Greetings, I am considering renting a car for a portion of my trip. It would be roughly from Berchtesgaden Germany to the west, perhaps to the Oberammergau area.
I need to know everything.
WHERE to rent? WHAT company? How does this work? Are there fees to drop off somewhere other than where I picked up the car?
Any details large or small are greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
You've asked a very broad question. If you go to the Travel Tips section of this site, a lot of what you're asking will be answered there. Really not much different than renting at home. You should get an international driver permit (at AAA). You can check rentals at a consolidator such as Autoeurope.com often mentioned and recommended on this site. If you pick up and drop off vehicle in the same country, usually there is no,extra charge.
I usually rent through AutoEurope.com and figure out (from the address) which rental company the price quotation is through. I'll also check out the prices from the rental company--often Hertz. Sometimes Hertz prices are lower and sometimes AutoEurope's prices are lower for the same car.
Auto rental companies are not in every city in Europe--especially the smaller cities. You may have problems renting in Berchesgarten and dropping the car in Oberammergau. Most people would rent in the big city you're flying into and return it in larger cities.
The only thing I would add is that if you cut into Austria, you need to purchase a vignette to drive on the Autobahn network there. You can purchase this sticker at any service station near the border.
We rented a car through Enterprise in Garmisch and returned it to the airport in Munich a week later. We got an automatic transmission Mercedes. I believe it was under $200 for the week. I don't think there are additional drop off fees unless you drop off in another country. We were going to pick up in Austria but it would have cost about $600 instead of $200 if I'm remembering correctly.
My husband also got an international drivers permit at AAA.
Thank you. I did know about the sticker if we are crossing into Austria. But that cost isnt too high. Picking up here at home and dropping off elsewhere is crazy expensive. I really appreciate the replies!!
While the International Driver's Permit is a good idea anywhere in Europe (essentially it's just a translation of your US license), be aware that it's required in Austria.
Judy, as others have stated, it is a relatively simple process of renting a car in Germany. I would recommend looking at www.ViaMichelin.com for route times and estimated related costs. Our last trip over in November I looked at renting a car but decided to use the train system for the first time. In my research though, I found that the drop fee from one city in Germany to another is very minor. About 25 euros if I remember correctly. The drop fee from renting in Germany to dropping outside of Germany was the cost of the rental itself again (double). In many previous trips over I never paid for the added insurance. However, in my later years I am no longer so cavalier in my attitude. We have an AMEX card and use their car insurance coverage. It must be added to your card. The rate is between $18-$24 for full coverage for the rental period. Not per day. Learn the road signs and how to use the clock indicator (I really don't know what it is called) that you place on your dash that shows when you parked your car. As you drive into Austria you will see signs advising you to purchase the vignette. We purchased ours at a Shell station right as we crossed the border into Austria. What size of vehicle are you considering? In the past have rented a car as small as a VW Polo to a MB E class. It is much easier and less stressful to have a smaller car if you wish to drive into the smaller towns along the way. Good luck and enjoy!
