Short-Term Car Lease

I leased with Renault several years ago before moving to France. We picked the car up at Orly and dropped it off at Bordeaux–Mérignac airport.

No complaints. Not one. Everything was exactly as represented. The car was a good one -- a Megane hatchback. Plenty of room and plenty of power for merging and going up slopes.

Auto Europe also has the same type program. You might want to consider the two to see who's the least expensive.

I have used the French short-term lease program 3 times, and are scheduled for another in September through IdeaMerge. They lease Citroens, but we have been very pleased with our leases. The best part is the full insurance coverage, soup to nuts. It really helps take away the apprehension of driving / parking in crowded and tight conditions. Always a brand new car, straight from the factory, and you can chose exactly which car you will be getting when you arrive. I'll lease when it is even more than renting, as I have too often found that the car you thought you were getting isn't available, and then the insurance run-around.

Mine was with Peugeot, but I believe all three are all good. I've never heard a complaint about these programs.

Be aware that when you lease, you 'own' the car. If it breaks down you can't just drop it and get another car; you have to deal with the repair process etc. It is also not always cheaper. We looked into it before a recent month long trip and decided against. A couple of people we knew had a trip derailed for several days while they dealt with a car repair issue when their car broke down; the lease 'covered it' but it didn't cover their time.

We looked into leasing a couple of years ago. Here's what we discovered. The break-even point on rental vs leasing is around 18 days. However, in our case, we caught a sale by AutoEurope that made renting cheaper. Be sure to factor in insurance costs for renting, as well as the need to refuel. I think, at least when we checked, you could return a leased car empty. I wouldn't worry too much about breakdowns because you do get a brand new car.

We've leased both Renault and Peugeot several times. I like the peace of mind, too. One year we had a windshield replaced after cracking it on a gravel road. All transactions were between the car insurance and the garage.

I was completely happy with my Renault lease. I think it becomes a better deal the bigger car you need. I had 3 kids (5 total) with a carry on each so a 7 passenger Grand Scenic II worked well. Rental prices go up quickly as you go away from the basic economy model. Because of that, you might check lease prices on specialty cars you would never think to rent.

The nice thing is you get the car you pick, like you're buying - no "or similar". They picked us up at the airport and took us to the car (picked up in Amsterdam). When we dropped in Rome, we had a little trouble hooking up with the agent (because...Italy). Other than that it was very smooth. It's a brand new car, literally like buying a new car at a dealer, I wouldn't worry too much about it breaking down. The price includes walk away CDW, so if it's wrecked you have no liability - but would still have to find replacement transportation.

We had pick up and drop off charges because both were outside France (none if you're in France) but they were way less than a rental drop charge would have been and there's no added fee for airports because you're just meeting the agent at the airport, not renting it there.

The biggest downside for me is that you have no choice to decline the CDW. My AmEx card also has a great deal on CDW for rentals that can't be used for a lease. I primarily rent now because I try to build an itinerary that limits my number of days with a car. Even on a longer trip I probably won't keep a car long enough for a lease.