Terms and Conditions

Happy Tours is a tour operator and travel wholesaler with over 20 years of experience in car rentals. We specialize in leisure and business clients traveling to the United States and Canada, and due to our volume sales with major nationwide car rental companies we are able to offer deeply discounted and promotional rentals. In order to rent a car in the United States, Europe and Canada, and qualify for these promotional rates, the renter must be at least 21 years of age, have a valid driver’s license from the country of residence (non-U.S.), and a major credit card in his/her name.

Additional costs for renting a car.

There are no mandatory charges in addition to the amount shown on your confirmation voucher, however, upon vehicle pickup, the rental agent may offer additional services and insurance coverages, as well as vehicle category upgrades. Such services are optional and shall be refused by the customer if not interested. The non acceptance of such optional services does not impede the customer from renting the vehicle. Carefully read the rental contract before signing to make sure that only requested services have been included, because once any optional services have been accepted the total rental charges will be altered and no amounts will be refunded.

Rental/Rate Requirements and Qualifications

In order to rent a car in the United States, Europe and Canada, and qualify for these promotional rates, the renter must be at least 21 years of age, have a valid permanent (not temporary) driver’s license from the country of residence (non-U.S.), and a major credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Amex) in his/her name. The drivers license must be valid during the entire rental period.

Age Requirement

The minimum age for renting a car in the United States and Canada is 21. However, renters and additional drivers between the ages of 21 and 24 will be charged an underage fee of U$ 35.00 p/day in addition to the regular rental charges. Drivers between the ages of 21-24 will not be permitted to rent vehicles in the following car classes: Luxury Cars, Convertibles, Sport Vehicles, or vehicles with capacity for over 5 passengers.

Payment

All car rental reservations confirmed by Happy Tours are to be paid directly to the rental car company at the time the vehicle is collected (picked up). We do not accept prepayments. Payment at the counter is accepted via major credit cards (Visa, Master, Amex & Discover) in the renters name. Credit card approval is the sole and exclusive responsibility of the car rental company. Some airport rental locations will allow the renter to present a credit card as a form of payment at the time the vehicle is collected and will accept cash and debit card payment at the end of the rental, when vehicle is returned. Off airport locations do not accept cash or debit card payment at the end of the rental.

Cancellation Policy

Since all car rental reservations confirmed by Happy Tours are to be paid directly to the rental car company at the time the vehicle is collected (picked up), and Happy Tours never requests any credit card information from the customer in order to confirm a reservation, that means you may cancel any reservation up to the vehicle pick up time, free of cancellation charges.

Daily / Weekly

Daily rates will apply to all rentals lasting 4 days or less. For rentals 4 to 7 days long the weekly rates will apply. Rental begins at the time and day the car is collected and one day is calculated as 24hrs after the car was collected.

Coverage - SLI / SLP / LIS / EP / TPL

The Extended Liability Protection SLI, some times also referred to as SLP, LIS, EP or TPL provides the renter and authorized drivers up to an aggregate single limit of U$ 1,000,000 dollars (no deductible/excess) for claims that may be made by others against the renter and authorized drivers for property damage, bodily injury, and/or death, arising out of the use or operation of the rental vehicle.

Coverage - CDW / LDW

The CDW insurance option, some times referred to as LDW, is a coverage offered by the car rental company, which contractually waives the renter's liability for any loss or damage to the rental vehicle (with no insurance deductible/excess for rentals in the USA and Canada and with deductible/excess in Europe and Latin America) , as long as no conditions set forth in the contract have been infringed.

Supplemental Insurance

At the time of collecting (pick up) the rental vehicle the renter will have the opportunity to include additional (optional) insurance protection, if not already included in you rental plan. The most common supplemental insurances are: CPP - Carefree Personal Protection; PAE - Personal and Accident and Effect Coverage; RSP - Roadside Assistance Plus.

24hr Vehicle Assistance

All rentals in the United States and Canada already include the basic 24hr vehicle assistance service, at no additional cost, in case of mechanical defects or accident.

