Driving Europe Crazy
How do you find the cheapest rental rates? What hidden charges can you avoid? What are your tips for dealing with unfamiliar signs, European driving etiquette, and driving on the other side of the road? Is it worthwhile to buy a new or used car in Europe?
Read the latest car rental advice from Rick.
- Please don't post questions here. Use our Travelers Helpline.
Amalfi Private Driver/Naples/Sorrento
We used a private driver to take us from Naples airport to Amalfi. Anthony was prompt, less expensive and very charming. He also took us to a very small town for a lovely mountain view dinner on the coast. amalfitransfer.com
Peggy Dreisinger <email>
Issaquah, wa USA 11/18/2008
Sicily Private Driver
We used Driver in Sicily when our ship docked in the port for Taormina. The owner, Alessandro Caravello arrived early with a clean, well-maintained van. He drove carefully on the winding road to Mt. Etna. He is from Palermo, so seems to be available anywhere in Sicily. I highly recommend him.
Mo
Marblehead, MA USA 10/27/2008
autoeurope
i've rented from autoeurope 2 times for italy and once for greece. never a problem.
but...... check the rates on autoeurope.ca (canada). even if you're not canadian they'll still process you. the best part is the 100% no deductible insurance that's been included in all the cars. okay, exerior rear view mirrors are not included...
joe
petersburg, alaska USA 10/21/2008
Driving Tips for Rome
The best driving tip for Rome that I can think of is to "Not do it". Take the train instead.
Tim
USA 10/16/2008
Rome
I will be renting a car in Rome. I've heard driving there is more aggressive than here in the states. I'm looking for driving tips and guidelines for my trip. Thanks.
Lonna
MT USA 10/15/2008
GPS
We rented a car in Spain and got the optional GPS. It is well worth the extra cash, would never go without it again. I wish I would have had one in Ireland last year.
Bob
Bettendorf, IA USA 10/09/2008
Driving in France
We just returned from France. We rented a car in Nice and drove to Arles, Avignon, Carcassonne, Beynac and returned the car near Amboise. We didn't have any trouble except I wanted to share a few things. The car was diesel and the gas pumps for diesel are marked gazole. Also, the pumps would not accept our Mastercard or Visa so we had to always choose a pump that was a non-credit card pump. Oddly, our cards were accepted by the attendant but not by the pump itself.
We took many tollroads and here is how they work. When entering a tollroad you arrive at the gates and simply take a ticket from the machine. Be sure to save the ticket. Later when you come to a peage booth you will have to pay. The lanes on the left are marked for credit cards and once again, they would not accept our Mastercard or Visa. So, what we had to do was to always go into the right lanes where there would either be an attendant or the booth would accept cash. The attendants would accept our credit cards.
We still don't know why our Mastercard and Visa would not work in the toll booths but they worked everywhere else such as restaurants and hotels.
Oh, by the way, the cards did not work for the Nice bus system either.
Terry <email>
Portland, OR USA 09/28/2008
Pluses of renting an auto
I just want to add to the car rental pluses. For the first time, we rented a car this past April after spending three days in Munich.
We roughly drove the Romantic Road, stopping in Noerdlingen, Dinkelsbuehl, and Rothenburg. We then meandered over to Nuremburg, stayed three nights, and then drove to Wuerzburg before returning the car at Frankfurt airport and flying home.
Having an auto was SO nice - you can travel and stop at your liesure if you spot something that looks interesting. With the help of a GPS, we went straight to some interesting spots that would have been more difficult using public transportation.
Also, the kind of trip we took would have been difficult to impossible by train, and schlepping luggage on and off trains and finding hotels would not have been fun.
Now, we avoided driving in cities as much as possible, with the exception of Nuremburg, which was a challange in itself. Parking is scarse and expensive.
For cost: we rented a Fiat Bravo diesel, manual transmission. It cost us $250.00 for 6 days. We only put fuel in it once, right outside Frankfurt, and it cost about $85.00. If you consider buying point-to-point rail tickets, taxis, and public transportation, I don't see that renting a car is necessarily an extravagance.
Steve
Richmond, VA USA 09/09/2008
KUDOS FOR ENTERPRISE RENTALS AND DIESELS
Just a note to applaud Enterprise Rentals in the UK. Truly a great pick up/delivery door to door. Swansea folks terrific as well as final destination Portsmouth. Be sure to get a diesel. The price is only 4 pence more, but the mileage is superb. We got 48/49 MPG all around Wales and on to Southern England. As I had a confirmed automatic Ford Focus or Vauxhal, they charged me the same rate for the upgraded Mercedes crossover, as they did not have any other automatics. And no problem with check in for scrapes, etc., so common with American drivers in the UK.
Ellen from Seattle <email>
Seattle, WA USA 09/09/2008
Traffic Violations in Piza
Not sure if anyone has posted info about this or not, but I just want to warn people when they driving in Piza. I just received a fine in the mail(In the USA)for going down a street that I wasn't suppose to(A year ago). From what I found on the internet I wasn't the only one. Checkout this link. http://www.blogfromitaly.com/speeding-fines-in-italy/#comments
Gary Jones <email>
Cary, NC USA 09/08/2008
Car rental pluses
Yes, gas is $8-$9 a gallon in Europe. But it is still worth renting a car when you are visiting villages and countrysides of France and Germany. Just back drove 2000 miles in 3 weeks and it only cost us $221 per week, 2 sharing excluding Frances toll costs.
JS
USA 08/22/2008
Warning
Hi all! Just a warning. While in the UK this time (I go yearly) I rented a car from National in Glasgow. After a two and a half hour wait, I was given a different vehicle. When I got home, I was charged for the second vehicle. After four international phone calls, they refunded the money (they would not respond to ANY emails), but now the person who really had that car got a ticket, and again, National will not respond.
Kristie <email>
Knoxville, TN USA 08/08/2008
National Warning, part two
PS to the warning below. This is the second time I have had trouble with the Glasgow airport branch. Last time, they tried to force me to upgrade because they didn't have the car I'd reserved (and they were going to make me pay the difference!) I refused and got the upgrade anyway. Customer service is nonexistant!
Kristie Davis <email>
Knoxville, TN USA 08/08/2008
Car rental experience in France
We just returned from 3 weeks in France. We rented from Hertz through Costco.com and got a very reasonable rate. The car was as advertised (an Opel Meriva), just about the perfect size for 4 people. We picked it up in Marseille, drove 1900 km through the South of France and turned the car in at the Gare de Lyon train station in Paris, saving a return train trip into downtown Paris from one of the airports. For $19.95 we purchased $100,000 in coverage, and other coverages plus LDW, extended personal effects coverage, personal injury through our American Express and waived the CDW. The Hertz counter individuals were very pleasant and helpful. Would definitely rent from Hertz in the future
Deb B
Palatine, IL USA 08/08/2008
Great Rental Company
Me and my wife drove around Tucany in July. We rented from Kemwel here online.
Great Price, 25.99 a day US. We picked up car at EuropeCar. Smooth transaction and easy drop-off at airport.
Rich
San Francisco, CA USA 08/05/2008
Transport & Tours in the Veneto
My wife and I travel frequently to Italy. A few years ago we tried Treviso Car Service for a day tour in the Venice Region. Our driver, Andrea Loseto, was raised in Treviso, knew the ins and outs of the region, and spoke great English. Now we use his services whenever we travel to the North. His wife is from Sorrento and can arrange great tours there as well. www.trevisocarservice.com
John Borak <email>
Los Angeles, CA USA 07/30/2008
To & From the Airport in Rome
I met a young man who worked at a hotel I stayed in who speaks many languages well including English, Pietro, will drive you to the airport for 50 euro (yes it is expensive but worth every cent as he is a great conversationalist and trustworthy and you are in a mercedes) - pietroncc@gmail.com contact: cell - 011.39.328.823.9317
Kristi Jacobson
San Rafael, CA USA 07/22/2008
car rental and trains
we drove in france and ireland on our trip these last 2 weeks, renting our car through avis. we were happy with the sub-compact we got in ireland for a great price ($25/day). our complaint with avis here is that the main headquarters assured me that they would provide p/u & drop-off service to/from their remote airport locations and didn't deliver, which cost us a many hours and euros in buses and cabs.
in france, avis was conveniently located at the train station. however, instead of giving us the subcompact we reserved, the gave us "the next size up," which looked fine enough in the picture they pointed to and turned out to be more like a minivan that guzzled diesel at .10 more/liter than gasoline. for 90 euro per day, i expect to get what i reserved, especially since we passed unused subcompacts of theirs in the avis section of the parking garage when we went to get the car.
not for nothing, but why isn't their a thread for the rail system??? that was the WORST of all the planes, trains and automobiles we used to get around europe. i have multiple charges to dispute on my credit card because of the rail system.
amber
oakdale, ny USA 07/10/2008
Gemut.com-Auto Europe
Regarding Mr. Lakey's post of June 22.
Mr. Lakey, was indeed promised, but did not receive, a GPS with his rental car in Germany last May. Our company, Gemut.com, booked him with Europcar but its agent erred in attempting to charge him for something he had been promised free. Unfortunately, Mr. Lakey did not avail himself of the 24/7 toll-free-from-Europe help line provided by our partner, Auto Europe. Had he done so, a Europcar supervisor at the Frankfurt Airport would have been immediately contacted and the GPS provided without charge. Though after the fact, it was impossible to make Mr. Lakey whole for the inconvenience of not having a GPS, he was refunded an amount equal to the cost of one day of his rental. He was also refunded for a small overcharge based on our U.S. dollar rate guarantee.
As to the upgrade to an SUV from an intermediate sedan, that is a risk renters take with rental car companies. Virtually all rental car bookings specify "xyz vehicle or similar;” the guarantee is by category, not by specific make or model. In this case, Europcar fulfilled its part of the bargain by upgrading Mr. Lakey to a car in a higher category. He does not mention the mileage achieved by the Dodge Nitro he drove, but manufacturer Daimler-Chrysler claims a highway mileage at 30.1 mpg. Typical highway mileage for intermediate category sedans in European rental fleets is from 33 to 38 mpg.
Bob Bestor
President
www.gemut.com
Bob Bestor <email>
Ashland, OR USA 07/08/2008
SIXT rental in Rome
Warning regarding SIXT car rental (Rome Colliseum). We had MANY problems with the SIXT car rental agency near the Colliseum. There was no car available when we went to pick it up and it took 3.5 hours before we could get one. The whole time the agent kept telling us it would be just "5 minutes", "15 minutes", "10 minutes", etc. until 3.5 hours had passed. There is no place to sit in the office and our group of six had to sit on the stairs while we waited. The agency was in absolute chaos--disorganized, tense, and unapologetic. Avoid it all costs!
Mindy <email>
Normal, IL USA 07/06/2008
problem with Europe By Car
Europe by Car--We recently rented a car through Europe by Car for our trip to Italy. One of the more important aspects of our rental was that four people be allowed to drive because I was unable to drive much due to a knee problem and we didn't want to one person to have to do all the driving. We were reassured by the agent at Europe By Car that we could have up to four drivers. Unfortunately, when we went to pick up our car in Rome we were told that only 2 people could drive and I had to be one of them since my name was on the reservation. (Although GPS was also on the reservation but we didn't get that.)
We tried calling Europe by Car but the office was closed (presumably due to the time difference between Rome and NYC). When we finally got someone at Europe by Car the next day they said the rental agency "must have changed their policy". However, the rental agency had told us they have never allowed more than 2 people to drive.
