Car Rental

Old Oct 5th, 2000, 04:26 PM
  #1  
Jack Rosen
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Car Rental

Will rent a car in Italy for about two weeks out of Rome and later on one in Munich for about ten days. Am I better offer with Avis or Auto Europe or other?
 
Old Oct 5th, 2000, 06:28 PM
  #2  
Betty Ann
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I have used Kemwel three times in Europe and have been very satisfied with car, service, etc. Also, they were cheaper than Auto Europe.
 
Old Oct 5th, 2000, 07:10 PM
  #3  
Sherry
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Jack:
Start with a search on a websight such as Expedia. That will give you an idea of the different companies and the cost. The price can vary greatly sometimes. Other things that contribute to an increase in the cost are 1) an automatic versus a stick, 2) renting from a location other than an airport 3) if you have a credit card which will allow you to be covered by them for the collision damage waiver instead of purchasing it from the car company 4) a continuous rental of more than two weeks. In other words, read ALL of the fine print. That is the only way you can really compare coverage and cost.
 
Old Oct 6th, 2000, 05:49 AM
  #4  
Kris
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I found a great rate by searching on Travelocity but you need to read the fine print. Watch out for drop off fees if you're picking up and dropping off in different locations and also look for airport fees which usually add to the price of the car but aren't always included in the rental quote.

I've rented from Hertz, National and Alamo (which turned out to be National) in Europe with no problems. On our recent trip, AutoEurope's quote was much higher than Alamo, mostly because of the drop off fees.
 
Old Oct 6th, 2000, 06:18 AM
  #5  
Rex
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Jack,

Don't confuse AutoEurope with an "actual" car company. They have no cars. they "buy" and "sell" blocks from Avis, Budget, etc, for "re-sell" to consumers - - often at lower rates than those same companies may be quoting you on any given day. They often have the best deals; whether they do for your particular situation is for you to find out through your own research.

And I have never (yet) had a problem with their no-cancellation policies; if you feel like walking along the counters to see if there are spot promotions, you have nothing to lose (except time, maybe) with your AutoEurope voucher in your pocket.

Autoeurope will always tell you, in advance, which company will be providing your car; they have to - - so you know where to go to get it.

Best wishes,

Rex
 
Old Oct 10th, 2000, 03:50 AM
  #6  
Bjorn Alvik
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Hi, Jack.
My experience is that avis tend to be very expensive many places (As an example: In Copenhagen, a weekend-rent was double the Herz rent)
I usually start looking for the smaller companies that are represented in the airports. In Italy I found Maggiore, which I can recommend becauuse of the nice price-level. The company cooperates with Budget, which I think is big also in Germany.
Drive carefully
Bjorn, Norway
 
Old Oct 11th, 2000, 02:40 PM
  #7  
Jack Rosen
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Thank you for your reply. However, my problem (?) is that I need three vehicles for our family and tnat they all will be dropped off at alternate locations, so I have to make arrangements prior to leaving from here!
All three need to be fairly large to handle four or five adutys plus luggage!
I will also need one car in Munich for ten days to be dropped at Frankfurt. Any thought as to size and type I need?
I am not at all familiar with European cars other than BMW and Mercedes!
Thanks
 
Old Oct 11th, 2000, 05:04 PM
  #8  
wes fowler
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Jack,
By all means make your rental arrangements here; they'll be far less costly than if you wait til your arrival in Europe. All of the major companies have websites; many will indicate via photo and description the type auto in various price categories. In addition to AutoEurope, you might also want to check Kemwel which has a website. Unless there has been a recent change in policies of rental companies, I believe you can still rent anywhere in Germany and drop off at a different location within Germany without incurring a drop off charge; not so in Italy. Be prepared for steep costs in Italy; collision and theft insurance is mandatory and is not covered by many credit cards; VAT is over 20% as well and not recoverable. Look for a mid-size, stick shift diesel to save on expensive fuel costs.
 
Old Oct 12th, 2000, 08:25 AM
  #9  
Paul
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We've been able to pick up from one location in Italy & drop off at another city without any penalty charge. We've used AutoEurope to book the car for 3 years in a row (as pointed out, AutoEurope fronts for others). You should be aware that in Italy, there is a nasty 12% surcharge for picking up a car at the airport (none for dropping off), and as Wes points out, there's the 20% VAT and mandatory insurance coverage. It starts to add up quickly! Also, if you come in on a Saturday, non-airport locations tend to close by 12:30 in the afternoon. The rental desks at Termini Station in Rome are probably open later than that. My experience is that all rental station wagons in Italy are turbo diesels, which will save on the fuel cost (but will stink!). We were paying around ITL 2215/liter (about $1.00) for unleaded regular.
 

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