Renting a car with Debit /prepaid card

You might want to ask if the rental companies might accept a cash deposit in lieu of a credit card. I would also call AutoEurope.com on their toll free number and speak with one of their customer service agents. They are extremely helpful and have helped me with requests in the past. Don't just rely on emails to rental companies since yours is a very unique case and might need to be escalated to a more senior person to resolve. Best of luck. If you get a satisfactory resolution, please post the results for others to see.

Many thanks Philip
Two days I searched to find a way to rent a car, finally I got it . I just afraid of highways in there, specially turnpike. Surely I use GPS to find my way, but I don't know my card is work on the highways need payment. I have a Visa debit, but no cheep on it to put in a poze or atm, must pull it on a side. Please someone gimme a explanation about roads in Loire Valley, and From Tours to Cognac, then to Saintes, La Rochelle to Nantes .I need to know if any of these roads is a highway, I mean need a payment .. And other difficulties could happen in cities, like traffic and parking. I will be appreciate.

ehsanemrani, There are no roads in France called "Highways". France has:
"Autoroutes", Roads with numbers A1, A2 etc. These are equivalent to motorways, autobahn etc. in other countries. They are purpose build roads for motorised traffic only. Most (but not all) autoroutes have tolls.
"Route nationale". Numbers N1, N2 etc. Main roads, sometimes go through towns and villages.
"Route départementale. Numbers D1, D2 etc. Local roads.

For maps and directions go to: https://www.viamichelin.com/
This shows road types, and if you search for a route it will tell you distance, time (no allowance for stops) and cost (fuel plus tolls).

"I don't know my card is work on the highways need payment." - just pay cash.
"I have a Visa debit, but no cheep on it to put in a poze or atm, must pull it on a side." - not sure what you mean here. Your debit card should be OK to get cash from a cash machine/ATM, most work with cards that do not have chips. But check with your bank.

"And other difficulties could happen in cities, like traffic and parking." - you need to look up French road signs and laws. There is plenty of information on the internet. Do not break the law.

And of course to drive in France you will need a valid International Driver's Permit and your home country driving license.

And of course to drive in France you will need a valid International Driver's Permit and your home country driving license.

Not necessarily as to the IDP. It depends on what country you're from.

As Chris recommended, take a look at the ViaMichelin.com website. It will give you routes and has the option of choosing them with or without tolls. I would also recommend trying to have cash available for tolls since foreign travelers often report problems with debit or credit cards. The roadway system in France is excellent and, with the exception of driving in large cities, I've found the drivers to be very courteous. Roadways are covered by traffic cameras so don't speed. If driving into the center of historic cities, be careful of narrow streets and roads that are restricted to residents or pedestrians.

Other thread has shown OP is from Iran. IDP required.

Many many thanks all.
Yes I am from Iran, I have international driving and domestic, I drove more than 1000km in Lapland and North on Norway in icy roads last December, but in small roads not autoroads. Thats the reason I afraid. I afraid from missing exits (GPS is a solution ) , and the way of paying, I mean perhaps we must pay for a part of a road we enter, or for all, sometimes in France all boards or explanation is in French . Or the receipt, how can I use it again in next place. I remember many years ago first time in Paris metro I mixed up which kind of ticket I must ask from a machine, it was in English, but options was really near to each other for a first timer! Imagine the same happen in a when I driving and many cars behind me ...you see, it is so basic, because I always used train to travel.And in my country we pay on enterance for all the highroad we enter even if we just want to go for a part of it, and always through away the reciept, always someone is responsible for these payment, not a machine.
Viamichelin, is a great site, thanks a lot, I just have look at , and want to spend more hours today on it, want to find a good scenic routes between Tours- Cognac -Saintes -La Rochelle - St Nazaire - Nantes.
Any more hints or advice about driving in France and also beautiful towns/places near these cities will be appreciated.

On the autoroutes, sometines there is a barrier where you pay a fixed charge, but the more usual system is to charge by distance. When you join the autoroute, or at the start of the tolled section, you collect a ticket which says where you entered. You do not pay at this point. When you exit, you put the ticket into a machine, which then displays the amount you have to pay. Usually on the back of the card it lists the price to each exit.

The exits are easy. They are numbered, you can see the numbers on maps, and there is plenty of signs, at 1Km and 500m before the exit. See example here: https://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/routes/images/9/9b/A52_La_Destrousse.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20070113102434
"Sortie" is French for exit, so it is exit No. 33, and straight on is Autoroute A52 to Marseille and Toulon.

As Viamichelin shows, first we must order a ticket, by pushing bottom ... then in next paytoll, must pay. Use our tichet?First ticket ,then pay?

