I'm planning on renting a car in France and traveling down into Switzerland, Austria and Germany and leaving from Frankfort, Germany. Any ideas on renting a mid-size car?
Thanks
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
7148 posts
How many people and how much luggage? If it’s just you, a compact car would work. If there are others you may need an intermediate sized vehicle. Check out the drop off fee if renting in France and dropping at Frankfurt. One option might be drop off the vehicle in Strasbourg if there’s a facility there, then take a train to Frankfurt.
On a recent trip we rented and returned at Frankfurt so the vehicle would have a German environmental sticker. Pay attention to environmental zones in countries you don’t have a sticker for. Fines for driving in an environmental zone without a sticker are fairly steep. In Switzerland and Austria you’ll need to buy vignettes to drive on their roads. If you don’t drive on any Austrian highways, you won’t need that vignette.
Posted by
Edmonds, WA 🌨 ☂
11877 posts
A quick look ( on expedia) showed a $900 one way drop fee for a Hyundai Tuscon. A Fiat 500 had a $600 one way drop fee.
Any ideas on renting a mid-size car?
How many people and how much luggage?
Posted by
OP
24 posts
I need to rent a mid-size car. Three people and their luggage.
Posted by
Paris
7300 posts
Ideally you need to avoid renting in France and dropping in Germany, due to the very high drop-off fees.
Where in France do you intend to go? Could you turn your trip into a loop to/from Frankfurt?
And for 3 ppl + luggage, a European "midsize" could be tight. When I have a look at the broker Autoeurope, cars like Peugeot 308 or VW Golf show up under the "midsize" label, yet they're a bit tight. I'd aim for the category right above and get a family sedan or something like that, just to be sure to fit everything in comfortably.
Posted by
Sacramento, California U.S.A.
10600 posts
You might consider a compact SUV, think Toyota RAV4 size. That worked with average sized 4 adults with a carry on suitcase and personal sized backpack each for us last year. I really depends on the size of your luggage. You could potentially need something bigger if you have large suitcases.
Where do you plan to pick up a car in France? How long will you need it for? If it’s 21 days or more you can look into a lease. Dropping it in Frankfurt would incur an extra charge, but much less than a rental.