I always travel around Crimea by car - this is much more interesting and convenient. Find out how to rent a car cheaply and safely in Crimea. I'm talking about reliable rental services, car prices in 2021, rental conditions, types of insurance and car search without a deposit.
Do I need a car in Crimea
Yes, in Crimea you definitely need a car. Traveling around the peninsula by public transport is terribly inconvenient and tiring - I had such an experience, it's hard. The car is much more pleasant: more comfort, more freedom, no time wasted waiting for buses, luggage is not at all burdensome. Solid pluses! But the most important thing is that by car you can see any interesting places in Crimea and go to good wild beaches, rather than jostling in a crowded city. Now I only travel around Crimea by car. Traveling by car is convenient, inexpensive, safe and interesting.
We have already traveled the length and breadth of Crimea several times. As a result, they wrote a bunch of guidebooks and routes to the most beautiful places, the best beaches and resorts of the peninsula. We did this work for a reason! So grab your car, study our reviews and explore Crimea!
Where to rent a car in Crimea
When traveling the world, I often rent a car and usually use the international service Rentalcars.com. But as one would expect, Western sanctions pushed them against the wall and forced them to leave Crimea - they won't be able to rent a car through this site. But it's okay, there are several other reliable services. I will tell you in detail about the two most popular and convenient ones, and you choose which one you like best.
My car rental is the largest car rental company in Crimea and Russia. They have their own vehicle fleet of 350 cars. Only they at the airport of Simferopol have a round-the-clock office, their own car wash, and the entire first parking line belongs to them. There is a toll free number 8-800 for calls with any questions. In general, this is a large company and, what is especially important, modern - this is a great rarity for Crimea. Use a promo code AVTO2020to get a discount.
Myrentacar.com is an aggregator of local car rental companies that compares offers from different rental companies so you can get the best price and terms. Often their prices are lower than those of the distributors themselves - this is due to competition and discounts for the wholesale of cars. So you do not need to compare prices on different sites, the best prices will already be on Myrentacar. I like this service for its convenient design - it is easy to choose a car, and all rental conditions are spelled out transparently and clearly. In this regard, he will give odds even to such an international giant as Rentalcars.com, where sometimes the devil himself will break his leg. Moreover, this is our Russian service. Well done! In Crimea, they already have more than 550 cars in their database. Also, this service works in Sochi, Anapa, Georgia, Turkey, Montenegro and many other countries.
Both services have a cool advantage - you are booking not a car class, but a specific car. When choosing, you know everything about the car: the brand, color, year of manufacture, the presence of multimedia and kondeya, engine power, and so on. Most of the cars have real photos. It is very convenient. Whoever booked a car abroad on sites like Rentalcars.com knows that they give any car within the selected class.
Prepayment on both sites is 15-20%. Myrentacar has a free cancellation option, and its terms were relaxed as much as possible last season. My car rental charges a small cancellation penalty (from 7% of the rental price), but you can buy a reservation protection service for 350 rubles to make cancellation free.
On which of these services is it better to rent a car in Crimea? Go to both sites, look at the cars for the dates you need and book where you get the best price and terms.
Also see my instructions for renting a car around the world - there I talked in detail about franchises, deposits, insurance and all the nuances.
Car rental prices - 2021
The cost of renting a car in Crimea strongly depends on the season: in summer it will be more expensive than at other times of the year. Also keep in mind that the most profitable options are sorted out quickly, so book your car as early as possible, especially for the summer! And especially for the summer of 2021, when, due to the closed borders, the whole country will again go to rest in our south.
The lowest price I found in Crimea is 400 rubles per day on the Myrentacar website. This is how much it costs to rent a 2013 Hyundai Solaris. Of course, in Europe you can rent a car for just € 1-2, but for our country this price is not bad either. Why so cheap? Firstly, this is a low season (October), secondly, until October it is still a long time and the car has not yet been booked, and thirdly, the car is not the first freshness. However, it is rare to find such a low price, so let's see what prices are usually found.
Car class | Low season price | Summer 2021 Price |
Sedan and mini: Renault Logan, Lada Granta, Daewoo Matiz, Skoda Fabia, VW Polo and so on | 800-1000₽ | from 1100₽ |
Crossover or SUV: Niva Chevrolet, Lada 4x4, Renault Duster, Hyundai Creta, Mitsubishi Outlander and others | 1600-2500₽ | from 2200₽ |
Suite: Toyota Corolla, Audi A3, Lexus ES 250 | from 2100₽ | from 2400₽ |
Cabriolet | 2500-5000₽ | from 3300₽ |
The price of mechanics and automatic transmission is almost the same, but with high demand, all inexpensive cars with automatic transmissions are immediately disassembled, so only inexpensive mechanics or more expensive automatic transmissions remain.
The cost of car rental in Crimea increases with the addition of additional services and advanced insurances: CASCO, Super CASCO, second driver, child seat, navigator and so on. For some distributors, delivery to the place of receipt is additionally paid. Returning a car elsewhere is also a paid service. All paid services and their cost are clearly indicated on both Myrentacar and "My car rental", you add them yourself if you wish.