When leaving the tolled section, insert the ticket into the machine. The machine reads the ticket to determine the correct charge (depending on where you entered the Autoroute), and displays the charge you have to pay.
If it is a manned toll booth, just give the ticket to the toll collector.

I found a photo here: http://www.yapaslefeuaulac.ch/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/p%C3%A9age-2.jpg
1) Insert "ticket", the price appears where it says "Prix".
2) You can pay by "Carte" (credit card), "Pièces" (coins) or "Billets" (bank notes).
3) Your receipt comes out where it says "Reçu".

See this photo: http://www.ouest-france.fr/sites/default/files/styles/image-640x360/public/2015/02/13/une-action-collective-engagee-contre-les-societes-dautoroutes.jpg
"Péage à 400m" = toll in 400 metres. The sign shows which lane to go in to pay in cash.

Dear Chris F, you are really got my problem and your explanation and pictures are so basic helpful.Thanks.
I want to emphasize on second picture, of machine, I got what should I do for payment at the end. But
1st,how I must get my ticket at first, based on this machine, I must push something?
2nd, down of pictures, I see billets, Is it something I must know?
3rd, my receipt at the end, what should I do with it next?
4th,look at your picture where it shows CARTE , with picture of two cards. One of them with a chip , and the other one with a black band (line) behind the card. I have a visa prepaid valid card of this type, with a black I band . So it must work there, I thought just cards with a small square chip work there.

ehsanemrani, the "ticket" is the one your are given when you get on the autoroute. When you exit the autoroute, you insert this ticket so the machine knows how many Km you have come, and it displays the price you have to pay.

2) is where you pay, "Carte" = credit card, "Pièces" = coins, "Billets" = bank notes.

3) You can do whatever you want with the receipt, some people need them, some don't. As soon as you take it the barrier will open and you can drive on.

4) Your card may or may not work. Different countries have different card systems, I don't know anything about Iranian cards. Try it, see if it works, but make sure you have enough cash on you in case it doesn't work.
Check with your bank that your "visa prepaid card" will work in France, some banks do not allow their cards to be used in other countries.

Thank you.
I know what is ticket, I dont know how I get it, it is the same machine you send me a picture? Or other machine that work automatically or I must push something.
About Viamichelin ; it offers great assists. I have checked many routes. For example when I checked Tours to cognac, it gives some routes, and when I select discovery (scenic ) the route changes and pass many small cities. The problem is, how could I combine this routes with my GPS? In GPS, when enter the destination, it shows the way, not the scenic one.Perhaps you want to say don't use GPS and work with Viamichelin. But without GPS I feel I am blind in a foreign country with the many roads and exits.
If I wanna go for scenic routes, perhaps I must plan to my GPS point to point. But still my GPS may select other way, even for point to point.

"I know what is ticket, I dont know how I get it, it is the same machine " - NO, you get it when you join the autoroute, not when you exit. You drive up to the barrier, a different machine will give you the ticket (you may have to press a button, ot it may just detect your car), you take the ticket and the barrier opens, you drive on.

You can print out the directions from viamichelin, and use that. Road signs in France are usuually good. You have to know some phrases, like
"Toutes directions" = all through routes
"centre ville" = town centre
See here: http://cdn-edu.wpmhost.net/53544f/32a52a00f3/DFDF-BC19-B4AA-B7A4-2807.jpg

Or you can buy a road atlas. You can buy the same maps you see om viamichelin as an atlas: http://travel.michelin.co.uk/france-2017---a3-spiral-atlas-scale-1200-000-1879-p.asp

You are such a gem here, chris f. Make you in chalenge with my extraordinary /stupid questions.
Now I want to ask two different kind of questions :
I have read somewhere in TRIPADVISOR on Tours forum:"
 "Renting a car and ensuring you get an automatic will be at the expensive end of the scale - most small and medium cars come in manual only Even if you order an automatic specifically there may not be one available when you arrive to collect the car" . Is it possible? I am handicapped and cannot drive manual .If it happens, will be like a disaster for me.When you know you have a car, your package, plans, reservations, tours... will be totally different. With my debit card, I had no chance to reserve the car myself, Europcar have an office in my country , I reserved with them. They told me they have 4 stations in Tours, railway, airport, south and north of Tours.And they have just compact (acceptable prise) peugeot 308 auto in one station.All other choices of automatic are expensive. Is it possible on pick up i find no automatic one?I don't wanna pay more.

2nd, now I have a car, is there any   important place, city, village, sightseeing not so far from places I wanna go (Tours - Cognac - Saintes - La Rochelle - St Nazaire - Nantes ) ?I still didn't reserve accomodation(except Tours) ,  I can change my plan a little,  just not change arrive in Tours and depart from Nantes.