This mistake by Europe By Car made our travel through Italy very difficult on my husband who had to almost all of the driving by himself. When I talked to a manager at Europe By Car he was very defensive and irritated by my complaint--he never apologized for the mistake, instead blaming it on SIXT (the agency where we got the car).
Mindy
Normal, IL USA 07/06/2008
Driving In Italian Cities
My wife and I just returned from a great time in Italy. In Tuscany we rented a car and got on very well. The only thing I would mention by way of caution is that the city driving directions in Rick's book may not be all you need. For example, he gives directions to get to the Piazza Michealangelo in Florence. Getting to the place was our most interesting travel "adventure." Even the men at local gas stations were pretty much at a loss to help us. All I am saying is that Italian signage will barely help you, and the info in the books is rather general.
Darrell Young
Calgary, Albert Canada 06/27/2008
Forget rental -drive your own car in Europe
Car rental is so overrated! How about driving your OWN car in Europe?! We just returned from Europe after picking up our new Volvo from the Factory in Gothenburg, Sweden. The car was purchased through our local volvo dealer using their European Delivery program. We got a substantial discount on the purchase price of the car, two free tickets to Europe, a one night stay at the Radison in Gothenburg including a terrific breakfast and lunch, a volvo factory tour and...a full tank of gas and free use of our own car to drive anywhere in Europe for up to six weeks! Volvo picked up the vehicle insurance and at the end of the trip we just dropped off the car at one of many shipping points stateside to our local dealer (shipping also included in the deal). We saved the price of a rental, got a good discount on a new car and had a fun trip. Highly recommend it!
Anita <email>
Fort Worth, TX USA 06/26/2008
Europecar and gemut.com
Gemut and Europecar I reserved a mid size car for two weeks in Europe. I specified a GPS. On arrival in Frankfurt (after a 10 hr flight from Seattle), I was given a very large SUV that really ate up the $9/gal diesel. I was not given a GPS. I was overcharged. After complaining to gemut.com, I was told that I would be getting approximately $65 refund because no GPS was provided! Sixty five dollars equates to about 7 gallons of gas. This was the worst car rental experience I have ever had.
Jim Lakey
Kennewick, WA USA 06/22/2008
Countryside travel info
We just returned from a 3 week driving trip through Central / Eastern Europe using Rick's guides and were very happy with all the eatery suggestions and lodging suggestions in the cities we visited... however, We did find that there was VERY little info on the countrysides, smaller villages, etc. in Rick's guides. Because we enjoy the variety, big city and 4* hotels to sobes in the Croatian Countryside, Cathedrals and Castles to Lipizzaner Stud farm in Slovenia, 'ferry cruise' of Dalmatia and 4 days of rest on Hvar in the small fishing village of Jelsa, Croatia. We found the guidebooks great for the cities but would have liked more on the smaller villages and driving the countryside. It seems they are written for train travel, not so much for car travel. We ALSO found it difficult when the suggested lodging was on a walking street!
Also, I'd really like to see the maps have walking street in a different color or pattern so we know not to look for a way to drive there! More than once we were trying to drive to an address that could only be walked to!!
Susan DeMaggio <email>
Irvine, CA USA 06/21/2008
Finding your way in Europe
During our 3 weeks driving in Eastern Europe, Budapest to Krakow, to Prague to Vienna, to Bled Slovenia, and all over Croatia, that our large Michelin map book was pretty good for getting from one city to another, baring an occasional road construction detour, but when we arrived in the cities, the city maps were just not detailed enought to help us find hotel in certain locations. I would like to see a map book of DETAILED city maps, the kind you get in the tourist information centers, if you can find them, and if they are open! MOST cities had pretty good ones, but you had to get into the city to find them. We would just stop at a 'nice' hotel if we couldn't find a TI, becuase they were more apt to have the maps.... But if anyone knows of a good CITY map book for all of Europe, I'd love to know about it.
Susan DeMaggio <email>
Irvine, CA USA 06/21/2008
European Car Rental
Just returned from two weeks in France. We rented from Andrew Bestor via GEMUT - it was the best rental experience we have ever had. $720.00 for two weeks, unlimited mileage - thanks Andrew. As a side note, buy all the RJR stock you can get - the French show no sign of giving up the nasty habit of smoking.
Craig brazeal <email>
Brea, ca USA 06/15/2008
vehicle rental in europe
While planning our driving trip from the Netherlands into France I was not encouraged by the car rental stories on this site and others. I noticed a reference to a camper van rental business near Amsterdam, www.campanje.nl. I contacted Gerard and started a very excellent experience that added tremendously to our trip enjoyment. Gerard picked us up at the train stationin Utrecht, checked us out in the van and sent us on our way. Insurance was included and no charge for a second driver. Even though we only had 11 days and had to pay the 15 day minimum rate I am sure that we spent less and had a better experience than renting a car and staying in motels. If my next trip includes driving and starts anywhere near Gerard's business I will definitely enjoy his great service again.
mark sheffield <email>
bastrop, texas USA 06/09/2008
AVIS in Germany
I have to say my experience with Avis in Germany (Munich) was flawless. When I reviewed the contract (in English)I was looking for the place to decline CDW insurance and didn't see it anywhere. When I asked the clerk, she said I didn't need insurance since I paid with American Express.
When I returned the car at the Frankfurt airport, it was a quick and easy process. A clerk came to the car, looked it over, keyed something into a portable computing device and it printed out a receipt for me to sign. That was it.
Steve
Richmond, VA USA 06/06/2008
BEWARE OF AVIS IN EUROPE
I recently rented a car in Germany. I had pre-paid for the rental before the trip but when I got to the counter, the agent pulled a number of fast ones including trying to foist a lower grade car (w/o guaranteed GPS) on us AND insurance. I waived the insurance because I'm covered by Visa. The agent said she printed out a new form and I signed it -- when I got home received a bill for $700 for insurance! BEWARE OF AVIS IN EUROPE!
Fighting the Big Guns
Los Angeles, CA USA 06/05/2008
Avis in France
Just returned from France which included renting a car in Dijon from Avis with a return in Avignon. It was the only agency open on Sunday and I'm glad we arrived early from Paris, because we were second in line which had grown to almost 20 renters. Vehicle was as ordered and the cost was exactly as indicated when I made the reservation.
Bob Norem <email>
Green Valley, AZ USA 06/05/2008
Driving in France
My wife and I just returned from an amazing 4500km - 23 day tour of France following Rick's route in France 2008. We used the Michelin France road atlas and it was very very useful and more fun than GPS.
Picked up a diesel Fiat Bravo from Europcar at CDG and had no problems driving on the peripherique to avoid Paris. The car was great and quite fuel efficent. Note that diesel is called Gazole in France.
We decided to drive mostly on non-express route roads to avoid paying tolls and to experience more of the countryside and small towns but I would recommend the express toll roads if you want to get somewhere in a hurry. They are fast, safe and rarely crowded but watch out for cars passing you and pulling back in front of you with less than a car length to spare. This can be a bit unerving at first when traveling at 130km/h.
When not driving on the express routes you have to watch out for "priorite a droite" which means that traffic approaching from the right has right of way even if you are traveling on the main road. Look for a triangle sign with a red rim and a black X in the middle and BEWARE! We found "priorite a droite" to be most common in the south of France and never had a problem with it. Just keep your eyes open for the sign and take care.
When entering towns and looking for your hotel, look for the grey signs at waist level posted at major intersections that list the major hotels (and some not so major ones) in the town and give there direction. These are very useful and can prevent hours of frustrating searching the narrow poorly maked streets of most French towns.
Have fun and be safe!
Ian Race <email>
Nanaimo, BC Canada 06/04/2008
Excessive Cab Fares in Istanbul
Wow; I've taken several cab rides in Istanbul and found that about 80% of the cabbies post a higher fare than what is supposed to be paid. Make sure you are not charged the 30% to 40% premium night time cab fare unless you are riding late at night or in the very early morning (11P to 5A) timeframe.
Also, it helps to know a simple phrase -
Daha yavash lutfen (Please drive more slowly!) The cabbies drive fast here!!
Pete Tansill <email>
Pacific Grove, CA USA 05/30/2008
Car Rental
You don't have to have www.gemut.com to rent from www.autoeurope.com AutoEurope is quite reputable by itself.
Tim
USA 05/18/2008
Don't Get Lost in Venice
It is very easy to get lost in the narrow, twisting streets of Venice. All the streets begin to look the same. I found a way to solve this problem. As you are walking around Vencie, if you take pictures of the street signs using a digital camera, then when you want to return to the place you started at, all you have to do is scan through the pictures of the street signs to help you find your way. It is like a digital trail of bread crumbs.
USA 05/17/2008
Best rental outfit for Germany
Wow about Thrifty. I got burned by Auto Europa (an Italian company) a few years ago (their collision insurance excludes one car accidents so if you get a $1000 scratch, as I did, you pay for it). Now I rely on the savvy guys at www.gemut.com who saved me about $125 on a Germany rental by steering me to an office near the FRA airport to avoid the 19% airport charge. I returned the car to the airport, no charge. These guys are hooked up with the very reputable Auto Europe but it's a family deal and they know their stuff. I've been booking with them for more than 10 years.
GuyC <email>
USA 05/17/2008
Avoid Thrifty Car Rental - Rip-off
Thrifty rents cars without spare tires!
Arranged to pick up a car from Thrifty at Florence airport. Very slightly cheaper than some other international companies. Upon inspecting the car for damage, wanted to see the condition of the spare wheel - there was none! Nor was there a jack. I complained to the agent who said, "the car does not come with a spare tire." (I was later told that it is illegal to drive without a spare tire in Italy.) As it was just before closing time for the rental offices, and no other cars were available, we were stuck. After much looking, we were able to buy a can of pressurized tire inflator - at twice the price it would cost in the states, which we needed for protection. Besides no spare tire and no jack, the car was almost impossible to start! Many times it took 5 minutes of attempts to get the car started, even when the engine was warm. Perhaps if I screamed loud enough, and if I spoke better Italian, I could have gotten a new car the next day - but that would have meant wasting a whole day driving back to Florence. I will never rent a car from Thrifty again.
Erik
San Francisco, CA USA 05/11/2008
Spanish (and other) Rental Car Reflections
We just spent a month in Ireland/UK and Spain/France amassing over 4,000 km mostly in Spain. Time, side trips with 4 people and range of destinations drove that decision. It was not cheap since we took max insurance (including Super-CDW) based on horror stories posted here, gas was $8.50 or so a gallon plus tolls in northern Spain and southern France add up quickly. (Use your credit card for speed and convenience.) We also took budget airlines (EasyJet, Clickair and Vueling) and used transit whenever possible.
- Cars & Companies – Europcar for 9 days (Peugeot 407 diesel) from Bilbao/San Sebastian to Barcelona, Costa Brava, Provence and back with a side trip to the Cardona parador; turned in at BCN. Avis (VW SUV “upgrade” diesel) from Seville to Granada train stations via Cordoba and Nerja. (Also Europcar petrol Toyota from downtown Dublin and Hertz (smaller Peugeot diesel) in Wales/Manchester.) Attitudes at each location were a little different but only Ireland had the “rent full, return empty” fuel policy that took some careful planning. The Granada Avis office was helpful in returning a forgotten item.
