Car rental recommendations

Sixt is a huge car rental company in Europe. I have used them several times. I’ve also used EuropCar.

Keep in mind your luggage when selecting your rental car, if you plan to use the car to travel from one destination to another. If everyone brings a full size suitcase, your luggage will not fit. You will each probably have a backpack/day bag also. It all takes up space. Also remember that you do not want to leave your luggage in the car for any period of time (sightseeing, lunch, grocery store) between destinations.

Sixt is a fine reputable company; as with any car rental firm, problems pop up for people, but I believe that is true of all of the firms.

My husband will only rent from Sixt, whether we are going to the Loire for the weekend or driving nine hours down to Turin to visit his family. (Or renting from them in Italy after taking the train down).

We have never had any issues with our Sixt rentals, but that doesn’t mean that any given rental experience with them or anyone else will be problem-free.

No complaints about Sixt. I’ve used them in Europe, and they’re my preferred car rental company in the US as well. Used them in Philadelphia over Labor Day weekend and in Seattle last month, in fact.

We rented from Sixt in Avignon, France, 20 years ago . . . our first rental in Europe. It worked very well, and the price was really good. In numerous trips around Europe since then, we haven’t used them again, but usually check for their prices and car availability when picking our rentals. While we’ve also used Hertz and others, we’ve wound up using Europcar more than any other rental company. The main deciding factor has been price, but we’ve only needed an economy car for two people in the past 15 years. If you found the right vehicle, and the price works, then Sixt is a good choice.

They’re a German company. On a flight from Rome to Palermo, Sicily 9 years ago, we were the only non-Germans on the plane. Upon landing, we were the only ones at the Europcar desk, where we’d reserved our rental car. Everybody else lined up at the Sixt desk. They all got their car(s) checked out before we did. Not sure whether they were all together, or just got processed quickly.

Sixt started renting in the USA, in limited locations, just in the last few years, promoting luxury cars. Want a BMW or Mercedes rental in the USA? They’re the way to go. They’ve branched out now to many more USA offices. I was getting American e-mail rental offers from them regularly, but recently unsubscribed, as I just haven’t needed them - but they’re still worth considering for us for Europe.

I haven't used Sixt, but I know they're a big reputable company. You may already know about Auto Europe, a US-based brokerage that works with lots of rental companies (including Sixt, Europcar, Hertz, and others) and often gets better rates than you'd get directly. Their website is easy to use, they have good customer service, and they're flexible about changes or cancellations. When you reserve, they e-mail you a voucher that you take to the counter wherever you're renting from. I've never had a problem with this.

With six people and luggage your choices will be constrained, as others have noted.

Ok this is all good info. We feel good with the 5+2 car as we all only have small backpacks we are traveling with. They could fit at our feet if need be.

Just so glad to not be taking two cars! Even though it would be cheaper!

Parking just 1 car could also be easier than having to find parking places for 2 at the same time. Then again, parking a large car could be more challenging than fitting a smaller car in tiny spots. Hope all goes well, and happy motoring.