Okay...so way back in the 90's we rental a car in FRankfurt and returned it in Paris...can that not be done anymore? We wish to rent in Frankfurt and drive to Lyon with stopovers for 3 nights. I have been told that Budget does not allow this? Also how is this done with 4 adults, 4 large suitcases and 4 carryons :-) ?
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32202 posts
annemarie,
It should be possible to do that, but keep in mind there's often a HUGE drop-off charge when renting a car in one country and dropping in another. Another thing to consider is that with "4 adults, 4 large suitcases and 4 carryons", you'll have to rent a larger vehicle which will probably not be cheap.
Unless you need the car to get to more remote places not well served by public transit, your best bet (IMO) would be to use well planned rail trips. That will also be faster and a more efficient use of your travel time, since no car can match the speed of the high speed trains (300 kmH).
Some additional information on your trip would be helpful.
Good luck with your planning!
Posted by
41 posts
Annemarie,
I have used Europecar several times while in Europe. Their prices are comparable to other companies, but they do have a large presence in many European countries. I was in Germany last Fall, and picked up a car from them in Cologne. After a two-week stay, I returned the car to the Frankfurt airport. There was no surcharge for picking up in one city and returning the car to another. I am not sure about picking up and returning in different countries.
As to your passenger and luggage load, you will have to pay more for a large vehicle. You may squeeze into a Fiat 500L. I would suggest minimizing your packing if you can. My wife and I just did a two month trip with one small suitcase each, and a small backpack. There are many websites with suggestions on how to pack lightly; it will make a huge difference in your enjoyment of the trip if you're not lugging around a lot of stuff.
Good luck!
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
10188 posts
The problem arises in trying to combine two different styles of travel: river cruise from Lyon and overland by car from Frankfurt. You have large cases for the river cruise but the land travel portion means huge drop off charges for the Germany-to-France rental and the problem of getting four people and river cruise suitcases into a European car.
The simplest is to take the high speed train to Lyon, unpack in a hotel and do your car rental and sightseeing from there before you start the river cruise. From your other posts it seems you have either three days or six days before the cruise begins. There is plenty to see in and around Lyon that your cruise won't be able to cover.