Decent deal on car rental in Black Forest

Europcar is really popular around here and can have good deals.

If you are staying on the way in Black Forest towns, you will get a KONUS card with your night's accommodations. It covers free unlimited use of all regional trains and buses in the Black Forest. That will save you $120/day! There are pretty extensive train lines in the Black Forest, but buses go virtually everywhere.

Thanks Lee. I checked the KONUS webpage and printed a map but hard to read. The other webpage was in German and unable to translate. Using the KONUS card would be great. Do you know of a website in English that has more detail? We also want to go over to Colmar, France. I know it seems like we are trying to fit in alot in four days, but I think it is doable. (I don't know if that is even a word!) I did find a good deal from AVIS for 3 days car rental. Acutally cheaper for 3 days rather than 2 at $183 E inclusive. Do you know if we have to get a permit sticker to enter France with a car rented in Germany? Maybe Kathy could answer that one. Lee, you have always been so helpful in so many concerns in our travels...thanks again.

Hi Joanne. No stickers needed in either Germany or France. Nothing needed to cross between France & Germany in rental car. Enjoy your trip.

Do NOT use public transportation in the Balck Forest. Yes, buses go many places, but it takes all spontaneity in travel, as buses run in schedules like a bus every 90 minutes. So if you can't just make a quick stop to appreciate a spot 10 min, take some pics and move one. Try renting a car in a bigger city and returning it to the same city. Then, it is a trip worth making on trains and can save you some bucks. Even if you rent a car in Stuttgart, it is not the end of the day, only couple hours on excellent highways and you save $ 60/day on the costs. ================== German cars DO have environmental stickers required to drive in certain medium/large cities. All rental cars come with one, and rental cars are new anyway, so they get the highest category and are free to roam anywhere.

I've used the Konus card to get around the BF on several occasisons, including this past March. It's quite simple. Check in at any establishment in any of 130 towns (B-B and Freiburg are not on this list) and you'll get this card from your hosts. You can use it immediately on all regional trains and buses, and for the entire day upon your departure, within the specified region. The towns are listed alphabetically: http://www.schwarzwald-tourismus.info/service/konus/was_ist_konus/uebersichtskarte/hier_erhalten_sie_ihre_konus_gaestekarte (Most towns have a webpage listing at this site - click on the town's logo at the left and then look for a web address on the German page that pops up, the towns tourism page, which very often has an English option.) Did you use this map? It's not very complete, but it's clear. www.schwarzwald-tourismus.info/service/konus/was_ist_konus/uebersichtskarte A detailed sketch of rail lines; the Konus area is the SW third or so of this map: www.bahn.de/regional/view/mdb/pv/planen_buchen/liniennetzkarten/2010/MDB81278-streckenkarte_bawue_09_2010.pdf Gernsbach, which is near Baden-Baden and connected to B-B by non-stop bus, is a nice Konus town that I've stayed in on a rail line between Rastatt and attractive Freudenstadt. Gengenbach, mid-way betwen B-B and Freiburg and just south of Offenburg on the scenic Black Forest Railway line, is an even better base for exploring the BF, and one of the most adorable towns in Germany. It's also very close to Strasbourg, maybe 30-40 minutes. From Strasbourg, Colmar is another 30 minutes; you'd have to buy tickets for the French part of course (from the German border town of Kehl onward.)