made in advance directly to Sunny Cars. However, the local rental agency may request a credit card hold as a security deposit when you pick up the car.
The most commonly cited positives are the peace of mind that comes with the all-inclusive package, the lack of counter arguments regarding insurance, and the effective reimbursement of deductibles in case of damage.
Recurring criticisms mainly concern the behavior of certain local agencies, such as attempts to sell extra insurance (which is unnecessary with Sunny Cars), vehicles sometimes differing from the booked category, or long reimbursement processing times noted by some customers. Sunny Cars typically responds to these reviews and processes refunds once supporting documents are received.
Why Book Through Sunny Cars Instead of Directly?
The main advantage lies in the insurance coverage, which beats what most rental companies offer at their base rate. Booking directly often leaves you with a deductible between $1,130 and $4,490* (about $1,080 and $4,300). With Sunny Cars, this deductible is reimbursed if an incident occurs, providing a welcome safety net.
The downside is that the displayed price is often higher than a basic offer found elsewhere. You need to factor in the cost of supplementary insurance or a deductible waiver when comparing against a seemingly cheaper rate from a competitor.