- Fees – Fuel cost is on top of rental fees, so are pick-up and other usage charges you don’t find in the USA. To avoid airport pick-up charges, reduce overnight parking costs and fit our itinerary better where city streets were tight, we used train station or down town offices in Seville, Granada and Dublin.
- Pick-Up – Rental car offices in airports are relatively easy to find and use as you might in the US. Directions and road access are straightforward. We discovered this was not the case away from airports. We found the car counter in the Seville train station just fine but took nearly an hour to actually locate the vehicle in the surrounding parking lots. Turning in the same car at the Granada train station was another challenge since dealers distributed no map to the turn in location and there was minimal signage. Downtown Dublin is not the best place to learn to drive on the left side of the road once picking up our rental and, again, finding the office again in rush hour to return the car was not easy.
- Drivers License – We had, but were never asked for, International Drivers’ Licenses. We found our driver’s license a great alternative to a passport to verify identity when using a debt/credit card.
- Reverse – All our cars were manual. Like Rick says, make sure you know how your car works before trying to drive away. We couldn’t find reverse in the Bilbao airport until we got some help with our Peugeot (pull up on the ring and forward). The VW was a more normal push down and pull back.
- Fuel – Credit cards are the only way to go. Watch which grade of diesel is in the pump you intend to use since some have a mixture.
- Navigation – We used Michelin maps (purchased in the US for advance planning) and I had Google map downloads for key segments of our itinerary. The downloads were not that useful. I considered GPS too late in the process but we did OK by staying mellow and circling the roundabout twice if we had doubts on which road was ours. (We learned to appreciate roundabouts in these settings at least.) The town name and route number navigation process works fine once you get the hang of it and stop looking for the street names Google provides. You also get to learn a bit more about the countryside than you might with GPS by reading the maps or asking for directions on occasion. For motorways, around Barcelona for example, look at the map with your navigator before setting out to avoid surprises once in traffic.
Thom
Redmond, WA USA 05/09/2008
paris CDG Europecar return
If you are retunring a Europecar rental car to Paris CDG airport, do not follow the instructions online and go to terminal 3- the return is in terminal 1! There are no signs pointing to car return unless you actually make it to terminal 1, so unless you know ahead of time, you end up just driving around the airport for a very long time. Fortunately we got lucky and the man who checked us in after we finally found the right location let us slide with the time of return, because by the time we got there we were almost an hour late, even with the 59 minute grace period, yet we had been in the airport for almost two hours.
Sarah
Leonardtown, MD USA 05/07/2008
How to Reverse a Rental Car in Paris?!
We picked up our rental car in central Paris for a trip to the country side (via Rick's great recommendations!). It was a Fiat, Panda (nothing we'd ever heard of). We were given the keys and sent to an underground garage about 6 blocks away. We found the cute, little car, jumped in and started the engine to leave. We rolled about 1/2 way out of the parking spot before realizing we couldn't get the car in to reverse. It was a manual shift, which is what we drive at home, which shouldn't have been a problem, but we could not get the car to back up. Other cars were starting to line up behind us because they couldn't get by to exit the garage. Four, five, six cars were waiting for us and we were really starting to sweat. We both got the idea at the same time to open our doors and stick our legs out each side, pushing the car backwards, Flinstone's style. We pushed it back in this manner then reved up to the check out booth. Dave, who was driving, pleaded with the booth attendent in English, with none of the proper, formal, French greetings we had been practicing, blurting out, "How do we back this thing up?!". I was sure we were not going to get any help with this abrupt approach, but the man calmly explained in English, "Pull up on the ring around the gear shift", miming the action. We both said "Oh",then "Merci" and embarassed, went on our way to have a wonderful visit!
Dave and Wendy
San Francisco, CA USA 05/04/2008
car rental
If someone need to rent a car in Verona (Italy, I recommend "Verona Rent a Car", www.veronarentacar.com. They offer 10% discount if you mention Rick Steve's Italy guidebook.
John Nelson
New York, USA USA 04/14/2008
Car Size
First off, thanks for the advice about Gemut! Got a terrific rate. One caveat, though for all who plan to drive a car in Europe. Get the smallest thing you can cram everyone and their suitcases into. We had a Ford Mondeo station wagon and parking it was an absolute nightmare (see Most Embarassing Moments page). Parking garages are particularly tight (again, see Most Embarassing Moments). The good thing was that we were able to comfortably 4 women and 8 bags (we started out with 4 bags, but souvenirs...) and a small backpack for each. If I had it to do over, I would get something smaller and make everyone carry the extra stuff in their laps.
Nancy
Taylor, TX USA 03/21/2008
car rental
In Italy, Verona, I have been in February 2008. It was difficult to find a small diesel car available (VW Polo, Toyota Yaris).Finally, I have found a car rental "Verona Rent a Car", www.veronarentacar.com. They have only new small car and and a very good service.
Alejandro
Madrid, Espagn Espagna 03/16/2008
Ireland Car Rental - Dan Dooley
We rented from Dan Dooley in September 07 and drove from DUB to the West coast and back. In the Killarney National Park we encountered a pothole that bent the Left Front wheel and required a change to the spare tire. At the rental return at the airport (DUB), we expected to pay for the wheel repair, but instead were charged an arbitrary 160 euros for a new "tyre" with no recourse but to settle the account. As posted by others, the coverage from your premium credit card (AMEX in this case) is not valid in Ireland. Dooley had the advantage, and used it. Two lessons learned .. Avoid Dooley in Ireland and include ALL insurance available in your costing of the rental in Europe.
Jeff <email>
Atlanta, GA USA 03/16/2008
Go Diesel
I have been to Europe the past 2 summer, 2006 and 2007. I searched and searched and I found a great company..Europcar. They seem to be everywhere (mostly at the airports) but great service and an abundance of cars. The one thing I would recommend is getting a diesel vehicle. If you plan to drive short or long distances this is the vehicle type of choice. Though you really need to try and book a few months in advance and specify a diesel always call every few weeks before your trip and confirm the car and you want a diesel.
Steve
Bellmawr, NJ USA 03/09/2008
car rental europe
Have booked many cars in Europe in the past dozen or so years and Andy at gemut.com is a throwback to the time when you dealt with a real live person...both before and after the rental. He's on the phone a lot and so sometimes you don't get him on the first ring...but he always calls back. He usually has the lowest price, but when he doesn't he'll do what he calls a “beat rate” and go a few bucks below any competition. This is a little travel treasure.
Guy <email>
Seattle , WA USA 02/02/2008
Car Rental
Re Lynn Williams post. I agree; Andy is the “man” when it comes to European car rentals. He is a secret that I hesitate to reveal except that you've already let cat out of the bag. The guy saved me more than $100 by simply arranging for a pickup location away from the airport in Frankfurt, thus avoiding the 19% VAT. He also convinced me that a midsize car was just a big as a fullsize car, which saved me more money. Seems like he doesn't try to “up sell” customers but puts them in the least expensive car that suits their needs. VERY knowledgeable. Something you don't get with the scripted reservationists at Avis, National, Auto Europe, etc.
Harmon <email>
Kansas City, MO USA 02/01/2008
Renault Eurodrive
I have used Renault Eurodrive many times with great results. If you need a car for more than three weeks, try Renault. The website is www.renaultusa.com and the agents in New York are first class. Renault has a large selection of cars (all brand new) from a small hatchback to a 9-passenger van. The program includes full insurance, and there are NO HIDDEN COSTS. I pick up my cars in Paris and drop at CDG, with absolutly no problems or suprises. The drop-off location is 200 meters from the RER and Hotel Ibis CDG. It's nice to get a new car with new tires and no stains, scratches, or smelly interiors, as you sometimes get with rentals. GPS, Diesel engines, infant seats, roof racks, and automatic transmissions are available. Try Renault Eurodrive, you will be pleased.
Charles A. Robinson <email>
Lodi, CA USA 01/20/2008
Car Rental
We rented a car for seeing Italy. It was great. We would use the car for the country side and then park the car and take a train into the major city. It worked out well. We enjoyed getting lost in Italy. There is so much to see. It is beautful.
D. Davis
Milwaukee, WI USA 01/17/2008
Car rental - more expensive is cheaper
In Germany I recently rented a car of the sub-compact class (Opel Corsa,VW Polo) thinking I would save some money. Had I rented the next higher class (VW Golf,etc), I would have most likely received a diesel car which would have made the overall costs much cheaper due to better fuel economy and prices. According to the helpful clerk in Munich, rental car agencies rarely have diesel cars available in the smallest car classes.
M Clarke <email>
Costa Mesa, CA USA 01/15/2008
Car Rental
I have been to Europe 12 times since 1985 for leisure travel. The last 6 times, we have rented cars with Gemut.com, which I learned of through Bob Bestor's Gemutlichkeit, a travel newlsetter for Germany, Austria and and Switzerland. Each time we have gone with different couples who were sure they could beat his price with some company or another, but Gemut.com always gave us the best rate. A friend and I had an automatic transmission Opel last spring that we drove 1800 kilometers in 12 days and the price was about $400 for the rental. I have never had issues with extra charges appearing on my credit card afterwards with this company. Andy is an excellent representative from their company to work with.
A tip for couples traveling together to pay for the gas....we always put 100 Euros per couple in an envelope for gas at the start of the trip for gas, tolls or that Swiss sticker you must have on the windshield to drive there. We replace as needed or divvy up the leftovers at the end of the trip.
Lynne Williams <email>
Carrollton, TX USA 01/14/2008
Driving Rhine & Romantic Road
Stay in Trier at the end of the Mosel in the Hotel Petrisberg. Some of the best hospitality in Germany. Doubles around 100 euros. Rent the car from www.gemut.com (ask for Andy)—best rates, best service—and drop it in Munich or Freiburg. The Munich-Zurich train is a beautiful 3.5 hour ride, about 10 minutes of which is in Austria. Don't add the extra counry to your pass; you can pay for the Austria part at the rail station (or on board), no more than 10 euros. If you go from Freiburg, you avoid Austria. Or, you could drop the car in Friedrichshafen on the Bodensee and take the ferry to Switzerland and then the train on to Zurich. By the way, the Romantic Road has some interesting towns along the way but the route is not very scenic.
Travelman <email>
Hayward, CA USA 01/11/2008
We had a very bad experience with Europcar in Ireland. We damaged a fender and they charged us for a fender, bumper and headlamp. When I questioned charges, I was told we had no recourse. Beware!!
Barbara Ritchey
Orange Park, FL USA 01/06/2008
Driving the Rhine & Romantic Road
I am going on the honeymoon in June and a part of it will be renting a car in I think Cologne and driving a brief part of the Rhine and seeing Burg-Eltz Castle among other things for a day. Stay the night in one of those towns. The next day will be the romantic road. Stay in one of those towns (or our car) and then drop it off in Munich the next day for a train to Switzerland.
I was wondering if there are any recommended towns we need to see and ones that would be best to sleep at.
Also, is Munich the best place to drop the car off for a train to Zurich? I know the train ride passes through Austria but I don't want to add another country to my Eurail Select pass just because we go through it briefly. So is there maybe another city in Germany to drop the car off and still catch a train to Zurich?
