Auto Rental

Hope you have some deep pockets. Are you sure you really need a car for all that time, and you need to pick it up in one country and then drop it off in a different one? In a region that's very well served by rail (convenient, efficient, comfortable and inexpensive), yours is going to be a very, very expensive joourney...

If I were going that long, I'd look at a lease option. Try Auto Europe, I believe they can help you with a lease. As I recall I booked online, looked at both Peugeot and Renault's car offerings, then booked with Renault (because they had the car that worked best). I picked up in Amsterdam and dropped in Rome for a relatively small pick up/drop off charge. There wasn't be a charge for picking up anywhere in France. Things may have changed with the program since then.

Have you tried Autoeurope.? One of the many advantages of Autoeurope is that in the event of a problem, they have toll free lines and 24/7 service to help. Their pricing is also very competitive.

Sixt is a well-known German car rental company.

There can be very heavy fees for leaving a car in a country other than that of pickup. This can double the price of your lease.

I also suggest checking with AutoEurope. But check on leasing rates, not rental rates. They are substantially different. You might want to speak with one of their customer reps on their toll free number. They are knowledgeable and very helpful.

I too would suggest looking at AutoEurope. Their web site has both the Peugot and Citroen lease options. But you'll need to be more flexible with your pickup and dropoff locations. The only 2 in Italy are the Rome and Milan airports. There are more options for picking up in France.

I've used Sixt twice, though only for short-term rentals, and found them to be a good company. The local agencies I've looked at for them tend to get higher ratings, with fewer horror stories, than more recognizable budget agencies nearby. I'm aware that the local staff make all the difference, but my experience with them in multiple regions has been positive.

As others have mentioned, check AutoEurope for leasing information. The website will tell you what cities you can pick up and drop off in. Reims is too small. The closest city to pick up would be Paris. There are 15 locations in France, if one of the others would work better for you. In Italy you would have to drop off in Milan or Rome. There would be an extra charge to drop it in Italy, but I'd guess it's a lot less than it would be if the car was a rental as opposed to a lease.

For a long-term lease, I'd think it would be worthwhile to take the hour-long train into Paris to get the car and another similar train ride if one has to return the car in Rome, for example.

My Sixt rental is $3000.00 for 65 days. The other agencis do not fit into my agenda. The autoeurope dealer is $700.00 less but I would have to go way out of my way to pick it up and drop it off. Also, the train system will not allow me to go to out-of-the-way backroads in France, the Dolomites and lower Tuscany. Thank you all for your advice.

My husband always rents from Sixt in both France and Italy and has always been happy.

I have rented from Sixt many times in Europe and there service and offices have always been top notch. This time I am leasing and insurance is built into the price. The peace of mind of having FULL insurance coverage with zero deductible (plus anyone can drive as long as I am in the car) was too tempting as I am driving southern France for 32 days.