Does anyone have any experience with one way rental cars between Italy and France? From what I've read on this site, it seems that the drop fee should be around $200 or so; however the only agency I could find that would quote me for italy to france was hertz, and for a 2 day rental they want $1000! We want to drive because we've never been through that part of the country in either Italy or France and so will take a couple of detours on our way to Paris.
Any comments on car rental appreciated!
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
Some companies (like Sixt) will adjust the foreign drop-off fee depending on how long you rent the car. For example, I rented a car in Munich, then dropped it off almost three weeks later at CDG. The added fee was just over 100 euro. If I had rented the car for less than a week, the fee would have been 500 or more.
Posted by
dallas, tx, usa
1358 posts
About the only way you can save on the drop charge is to call the major auto rental agencies and ask. Use the toll free phone numbers.
I have done that research in the past and through perseverance, found a company which will either eliminate the charge or reduce it.
It is all a matter of chance. Once I talked to a manager who wanted to move a car from his city to the city I wanted to drop it in.
He offered to pay the $30 ferry toll and waive the drop charge if I would rent it and drive it to that city on another island! Keep trying.
Posted by
dallas, tx, usa
1358 posts
You might profit by reading the letters below in answer to Amy's question about one way car rentals.
Also research the category named "Driving Europe Crazy" on the Graffiti Page. And read the ARCHIVES on that same subject on this page.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
It might be cheaper for you to rent two cars. Drop off the first car close to the border, take public transportation into France, and pick up your second car there.
Posted by
OP
roanoke
36 posts
great ideas everyone! Thank you!
Posted by
Lebanon
711 posts
Natalie.. We had a Hertz car... in the green category... top of the line automatic...for 2000.00 for 4 weeks. This was with all the insurance. We only did France, but did have to pay extra because we got it at the airport (Orly). Your 2-day rental seems over the top to me. We had our AAA travel agent compare various companies. There is Autoeurop, a consolidator, Sixt, Europcar and others.By the way, although our car was expensive, we hardly had to use any gas. It was great to have a hybrid.By the way .. if you drop your car off at Orly,take your GPS. It is a snap with one and much harder without.We drove all over France so if you do want to drive in the south , Burgundy, send me a PM. We stayed at some wonderful places. We are photographers and go to Italy and France once a year or so.
Posted by
New City
1 posts
I know in the US, there are no "drop charges" per se because while the branches are franchises, the cars are owned by the parent corporation. The cars randomly circulate around the country. The price depends on the supply and demand at each of the locations as well as the estimated mileage you'll be driving between them. As a matter of fact, although I've rented many cars in the NY metro area, very few of them were actually registered in NY. I've had cars from Michigan, Florida, Maine, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Virginia. There were also other cars on the lot from Illinois, Massachussetts, North Carolina, South Carolina, Vermont, Washington State, Washington DC, Tennessee, and California.
In Europe, things might be different. The cars might be owned by each individual franchise, in which case they would have to be returned to the original renting location. You can probably find this out by seeing if the rental company website quotes a separate drop charge, by seeing the registrations of the cars in stock at your destination, and of course by speaking with the branch employees.