We will be taking a 4 week round trip drive from Paris and leasing a car seems like the best option. We will travel to Switzerland, down to Siena, over to Provence and then back to Paris. Any thoughts about leasing, towns to visit, etc. will be greatly appreciated.
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
I've looked at this repeatedly and never found a way that leasing was less expensive than renting. It might be that I only rent the smallest car avaiable; just not sure. For example, I just spot-checked and can rent the wee Opel from Paris for the entire month of February for $750 total. (Kayak.com / carrentals.com). Autoeurope showed $826.
Good luck.
Posted by
Sacramento, California U.S.A.
10603 posts
I leased through AutoEurope and had a very good experience.
Posted by
Ottawa, Canada
695 posts
Gary, we have used www.renault-eurodrive.com
We traveled to a few countries for one month, we really liked the leasing, you get a new car, unlimited mileage, road assistance, and all insurance. No worries at all, we had a little parking incident which caused a bit of damage to the car, they did not even look at it. We would definitely do it again. I tried to check for a rate for one month, from Paris (cdg) to Paris and the price was around 1300$ for a small car, we had a Clio, and was alright for the 3 of us, (2adults and a 10 year old.)
Hope this help!
Posted by
Sacramento, California U.S.A.
10603 posts
I was in a hurry when I did my first posting but totally agree with what Martine said.
We rented a minivan because of the number of people we had. The smaller the car the less the cost. We also got an automatic, which I think is easier to do with a lease than a rental if you are so inclined.
One thing I liked was not only getting the brand new vehicle that no one else has beat up or damaged, but the peace of mind of knowing that everything was included in the price and not having to worry about problems if there was an accident or breakdown.
I would suggest avoiding driving in Paris. Pick it up and drop it off at one of the airports.
Posted by
Portland, Oregon, USA
320 posts
Gary:
I second the recommendation for Renault Eurodrive. Very convenient.
We have done this twice (1993 and 2004) and both times it worked flawlessly.
In Paris you pick the vehicle up at a location (Avenue Jean Juares I think) that hops right onto the Peripherique (the ring freeway around Paris) - no problem at all. The location is about a block away from a Metro stop.
I recommend Renault Eurodrive to anyone traveling to Europe for an extended period of time. Have fun.
Posted by
OP
Encinitas, CA, USA
50 posts
Thanks for all your help and if anyone else has anything to add, please do. It looks like leasing is the way to go, especially for the peace of mind of being covered by insurance.
Posted by
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
172 posts
I heartily recommend Renault Eurodrive as well. This fall we will be using them for the third time (2004,2007,2010) all inclusive cost of $2,190 for 38 days. Our car will be a Clio111 automatic, but if you can drive a standard you can get a cheaper Twin-go. We have had both these cars, lots of room for two or three people. This also incl GPS.