Choice betweem two cars in Provence

Keep in mind that any car rental will only give you a car of a certain class. Even if you booked an Opel Astra it does not mean you'll get one. You might get a "comparable" one. We booked an Opel Astra in Italy - and got a Fiat Bravo. Worked just fine for 2 adults and 2 kids with MORE than carry-on luggage.

Our last time in France, we got upgraded to a Renault SUV. That was all they had. Good for smooth ride and space. Bad for getting past delivery trucks to find your hotel.

Just as an FYI, a good friend of mine rented a mid-sized car this summer and, as it happens, stayed in Bonnieux too. She found that trying to park it was horrific!! Every spot was too small and people (French) kept commmenting that it was "such a big car." I guess you don't have much choice with four adults and luggage but you should probably think about renting the smallest car that you can and still fit. Evidently you need to be particularly cautious about using underground parking because that's where things are the smallest and tightest. She got stuck between a car and a pole trying to pull out and she couldn't move the car until the owner of another car came to move his. And then he had to pull her car out for her first.

Hi Everyone Wow...I was in Italy last year and rented a car, but we did not have any of these concerns! I really appreciate the input and we will plan to squeeze into the smallest car that we can manage and watch out for underground parking spaces. We are staying in a B&B in Bonnieux which reportedly has ample parking, but now I am wondering. Appreciate all of your feedback. Cathy

They are both about the same size - not that you can guarantee that these are the models you will be offered! When you pick up the car, if either are not big enough, just ask for something larger! However, if you only have carry-on luggage, you should be able to squeeze in OK!

We had a 308 this summer and loved it. The diesel had a lot of pep and the car rode and handled well. It would be a squeeze, but with only carry-ons you should be able to manage it, though the backseat passengers may have make room for a bag. Not sure about the problem experienced by the poster in Bonnieux...the places where we parked there were big enough to handle most cars. I've driven a large 7-seater around southern France and managed to find parking spots for it, so I wouldn't stress about the car size.

We just spent 10 days driving around Provence in a Renault Scenic - plenty large enough for 4 adults plus luggage. We were in underground parking garages, back country roads, villages on market day, you name it - and we had no problems driving or parking anywhere. I agree with Tex: don't stress about size. If a car were really too big for Provence roads, they wouldn't be renting it.

have no idea how big or small your 2 car resos are, but we rented a Citreon 4 for 4 people and a small dog with 4 small suitcases and wish we had a smaller car. We were in the l'Ardeche and the village streets were narrow. Had to drive up on sidewalks to allow other cars to get by. I recommend getting smallest car you can tolerate if you plan to explore the villages and mountains.

We leased a Renault Grand Scenic II. It's a seven passenger car but probably about right for four adults and four carry on bags. Most of the cars will fit four people, the baggage space is where I would be concerned.....As was suggested, go with what they give you. If you get to the car and find you can't possibly fit comfortably, ask for a different car. They may be able to offer something in the same class with more storage or bump you to the size car you need.