Car Rental France

Hi, I have a few pointers

1
This is probably totally obvious, but I'm going to mention it anyway...if you are flying into a big city like Paris and then staying there....there is no need to rent a car until you leave town.

2
If you have a Costco card, you can get a pretty good rate with AVIS.

3
If you can avoid it, don't pick up a rental car at an airport or train station, because you have to pay a surcharge of about 30 Euros. (of course if you are flying into an airport and then driving out to the countryside, you can't really do anything different

4
If you pick up a rental car at a place other than a train station or airport, but drop it off at a train station or airport, you don't have to pay a surcharge. For example, we will be picking up a rental car at an office near Versailles, then dropping it off at the train station in Colmar about 10 days later [to take a train to Germany]....with no surcharge.

5
If you want an automatic transmission instead of a manual transmission, be prepared to pay a lot more [this is not only in France].

Not unique, but it's good to know that most rental agencies do not charge a drop-off fee for returning the car to a different rental office than the one where you got it, if both are within France. Unlike here.

This can really broaden the scope of your itinerary, depending on your plans. As in, Open jaws into Paris and out of someplace else, with a car in between.

Note: I heard from someone on this board who had a drop-off fee quoted by AutoEurope. When I checked AutoEurope's web site, though, there was no drop-off fee. So there may be airport fees, or perhaps a fee for dropping off at a location without an office for an affiliated agency. It pays to ask and shop around.

Book with AutoEurope, a consolidator that finds you the best rate from among the companies with which it has contracts. If you find a better rate on your own, AE will either match or beat it. Call their US toll-free number to ask about special deals that don't appear on their Web site. If your credit card provides insurance for rental in France, decline the CDW coverage and take AE's basic rate.

At the bottom of the page for Autoeurope rates, it says [see text between asterisks]:

Basic rates, if available, include unlimited mileage, mandatory public liability insurance, fire insurance and the value added tax. Inclusive rates include unlimited mileage, mandatory public liability insurance, fire insurance, optional collision damage waiver insurance (CDW), optional theft insurance, and the value added tax. Rates do not include the mandatory surcharge for rentals commencing at airports and certain city locations. Rates do not include a mandatory road tax/registration fee which is paid locally.

There shouldn't be a drop off fee if you drop it off in the same country, but there definitely will be if you drop it off in another country.

Expect the pick-up process to take more time than you're used to in the states. At least half an hour. It just takes time for the computers to work.

If you can, choose a pick-up location in a smaller town so that driving away is less stressful. Many people suggest picking up in Versailles instead of Paris because you can take the train to Versailles and avoid driving out of Paris. I've done both. The tradeoff is that the agencies in smaller towns have limited hours. Autoeurope will tell you what the hours are.

Rent a diesel. Fuel in Europe is ungodly expensive but diesel is cheaper than regular gas. Also, fuel up at the big box stores on the outskirts of towns - Intermarche, Carrefour, etc. Much cheaper than on the autoroutes.

And, finally, watch your speed. France now has photo-radar detectors and they use them.