24hrs Roadside Assistance

The optional service RSP is available in the US and Canada for an additional cost and will extend the basic vehicle assistance coverage to include assistance in cases of problems that are not related to mechanical failure, such as: Key replacement (including remote access keys), towing services when necessary, tire repair and replacement, jump start with a battery boost to start vehicle, locksmith service to open vehicle when keys are accidentally locked inside the vehicle and fuel delivery of up to 3 gallons. This optional service may only be purchased at the rental counter at the time the vehicle is being picked-up.

GPS - Navigation System:

None of the rental vehicles offered comes with a GPS navigation system, however, a portable GPS may b rented at the counter for an additional cost of approximately U$15.00 per day.

Early Returns:

The total amount due must be paid at the counter when the vehicle is picked up. In case of early returns, the contract will be revised and adjusted. Any refunds will only be issued after recalculating charges based on actual usage. Please note that the daily rate may change as a result of the actual number of days used.

Fuel

Common practice amongs car rental companies in the U.S. is to deliver the rental vehicle with a full tank of fuel to the renter. Upon delivery of the rental vehicle the client will have the option to either prepay for the first tank of fuel, and not have to worry about refueling before return, or to fill up the tank before returning the vehicle and not be charged by the rental company for any fuel. If the renter declines the fuel prepayment option and does not refuel before returning the vehicle, the rental car company will charge the renter for the cost of the missing fuel plus a refueling service charge.

Modify an Existing Reservation

In order to modify an existing reservation you will need to make a new reservation, subject to current availability and pricing. Since double bookings (reservations with overlapping dates) are not permitted, you will need to cancel your old reservation once your new reservation is confirmed, otherwise, we reserve the right to cancel one of the reservations. To cancel your old reservation select the "Cancel a Reservation" option from the "My Reservations" tab located on the menu bar at the top of our home page.

Electronic Tolls

All ALAMO, AVIS, BUDGET, HERTZ, NATIONAL, THRIFTY, DOLLAR and ENTERPRISE vehicles in the State of Florida are already equipped with the TollPass Service (SunPass / EZ Pass) . This toll service allows drivers to utilize the express lanes without having to stop at the toll booths. The cost of the toll charges and administrative fees associated with this service are not included in the published rates and will be charged to your credit card separately, if the service is utilized. ALAMO, NATIONAL and ENTERPRISE TollPass Convenience Charge is a $4.95 charge for each day you use a toll express lane on roadways covered by our TollPass provider, up to a maximum of $30.00 per rental, plus the cost of all unpaid tolls. HERTZ TollPass Convenience Charge is a $9.99 charge for each day you use a toll express lane on roadways covered by our TollPass provider, plus the cost of all unpaid tolls. AVIS and BUDGET TollPass Convenience Charge is a $5.95 for each day of the rental, including any days on which e-Toll is not used, up to a maximum of $29.75 per rental month, plus incurred tolls at the cash rate. THRIFTY & DOLLAR the TollPass Convenience Charge is a $15.00 (Florida $9.99 per occurrence) charge for each time you use a toll express lane on roadways covered by our TollPass provider plus the cost of all unpaid tolls.

Additional Driver

An additional driver is a person authorized to drive the rental vehicle, other than the primary driver (renter). All additional drivers must meet the rental qualifications with respect to age and licensing, and must be approved by the car rental company. Most rental car companies charge an additional driver fee of U$13.50 p/day p/additional driver (at most locations), except when already included in the rental plan. The names of all additional drivers must be added to the contract at the time the vehicle is being picked up (retrieved) or at any time during the rental period at a car rental office. The primary driver and additional driver must both be present.

Authorized Driving Areas (USA & Canada)

Vehicles rented in the US and/or Canada may cross the border and be driven anywhere within both countries, however, the vehicle must be returned to the country of origin. The rental counter must be notified at the time of rental that you plan to drive into Canada. Some vehicle classes like Exotics, Sport and 12-15 Passenger Vans cannot be driven into Canada. Vehicles rented in the US and/or Canada cannot be driven across the border into Mexico. 

