has anybody experience booking with Auoteurope

I used AutoEurope through a travel agent while in Italy. No concerns.

I used Autoeurope in Portugal, France & UK October 2006. all was perfect and the rates were better than all others at the time. I did not purchase insurance as my cc covers me. rest easy.

I enthusiastically recommend Autoeurope. I've rented through them probably 5 times in the last ten years.

That said, make sure you understand their service. They're consolidators for car rental companies in Europe. They will quote you the full price, ask for a deposit and send you a voucher. When you get to Lisbon, you'll pick up your car from the local agency that has contracted with Autoeurope. A lot of times it's Europcar.

Autoeurope's web site is pretty explanatory about insurance, I think. They usually quote one price with CDW and one price without. You should talk to your own insurance agent and your credit card company to be sure you know what coverage you already have. That's not Autoeurope's job.

If you have questions, call them in Maine. Their staff is incredibly helpful. They also have a toll free number you can call from Europe if you have any problems.

Hope this helps.

My husband and I are renting from AutoEurope for a car in Italy. About our third time using them. We've leased a car twice. After booking our car, I found the rate had lowered. I contacted AutoEurope and they refunded me the difference and gave me the lower price. I keep checking to see if it has gone lower. I have always had good service with them. We are picking our car up in LaSpezia, Italy and returning it to Orvieto. It is through Avis Car rental.

I'm also a very satisfied AutoEurope customer. If you find a lower price through a rental company, AE promises to either meet or beat it. Call their toll-free number to ask about any specials that don't appear on their Web site.

Thanks for all the help.

When you book with them do they send you some kind of email with the details that you bring to the airport in Lisbon?

I will check out my cc company.

It would probably be easier to pick up at the airport.

I do want to stay in Lisbon for a couple days. Do you advise to get the car when we are ready to go from Lisbon? It would be much esier to get the car right away even though we would be paying for a couple days when we won;t be using it?

thanks

AutoEurope has multiple rental offices in Lisbon. Why not change your rental to the date you're actually leaving Lisbon and need a car? Public transit is Lisbon is easy; parking is more difficult. There is easy public transit to and from the airport, but you could arrange a more convenient car pickup right in the city.

Stew- When you reserve with Autoeurope they will send you an e-mail confirmation immediately. Then they follow-up with a voucher by mail. You take that voucher with you when you pick up your car.

No additional payment is required at pick-up - except that the rental agency may place a certain amount (E500 - E1000) on hold on your credit card as a security deposit.

Be prepared for the pick-up process to take more time than you might be used to - half an hour or so. The clerks at the rental agencies seem to spend an inordinate amount of time puzzling over their computers - plus it takes them some time to figure out your drivers license. But when its done, you have a car!

Definitely pick up when you're ready to leave Lisbon. Those extra days and parking are expensive. Airport pick-ups sometime cost more, as well.

I have used Autoeurope and have been satisfied. If you go through Karen Brown's website, you get a 5% discount
John

I am wondering why my travel agent's quote is so high compared to Autoeurope?
They have now quoted me about 600.00 for 8 days
and Autoeurope is only 340.00.
thanks

I say forget the travel agent and book with AutoEurope. I have never heard anything bad about them - only really great reviews and plan on using them when I am in Europe next.

Stew,

I'd arrange to pick up car in the Lisbon city center when you are leaving town, and drop it off at the airport on your way out. Autoeurope.com shows many rental locations for Lisbon...some open Sat/Sun. Picking up in city also avoids the normal 'surcharge' [flat fee or % of bill] added for airport/trainstaion pickup [no surcharge for drop offs there]

http://www.ana.pt = Portugal airports page. Click the Lisboa tab and then left nav's "Getting there" link. You'll can see that there several options to get into the city [I didn't use URL here because it's long and confusing]

here's one option: "Using the Aerobus service"
[text edited to fit this message]

On a daily basis, bus #91, "Aerobus CARRIS", goes between Lisbon Airport and the city centre. Service 07:45am-->08:15pm. Bus frequency every 20 mins. Can buy ticket from driver.

Ticket for all-day travel: 3.10€; TAP [Portuguese airline} Voucher (good 1 day): 2€;
For info, call:(+351) 213 613 054

Good luck!

Do people by the Super CDW?

That certinaly makes car rental expensive.
20 to 42 dollars a day on top of the rental!

The deductables are 1200.00 tp 2795.00 depending on car company so you are almost forced to buy it?

We've used Travelguard for our Collision coverage three times. It's currently $US9/day

www.travelguard.com/ or www.travelguard.ca

Hi, Stew:

I just returned from Central Europe and had mid sized Opel with air conditioning for 15 days. I booked Auto Europe through Andy Bestor at abestor@pacbell.com or 1-800-521-6722 x1

He was recommended several times in Budget Travel. Originally, we were told that we would be billed a rather big fee from picking the car up in the Czech Republic and dropping it in Austria, but they gave us a car registered in Austria & there wasn't an extra fee.

I will definitely use Andy's service again.

Hi, Stew:

I just returned from Central Europe and had mid sized Opel with air conditioning for 15 days. I booked Auto Europe through Andy Bestor at abestor@pacbell.com or 1-800-521-6722 x1

He was recommended several times in Budget Travel. Originally, we were told that we would be billed a rather big fee from picking the car up in the Czech Republic and dropping it in Austria, but they gave us a car registered in Austria & there wasn't an extra fee.

I will definitely use Andy's service again.

Why sould my travel agent be twice as much as Auoterope?

I have no choice to get that extra insurance to bring the deductable down.

It is going to cost as much as the car!

I used them last lear to rent a small mini van in seville with a drop off in Madrid. The minivan (smaller than the ones in the US) was an opel and it was terrific. Rented for 21 days and the cost was under $900...now i did book it over 4 months in advance and my CC covered the insurance...I'll use them again

Which credit card are you guys using that gives you coverage on a rental car? Was that liability as well as collision?

I used Autoeurope one time in Holland. Very pleased with them and good prices. The price was lower in Holland then in Paris.You have to ask them what type of insurrance is covered.

Stew, before you sign up for all your insurance through Autoeurope, be sure to call your own insurance carriers. We will be renting in France in a few weeks, but learned that our credit card covers only a certain portion of our coverage (don't recall what it is, but can clarify with my husband if you like). But after what it covers, we learned that our car insurance and umbrella will cover us for the rest that the CC ins. won't. We also learned that our health insurance covers us in Europe, though we'd have to pay out of pocket and get reimbursed at home. So don't just assume that you don't already have coverage, BUT, be sure to call your own companies.

Lauren