Tried posting this earlier today but can't see that it took. So, I try again. I "reserved" a budget car from Avis for 3 wks, beginning in Arles & ending in CDG. No deposit required, est cost w/o insurances (which I have) is ~$500. "Exact costs can't be determined until time of pick up". Price is real right. But I'm afraid I'm missing something or a bait and switch may be in the offing. Any positive Arles Avis experiences or advise on the deal. I did ck lease options and as they are all inclusive, they are about double the cost, from Avignon ( tho the car is new, 24 hr help & 0 deductible) tkx
Posted by
Reston, Virginia
403 posts
My wife and I picked up a rental car at the Arles-Avis train station location in 2004. The pros: the train station is a short walk from the center of town, yet far enough out of the congestion that you can quickly be in the countryside. The cons: well, the agent on duty in 2004 was an arrogant bitch who was thoroughly upset that she had to wait on us (or anyone...she was an equal opportunity pain). But who knows if 6 years later the same person is still there. A more serious issue is that your selection of cars will be very very limited compared to the places at the Avignon-TGV station (hundreds of cars). We reserved an automatic, but when we got there....well, straight drive was better than nothing. They also seemed quite perturbed with the deal we got on the web in the US before we came...it took a lot of animated phone calls and discussion in French before the staff decided to honor our rate. Will you have a similar experience? No way to know, you could have a great time. Still, I really recommend using the Avignon TGV places...lots of competition, they get foreigners all the time, and they have a huge number of cars to choose from.
Posted by
OP
Sacramento
34 posts
Excellent! So appreciate the info & referral info. Thx much.
Posted by
gaston, oregon, usa
842 posts
When we reserved thru Autoeurope, they booked our car at the Arles Europcar TGV site. They almost gave our car away, because we did not show up at the estimated arrival time.
Last year our compact was $383US for nine days,(Arles to CDG) so it looks like you are getting a really good deal. Make sure that you take your paperwork with you!
Posted by
Dreaming of my next trip to Europe
273 posts
If you book through AAA you can get a discount as well. (Though they do use Hertz)
Posted by
OP
Sacramento
34 posts
Actually, I booked through Costco travel & got a 20% discount.