LONDON, Dec. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hertz Corporation (NYSE: HTZ) has opened more than 80 new locations in European cities this year, marking the brand's rapid and ongoing expansion across the continent's urban centres.

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The world's leading general use car rental brand has launched branches in key cities including Madrid, Athens, Oslo and Stockholm over the last 12 months to meet the rising demand for more flexible vehicle hire.

The new branches, situated in Europe's most important train stations and city centres, bring car and van rental closer to customers, in the places where vehicles are needed most. This expansion strategy complements the company's continuous growth at airports and comes amid evolving travel habits in Europe.

"The nature of travel is changing with people increasingly making impromptu journeys using multiple modes of transport," said Michel Taride, Group President, Hertz International. "We are adapting by expanding across Europe, giving customers more choices and greater access to vehicles where it is most convenient. Madrid's Puerta de Atocha location, one of our newest branches, is a prime example as it offers passengers the freedom to rent cars as soon as they get off the train, in the heart of one of Europe's most inspiring cities."

Atocha is Madrid's largest railway station and one of the busiest gateways into the Spanish capital - handling approximately 36 million visitors every year. Set within the station complex, the new Hertz branch allows travellers to continue their journey by road within moments of leaving a train or vice versa. The station's position in the heart of Madrid also makes car hire convenient for the city's 3.2 million residents and the region's 4.2 million annual overseas visitors.

The new Hertz location lets customers drive away in anything from an economy hatchback to a breath-taking vehicle such as the new Jaguar F-Type Coupe, from the unique Hertz Dream Collection.

Additionally, Hertz's Puerta de Atocha branch operates Hertz's Gold Service, which provides faster vehicle collections and returns to members of its Gold Plus Rewards loyalty program. The program also lets members earn points that can be redeemed for complimentary rentals and many other benefits.

More information about Hertz' expansion across the European cities and Madrid Puerta de Atocha available from www.hertz.co.uk/p/on-the-road/madrid-heart-of-spain.

About Hertz

The Hertz Corporation operates the Hertz, Dollar, Thrifty and Firefly car rental brands in approximately more than 11,500 corporate and licensee locations throughout 145 countries in North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia, Australia, Africa, the Middle East and New Zealand. Hertz is the largest worldwide airport general use car rental brand with more than 1,400 airport locations in the U.S. and a presence at more than 250 international airports. Product and service initiatives such as Hertz Gold Plus Rewards, NeverLost®, Carfirmations,?Mobile Wi-Fi and unique vehicles offered through the Adrenaline, Dream, Family,?Fun,?Green and Prestige Collections set Hertz apart from the competition. Additionally, Hertz owns the vehicle leasing and fleet management leader Donlen Corporation, operates the Hertz 24/7 hourly car rental business and sells vehicles through its Rent2Buy program. The company also owns Hertz Equipment Rental Corporation (HERC), one of the largest equipment rental businesses with more than 340 locations worldwide offering a diverse line of equipment and tools for rent and sale. HERC primarily serves the construction, industrial, oil, gas, entertainment and government sectors. For more information about Hertz, visit: www.hertz.com.

Hertz Press Contacts

Evelin Imperatrice
Hertz International
T: +44 1895 553 695
E: eimperatrice@hertz.com

Ian Savage
Ketchum
T: +44 (0) 207 611 3774
E: ian.savage@ketchum.com

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SOURCE The Hertz Corporation