They changed train schedule and now I can't get my rental car as they close 2 hrs.before my arrival.also closed on the next day! help! already paid for car. any ideas?
Posted by
Ottawa
1446 posts
Contact the car rental agency. Can you switch the location of the pick-up? Airport locations tend to be open longer hours...
Take an earlier train.
Honestly, there's not much that you can do that won't cost you extra money... :-(
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
The airport is way the heck north of Perpignan and pretty rinky-dink, but it might be worth a stab.
The first thing to do is to call the Perpignan office and see if they can make some kind of accommodation. Failing that working out, call the rental agency and see if you can cancel the car without penalty. After that, you're down to chunking the car or the train, whichever is cheaper.
Another idea is to get off the train at some intermediate stop (you haven't said where you're coming from) that will have an open car place and drive the rest of the way. Assuming you're coming out of Paris, the whole drive is eight or nine hours, but it's hypnotizing freeway and you'd probably need to take a few breaks.
Lessons for the lurkers:
- Never, ever pay for a car rental ahead of time. Savings, if any, are negligible.
Reserve rental cars at the last minute - - see 'savings' above.
Two modes of ground transportation on the same day usually costs
more, even without complications.
Over-planning (even any committed arrangements at all) can wipe out
any supposed savings with one ball-up. Meb's problem could snowball
into a chain of missed hotel reservations and who knows what else.
Everything that could go wrong is never on the surface.
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
I suspect that you may be coming out of Spain. Perpignan is a great place to pick up a rental car as you enter France from Spain. Contact the rental car company and see if they will let you pick up the car at an alternate location. You may find that the rental car companies will work with you. My wife and daughter had a recent experience with a late train in Italy and the Hertz agency in Siena was closed. Her situation was different in that she was staying in Siena. Hertz was quite good about re-arranging her rental car pick-up.
My question is where are you going once you get the rental car? If you are heading towards Provence, Nimes is a great place to pick up the rental car. Several car rental agencies are right in the train station. We have picked up a rental car there coming from Barcelona. A bit more time on the train but it may be worth it.