Car rental websites no longer able to redirect people to national EU sites

The days of paying excessive fees for car rental elsewhere in the EU could soon be at an end.

Europcar, Avis and Hertz have agreed not to charge customers different rates for cars booked online in one country which would be driven in another EU state.

The move means that car rental rates by the major companies within the EU should stabilise in the coming years.

Caroline Curneen of the European Consumer Centre in Dublin says this is a great victory for motoring tourists.

"Consumers will now be able to start and complete online bookings on any national website of a rental company," Curneen said.

"So for example, one of the companies might have a website aimed at Italian consumers or aimed at French consumers - Irish consumers can go onto one of those websites if they offer better prices, and they won't be redirected back onto the Irish site."