Kevin <email>
Chino Hills, Ca USA 01/03/2008
cell phone
With or without a car, it is a good idea to have a cell phone. It is very helpful when we cannot locate a hotel, lost with directions to a place, or have an appt. and we are running late. ex- We had to return our leased car and we almost ran out of gas. the company told us to return the car with an empty tank. We got lost with the directions given by the car leasing company to the Barajas Madrid Airport to either take the A9 or A9B exit. They told us to take A9, also the sign indicated that there was gas available, but it was "closed." We had to call the car leasing company for help and the cell phone came in handy.
k. moy
san francisco, ca USA 12/23/2007
Driving in southwest Ireland
My fiancé & I drove extensively through Counties Kerry & Cork last spring and had no problems. Even so, I will throw my two cents out there.
We rented through the Budget office in Killarney, and the salesman was very friendly. When we arrived, he wasn’t there, but after we called a number, he quickly showed up when he learned we were waiting. When our rental time was up, we drove back to his office and took the option to drop off the car at Cork airport (we wanted to see Mizen Head along the way). He asked us how it was and we told him how much we enjoyed driving. He then had a horrified look on his face when he realized I had driven the car, and apparently my fiancé was the only one who was supposed to drive. He told us if we got in an accident while I was driving, our insurance would not cover it and we would have to pay for damages ourselves. Thankfully, nothing happened but we will consider that in the future.
Driving on the left is not as daunting as it seems. I recommend starting out in a secluded, flat area to familiarize yourself with driving UK/Ireland style. I first took the wheel in on a drizzly mountain road and it was scary at first, but you quickly acclimate once you realize you’re not going to drive off a cliff. Drive with confidence. The biggest challenge was making turns onto another street--to remember turning into the left lane. After a couple times turning onto the wrong side, we always muttered “left left left left” whenever we turned, and that helped immensely. The one thing I never got used to was looking over my left shoulder when changing lanes or going backwards, but it was never a problem.
Beware of the unimproved roads in the countryside…it rains a lot in Ireland and we saw a lot of hidden mudholes that could have put us in a bad situation. On Valentia Island, we tried to go down a dirt and gravel road, but the further we went, the worse off it looked, so we turned around before we got stuck. For the most part the tourist roads were easily navigable, but parts of the mountain roads are falling apart and a lot of the backwoods roads are one gravel lane. Go very slow around the corners; there are a lot of big tour busses and trucks that would easily flatten you. That brings me to another point, two lane roads are rare in the rural areas, and you will be stuck behind Sunday drivers often. The roads aren’t very passer-friendly, so you will need to be patient and wait for a long stretch of flat road. Or you can always pull off for a minute—chances are there is a great view. The Dingle peninsula is absolutely breathtaking.
Upon returning the car to Cork airport, they took the car, no questions asked, no car check at all. In hindsight, that was not a smart idea, but we never got a mystery charge for damage or fuel consumption. After reading all these horror stories, perhaps we were fortunate, but everyone we dealt with in Ireland was very friendly and seemed innocent. When we filled up at a gas station in southern Kerry, I handed my credit card to the clerk and he gave me a blank stare. At first I thought he didn’t accept credit cards, but then he asked me in a thick Irish accent “well how much was it?” He was so trusting that he was asking me how much I owed him! I had to run back outside and check the pump to pay him. Overall, we highly recommend driving in Ireland and we have great memories of touring the country at our own pace. We even framed the travel map with our routes in bold, and put Kerry & Cork decals on our own cars.
Brandon
The Commonwealth, VA USA 12/19/2007
Driving in France
This October, we rented a car and drove over 1200 km (800mi) in France.
Here are some tips we learned 1) we rented a car to be picked up in Versailles. That avoided driving within Paris. It was easy to get out of and back into Versailles.
2) The French drive almost like we do in the US. But do look out for cars coming from the right, they usually have right of way.
3) Except on freeways, forget about direction signs with the highway number. Instead find the next town on your map and look for a direction sign. Oh, and make sure that you look closely at the name on the sign. We were headed for Arles late in the evening. We didn't discover that we had misread the signs until we got to Ales, 40 km in the wrong direction.
4) French drivers are surprisingly non-aggressive for the most part.
5) "parking libre" doesn't mean "free parking" it means "self parking"
6) parking meters will sell you a 24 hour ticket. Look for the "resident" choice on the screen. Ask someone if you aren't sure.
6) In many towns the streets are very narrow so its better to pack along the boulevard and walk the streets. I dinged the rental car in Arles' narrow streets.
7) Look into cars parked on the street to see what locals leave visible. The leave nothing but trash! Hide everything in the trunk. Buy a "pacsafe" to to lock your bags in.
have fun
Jeff
Placerville, CA USA 12/19/2007
Driving in Europe
We spent three weeks driving 1700 miles in Europe (Sweden, Germany, France, Belgium and Holland) in September, and had no problems-other than getting lost alot! Next time, we will take a portable GPS. Driving is a great way to get around in Europe, particularly the out-of-way places. Some general observations:
Road manners-Europeans are not as agressive as US drivers-however, stay out of the left lane unless you are keeping up with traffic!
France-the Autoroute is a toll road-45 Euros from Burgundy to Paris. Autoroutes are free and excellent in Germany, Belgium, and Holland. Expect to drive faster than in the US, 60-90 miles per hour. In Germany, we averaged about 90, ocassionally hitting 110.
Gas-close to the equivalent of $8 per gallon, slightly lower in Germany and France. Read the pump labels carefully-the diesel pumps look nearly identical to the gas pumps.
Amsterdam-metered street parking is 36 Euros per day, and the meters will not take anything but coins or Dutch credit cards. You'll need lots of 2 Euro coins!
Paris-don't park on the street unless you are driving a beater. You won't see many nice cars parked on the street in Paris-they are all in the underground garages, which are generally both safe and well lit. Cost is 28 Euros per 24 hours.
Burgundy-we absolutely loved Burgundy. Few tourists, and we were there right during harvest. We stayed at wonderful places in Burgundy, never more than 90 Euros per night. Some of the smaller wine growers have a few bottles out on the street-you take a bottle and put the money in a box.
Paris-wonderful city, but be on the lookout for beggars, some very aggressive. A common scam: beggar walks in front of you, and pretends to "find" a gold ring on the ground(it's actually a brass plumbing bit, I now have one) and then immediately puts it in your hands as "a gift for you". Now they want 10 Euros for the "gift", and won't take no for an answer. We saw this one dozens of times. Another one: "excuse me, do you speak English?" You'll soon find that they have a child in the hospital, etc. Parisians are used to avioding them, so should you.
Amsterdam-we rented a houseboat on the Amstel for five nights-the same one featured on Samantha Brown's show. It was over 100 feet long, and there was just the two of us. We could have easily had 6-8 people. Highly recommended!
This was our first time in Amsterdam, and it's now our favorite city in Europe.
Biggest surprise: travelling in Europe was not nearly as expensive as we had thouht it would be. We usually paid between 60 and 80 Euros per night, including breakfast. Restaurants are no higher than in the US, even with the weak dollar.
Savings tip-we bought an inexpensive cooler at the beginning of the trip, and shopped at supermarkets for snacks, bottled water, picnic items, etc. Prices are similar to US. Fast food joints are expensive and full of tourists. For the same money, you can eat a great meal in an outdoor cafe.
Another surprise-sitting in a square in Paris, and spotting all the people with Steve's book!
Doug Caldwell <email>
Portland, OR USA 12/14/2007
Driving into Florence
Reaching your hotel by car in Florence is very difficult if not impossible. Our GPS didn't help and we finally parked the car and took a cab. At breakfast we found out others had the same problem. One American couple simply stopped the car, hailed a cab and followed the cab to the hotel. This would of saved us a lot of time and stress if we had thought of it.
William Blum <email>
Norman, OK USA 12/09/2007
navigating in Italy by car
After five days in Rome, we rented a car and drove to Salerno,Abruzzi, Ancona,Venice, Tuscany and back to Rome. We did not have a gps device until Tuscany. That is an absolute necessity. We love tomtom
frank mulkern <email>
payson , az USA 11/16/2007
Roundabouts in general
Yes,the Hemel Magic roundabout is still in business. As a professional driver in that area from before it was installed, I can only say that it was a vast improvement on what went before. To re-iterate what has gone before, use indicators as much as possible - everyone else will work around you. However,in France, although things are changing, there are still many, many roundabouts where traffic on the roundabout HAS to give way to anyone entering!! These roundabouts are distinguished by the lack of a 'Cedez le passage' sign on the approach to it.
Malcolm
Willcox, AZ USA 11/07/2007
Roundabouts
Can't find a link now, but I think most studies indicate that roundabouts are safer than lights and that the accidents that occur in the former tend to be less serious than those at light controlled junctions.
Another thing in favor of roundabouts is that they tend to distribute traffic more evenly than lights, which often end up "bunching" traffic moving in particular directions.
Colin
San Francisco, CA USA 10/25/2007
Re: Roundabouts - don't glue to the left lane
I found that most of the things Chris Jones had to say about roundabout travel to be correct. The use of your signals is VERY important. Not only in roundabouts but EVERYWHERE at all times (the "friendly" use of your horn and headlights on one lane country roads is helpful as well). In some of the bigger intersections/cities (Galway, Cork, etc.) we found there ARE arrows on the road indicating that you need to stay in the lane you're in. And for goodness sake, do not stop in the roundabout. They are a pretty efficient traffic control device until this happens. As far as for staying in the left lane goes however, we took our cues from the locals and how they approached navigating the roundabouts. We followed plenty of locals, in big cities and small, that hugged the left lane till they exited at the 2nd and even 3rd outlet. We didn't observe any, um; "hand gestures" or any of the like from folks waiting to enter the roundabout so we figured this is ok to do. Perhaps we got it all wrong. Perhaps the etiquette or even laws in other parts of Ireland or other countries is different. I certainly didn’t mean to put anybody in danger. I’m just passing on my own observations/experiences in regards to driving in Ireland. Cheers!
Jim <email>
Morro Bay, CA USA 10/19/2007
Driving in Spain
Roundabouts drove me nuts! They're everywhere! I cannot see how anyone believes they are safer, and they are adding them here now! As for Insurance, I contracted with my American Express Card - at $24.95 per auto rental - for a pretty good policy covering theft ($100,000), Liability (1,000,000) and other coverages. There are some countries it doesn't cover: Italy (no surprise there) Ireland, (surprise there) and a few others.
Keith
St. Paul, MN USA 10/19/2007
My final word on Roundabouts - honest
Sorry for the huge post earlier - got carried away. Roundabouts are very efficient at keeping traffic moving, and probably no more dangerous than traffic lights (which people are rather prone to jump now in the UK, if there is no "red-light camera" to catch them). But there ARE frequets bumps at them, caused by (1) Running into the driver in front when she starts to move off then changes her mind (2) Pulling out too optimistically, and misjudging the speed of the oncoming driver (3) Moving into the left lane too early, so that the bloke entering ahead of you thinks you are turning off and pulls out in front of you (4) Leaving the roundabout from the inside lane assuming that the bloke on your left (in the outside lane) is leaving too, when actually he is carrying on round.
Try to use the correct lane (ie don't circle the outside lane making everyone else avoid you) if you can. But if you look around you, and use your indicators, you'll be OK even if you do get a bit confused !
Chris Jones
Sheffield, Yorks UK 10/19/2007
Roundabouts - don't glue to the left lane
Other posts suggest "keep to the left until your navigator tells you to turn off".
This is not good advice except on mini-roundabouts where there is only one lane.