Authorized Driving Areas (Europa)

Vehicles may only be driven into the following countries: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland with the payment of a Cross Border Fee. The cost of Cross Border Fee will be of 55.00 EUR (VAT included) and it is acquired at the counter. In all cases, customers must inform at the counter of their intention to leave the country of origin with the vehicle and require the authorization of Rental Car company to do so. Exceptions: All Mercedes and BMW models, convertibles, SUVs, trucks and cargo vans cannot circulate outside the country of origin (Country of pickup). Vehicles cannot be taken from the Mainland to the Islands, or out from Islands, or from one Island to another one, or from the Islands to the Mainland. Customers renting a vehicle in the United Kingdom are not allowed to drive into any other European country and vice versa so it is not allowed to rent a vehicle in Spain and drive it or leave it in the United Kingdom. Vehicles cannot be driven into and/or dropped off in any African, Asian, or Middle Eastern country, nor in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria,  Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. All the terms and conditions referring to the rules of authorized driving areas are subject to change without advance notice.

One Way Rental - USA, Canada and Europe

A one way rental charge may be applied when a vehicle is rented in one location and returned in another, which may vary depending on the distance and cities involved. However, charges for one way rentals, when applicable, are already included in the total amount presented on your reservation quote.

Child Seat

All car rental companies affiliated with Happy Tours offer child seat rentals as an optional service at an average price of $13.00 p/day up to a maximum of $90.00 p/rental (plus applicable taxes). By law the use of child seats is only mandatory for children 5 years of age or younger. Child seats may be requested at the time the reservation request is being submitted or directly at the counter upon collecting vehicle (vehicle pick-up).

Overstay

Once the rental vehicle has been collected (checked out), most rental car companies will charge an overstay fee of approximately $10.00 p/day for vehicles kept beyond the original return date printed on the rental contract, regardless of the customer having notified the rental car company by phone or in person that the car will be kept for longer. The overstay fee is in addition to the regular rental rates.

Double Bookings

Double bookings are not allowed by Happy Tours, even if booked with different rental car companies. If you already have an existing booking, which dates overlap with the dates of a new request, one of the duplicate reservations may end up being automatically cancelled by our reservation system.

1. General Terms & Conditions

Happy Tours acts exclusively as a booking agent and does not control, manipulate, nor does operate any rental or transportation vehicles. Therefore; Happy Tours does not assume any responsibility by losses or mischief by accidents, delays, overbooking, and irregularities by any reason or attitudes of persons hired by the rental car companies. Happy Tours does not assume any responsibility for additional charges as a result of optional services hired directly between the customer and the local office at the time of contract signing nor for rate changes imposed by the rental car companies the customer has chosen to rent a vehicle from. It will be at the customers full discretion to accept, or not, any conditions and rates imposed by the rental car company before paying for the rental and signing the binding rental agreement between the rental company and the customer. Happy Tours does not assume any responsibility for losses due to changes, modifications or cancellations made directly with our suppliers or as a result of not renting the vehicle. All rates published on our site are for information purposes only and may be changed without advance notice. Reservations, rental terms and rates are only considered confirmed once the reservation has been requested and a confirmation number has generated by the rental car company .

2. General Terms & Conditions

We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to modify, suspend or discontinue any part of the Site at any time, without notice or liability to you or any third party. We also reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to impose limits on certain features and services.

3. General Terms & Conditions

All Vehicle rentals available through this Website are subject to standard rental contracts of the Car Rental Supplier, and to the corresponding laws of the country and/or state in which the rental takes place. All vehicles are confirmed by category and not by specific make, model, nor engine size. Individual restrictions may also apply to your car rental.

4. General Terms & Conditions

While we use our best efforts to maintain the accuracy and reliability of the Site, we do not warrant or represent that it will always function or be error-free. We assume no responsibility or liability for errors or omissions on the Site or for problems with its operation. Your access and use of the Site are at your own risk.

5. General Terms & Conditions

All reservations and transactions made through the Site are subject to Happy Tour’s acceptance, which is at Happy Tour's sole discretion, without limitation. That means that Happy Tours may refuse to accept or may cancel any reservation or transaction, whether or not the reservation or transaction has been confirmed, for any or no reason, at our sole discretion, and without liability to you or any third party.