Sixt Car Rental Search

Purpose

Given a pickup location, dropoff location, pickup/dropoff date+time, and (optionally) a preferred vehicle class, return the full list of car-rental offers Sixt surfaces at the requested branch — each with vehicle class, sample model, seats/doors/transmission, mileage policy, total price, and per-day price. Read-only — never click the per-card "Book" button or the global continue/checkout button.

When to Use

• A user asks "what cars can I rent at LAX next weekend?" or similar (city/airport + date range + optional class).
• Comparing prices/availability across multiple Sixt branches on the same dates.
• Bulk fleet/price extraction for one branch on different dates.
• Anywhere a Sixt-specific offer-list snapshot is needed; if the user wants cross-vendor comparison they should use Kayak/Expedia/Google instead.

Workflow

The Sixt offer-list is a JS-rendered SPA at /betafunnel/#/offerlist?<zen_…> whose state lives entirely in the URL hash. The recommended path is browser + deep-link — drive the homepage typeahead once to resolve the branch's location-UUID and BRANCH:<id> code, then either submit the form or jump straight to a constructed /betafunnel/#/offerlist?… URL. There is no public REST/JSON endpoint — the backend is binary gRPC at grpc-prod.orange.sixt.com (com.sixt.service.rent_booking.api.SearchService/*), which is not practical to call from a scripted client. Cloudflare protects the site; a --verified --proxies Browserbase session navigates cleanly.

1. Session

sid=$(browse cloud sessions create --keep-alive --proxies --verified \
  | node -e "let s=''; process.stdin.on('data',c=>s+=c).on('end',()=>process.stdout.write(JSON.parse(s).id))")
export BROWSE_SESSION="$sid"

--verified (advanced stealth) plus residential --proxies is recommended. The site sets __cf_bm cookies on every request; a bare session sometimes 403s on the betafunnel SPA.

2. Open homepage and dismiss the privacy dialog

browse open https://www.sixt.com/ --remote
browse snapshot --remote        # locates the cookie/privacy OK button
browse click <ok-ref> --remote  # dismisses the GDPR/cookie banner

The privacy dialog appears as the topmost button group on the first paint. Locale EN | $ shows for US IPs; if you see EUR / a different language, the proxy egress is non-US — pass &pos=us style param isn't supported, so re-create the session with a US-egress proxy preference if currency matters.

3. Fill the pickup location via typeahead

browse fill '[data-testid="ibe-pickup-location-input"]' "Los Angeles International Airport" --remote
browse snapshot --remote   # typeahead dropdown is now populated
# Click the first matching menuitem — e.g. "Los Angeles Int Airport"
browse click <typeahead-option-ref> --remote

Do NOT use browse type — the CLI rejects multi-word arguments unless quoted, and browse fill is purpose-built for input boxes. browse fill does NOT auto-press Enter on this field, so you must click the typeahead suggestion explicitly; otherwise the form submits with an unbound location.

When pickup == dropoff, leave "Different return location" unchecked — Sixt copies the pickup branch into both zen_pu_branch_id and zen_do_branch_id. For a different dropoff, click that checkbox first, then fill a second input that surfaces.

4. Set dates and times

browse click <pickup-date-button-ref> --remote    # opens 3-month calendar
browse click <jun-10-day-button-ref>   --remote   # pickup date
browse click <jun-14-day-button-ref>   --remote   # return date (same calendar)
browse click <pickup-time-button-ref>  --remote   # opens 15-minute-grid time list
browse click <10-00-am-option-ref>     --remote
browse click <return-time-button-ref>  --remote
browse click <10-00-am-option-ref>     --remote

The calendar opens once and accepts both pickup + return clicks before closing. Time pickers open separately for pickup and return. Default time is 12:00 PM if you don't override.

