Car rental · Greece · File no. 021
Rent a car in Corfu without getting played
Deposits found per agency (platforms and customer reviews)
Amounts cross-checked between booking platforms and dozens of customer reviews, not just the advertised figures.
| Agency | Indicative price /day | Deposit blocked | Excess | Counter insurance | Verdict | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loueur local sans caution via LocalrentVia Localrent's no-deposit filter and the agency's full insurance formula (like FairDeal, Sluta Leta): zero excess, no hold, no card required. Confirm “zero deposit” on the contract. | 15-40 €/day | 0 € | 0 € | Included by default (full coverage) | ✓ My pick | Book |
| Comptoir aéroport, grande enseigneHold from 600 to 1,800 € by category (up to 2,500 € reported), excess from 250 to 1,000 € and up. Observed ranges. Fuel is “same level at return”. Buy the waiver online. | 15-45 €/day | 1,200 € | 1,000 € | Counter “complementary” cover | · | |
| Profils à plaintes répétées (Alma Car Hire)Dedicated TripAdvisor thread of convergent complaints (Alma Car Hire Corfu): card “refused” then an extra 300 € deposit demanded, hidden fees, fake scratches billed. Check the reputation before booking. | n.c. | Varies | Varies | Pushed under pressure | ✗ Avoid |
⏲ Figures collected on 21 June 2026
Average market prices for an economy car (low season to high season), indicative only: they vary with the season, the model and how early you book. This is not the price paid, just a benchmark to compare.
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The big-chain option: DiscoverCars, sorted by rating
If you prefer a big chain, go through DiscoverCars and sort by rating. Buy the excess waiver online, not at the counter. Expect a deposit hold (from 600 € up to 1,800 € by category, sometimes more): the online cover reimburses but does not avoid it. Avoid the repeat-complaint profiles (Alma Car Hire).
Do you actually need a car in Corfu?
Recommended. The green KTEL buses (around forty lines, 2 to 4 € a trip) serve the essentials from Corfu town, but everything funnels through the central terminal and timetables are very seasonal. A car unlocks the north-west beaches and villages and the interior.
When NOT to rent here
If you stay in Corfu town and around: the green KTEL buses (2 to 4 €) serve the essentials. Rent for the north-west beaches and villages and the interior, slow and poorly served by bus.
Where you pick up the car
→ Meet & greet at CFU airport, the agent waits with a sign
- 01At Corfu airport (CFU), depending on the agency: meet & greet with a sign at the exit, or an office 150-450 m away with a free shuttle. The big chains have their handover right in front of arrivals.
- 02The deposit is settled at the counter: if you took a local's full insurance formula, insist on the “zero deposit, no card required” in writing.
- 03Do the joint inspection BEFORE leaving and film the whole bodywork, timestamped: the car delivered already scratched is the number-one trap here.
The fuel trap
In Corfu, the norm is “same level at return” (not full-to-full): no refund if you return with more, a penalty if less. One case even reports a tank emptied then refilled to inflate the bill. Photograph the gauge at pickup and return.
At the counter: what they will push
To refuse politely
- The “complementary” insurance pushed at the counter when you are already covered.
- An extra deposit demanded on the pretext that “your card is refused”, when the booking is paid.
To insist on
- The joint inspection signed BEFORE leaving the car park.
- A timestamped video of the whole bodywork at pickup and return.
What my analysis reveals
I have not yet rented a car in Corfu myself: this page is an analysis, not a field report. It cross-checks TripAdvisor threads, Trustpilot reviews and the agencies' pages.
The dominant scam in Corfu is the fake scratch or pre-existing damage billed on the deposit: a car delivered already scratched, the return inspection delayed, then a charge (cases of 407 and 550 € despite insurance). A documented variant: the card “refused” at the counter, followed by an extra 300 € deposit demanded when the booking was already paid.
The fix: take a local agency's full insurance formula (like FairDeal or Sluta Leta), which gives a genuine zero deposit with no hold, rather than DiscoverCars' “Full Coverage” which reimburses but leaves the deposit blocked. And above all, insist on the joint inspection and film the whole bodywork at pickup and return, timestamped.
The anxious questions (the real ones)
+Can you rent without a deposit in Corfu?
Yes, by taking a local agency's full insurance formula (like FairDeal, Sluta Leta) or via Localrent's no-deposit filter: zero excess, no hold, no card required. Beware: DiscoverCars' “Full Coverage” reimburses but does not remove the hold.
+What is the most common scam in Corfu?
Fake scratches or pre-existing damage billed on the deposit (cases of 407 to 550 €), sometimes with a card “refused” and an extra deposit demanded at the counter. Film the bodywork at pickup and return, and insist on the joint inspection before leaving.
+Do you need a car in Corfu?
Recommended. The green KTEL buses cover the essentials from Corfu town, but for the north-west beaches and the interior, a car saves a lot of time.
An agency that is not in this table?
Thinking of booking elsewhere and wondering if it is safe? Give me the agency name and the city: I will tell you straight what I know, and add it to the file if it earns its place.
Ask me what I think