Romanians working abroad rent more expensive cars when returning to the country compared to the foreigners who come to Romania for holidays, according to a study by Enterprise Romania, a car rental company part of the Eurolines group. A third of them want to rent BMW, Mercedes or Audi cars.

“Around 80% of those who rent cars from Enterprise Romania are foreigners - tourists arriving in Romania or businessmen across the border, 15% are Romanians working abroad and 5% are Romanians living in Romania,” reads the press release cited by local News.ro.

However, at the peak of the season, the Romanians who work abroad and return to the country by plane are looking to rent cars that are more expensive than the ones preferred by foreigners who come to spend their holidays in Romania.

“One third of the Romanians returning to the country in the summer ask the rental company for cars such as BMW, Audi, Mercedes, but only a part of them can actually afford them. In this case, some of them choose Volkswagen cars, and those who want to pay less choose a Logan,” said company general manager George Tacciu.

By comparison, the foreigners who come to Romania for holidays rent middle-class cars or larger cars with 8 + 1 seats, the GM added.

“However, the most expensive cars are usually rented by foreign businessmen who are interested in doing business in Romania. However, the number of Romanians renting luxury cars during the summer holiday season is, in particular, 10% higher than for the rest of customers,” the press release said.

The peak summer period for car rental in Romania is 1-25 August, the time when most Romanians from abroad are on vacation. During this period, the demand for cars on the market is higher than the offer. Renting a car costs, on average, depending on the brand and type, between EUR 25 and EUR 120, but it can also reach EUR 189 per day.

Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com