5. Submit and grab the constructed deep-link

browse click <show-cars-button-ref> --remote
browse wait load --remote
browse wait timeout 4000 --remote    # offer cards render 2-4s after `load`
DEEPLINK=$(browse get url --remote)  # capture for cache/replay

DEEPLINK will look like:

https://www.sixt.com/betafunnel/#/offerlist
  ?zen_pu_location=a70b64b2-6cb4-4828-ba9d-a091ada36870
  &zen_do_location=a70b64b2-6cb4-4828-ba9d-a091ada36870
  &zen_pu_title=Los%20Angeles%20Int%20Airport
  &zen_do_title=Los%20Angeles%20Int%20Airport
  &zen_pu_time=2026-06-10T10%3A00
  &zen_do_time=2026-06-14T10%3A00
  &zen_pu_branch_id=BRANCH%3A40352
  &zen_do_branch_id=BRANCH%3A40352
  &zen_offer_matrix_id=37e8a8ba-4682-48d5-a328-6dea803ece55   <-- ephemeral, can be dropped
  &zen_vehicle_type=car
  &zen_pickup_country_code=US
  &zen_resident_country_required=false
  &zen_point_of_sale=US
  &zen_filters=%7B%22group_type%22%3A%5B%5D%2C...%7D         <-- empty JSON object also works
  &zen_order_is_ascending=false
  &zen_order_by=

Once the (zen_pu_location, zen_pu_branch_id) pair for a branch is known, you can skip steps 2-4 on subsequent runs and browse open "$URL" directly — the page re-renders the full offer list on cold load. zen_offer_matrix_id is NOT required (confirmed: removing it still produces a full offer list). The location UUID + BRANCH:<id> pair is the only branch-identity primary key.

Cache {display_name → (location_uuid, branch_id)} keyed by airport code / city — discovery costs one full homepage flow (~25-30 turns); replay costs one URL open (1 turn).

6. Extract offers from the rendered markdown

browse get markdown body --remote > offers.md

The markdown serialization is dense and reliable. Each offer card is a #### h4 block:

#### Compact Sedan
NISSAN VERSA
Or similar model
5            <- seats
3            <- doors (note: doors include the trunk hatch; "4" usually means 4-door)
Automatic    <- transmission
![Compact Sedan](https://www.sixt.com/.../nissan-versa-4d-grey-2023.png)
Unlimited miles
41$51$41.51/day    <- per-day price (the doubled "41$51" + "$41.51" comes from the markdownifier reading both <span> and aria-label; the canonical "/day" half is "$41.51")
251$14$251.14total <- total price for the whole rental

Regex to parse each block (line-by-line):

• vehicle_class = the #### header text, e.g. Compact Sedan, Intermediate SUV, Fullsize Convertible. Sixt's class names follow <Size> [Elite] <Body> where Size ∈ {Mini, Economy, Compact, Intermediate, Standard, Fullsize, Premium, Luxury}, Body ∈ {Sedan, SUV, Hatchback, Convertible, Pick-up, Van, Wagon}, and the optional Elite qualifier indicates premium brand (BMW/Mini/Mercedes-style).
• sample_model = next non-empty line below the heading (e.g. NISSAN VERSA).
• brand_tag = next line: Or similar model (generic) or Premium Brand (Elite tier).
• seats / doors / transmission = the next three single-token lines.
• badges = optional lines Top pick, Highly rated, Hot offer (in their own short lines).
• mileage_policy = the line immediately above the price, e.g. Unlimited miles or 700 miles included.
• price_per_day = parse the /day line; the canonical value is the dotted form after the second $: 41$51$41.51/day → $41.51.
• total_price = the total line; same pattern: 251$14$251.14total → $251.14.
• image_url = the ![alt](url) PNG href, useful for visual confirmation of vehicle class.

Currency symbol on the price strings reflects the page's locale ($ for US point-of-sale, € for DE, £ for UK). Read it once from the header EN | $ button label.

7. Filter to the requested vehicle class

Filter client-side, not via URL. The zen_filters URL param exists but its filter-key enum (group_type, passengers_count, bags_count, minimum_driver_age, features, special_rentals) does NOT accept human-readable category names — passing {"group_type":["compact"]} in a fresh navigation returns the full unfiltered list. The reliable approach is to read every offer card and filter the parsed array by a substring match against vehicle_class:

const requested = "Compact";  // user's preferred class
const matches = offers.filter(o => o.vehicle_class.toLowerCase().includes(requested.toLowerCase()));
// matches will include "Compact Sedan", "Compact SUV", "Compact Elite SUV", etc.

