Owning a car is convenient but can be troublesome at times. Besides, it doesn’t really make sense for some of us living in the city. An alternative option of “car sharing” has been available in Berlin for some time now, and it suits folks who don’t need a vehicle everyday but occasionally do – without the responsibilities of ownership. Here’s how it works: You book a car that is parked nearby via phone or internet, walk there, unlock the car with your member card and off you go. The cost depends on the minutes used and the kilometers driven (gas and insurance are included). I’ve done some research on the most popular car sharing companies and my current favorite is “Hertz on Demand“. I’ve been their loyal customer for two years now and rent around twice a week, since it’s very convenient (you can book through an app too) and cheap to boot. Think two people using public transport in Berlin per day for 10-12€ – for just few additional Euros, you can rent for five hours or more on the weekend for driving down to a lake or running an errand. For me the main criteria is location – the parking lot should be within five minutes walking distance from your home.
Hertz on Demand: 4€/h +0,17€/km from 20km, the first 20km are included, 50% discount from 20h and on weekends; no monthly fee
Alternaives: Stadtmobil, Cambio (ideal for X-Berg and P’berg), Flinkster (DB), Greenwheels (car search not optimal), Sixti Car Club (ugly ads on cars)
Text: Sven Hausherr
Published in Cee Cee #24 on 29.9.2011