It is potentially dangerous on large roundabouts - and VERY dangerous where the exit roads have more than one lane.
The left-hand (outside) lane of a roundabout is for traffic leaving at the next exit. If you stay in this lane when you are not leaving, you are blocking traffic trying to move across to leave. Worse, by being in that lane you are signalling to other drivers that you are turning off - when you don't, you will be catching them by surprise and could cause an accident - particularly when drivers waiting to enter the roundabout ahead of you assume that you are leaving and pull out in front of you.
It's worse on "dual carriageways", where the exit roads have two lanes. Some drivers in the lane to your RIGHT will be turning off, so if you continue around the roundabout, you will cut across them, and could well be T-boned.
There is help ! Most large roundabouts now have arrows to show where you can go from the lane you are in. You MUST obey these arrows or (only if you are sure it is safe) change lanes positively and correctly.
If at any time you find you are in the wrong lane, USE YOUR INDICATORS, and look around very carefully before changing lanes. Do not just STOP: drivers on roundabouts have to look right and left and over their shoulders: when they turn their head back to the front they will be extremely startled to find a stationary car there !
If you are not sure what to do, follow the car in front of you, even if that means leaving the roundabout where you did not intend to; or going round again (changing lanes as appropriate)!
Be careful when entering a roundabout - pause until you KNOW it is safe, then move positively forwards. If you start to accelerate out but then change your mind, you will almost certainly be hit from behind, because once the driver behind sees you move off, they will forget about you. They wil turn their attention to the right to look for their own chance to enter the roundabout, and will still be looking right when they move off and hit your stationary rear bumper...
In nearly all these cases (except when you ignore road markings) you would have a case for arguing that it was the other driver's fault for running into you. But do you want to have an accident and play the blame game - or just get on with your holiday safely?
So...
If, for instance, there are three entrance lanes and no road arrows (or lanes marked on the signpost) use L for first exit, Middle for straight on, R for last exit.
Stay in the correct lane as you join the roundabout - move with the circle, otherwise you will cut across other drivers entering the roundabout to the left or right.
Gradually move to the left as you get further and further around the roundabout - only enter the left lane when past last set of the cars waiting to join the roundabout (ie from the road before your exit).
Key tip: Always use your indicators to signal your intentions. RGHT = carrying on round. LEFT = turning off.
When you have mastered this - go to Hemel Hemsptead and try their version of the magic roundabout (Swindon's pales in comparison). In effect it is a mini circular dual carriagway with little roundabouts where the approach roads join it ! The best part of it is that cars go BOTH ways round the central bit.
I knew it years ago - and it seemed like a death trap (worked well until ONE driver from out of town hit it). Perhaps they have removed it ... ?
Chris Jones
Sheffield, Yorks USA 10/17/2007
Definition of CDW
I think there may be some confusion over terms here. I may be being pedantic, but it's imporant to know what you are paying for...
At least in the UK, CDW is usually included in the rate you are quoted. I have just been comparing rates on UK web sites and I haven't found one that doesn't.
Great - so no charge if my car is damaged, then ? "Collision Damage Waiver" sounds like they are waiving all damage costs if you have an accident, doesn't it ?
Well, NO. CDW is just the name for an insurance policy. And like most insurance policies, it comes with an Excess (the amount you pay if you have to claim on it).
A CDW excess can be as much as £600 on a non-premium car. So if the car comes back with £3000 damage, the CDW pays for everything EXCEPT £500. That comes out of the credit card you presented to the hire company.
The insurance they try to sell you at the desk, therefore, may NOT be CDW. You may be already paying for that in the quoted rate.
This "extra" insurance in often called "Damage Excess Waiver" (I think one company calls it "Supercover"). This insurance is to insure your excess. So in the case above, the CDW covers £2500 and the DEW covers the final £500. Thankfully, there is no excess on the DEW, so you don't have to take out another policy to cover that.....
It's this top-up insurance that is so expensive. I went to hire a care last Christmas at a specially cheap rate of £15 per day "all inclusive", and found that the DEW wasn't included and would cost me another £12 per day !.
I now have my own DEW insurance (about £40 per year), so from now on the "All Inclusive" price will cover everytign I need....
...."Oh, hang on a minute sir, you also need to pay an Airport Charge and a one-way hire charge. What? Yes, I know you put "Airport" and "Home" in the origin and destination boxes on the web form before the website quoted you the Fully-Inclusive Price. It's just that our in-house meaning for Fully-Inclusive is slightly difeerent from most people's."
Key point - just because you have CDW doesn't mean that a scratched windsceen won't cost you a packet !
Chris Jones
Sheffield, Yorks England 10/17/2007
Renting and Driving in Barcelona
By the way, if you are returning a rental car in Barcelona there is a gas station right at the airport!
OTOH we found driving near Barcelona, even getting in and out of the airport, to be a huge hassle, because the freeways are confusing and poorly signed. You would actually have to be out of your mind to drive in the city itself.
If you are going to the Costa Brava or Girona, seriously consider taking transit and renting the car there.
W Sanders
San Francisco Bay Area, CA USA 10/11/2007
Clutch Insurance??
Ha! That's a good one. I suppose
next will be brake insurance, wiper insurance, and steering wheel insurance!
Steve
Richmond, VA USA 10/09/2007
Car Rental
I don't usually name names, but this one is important: I was in Malaga, Spain last week and had rented a car from Advantage Rent a Car. I was never informed by them, however, that there was no Advantage Rent a Car in Malaga, and that they contract with another company in Spain, AURIGA CROWN CAR HIRE, so I had no idea who to go to for my car. It took an hour and a half and one very helpful Avis agent who didn’t care that I was not his customer – he helped anyway. Here’s the kicker: When I got to Auriga, they informed me that I was REQUIRED to prepay 50 Euro for gas, pick up full drop off empty. I have rented cars all over the world and while this service is available at most as an option, I have never had one REQUIRE this. Just as a note: after I had driven the car to near empty, I put in 15 Euro of fuel and it took the tank to well over half. That requires a fuel prepayment of more than double the fuel capacity of the vehicle. In addition I was told I could purchase an optional insurance policy for 20 Euro for “clutch insurance”. If the clutch went out while I had it, I would
be responsible for repairing the vehicle. Next time, it's Avis...
Keith
St. Paul, MN USA 10/08/2007
Driving in Italy (notably Sicily)
We just returned from three terrific weeks in Italy. We did most of our travel within the country via train, but rented cars on a few occasions for side trips. A few things we found out:
* Some cities don't allow non-residents to drive in certain parts of the city. This is true in Siena, where police supposedly keep a photographic record of incoming traffic. Fortunately, if you're staying in a hotel or B&B in Siena, your host can contact the police and let them know, so that you don't get a ticket if happened to get lost and wind up somewhere you shouldn't be.
* If you're driving a rental car to the Palermo airport, the nearest gas stations are a 20+ minute round trip from the rental office building. They're certainly not visible from the airport, and it's not easy to find stations on some of the highways in the area either. If you drive into the rental return area with only a quarter tank of gas and limited time before you you have to check in for your flight, be prepared to be charged a lot of money!
* I got into a situation in Agrigento that my husband dubbed "combat driving", and it really wasn't as bad as we thought it would be. People will cut you off and poke their cars into any available paved area to be the first ones in line to the next light. However, it doesn't appear to be done in anger; local drivers seem more matter-of-fact than deliberately aggressive when they pull off these expert cut-off maneuvers. (If you've ever driven in Boston, you're at least halfway there.)
Julie
Rochester, NY USA 10/04/2007
Practical driving tips for Ireland
In the last year, my wife and I have vacationed in Ireland twice and have spent a total of 5 weeks driving all over the North, West, and South of Ireland. From Co. Donegal, to Co. Mayo, Galway, Kerry, Killarney, Wexford, etc. Boy, do I have some tips for you.
When you pick up your car from the Airport, BEFORE YOU EVER LEAVE THE PARKING SPACE OR EVEN START THE CAR, familiarize yourself with where the headlights are as well as the wipers (you'll need them and you don't want to try to find them when your picking your way down a narrow country road). "Go through the gears" a number of times to get used to shifting with your left hand.
Out of Shannon you’ll get your first opportunity to experience a roundabout. If you yield for oncoming traffic, keep in the left lane, and have your navigator tell you which outlet to take, you’ll have very little problem. Once you're on the road, you'll get used to going in a straight line pretty quick. The roads leading away from Shannon are alot like here in the States. Dual Carriageways they call them. Nice. If you’re going north you’ll be happy to know that, as of May ‘07, the detour around Ennis is complete. If your going South through Limerick, you better take your sense of humor, cause the pedestrians will be moving faster than you. This might be something to keep in mind if you’re departing from the Shannon Airport when your Holiday is over.
Something I did that helped me figure out the “outer dimensions” of my vehicle was, with no other traffic around, run over the bumps on either side of the road.
Oddly, one of the most confusing things to me was, trying to remember which side of the road to be on when pulling out of a parking lot or driveway. The best advice I got regarding this came from a local in Ardara, Co. Donegal. “Make long rights and short lefts”. After that, I was a lot better.
When you get down to day to day driving, they do it a little different there. In town it’s a cooperative type of affair. There’ll be times when parked cars have choked the lane down to just a single lane. We believe the etiquette to be: If you get there first, you have the right away and so does everybody behind you. If you get there at the same time as the oncoming traffic, whoever’s lane is the least obstructed has the right away. If you get to the bottleneck after traffic is on the way through, stop short enough to give them the room they’ll need to get by.
In towns and cities, the street signs are often on the sides of buildings about 15 to 20 feet up.
In the country, don’t feel obliged to go the speed limit. We heard from plenty of locals that felt most of the limits were too high. Go as fast as you feel safe and pull over often. Most of the time you’ll get a friendly wave from the person you let by. The most frightening thing you’ll probably encounter is a lorry (semi truck) coming the opposite way on a narrow road. Just tap the brakes, slow down a bit, and stay in your lane. Generally they stay in theirs.
I loved my, “The Complete Road Atlas of Ireland” by Ordnance Survey Ireland. It’s just like a Thomas Guide and shows, I swear, even the smallest country roads.
Finally, get used to the idea that you WILL get lost, you WILL miss the turn, and you’ll probably have to ask a local for direction to your B&B. But all this is taking place in Ireland. Relax. When you get to where you’re going head on down to the pub and have a pint of stout. Slainte!
Jim <email>
Morro Bay, CA USA 10/03/2007
Chris in Vancouver is right . . .
I've driven many thousands of KM in Europe over the past eight years, and in my experience "Chris in Vancouver" is clearly right (and a few others who object may be blinded by an increasingly scary version of American patriotism):
(1) In terms of freeway driving, Europeans are far superior to Americans. Driving in Europe (especially France) is generally a pleasure (and the roads are better as well). By comparison, when driving between the Bay Area and Tahoe, we see a much higher percentage of (a) reckless bozos (usually in huge SUVs) and (b) other totally oblivious folks polking along in the "fast" lane with scores of others lined up behind.
(2) And Chris is right about another thing, too: Don't start out speaking English -- that's just rude. Show some respect by at least starting with a phrase from the local language -- it's not difficult.
Jake <email>
San Anselmo, CA USA 09/30/2007
Driving in Europe
After several wonderful driving trips in Europe I have two suggestions:
1. Invest in a portable GPS with European maps.
2. Pay the additional rental fees for the second driver. With two drivers no one has to drive tired and everyone gets to enjoy the scenery.