If the request is more specific (e.g. "Compact SUV"), tighten the substring. If it returns no matches, surface the full list as closest_alternatives so the caller can pick.

8. Release the session

browse cloud sessions update "$sid" --status REQUEST_RELEASE

Site-Specific Gotchas

• READ-ONLY. Never click the per-card "Book Now" or the offer-detail "Continue" button — that progresses into the booking funnel (extras → driver details → payment).
• browse type is unsafe for multi-word inputs. browse type Los Angeles International Airport errors with Unexpected arguments: Angeles, International, Airport. Use browse fill '<selector>' "<quoted phrase>" instead. browse fill does not auto-press Enter on the Sixt typeahead, so you must browse click the dropdown suggestion explicitly.
• Privacy/cookie dialog blocks the form. A modal overlay covers the search inputs on first visit; clicks on the form silently no-op until it is dismissed. The dialog's OK ref shifts between snapshots — re-snapshot before clicking.
• zen_filters server-side filtering is broken / undocumented. Passing {"group_type":["compact"]} (or any human-readable category name) returns the full unfiltered list; the page applies filters in-client after fetch. Always parse-and-filter client-side. If you need server-side filtering, you would have to drive the on-page Filters UI (a sidebar/modal with checkboxes), but that costs ~5-10 extra turns vs ~0 for client-side filter.
• zen_offer_matrix_id is ephemeral but optional. A new value is minted per search; removing it from the URL still yields a full offer list on cold navigation. Don't cache it.
• zen_pu_location is a UUID, not a guessable code. The location-UUID for each branch (e.g. a70b64b2-6cb4-4828-ba9d-a091ada36870 for LAX) is opaque and must be discovered via the homepage typeahead the first time you target a branch. Cache {airport_code → (location_uuid, branch_id)} after first discovery to avoid the ~25-turn cold-discover cost on repeat runs.
• BRANCH:<n> is the Sixt internal station id. It's surfaced both in zen_pu_branch_id and (un-prefixed) in the page's analytics events as pickup_station_id=40352. The 40352 numeric form alone is also exposed in window.dataLayer GA events if you need a stable canonical id.
• No JSON/REST API. Sixt's backend uses binary gRPC-Web at grpc-prod.orange.sixt.com/com.sixt.service.rent_booking.api.SearchService/{GetSelectedLocation,GetBranchRecommendations,...}. The wire format is protobuf — not practical to call directly without the .proto definitions, and the endpoint requires browser-context auth/csrf cookies. Don't waste time looking for a public JSON endpoint — it doesn't exist. /php/reservation/* paths 302 back to /.
• Price markdown is doubled. browse get markdown body renders prices as 41$51$41.51/day because the page interleaves a visual integer/decimal split (<span>41</span><span>$</span><span>51</span>) with a hidden full-dollar-string. Take the value after the second $ ($41.51/day) as canonical.
• "doors" includes the rear hatch on SUVs/wagons. A 4-door sedan is "4"; a 4-door SUV with a tailgate is also "4" or "5" depending on Sixt's catalog; a 2-door convertible is "3" (two side doors + 1 trunk). Treat the value as Sixt-reported, not as a passenger-door count.
• Mileage policy varies by class. Most US offers are Unlimited miles; some premium SUVs (BMW X3 M50, X5 M60, X7; Cadillac Escalade) show 700 miles included (with per-mile overage fees not displayed on the card). Surface the string verbatim.
• Locale auto-detection follows the egress IP. EN/USD for US, DE/EUR for Germany, etc. Override via the language/currency selector in the header (button: Change language or currency). For consistent USD pricing, force a US-egress Browserbase proxy.
• Footer airport-code link doesn't deep-link to offerlist. /car-rental/usa/los-angeles/los-angeles-international-airport/ is a marketing landing page, not a search-prefilled URL. You still need to drive the typeahead from the home page.
• GraphQL/REST anti-pattern. All hopeful endpoints — /php/reservation/locations, /php/reservation/branches, /api/v3/locations/search — return 400 Bad Request or 302 → /. They exist as routes but reject anything but their internal call shape. Don't probe them.

