Zipcar’s Car-Sharing Service

Zipcar, the car-sharing service available in scores of mid-size and large cities around the United States, branched out into markets in Canada, Austria, France, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom and Turkey. The service is an ideal alternative to owning a car; rather than having to park and pay for a vehicle you might hardly use in an urban area, you can simply access cars when you need them.

Zipcar parks cars all around urban areas, making it relatively easy to find one close to you when you need it. You can reserve in advance or wait until the last minute; generally, the company has enough cars that there’s almost always an opening nearby.

The cars range from small vehicles to SUVs to trucks, with the larger vehicles carrying a slightly higher rate (Zipcar charges hourly and by day). This works well if you need to book a bigger car for a move or for an out-of-town ski trip, for example.

Zipcar’s customer service is excellent. Should there be a problem with your car when you go to drive it, or any issues whatsoever with your reservation, customer service is easy to access and always gives the customer the benefit of the doubt. You’re often rewarded for even minor issues with driving credit.

For people who don’t drive often, and live in urban areas, Zipcar is the ideal alternative to car ownership.