Judy Murphy <email>
San Diego, CA USA 09/26/2007
Car Rentals in France
My wife and I just returned from a two week trip to France during which we rented a car in Paris and drove our way down to Nice. We had pre-arranged the car rental back in the states through AAA and got a pretty good deal on a Hertz car rental. A couple of facts are worth mentioning for anyone comtemplating a car rental in France.
In hindsight, I would have taken the GPS option when renting our car. We had elected not to get the GPS option since it was more expensive (approx $200 extra) because the smaller Hertz vehicles did not offer this option. If you don't get the GPS, then you definitiely need the Michelin maps.
We initially used a AAA map which was pretty useless when trying to decipher how to get through the various towns and villages throughout France. Once we purchased the Michelin maps, it became much easier to navigate through towns.
The other important fact we learned was to focus on the names of major towns and villages along the route you're travelling instead of trying to find the highway numbers. The highways in some instances have multiple numbers and are difficult to follow.
Outside of that, driving in France was fairly easy and the countryside from the Loire Valley through Dordogne Valley to Provence is incredibly beautiful!
Also, if you're not in a hurry, I recommend staying off the autoroutes and on the small highways. You will see more of the countryside and avoid paying the numerous expensive tolls along the autoroutes.
Finally, be aware that all car rentals in France have license plates that end in the number "60". As a result, potential thieves readily know which cars belong to tourists.
Sam Arnsdorff <email>
San Diego, CA USA 09/25/2007
Rental cars and GPS
GPS advice in Europe - before you leave the rental car agency make sure the GPS is set to English and that you know how to use it. The agency will be happy to show you. We didn't, couldn't figure how to turn off the sound and had to listen to this woman shout at us in German all over Germany. Fortunately this particular GPS was for Germany only (make sure it's good in all the countries you are traveling) and literally shut down as soon as we crossed the border into Austria. Also, you may enter Florence but the GPS only recognizes Firenze (Italian). Know which language the GPS prefers and learn destination names in that language. Otherwise you may end up in Monaco when you wanted to go to Munich. We always got our GPS gratis with Alamo/National in Germany but if you are traveling a lot in Europe you might be better off to invest in a handheld model and a European memory card. I also understand you can buy maps for your PC/cell phone too for around $100. A GPS is invaluable in Europe.
Mary <email>
Waikoloa, Hawaii USA 09/25/2007
Driving through France, Spain & Portugal
We just returned from a seven week trip to France, Spain and Portugal. We used a lease purchase back car from Renault. This was much cheaper than using a regular rental car. It was a Clio 4 cylinder turbo diesel and got better than 50mpg. At roughly $8.00/gal. for diesel, it really helped. We drove just under 5000 miles on the trip. One thing that really helped was using our GPS unit. It saved an unbelievable amount of time and stress and made driving in the big cities a pleasure. We have a Garmin GPS and I purchased the Ver. 9 chip for Europe. We found it to be very accurate even in the little narrow roads in small out of the way villages. With the GPS, you don't even need to find the street signs -just follow the verbal instructions. I do recommend using a good road map in conjunction with the GPS. We used the Michelin maps for each country we visited.
Fred B.
Vancouver, WA USA 09/22/2007
Spain driving
Even knowing the signs are on the buildings, we had a very taxing time driving into any city in Spain. The highways are fabulous, but the cities made me cry. And I wasn't even driving! I had directions, but they were of no use. "Take the second exit, drive through two roundabouts, then take the first exit" would have worked much better than "turn right on Avenue whatever" which is what the ViaMichelin directions told us.
Perhaps it is for those who are more adventurous than I!
Kristi C
Stoughton , WI USA 09/20/2007
Driving in France - civilized, but expensive
Just got back from a trip to Aude and Tarn. French drivers are nice and laid back - no tailgaters, blind passers, or crazy speeders - the gendarmerie has a bunch of new radar guns, and they love to use them - you will be ticketed for going only 2 or 3 km over the limit. This makes driving in France a civilized, but expensive, experience compared to anywhere else in the world. On the autoroutes, gasoline (petrol) is over $8/gal, in addition to the expensive tolls. Try to get a diesel (gazoil) car if you can, diesel is much less expensive and you'll get better mileage.
W Sanders
San Francisco, CA USA 09/20/2007
Driving in the UK
I have driven in the UK during all our trips. I think its fun and have had no problems. I love the roundabouts. The A roads are great, a lot of the B roads are narrow but I just slow down and enjoy it.
Ohio USA 09/18/2007
Exercise Caution on Narrow Country UK Roads
We have driven in the UK many, many times. However, in July while driving on a tiny, twisty, narrow one-track road in the country a local guy crashed into us. He was going very fast and totalled our rental car, not to mention the adjacent stone wall! Thankfully we were going slow. Anyway, we were fine - it was just the vehicles that were not.
Thankfully we had the car replaced and were on our way the next day.
Brenda
Canada 09/18/2007
Driving in Europe
We are currently in Europe loving every minute of it.....well almost every minute. Some of the big city driving can be taxing on your psyche. Navigating around Brussels and Amsterdam can be a little daunting unless you relax and enjoy the experience.
I would definately rent a car next time with GPS as the maps and road signs don't always mean the same thing.
I would also recommend a little road sign studying before driving in Europe. They use more pictures than text as we are accustomed to in the US.
I love the freedom of driving though.
John <email>
Newberg, Oregon USA 09/17/2007
Driving in the UK
I just spent ten days driving around Britain, touring from Edinburgh to Oxford. (Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, Cotswolds, etc.) I was amazed how narrow the roads are. They are very difficult to drive, especially since the Brits drive on the left, and drive fast, too. I would advise American drivers to expect some difficult situations. An earlier writer mentioned finding the same in his trip to Scotland. Even if one doesn't usually take the CDW, it might make sense in the UK. I may add that I have driven many thousands of miles in France, Germany, etc., so I am not a novice.
USA 09/14/2007
Portugal and Spain driving
This may sound silly to frequent travelers but on my trip last week to Spain and Portugal it took us 2 days to figure out the street names are on the buildings, there are no street signs! We also found some tolls with little explanation, but you have to just put in your credit card, wasn't sure what we were charged but it ended up being around $5-9 each time. We got lost in Seville and decided just to park in a lot and take a cab to the hotel, saved us another 2 hours of driving in circles. Rick's advice to follow city names versus road names was also right on!
Danisha
Arlington, VA USA 09/10/2007
Worst rental car: EuropCar
PLEASE Read carefully about Terrible story with EuropCar. We picked up car in London, paid 95GBP, drove to mainland Europe. Remote key controller failed in Italy. No toll-free phone to call, but to call London rental agent after paying lots of long distant calls. Eventually lost one day of vacation time in Italy waiting in the hotel for the towing company. Please never rent car from EuropCar again, especially through AutoEurope.Com in US. I have two more terrible incidents from this Company to share with the readers.
Ming-Hao Do <email>
Phoenix, AZ USA 09/07/2007
Another terrible experience with EuropCar
We picked up car in London, paying 95 GBP, and drove to Italy and then Vienna. We got a flat tire in the city. The kids were in the car until 3:00am, waiting for the towing company to come, after I spent lots of time making phone calls to Lodon office and was redirected to Paris office. We ended up taking taxi back to hotel and next day took another taxi to car dealer to pick up the car. Of course, the flat tire was not covered by the renal agreement. The EuropCar refused to reimbursement for the taxi, or long distant fee. Please NEVER rent the car from EuropCar again!
Ming-Hao Do <email>
Phoenix, AZ USA 09/07/2007
Never rent a car with EuropCar
We picked up first car in London, drove to 8 countries in Mainlain Europe and then returned in London. We picked up second car for the trip starting in UK and CDW thinking that VISA will cover it. The car got a scratch 3 days before returning to London. 2 days later we stopped by car dealer to udnerstand the scratch. The advice from dealer was to fix it within an hour. We called Europcar 24 hour emergency service to get their permission to fix the scratch. When we returned to US asking EuropCar to provide written proof about the permission. EuropCar refused to do so beecause their agent was not supposed to give the permissoin. I ended up with losing $400 because my VISA credit card refued to pay the claim.
Ming-Hao Do <email>
Phoenix, AZ USA 09/07/2007
Driving and Car Rental in Ireland
We recently took a trip to Ireland and N. Ireland, and we drove all over both countries. We made a car rental reservation in the US with an Irish rental car company, Atlas, which is affiliated with Thrifty/Dollar. Theirs was the best quote on line, but when we arrived at the rental desk in Dublin airport, lo and behold, the car we had reserved was "not available", so we got roped into renting a BMW for about three times as much. I would not rent from Atlas/Thrifty/Dollar again in Ireland because of the bait and switch experience.
We did opt for the maximum insurance (including CDW), and were glad we did once we got on the road. Country roads are narrow, with rock walls on each side and no shoulders. Town roads are also narrow with cars parked on either side leaving about 1.5 lanes for two vehicles. Often this resulted in us stopping until the oncoming traffic had cleared so we didn't risk bumping mirrors, or worse, with parked cars or oncoming vehicles. Speeds in the coutryside are fast, roads are curvy, and the whole experience was quite an adventure (i.e. stressful and yet thrilling). Our mantra became "Keep to the left" when entering and exiting parking lots, and "Move over" when oncoming traffic was in sight. Encountering a big tour bus on a skinny country road was a character-building experience.
Kathy and Blaine
Bellevue, WA USA 09/07/2007
Another Sixt car rental problem.
My wife preceeded me on a trip to Rome. the Sixt car rental car she was given did not even make it out of the airport. They neglected to add water to the radiator and it overheated. The 2nd car refused to start back up after a horrific day of getting lost in Rome trying to find our B&B. Sixt car rental system is poorly linked up with other Sixt agents in Rome. After the 2nd car was towed by their people fron the breakdown location, we were refused a replacement vehicle until the car was found. We wasted precious time dealing with their poor management. Initially we were promised a replacement car but they later renigged. We wound up paying a taxi driver 90 Euro to take us back to our hotel of which Sixt could not garantee us reinbursement. Eventually a 3rd car happened, however, we later learned another Sixt location was very close to our hotel. Unfortunately the location we were dealing with refused to accomodate us with that location. Please, don't deal with this company!!!
Pete Panozzo <email>
West Chicago, IL USA 09/02/2007
Re: Italian Driving Mopeds
I have thirty years experience driving motorcycles in the USA. I have rented a bike in northern Italy and it was fun. We were going to rent motorcycles in Rome and Sorrento during our recent visit. After a few days of observation, we nixed that idea. Italians in Rome and in areas south of Rome, drive like they are mentally unstable. You may also note that the insurance coverage will have a fire damage exclusion. This is because there is some sort of sub-cultural group in Rome that sets parked motorcycles and scooters on fire at night. Even the locals don't know precisely why this is happening.
Francis Saffell
Springfield, OR USA 09/01/2007
Sixt Car Rental Problems
Rented from Sixt at Fiumicino/Rome Airport for 3 days with a drop-off at Civitavecchia to catch a cruise. Upon arrival, we discovered that the rental station was closed (and apparently had been all day because of a festival)and no facility for a drop-off.Had to return to Fiumicino and requested either to be driven back to Civitavecchia or for them to authorize taxi fare. Neither was approved, but rep.said to submit the taxi fare for "possible" reimbursement. Later, our credit card was billed for an extra day's rental. Upon questioning, Sixt dropped the extra day but would not reimburse the taxi fare. Also, an additional 150 Euros charge appears on the credit billing with no explanation or itemization (still nothing after 4 months and 6 communications). Currently disputing with Sixt and the credit card company Re the charges. I know anyone can have a bad day but this is not what I would expect from a good company. Double check your monthly statements.