Expected Output

{
  "success": true,
  "pickup_location": "Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)",
  "pickup_branch_id": "BRANCH:40352",
  "pickup_location_uuid": "a70b64b2-6cb4-4828-ba9d-a091ada36870",
  "dropoff_location": "Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)",
  "dropoff_branch_id": "BRANCH:40352",
  "pickup_at": "2026-06-10T10:00",
  "dropoff_at": "2026-06-14T10:00",
  "rental_days": 4,
  "preferred_class": "Compact",
  "currency": "USD",
  "results_url": "https://www.sixt.com/betafunnel/#/offerlist?zen_pu_location=…",
  "offers_matching_preferred_class": [
    {
      "vehicle_class": "Compact Sedan",
      "sample_model": "NISSAN VERSA",
      "brand_tag": "Or similar model",
      "seats": 5,
      "doors": 3,
      "transmission": "Automatic",
      "air_conditioning": true,
      "mileage_policy": "Unlimited miles",
      "badges": [],
      "price_per_day": 41.51,
      "total_price": 251.14,
      "currency": "USD",
      "image_url": "https://www.sixt.com/fileadmin2/files/global/sideview/user_upload/fleet/png/752x500/nissan-versa-4d-grey-2023.png"
    },
    {
      "vehicle_class": "Compact SUV",
      "sample_model": "VOLKSWAGEN TAOS",
      "brand_tag": "Or similar model",
      "seats": 5,
      "doors": 2,
      "transmission": "Automatic",
      "air_conditioning": true,
      "mileage_policy": "Unlimited miles",
      "badges": [],
      "price_per_day": 41.15,
      "total_price": 251.89,
      "currency": "USD",
      "image_url": "https://www.sixt.com/fileadmin2/files/global/sideview/user_upload/fleet/png/752x500/vw-taos-suv-black-2025.png"
    }
  ],
  "all_offers": [
    { "vehicle_class": "Intermediate Elite SUV", "sample_model": "BMW X1", "brand_tag": "Premium Brand", "seats": 5, "doors": 4, "transmission": "Automatic", "mileage_policy": "Unlimited miles", "badges": ["Top pick", "Hot offer"], "price_per_day": 51.99, "total_price": 309.24 },
    { "vehicle_class": "Compact Sedan",          "sample_model": "NISSAN VERSA", "brand_tag": "Or similar model", "seats": 5, "doors": 3, "transmission": "Automatic", "mileage_policy": "Unlimited miles", "badges": [], "price_per_day": 41.51, "total_price": 251.14 },
    { "vehicle_class": "Premium Elite SUV",      "sample_model": "BMW X7",        "brand_tag": "Premium Brand",     "seats": 7, "doors": 4, "transmission": "Automatic", "mileage_policy": "700 miles included", "badges": [], "price_per_day": 72.45, "total_price": 417.44 }
  ]
}

Alternate outcome shapes

// No matches for the requested class — surface the full list under closest_alternatives
{
  "success": true,
  "offers_matching_preferred_class": [],
  "no_matches_reason": "Sixt does not offer 'Hatchback' as a vehicle class at this branch",
  "closest_alternatives": [ /* every offer on the page */ ]
}

// Branch unknown / typeahead returned no suggestions
{
  "success": false,
  "reason": "branch_not_found",
  "queried_location": "Some Tiny Airport (XYZ)",
  "error_reasoning": "Sixt typeahead returned 0 results for 'Some Tiny Airport (XYZ)'. Branch may not exist in the Sixt network."
}

// Date range outside available booking window (Sixt accepts up to ~12 months out)
{
  "success": false,
  "reason": "date_out_of_range",
  "error_reasoning": "Pickup date 2027-12-01 is beyond Sixt's booking window. The calendar widget did not expose months past <observed-cap>."
}

// Anti-bot / Cloudflare block
{
  "success": false,
  "reason": "blocked",
  "error_reasoning": "Cloudflare interstitial / 403 served by /betafunnel/. Retry with --verified --proxies and confirm the session was created with a US-egress IP."
}