Renting a car in Germany

Clinton, You might find it helpful to contact the folks at GEMUT either via phone or E-mail, as I'm sure they'll be able to provide some answers for you. Cheers!

A number of times, I have requested a quote from Gemut. I have always requested that they quote it with FULL coverage, i.e., not using my credit card for coverage. They have never responded to what I requested. Their quotes are always less than the others I get, but don't give me the full indemnity I requested. I have to question whether they ignore my requests because they know they can't be competitive that way.

If they won't answer your questions, checkout AutoEurope.com. I've had great service from them. They're New England based consolidators of rental cars and flights.

I have used Gemut several times and find them to be excellent folks to do business with and there are many people who have posted here who would agree. Take Ken's advice and give them a call to compare prices with others. They have a guide to renting a car in Europe which should help answer some of your questions. You can find the report on their website at gemut.com. You could get a quote for your trip and if the dollar should gain on the Euro over the next few weeks you can call them back and get a better rate. If the dollar loses value to the Euro you will have the quote you receive locked in and it will not go up. If you have an AMEX you could look at their one time charge of approx. $24 for increased coverage over the basic cdw coverage they offer.

Hi, Another satisfied www.gemut.com customer here. Competitive prices, terrific service and support. The Bestor's have been nothing less than honest and up front about pricing, ins. and quotes in my dealings with them. Clinton, for what it's worth, I'd put more value on advice from people that have actually rented cars from Gemut, not someone that's never done business with them or even rented a car. That would be similar to me giving advice on places I've never been to but have researched and read about. Paul

Whether you rent through Gemut, AutoEurope or another broker, you can add full-coverage insurance at the rental site when you pick up the car. They are not keeping you from doing so. Of course, it would not make sense to buy a separate plan for insurance and then get duplicate coverage through the rental company. Before you contact a broker, you might want to check the company websites to see what they are charging for the type car you have in mind. While checking that, you can see the add-on prices for partial and full insurance. I like the AmEx Premium plan, but, even with that, I can see where it might make sense for a one- or two-day rental to pay more ($25-$50, but not $100) to avoid the hassle with claims and reimbursements after an accident.

This past December I rented a car in Italy for 8 days from Sixt. They are a German company. I was a little apprehensive because I wasn't familiar with them and their price was less than half of what Gemut, Hertz, Avis, Autoeurope and a couple others were charging. I got a Mercedes C Class car, automatic, diesel (about 40 cents per gallon cheaper than gasoline), with built in navigation and full insurance (no deductible for either damage or theft) for 877 euros. All the other companies wanted 1800 to 2200 euros. The car was in excellent condition and only had about 6000 miles on it. I was thoroughly pleased with their service. It was quite a pleasant surprise. I will definitely favor them for our rental this December. One interesting thing about this Mercedes is it has that new economy mode. When you stop at a traffic light, or any time you come to a stop in heavy traffic, the engine automatically shuts off. Then when you take your foot off the brake, or step on the accelerator, the engine starts right up and goes. I converted my KM's and liters and found that for the whole trip I got 38 mpg, and that is with mostly back roads and hilly driving through Tuscan towns. Pretty good for what in Italy is a full size car.