Richard Oldham
Orlando, FL USA 08/26/2007
Single track roads in Scotland
While driving in Scotland this June, I found driving on the left to be only mildly challenging, the most difficult thing one ordinarily encounters being roundabouts on multi-lane roads (which require you to be in the correct lane depending upon which exit to the roundabout you are taking).
However, single track roads that one finds in more remote areas of Scotland are not for the faint of heart, and not something you should attempt without reading about the rules and customs. When you look at a map of the Highlands, you see these roads and think, well, it may be single track, but that means traffic will be light. Well, light traffic or not, the problem is that, on most of these roads, you can't see ahead for any great distance--it's blind summitt, followed by blind curve, followed by blind summitt. It ends up being one continuous game of chicken.
I highly suggest that you read the section at Undiscovered Scotland, http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/usfeatures/singletrack/index.html , and other web sites which cover this topic if you plan to drive in the Highlands.
Tom Key
Wichita Falls, Texas USA 08/15/2007
Europe by Car
Our family took a 3 week trip to France. We rented a Ford Mondeo through Europe by Car. The staff at Europ by car was patient in asking my many questions. Their price was about $300 lower than what the rental companies were quoting.
We picked up our car at National. They had upgraded us to a Citroen station wagon. It had only 14 km on the dial and had a GPS unit built in. (The back end had a retractable cover to pull over the bags.) My younger daughter quickly named the English accented voice "Sharon."
Sharon was a trip saver. She patiently corrected our turning errors by taking us back and around to try again when we missed the freeway leaving Paris. I was impressed that she knew all the tiny streets of each village we entered. Occasionally she would tell us "If possible, do U-turn." She saved us many anxious moments and took us everywhere we asked. She was worth the entire cost of the rental!
Also, despite what Europe by Car claimed, National let us add a second driver for just 2 euros per day.
And so far we have not seen any additional charges. I highly recommend Europe by car and cannot say enough about the wonders of "Sharon".
Gail
Bellevue, WA USA 08/13/2007
Car Rental in Ireland
Drove from Dublin to Doolin to Dingle and back. Originally planned to use the CDW insurance with visa card, but didn't work (check closely!). We paid for full insurance, and were so glad we did. Driving on other side of the road than US wasn't a problem, but small roads are. Take the plunge and get full insurance..you'll be glad you did. We were careful, but still had scratches on the side of car when we had to pull close to the side to let another car (or cow!) pass.
Shannon <email>
Brussels, Belgium 08/12/2007
German Car Rental
Just wanted to let all know that I hd a marvelous experience with Hertz in Frankfurt. I cashed in my Amex points and reserved thru their Redemption Center. We got 3 vouchers for $300 USD each to present in Frankfurt and a free upgrade with a Navigation system. Hertz cashed the vouchers at a decent rate so the car was basically free (Amex included the CDW)
It was painless, there were unlimited miles/KM and it was a Deisel so the fuel costs were .85 euro/liter vs. 1.15 euro per liter. Four adults put 1500 KM on it going from Frankfurt, up the Rhine to the Nahe Valley, back to Wurzburg, down the Romantic Road, Fuessen, Berchtesgaden, Salzburg, Innsbruck and Munich where we dropped it off at Zentrum.
We all voted on the Navigation (GPS) and said it was absolutely indispensible since we didnt get lost even on the back roads from Rosenheim to Munich.
Tom Westfield <email>
Whippany, NJ USA 08/12/2007
Car Rental in Spain
Kudos to Hertz in Spain and the USA and to MasterCard. I scratched the side of my Hertz rental in a very small garage in Granada. I made a claim on MasterCard. Hertz was helpful in getting the info I needed and I was promptly paid by MC.
RKR <email>
Littleton, CO USA 08/10/2007
CDW
The CDW we purchased from Alamo in Switzerland cost us $100. We rented a small station wagon since we had 4 adults traveling together and we rented the car for 16 days.
Nancy
Sunnyvale, CA USA 08/03/2007
CDW
The CDW we purchased from Alamo in Switzerland cost us $100. We rented a small station wagon since we had 4 adults traveling together and we rented the car for 16 days.
Nancy
Sunnyvale, CA USA 08/03/2007
Europcar In France
Just a warning to others renting a car in France - Last year we had a wonderful 3 week trip to Europe; the only down side was renting a car in LeHavre, France through Europecar (through Auto Europe) and returning it in Rennes. To make a year-long story short, we paid for the rental in full before we left home using a credit card company that included rental car insurance.
We ended up being charged again for the rental (the company did reverse the second charge). In LeHavre we were forced to sign for a deposit against damage (up to $400.00). Low and behold when we arrived home this was the amount charged to our credit card for "damage" to the car. We requested that our credit card company not pay the charge, but was told that as policy our credit card company always pays auto rental company charges without question. I have contacted Auto Europe numerous times and they have in turn been in contact with Europcar. What it boils down to is that the charges still stand (and part of the charges are called "part of the rental cost." The same charges a third time.
Before you rent a car in Europe, make sure you check with your credit card company about their policy for paying disputed rental car charges; when you return the car ask for a company employee to drive the car to another parking space and sign a paper saying the car is in working order.
Another caution - be sure to ask if the car has a diesel or gasoline engine. A friend had to replace a whole engine in a rental car because he put gasoline in a diesel engine.
If possible, take the train!
Susan
San Francisco, CA USA 08/02/2007
Car Rentals in Switzerland
We rented a car in Switzerland for a couple of weeks and had a great experience. First, we booked through Novacar.com. They absolutely found the cheapest rate and were easy to deal with. The actual rental company ended up being National/Alamo. Secondly, we have never purchased insurance on a car before, but for some reason my husband decided at the counter we needed the insurance. I was grumbling about the extra expense, but it turned out to be a wise purchase. Just after we arrived in Interlaken the skies opened up and it rained like crazy. Then the hail started -- golf ball sized hail. The car's finish was ruined and there were huge dents all over the roof, hood and doors. Fortunately the windows weren't broken, but the car parked next to us wasn't so lucky. When we returned the car in Basel there was no problem. The whole thing was covered. The owner of our hotel told us that cars insured in Switzerland are always insured for hail damage, so it's something to consider. In checking with our policy when we got home, we wouldn't have been so fortunate if we had relied on our local coverage.
Nancy
Sunnyvale, CA USA 08/01/2007
The problem with CDW
The problem with getting CDW with your European rental car is that is costs more than the car rental itself - we got quotes from AutoEurope and Hertz for a 2 1/2 week rental out of Barcelona. The base rental was about $300 but CDW was nearly $400.
I have a gold mastercard that's supposed to cover CDW in Europe. What with all the horror stories of phony ripoff damage claims, I'd be interested if anyone has used their credit card insurance.
W Sanders
San Francisco, CA USA 08/01/2007
car rental
we just returned from two weeks in austria and budapest. we rented through carrentals.com and were very satisfied. $390 american for the two weeks. it afforded us the opportunity to get away from the cities into the lovely towns and villages.
Kendra
North Providence, RI USA 08/01/2007
Thrifty at CDG in Paris
Just a quick warning to those who rent a car through Thrifty here in the States. Thrifty (at least in Paris) has been taken over by ADA.
The information we received from reserving the car online through Thrifty indicated we would pick up the car at CDG airport where we were flying into. Simple enough, only there is no Thrifty (or ADA) at CDG airport proper. What we eventually figured out (thanks to a very friendly person at the Hertz counter) that we had to take a Hotel shuttle to the Holiday Inn and pick up our car there. Not a big problem, and the renting and driving of the car itself went fine, but a little confusing if you do not know what to do.
Fred
Baltimore, MD USA 07/16/2007
Thumb prints
Be aware that Europcar in the UK is now asking renters to provide a thumb print when they rent a vehicle, apparently to combat vehicle theft. I declined to provide one on the grounds that my reservation made no indication that this was a condition of renting, and that it was an abuse of my civil rights. Interestingly, they didn't refuse to rent me a vehicle but asked me to fill in my name and reasons for declining on a sheet. Judging from this list, many renters had previously done the exact same thing.
Colin <email>
San Francisco, CA USA 07/12/2007
US v European Drivers
Driving in Italy last month once again reminded me of why I prefer to drive in Europe. Yes, Italian drivers are super-aggressive, but they are also very consistent in their (aggressive) driving. I much prefer this to the haphazard driving I see in the US - particularly on freeways, where you almost inevitably see people weaving between lanes and/or chugging along in the left lane oblivious to what is behind them.
Colin <email>
San Francisco, CA USA 07/12/2007
Tim
Oh BEGGG to differ! American drivers are in no way comparable to European (autobahn) drivers. Yes, the left lane is for faster moving vehicles...not just an extra lane for grampa to use if he feels like it. Even in the USA there are signs for slower traffic to "Keep Right". Although these signs are frequently ignored.
I have learned a lot by driving in Europe. I think we could ALL learn a lot about EVERYTHING from Europeans...especially driving.
USA 07/11/2007
To Chris in Vancouver Canada
To Chris,
" The average American is not trained like the Europeans are. Please stay in the slow lane for the sake of all of us. "
I respectfully disagree. In my opinion Chris, the "average American" is just as good of a driver as any European driver.
As far as "staying in the slow lane for the sake of all" goes, it should be up to the driver to decide.
USA 07/10/2007
Allround Auto in Munich- NOOOOO !!
Just got back from Munich and Salzburg. We rented a van from Allround Rentals in Munich. We found the recommendation in the Germany Austria 2007 guidebook, but it is NOT online. STAY AWAY !! Our Fiat Ducato van had 104,000km, broked back door lock, broken side sliding door, broken side lock, a/c fan did not work except on high, came with 3/4 tank of fuel (they said it was full at that level?) and was FILTHY. We have rented a lot of cars (and have renetd in Europe previously) and have never seen anything like this. Even out B/B hosts in Germany were amazed that we had been rented a vehicle in such poor condition. (Unfortunately I had no other choices at this point and it was this or nothing) An effort to get any type of reduction in price or compensation for the fuel was completely rebuffed, even though they did finally concur with my assessment of the vehicles condition. (although never the reduced fuel amount). My advice, STAY AWAY !! Get a real company or take the train. But do not go near Allround Auto.
Gary Rigby
Ocala, FL USA 07/09/2007
worst tourists
To chris in Vancouver. Read the latest expedia poll on "the world worst tourists" (gogle that phrase) before you go critizing Americans tourists.
I don't think you are a Canadian - the Canadians I have met are all much more polite than you.
michael
seattle, wa USA 07/09/2007
Big Rental Car Companies
The Best Company to rent a car in Europe would be SIXT because it is very cheap and if you are a Lufthansa Frequent Flier they give you great benefits.
Babak Pakravan
Lawrence, KS USA 07/03/2007
Alamo National Car Rental in Germany
Beware of Alamo National Car Rental in Germany. If you think that you are in good hands with these guys, think again.
Don't let that false sense of security fool you that you are dealing with a reliable, reputable American car rental company overseas.
