We are traveling to Spain and Portugal in April for about 24 days, read in RS guidebook about leasing suggestion if 21 days or more. Has anyone done this? and any suggestions, recommendations, pitfalls etc.We would like to start in Madrid and then return to Madrid.
Posted by
Beverly Hills, MI
813 posts
I have not leased in Spain but we have leased four times in past years in France, Italy and the UK. All of the lease deals are done through Peugeot (Auto France) or Renault (Renault USA) to name a couple.. The only drawback to leasing outside of France is that all the pick up points are at airports and you will get hit with the airport fees. I don't know what the deal is but in France there are no fees on a lease car picked up at an airport. That being said, the advantages to leasing are the following: 1)You will get a brand new car and it will be what you reserved,, not what they have on hand; 2) The car comes insured to the hilt; 3)There is not extra charge for additional divers in your family as long as they are over 18; 4)The price will be exactly what you paid on line there will be no surprise charges for insurance, extra drivers, drop offs etc.
Don't forget, you all other drivers in your party need IDPs in Spain. Rental car agencies tend to be very lax about them since they don't give a rat's rump what happens to you or the car since they have you by the credit card. Lease operations just want the car back on a given date in however many pieces.
If you go to [goeurope.about.com] and look on the home page under Getting Around Europe, you will find a good explanation of how leasing works. If you decide to lease, move now as the number of cars in the program is limited.
Posted by
Huntsville, AL, USA
8319 posts
Last time I put a pencil to it, the auto lease deal I was looking at wasn't that attractive. Just compare the prices between renting and leasing. I usually use AutoEurope.com or Hertz.com (direct with a fleet discount.)
You might want to join a major rental car frequent renter club to possibly get a lower price before booking.
Spain and Portugal are much larger countries than they seem on a map. My niece has a very nice condo in the Algarve outside Faro, Portugal on the southern coast, and it's for rent.
Posted by
Chicago
2876 posts
The best leasing deals occur if you pick up and/or return the car within France. At least with the Renault program, you will incur pickup AND dropoff fees if you use locations outside France. These fees are usually between $200-$300 both for pickup and for dropoff. With an all-Spain lease, you have to crunch the numbers to see if leasing beats renting.
Aside from cost, leasing does give you a new car, full no-deductible insurance coverage at no extra cost (be sure you factor this in when comparing to renting), free roadside assistance 24/7, unlimited mileage, and no charge for additional drivers.
Only French auto companies offer these leasing deals. It has to do with some quirks in French tax law.
We've leased a number of times and never had a problem.
Posted by
Sacramento, California U.S.A.
10603 posts
It's what Tom describes. The extra fees aren't for picking up at airports, they are for picking up outside of France. If you can begin and end your trip in France you would not incur the extra fee. The one time I leased (through Auto Europe) I had to pay the extra fee to pick the car up in Frankfurt. I returned it in Paris, so no extra charge there.
You have to do the math with leasing, but there are advantages. You get the exact car you choose, not just whatever car in the class they want to give you. You are covered by insurance 100% as part of the lease. Family members (husband/wife, parent/adult child, etc.) are all allowed to drive with no extra driver fees.