You can rent a car on the "My car rental" website with a discount using a promo code AVTO2020.
Some cars have daily mileage restrictions - 200-300 km. If the limit is exceeded, you will have to pay extra for the extra kilometers. Such restrictions are rare, but check this when choosing a car.
In Crimea, you can rent a car in many cities, but the cheapest is at the airport and at the train station of Simferopol, because there is the tightest competition among distributors.
Current prices for car rental in Crimea:
Types of insurance
There are three types of car insurance:
- OSAGO - compulsory insurance of your liability to third parties.
- CASCO - insurance of your vehicle against damage. It happens with or without a franchise.
- SuperKASCO - full insurance of your vehicle against damage, including windshield, tires and car interior. It happens with or without a franchise.
Attention! If someone damaged your car (for example, scratched it in the parking lot) and disappeared, then in the absence of the culprit, responsibility for the damage falls on you. Consider this when choosing insurance.
Another important point is the franchise. I talked about it in detail here, but let's briefly explain this topic.
Franchise Is the amount of your liability for the car and is usually equal to the deposit. If you have a deductible for any damage to the car, you will pay a certain amount, and the rest is the insurance company. For example, if the car was damaged in the amount of 50 thousand rubles, and the deductible was 10 thousand, then these 10 thousand will have to be paid to you.
In Crimea, a franchise for renting a car is usually 10-20 thousand rubles, but it can be more for expensive brands. I have not seen insurance without a deductible in Crimea.
CASCO and Super CASCO are additional services, so car rental with them will be a little more expensive, such is the price for your peace of mind. Choose the insurance with which you feel most comfortable.
Myrentacar has convenient filters, check the box on the insurance you need to see only cars with it.
Rent a car in Crimea without a deposit
Almost always, a deposit is required when renting a car. Its amount depends on the class of the car. Some distributors accept only cash, others block the deposit on a bank card (this is written in the rental conditions for each car). If you wish, you can rent a car in Crimea without a deposit, but I don't see the point in this for three reasons:
- Even if there is no deposit, the deductible remains, therefore, in the event of an accident, you will have to pay this amount.
- The list of cars for rent without a deposit is much smaller, that is, you limit your choice.
- In Crimea, distributors take a very small deposit - usually only 10-20 thousand rubles. For comparison, abroad I leave a deposit of 70-100 thousand rubles from my credit card. I think that allocating 10-20 thousand will not be a problem for anyone.
However, if you absolutely need a car without collateral, then put the necessary tick in the search filters on Myrentacar, and the system will show you only such options.
How to get and return a car
To rent a car in Crimea, you need these documents: a passport, a driver's license and a voucher (it will be sent to you by e-mail after making an advance payment). Come with these documents to the rental office at the resort or to the counter at the airport at the appointed time. There you will sign the contract and leave a deposit if required.
Then, in the parking lot, carefully inspect the car for damage, record them in photos and videos, and also ask the employee to enter all defects in the inspection sheet. Check for a spare wheel, jack, balloon and first aid kit. Check the presence of liquids (antifreeze, washer, brake) and the fuel level, as well as the operation of the wipers, turn signals and headlights. Now you can go!
Before renting a car in Crimea, distributors ask to wash the car, otherwise the fine is 1000 rubles. An unusual practice that I have never seen anywhere else in the world. Probably, the fact is that abroad cars, even with a run of 5000 km, surprisingly remain clean, and in Russia they look dirty in a day. By the way, "My car rental" has its own car wash at the Simferopol airport, which greatly facilitates the task and saves time when renting a car. Also, do not forget to fill the tank to the same level as when you took the car.
Tips for autotourists
In Crimea, you do not need an SUV, you can safely take a car. The main thing is that the engine is not too weak and the car confidently climbs up the hill (there are a lot of them there).
The South Coast has a lot of narrow streets, sharp turns and parking problems, so you will be more comfortable in a compact car.
Take your phone holder with you and install Yandex.Navigator and Maps.me. In Crimea, buy a local SIM card with the Internet or connect yourself to roaming, so you will always have the Internet and a navigator with up-to-date data.
On the site "My car rental" you can book a car with their logo or not. I advise you to overpay a little and take the second option, otherwise you won't even take a beautiful photo with a car on vacation.
To go around the entire peninsula and show my friends all the coolest things in Crimea, I wound 2000 km in two weeks. If you are planning a big trip, then put in your program about the same time and mileage. Read more about roads, gasoline, driving style, parking in Crimea in this post.
Once you have a car, visit different resorts. For example, we like Pike perch, Feodosia, Olenevka most of all, but we do not like the promoted and pretentious Yalta.
Relax on wild beaches. Why the hell have you given up on these crowded city beaches during the high season? Get in your car and drive out of town - there are plenty of good beaches in Crimea.
Save on housing costs. If you have a car, you do not have to settle near the sea - you can live farther from the coast, but it is half or three times cheaper. Search for hotels and guest houses in Crimea on Hotellook, and apartments, houses and other private accommodation on Sutochno.ru. Find out how to safely book accommodation in Crimea.