I rented a car from National at a major airport in Germany. I returned the car at the same location 3 weeks later without a scratch. Then about a year later, I received a call from a collection agency demanding money for minor scratches and paint damages that I caused to the vehicle I rented from National. I disputed National's damage claim and tried to contact Alamo National in Germany but they never provided me with any proof of the damage, never gave me their telephone number or their address to resolve the dispute. Through my own investigation into this matter I found out that Alamo National specifically target renters who decline their Collision Damage Waiver coverage and use their credit card company's CDW coverage instead. The collection agency working on behalf of Alamo National in Germany placed a collection account on my credit report. After almost a year and a half, the matter remains unresolved and I am still in the process of getting the collection account removed from my credit history which is not easy and very time consuming.
I'd almost say it is better to buy Alamo National Car Rental's Collision Damage Waiver coverage and pay these crooks inflated rates for their CDW, if you MUST rent from Alamo National because there is no other alternative, than put yourselves at risk and having to deal with minor damage claims and collection agencies in the future.
Personally, I would NEVER recommend Alamo National car rental in Germany to anybody and I'll never do business with Alamo National after what they've done to me.
My advice to any American tourist thinking about renting a car from Alamo National in Germany is to stay away, or I should say steer away from these bunch of crooks as far as you can!
USA 07/02/2007
Tim
Just based on personal experiences with Hertz both in Europe and in the USA, they are at the BOTTOM of my list of rental facilities. Yes, I know they are one of the big dealers, but I've always had bad experiences with them. Rude behavior, slow slow slow, exhorbitant charges for a scratch. Hertz has taught me well as to what a rental car company should NOT be!
Hertz - ughhhh
Knoxville, USA 07/01/2007
Fueling up!
A little more on finding and buying fuel when you rent a car in Europe. My experiences were in France and Italy a month ago.
1. Reserve a diesel car. Diesel is noticeably cheaper than gas and the cars can be more fuel efficient. Just confirm your car is diesel when you pick it up (look inside the gas tank panel). Diesel is "gazoil" in some countries and there may be different grades.
2. Try to fuel up at the "big-box" stores on the outskirts of town (Carrefour, Intermarche, etc.; you'll see the signs). The prices are much cheaper than buying at roadside stations or at freeway rest stops. I paid E1.04 per liter for diesel last month compared to E1.18 on the Autoroute. When you're buying 50 liters, it adds up!
3. As a tradeoff, carry cash for fuel While the Autoroute stations accept American credit cards, many of the shopping center stations can't.
4. Top off during working hours when you can. Off-hours (including Sundays, Monday mornings and midday) the cheaper shopping center stations may not be open.
5. Check that your rental's tank is full when you pick it up. I left Paris having inspected everything in and around the car except the fuel gauge. 15 minutes later I realized the tank was only 3/4 full.
Doug M <email>
Portland, OR USA 06/29/2007
If # 1 is this bad?? What about the rest?
The suggestion is arrange for transportation in the USA. Hertz USA told me they didn't have a location in Orvieto, italy - They do!
The confirmation said you will have a Never Lost navigation unit. They didn't have one.
There is no way to complain to Hertz USA as management hides from consumers.
But I loved Italy!
Peter Fellows
Mesa, AZ USA 06/29/2007
Bad Experience with Thrifty in Dublin
On Sunday, May 20, 2007 my wife and I picked up our rental car, a 2005 Hyundai Accent, in Dublin Ireland. On May 23, 2007 we were traveling through Killarney National Park when we parked the rental car and walked to see the Torc Waterfall. Upon returning to the rental car I tried to start the car and noticed the key would not turn in the ignition. I pulled out the key and noticed it was broke. The other half was in my pocket, where the keys were stored during our walk.
I immediately phoned Thrifty in Dublin to explain the situation. After several phones calls to Thrifty Dublin, Thrifty Cork and Thrifty’s Administrative Offices in Ireland we were told that a new rental car would have ti be towed to us as they could not get us a replacement key. After a six hour wait a new rental car did arrive and they towed our original rental car to Cork.
When returning the vehicle on Saturday June 2, 2007 in Dublin. The agent informed me that my file was flagged and Thrifty Ireland would be charging me 400-euro ($538.22) to replace the broken key. I told the agent that the charge was inappropriate and explained what had happened. After much deliberation back and forth the agent said that I could wait 1 1/2 hours until a manager came in, but as I had a flight to catch I could not wait. I then requested that he not process the charge until I could speak with a manager via telephone, but he said he had to charge it, and perhaps the manager would reverse the charge after speaking to me.
I did nothing out of the ordinary; the keys were stored safely in my pocket where I have stored my personal keys for 20+ years.
As of this date Thrifty will not even meet us half-way and we are disputing the charge with citibank. It is very difficult to swallow a $538.22 charge for a replacement key when the key was simply in my pocket.
Earl McCullough
Lockport, NY USA 06/22/2007
Driving in Austria
We just returned a couple of weeks ago from a trip through Germany, Austria, and Italy. We flew into Frankfurt and rented a car through National. They were aware of our travel itinerary. All went well until we drove from Garmish, Germany, to Innsbruck, Austria. As we exited the autobahn, we were pulled over and informed that we did not have a sticker permit on our windshield, and the fine, payable on the spot, was 120 euros. Fortunately we had the cash to pay the fine, but if we had not we were told that everything in our car would be confiscated. In addition, we had to drive to the nearest service station and purchase a temporary sticker for between nine and ten euros, which was good for ten days. We will take responsibility for this oversight, because we went back and reread our AAA booklet and this was mentioned in there, but we didn't really pay attention to that fact when we first read through the book. I do feel that the car rental agency should have been more proactive in pointing this out to us so we would have been prepared. If for some reason we had not purchased the permit, the next fine would have increased more than double, and so on. We were told that this fine was in lieu of tolls on the autobahn, but on our way to Italy we did have a toll of eight euros! In spite of this, we enjoyed our trip through Austria, but it would have been much more fun if we'd had that money to do something enjoyable!
Lynne Martin
Warner Robins, GA USA 06/22/2007
Car vs. Train
I would definitely suggest a car rental vs. train unless you are VERY good with planning every train ticket far in advance. Our 7 hour train trip from Naples to Venice had no AC and no other plan...we fried for 7 hours in the sun. If you're debating, pick the car.
Laurie <email>
Augusta, GA USA 06/20/2007
Sixt Car Rental
For cheap and reliable car rentals in Europe, my husband and I always use Sixt. We have rented from Sixt several times over the past five years and have never been disappointed. We have never had any problems with the company or the cars. We just returned from a three week stay on the continent. We used the Sixt Holdiay Car program (price includes all mileage and insurance). As usual, we were very satisfied with the company and car!
Karen
San Antonio, Texas USA 06/09/2007
Watch your speed in France!
Beware that France has stepped up enforcement of speed limits. Radar detectors are set up on Autoroutes and national highways.
Compared to what I remember from four years ago, this enforcement has reduced excess speeding considerably.
Unfortunately, I found out how aggresively the Gendarmerie enforces the speed limits personally. Merrily on my way south to Beziers, I was flagged down by a man stepping out from the roadside greenery.
It was a friendly Gendarme, who looked like Tim Conway, and with more English than I had French, explained that I had been clocked going 114 kph where the speed limit is 90. He fined me E45 on the spot and wrote me an elaborate ticket and receipt for my cash payment.
I thought speeding in Italy was also reduced from what I remember in the past but did not chance my own test of that country's enforcement.
Watch your speed...
Doug M
Portland, OR USA 06/09/2007
Rental Cars
I've driven in Europe and the Caribbean a lot with rental cars, and while they're not always the cheapest, I now always go with Hertz if I can.
I've had too many problems with other rental companies (wrong cars, tiny engines with no acceleration, bait-and-switch). Be especially aware of "no-name" companies. Also, many no-name companies don't have a return lot at your departure airport, which adds to your stress, etc. In all fairness, some of those are excellent and give you a lift back to the airport.
If you go on-line before your trip and check Hertz, sometimes (not always) you can find incredible deals on pre-paid vouchers. One time the Hertz lady in London didn't believe the price on the voucher, it was so low.
When renting any car be sure to give it a thorough "walk-around" check before you drive off the lot or garage. I've had bad tires, scrapes, etc. Once, due to a bad tire, I got a wonderful free upgrade from Hertz.
I've found that in Europe Hertz often has specials when you arrive to pick up your car. They're optional, but often make sense. They want to get a car from one place to another, and if you're going their you can get some fabulous deals. I saved over 300 Euros off the reservation price on my last trip PLUS got an upgrade to a nicer car because I was going from Prague to Zurich.
For a European car company, Sixt is pretty good too. But I prefer Hertz. The extra price (usually) is worth it for the peace of mind.
The "vignettes" (highway tax stickers) are NOT included in rental prices, so be sure to give your itinerary to the rental agent so they can advise you based on your car. I had to buy a vignette for Austria on my last trip for about 25 euros (I forget the exact price). It's good for a month, so sometimes you win (from the previous driver) and sometimes you lose.
One of the absolutely BEST things about having a rental car is getting lost. I know this sounds crazy, but we've had some of our best experiences and most memorable moments getting totally lost and finding unexpected and delightful places.
Forget having a rental car in most large cities. Best to either drop it off, or stick it in a garage, depending on how the price works out for you (weekly rentals sometimes mean garaging the car makes sense). Some hotels have arrangements with garages and that can translate to very cheap prices/convenience.
The Hertz "Neverlost" system is great; I got one on a free upgrade once and was converted. Navigation requires a navigator, and can be quite stressful at times, and we all want to have fun.
Steve <email>
North Miami, Florid USA 06/07/2007
Cars, roads, and Trains in Italy
We went to Italy and we decided that if it is paved or even just looked like a road, Italians drove on it. They were even driving along the Appain Way. We took a long walk along it and it was nice the first few miles, but then as the walk-way between the road and the walls of ruins, we had to walk in single file line as cars zoomed by. It was a very bad experiance. Also walking in Italy is very effeciant becasue thats what many people do and you almost always are crossing the street in groups. When someone yells "Car" you can just saunter along. But if someone yells "MoPed" you had better get going because they will not stop, as cars usually do. We did get International drivers licsenses but we never used them. To get around, trains were very effeciant and fast. Some were cheaper than others, but they were very comfortable. I reccomend getting a train that is a strait shot to whereever you go, instead of getting of at one station to get on another train. This is too much of a hassle. Trains are also VERY scenic, so you can see all of Italy you arent visiting
Genevieve <email>
Rapid City, SD USA 06/07/2007
best companies
SO I do agree on Rick's car and Drive Deals and my top 3 companies would DER, Avis , and maybe Budget.
Babak Pakravan
Lawrence, KS USA 06/06/2007
Train Travel in the UK
This has more to do with train travel- but I'm working on my July trip to the UK, and I am moving between cities via the train system. I tried booking online, but the website www.nationalrail.co.uk which is recommended in the R.S. guide, requires a post code and of course they don't recognize U.S. post codes! I then booked over the phone and just got my $160 phone bill yesterday. If deciding to call, check your international service before you call!
Rebecca
Rockford, MI USA 06/05/2007
Europe By Car rental in Paris
Rick's car rental advice suggests Europe By Car as a reputable company and perhaps they almost always are. However, last June I arrived at the Gare de Lyon EBC office to pick up the rental car I'd reserved and paid for months in advance. They were unimpressed wit