Firefly
Firefly is an American car rental brand that is owned by the Hertz Corporation (the company that owns Hertz, obviously, Dollar, and Thrifty). Even though the Firefly brand is an American brand, it operates solely in international markets, mainly in Europe (but also in Mexico, the UAE, and South Africa). Hertz operated the Firefly brand in some locations in the US in the past, but no longer does so.
Firefly is a value brand of Hertz. Its target market is leisure travelers looking to save money on their vacation rental car. The company’s offices are located in large airports, particularly those that tourists fly into. In some locations, Firefly shares a rental desk with Hertz (and/or Dollar and Thrifty). In other locations, Firefly may have a separate desk or office. The company won our Excellent Service Award in 2024 at its Capetown Airport location.
As a low-cost brand, Firefly’s fleet is not as extensive as that of its parent company Hertz. In most locations, the brand offers various sizes of cars from mini to larger cars, some SUVs, and minivans. It usually does not offer luxury cars, larger passenger vans, or trucks. It is, after all, focused on serving the typical tourist looking for a car to see the sites with. The brand does offer various automatic vehicles (both larger and smaller) for those that don’t know how to or don’t want to drive a manual (particularly travelers from the United States). You have to make sure you book an automatic car specifically, though (which usually costs a little more).
The company’s rental policies vary by country. When renting in some countries you are allowed to take the vehicle to neighboring countries. In others, this isn’t allowed. If you plan an extensive European road trip, though, it’s best to seek another car rental company, because with Firefly, you’re never allowed to take the vehicle through all of Europe.
One-way rentals are available in Italy and the UAE with the caveats that you must return the vehicle to a Firefly location, will be charged an additional fee, and must book this in advance. In all other countries where Firefly operates, one-way rentals are not possible. If you need to pick up a car in one location and drop it off in another, you can book with Dollar or Thrifty, Firefly’s sister brands, instead.
In Croatia, you must have a credit card to rent from Firefly. In Italy, you can use a debit card only for renting certain classes of vehicles, for others you’ll need a credit card. In Spain and France, Firefly will accept debit cards (only Mastercard and Visa ones, though). In the UAE, Malta, and Iceland, you’ll need a credit card to rent a vehicle from Firefly.
Firefly’s age requirements also vary by country. In most countries it operates in, the company also charges a young driver fee to renters under a certain age. Be sure to check the rental conditions before booking to see and to enter your age when searching so you’ll know if you can rent with the company and how much any fee will be.
