BRU · Report · November 2026
Brussels Airport car hire report
Key numbers for the 6 car rental desks we rate at Brussels Airport (BRU), computed from our published data.
Data updated · reviewed by our editor on · Methodology
- Desks rated
- 6
- 1,523 reviews analysed
- Average score
- 5.1/10
- median 5.1
- Median starting deposit
- €250
- 4 of 6 deposits known
- No credit card needed
- 33%
- 2 of 6 desks
Key findings
- Counterwise rates 6 car rental desks at Brussels Airport (BRU): 0 Great (8 or more out of 10), 1 Mixed (6 to 7.9) and 5 Poor (below 6). The average Counterwise Score is 5.1/10.
- The best-rated desk at Brussels Airport is Sixt (6.9/10); the lowest-rated is Hertz (3.2/10).
- Where the deposit is known (4 of 6 desks), the typical starting deposit at Brussels Airport is €250 (median), from €200 at Avis up to €2,600 at Enterprise.
- 2 of 6 desks at Brussels Airport (33%) do not require a credit card (debit cards accepted).
- The most common traveller complaints at Brussels Airport are damage charges after return (6 of 6 desks), deposit or refund held back (5 of 6 desks) and hard-to-reach customer service (5 of 6 desks).
Score distribution
How the 6 desks split across our score bands.
Best and worst desks
Best rated
- 1. SixtMany reviewers report free or low-cost upgrades, or a better replacement car when the booked one was unavailable or had a problem.6.9 · Mixed
- 2. EnterpriseMany reviews, including recent ones, describe new, clean cars in good condition, often with a free or no-cost upgrade.5.9 · Poor
- 3. AvisCounter and return staff are described as friendly, efficient and helpful in a large share of recent text reviews.5.2 · Poor
Lowest rated
- 6. HertzThe desk refuses to hand over prepaid or confirmed cars to renters without an arrival or boarding pass; many reviews say booking sites and confirmation emails did not make this clear and refunds were slow, partial or denied. Reddit threads report the rule is enforced and staff say they turn people away daily.3.2 · Poor
- 5. EuropcarAbout 26 kept reviews report disputed damage charges, often for small scratches or marks they say were already on the car or never shown at return. Typical amounts are 80 to 600 EUR, and some reports involve debt collection or very slow complaint handling. The desk is often unstaffed at return, so there is no joint check, and travellers are advised to film the car.4.8 · Poor
- 4. BudgetMany reviewers (about 11 in the last 12 months) say the desk refused to hand over a prepaid car because they had no flight ticket or boarding pass. They say this was not clearly stated at booking, and some report no or only partial refunds. Several of these bookings were made through brokers.4.9 · Poor
Deposits and card rules
Deposits
- Lowest starting deposit
- €200 (Avis)
- Highest amount
- €2,600 (Enterprise)
- Median starting deposit
- €250
- Deposit known
- 4 of 6 desks
Not confirmed yet for 2 desks: left out of these figures.
All deposits, lowest first →Credit card or debit card
- No credit card needed (debit accepted)
- 2 of 6 · 33%
- Credit card required
- 4 of 6 · 67%
Debit cards accepted at: Avis, Hertz.
Desks without a credit card →In the terminal or by shuttle
- In the terminal
- 0
- none
- Short walk
- 6
- avg score 5.1
- Shuttle
- 0
- none
Most common traveller complaints
Number of desks whose published red flags mention each problem. A desk counts once per theme; one red flag can touch several themes.
- Damage charges after return6 of 6 · 100%
Charges for scratches, chips or dents that travellers say were already there or tiny. Desks: Sixt, Enterprise, Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz.
- Deposit or refund held back5 of 6 · 83%
Deposits, holds or refunds released late, only in part, or not at all. Desks: Sixt, Enterprise, Avis, Europcar, Hertz.
- Hard-to-reach customer service5 of 6 · 83%
Phone lines, emails or complaints unanswered for weeks after the rental. Desks: Enterprise, Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz.
- Desk, shuttle stop or return hard to find5 of 6 · 83%
Poor signs or directions to the desk, the shuttle pickup point or the car return area. Desks: Sixt, Enterprise, Avis, Budget, Hertz.
- Car refused over card, licence or flight rules4 of 6 · 67%
Pickups refused or made conditional because of card type, licence or permit, or a missing flight ticket or boarding pass. Desks: Enterprise, Avis, Budget, Hertz.
- Booking not honoured or price changed4 of 6 · 67%
Booked car not available, a smaller or different car, a higher price at the desk, or fees not clear at booking. Desks: Sixt, Enterprise, Avis, Europcar.
- Other fees after the rental4 of 6 · 67%
Cleaning, admin, traffic-fine handling or late-return fees charged after the car was returned. Desks: Sixt, Enterprise, Avis, Hertz.
- Pressure to buy insurance or extras3 of 6 · 50%
Hard selling of the desk’s own cover, upgrades or extras, or cover added without clear consent. Desks: Sixt, Enterprise, Europcar.
- Fuel charges or fuel policy3 of 6 · 50%
Refuelling fees despite a full tank, part-empty tanks at pickup, or a different fuel policy at the desk. Desks: Enterprise, Avis, Hertz.
- Closed desk or late-arrival problems1 of 6 · 17%
Desk closed for late arrivals, bookings cancelled after a flight delay, or out-of-hours fees. Desks: Europcar.
- Rude or unhelpful staff1 of 6 · 17%
Curt, dismissive or aggressive staff at the desk, at return or on the shuttle. Desks: Budget.
The data behind this report
- 1,523 traveller reviews analysed across 6 desks.
- 1,692 recent reviews read; 169 (10%) excluded by our cleaning step as unreliable (mostly solicited staff praise: 144; about another location: 16; duplicates: 7). How reviews are cleaned
- Data collected on 11 November 2026; scores last updated 11 November 2026.
- Summaries and red flags reviewed by our editor on 12 November 2026.
- Complaint themes are counted with a fixed keyword list applied to each desk’s published red flags (no AI), so the same data always gives the same counts.
- Unknown facts (“Not confirmed yet”) are left out of averages, medians and ranges, never guessed. Full methodology
How to cite this report
You are welcome to quote these figures. Please name Counterwise and link to this page. The numbers update with each data refresh, so mention the date.
Suggested citation
Counterwise (2026). Brussels Airport car hire report, November 2026. Counterwise. https://counterwise.eu/airports/bru/report (data updated 11 November 2026).
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