Renting autos to persons over 75

Linda Beuret of Santa Barbara, California, wrote, “My husband, Peter, and I were very interested to read the letter 'The Case for Do-it-yourself Travel' by Robert Carrelli (Dec. '17, pg. 27). We lived and worked in Europe for 12 years and did exactly as he says; we planned and organized our own trips, mostly driving throughout Europe.

“But now, at 79, we seem to do more tours, leaving the driving to others. Mr. Carrelli stated that, at 86, he still rents cars and drives on his vacations. I know that in some countries, such as Ireland, many agencies will not rent autos to persons over 75, and I am wondering if other travelers have found any difficulty renting autos anywhere else in Europe due to age.”

If you are a traveler of advanced years who has rented a vehicle outside of the US recently, particularly in Europe, please share your experiences. In which country were you not allowed to rent a vehicle because you were over an age limit? What were you told or what did you read? What was the limit? Approximately when (year) did this occur? What are other pertinent details? Did you find an alternative?

Email editor@intltravelnews.com or write to Senior Drivers of Rental Cars, c/o ITN, 2116 28th St., Sacramento, CA 95818. Responses will be printed in the magazine.