HELP - problem with one-way car rental between Spain and France
Aug 22nd, 2006, 12:05 PM
#1
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HELP - problem with one-way car rental between Spain and France
Hi - I'm in a real pickle here because apparently, the car rental companies do not want a rental car to be driven one-way from one country to another. We want to drive from Barcelona to France, ultimately leaving the car in Toulouse. I have tried every which way to creatively get around this situation by checking trains from Barcelona to Carcassonne (our 1st French destination) and renting there, but since my husband's conference isn't scheduled to end until 5:30 on the day we're leaving for Carcassonne, we cannot make the 4:42 train, which is the latest train they have. We need to get to France that same evening because our time will be limited as we will br proceeding to the Dordogne for just a few days' visit until we head home. Does anybody have any experience with one-way intercountry rentals and if so, who did you rent from. If anyone has any other ideas, please send them my way! Thanks a bunch.
Aug 22nd, 2006, 12:14 PM
#3
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Actually, I forgot to mention that they WOULD allow this rental, but it would cost us almost $1000 for a compact automatic (neither of us drives stick) along with the VAT and drop-off charges! Unfortunately, a one-way airline ticket from BCN to Carcassonne would cost over $650 p/p. I don't know how to resolve this situation...
Aug 22nd, 2006, 12:41 PM
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There are later trains out of Barcelona for Perpignan.
lv 5:25 ar 9:07
lv 6:45 ar 10:06
Both have 1 train change
The car rental office in Perpignan closes at 7, so you won't get there in time to pick up a car & head to Carcassonne.
Stay overnight in Perpignan. The rental office opens at 8:00. Get a car then & head to Carcassonne from there. It's about 1 hr to Carcassonne, so you could still get there early, take the tour, and not loose much time. The first tour starts in Carcassonne about 9:30 or so.
When you return the car at the Toulouse airport, you could return it much later in the day than you had previously planned. You really don't need to return it till 8:00 on Monday. This would allow more time to see the Dordogne on Sunday - no need to get to the hotel before about 7pm - the airport area is not scenic at all.
Do the math and figure out what the real cost is after you add 2 train fares to the France/France rental & comparte it to the Spain/France cost.
Stu Dudley
lv 5:25 ar 9:07
lv 6:45 ar 10:06
Both have 1 train change
The car rental office in Perpignan closes at 7, so you won't get there in time to pick up a car & head to Carcassonne.
Stay overnight in Perpignan. The rental office opens at 8:00. Get a car then & head to Carcassonne from there. It's about 1 hr to Carcassonne, so you could still get there early, take the tour, and not loose much time. The first tour starts in Carcassonne about 9:30 or so.
When you return the car at the Toulouse airport, you could return it much later in the day than you had previously planned. You really don't need to return it till 8:00 on Monday. This would allow more time to see the Dordogne on Sunday - no need to get to the hotel before about 7pm - the airport area is not scenic at all.
Do the math and figure out what the real cost is after you add 2 train fares to the France/France rental & comparte it to the Spain/France cost.
Stu Dudley
Aug 23rd, 2006, 04:57 AM
#6
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Thanks for topping this, Ira - turns out that Stu did some more research (bless this man!!) and finds that the trains he described above only go up to 9/10/06, which puts me right back where I started from. It's beginning to look like our only alternatives might be to either a)stay in Barcelona Weds. night and take the earliest train to Carcassonne and pick up the car then or b) see if my husband can change what is now a meeting that day scheduled from 4:30 PM and 5, which would allow us to catch that 4:42PM train from Barcelona. BUT - if anyone else can come up with a creative way around this, I'm all ears! 
Aug 23rd, 2006, 05:06 AM
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Margot
I'm still thinking about finding a solution. I checked that maybe drivers from Girona airport to Perpignan might work but it's fairly complicated.
BUT, why just rent a taxi from Bareclona to Perpignan. They're able to give you a cheap rate for hauling direct to Perpignan and you'll be able to rent your car before the agency closes.
Call around in Barcelona for the taxis or driver companies. If you're in a hotel, get the concierge to find a cheap rate for going to Perpignan.
There's lots of limousins from Heathrow down to Southampton and this is about the same distance. The prices were workable.
It gives a shot.
Blackduff
I'm still thinking about finding a solution. I checked that maybe drivers from Girona airport to Perpignan might work but it's fairly complicated.
BUT, why just rent a taxi from Bareclona to Perpignan. They're able to give you a cheap rate for hauling direct to Perpignan and you'll be able to rent your car before the agency closes.
Call around in Barcelona for the taxis or driver companies. If you're in a hotel, get the concierge to find a cheap rate for going to Perpignan.
There's lots of limousins from Heathrow down to Southampton and this is about the same distance. The prices were workable.
It gives a shot.
Blackduff
Aug 23rd, 2006, 05:20 AM
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basingstoke1 - I did check the bus situation, but that didn't work either.
blackduff - I had thought about the taxi idea, but not sure if they're allowed to go from one country into another. Does anyone have any info on this, and if so, is there a website I might check for a taxi from Barcelona? I tried googling for this last night, but came up empty - maybe I need to put in a different search term (I had put "taxis from Barcelona to Perpignan"
...
blackduff - I had thought about the taxi idea, but not sure if they're allowed to go from one country into another. Does anyone have any info on this, and if so, is there a website I might check for a taxi from Barcelona? I tried googling for this last night, but came up empty - maybe I need to put in a different search term (I had put "taxis from Barcelona to Perpignan"
...
Aug 23rd, 2006, 05:22 AM
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margot,
I'm going to repeat my earlier suggestion: Take a cheap flight to Paris, have a nice dinner, take an early train the following morning to the Dodorgne area and rent your car. Fly home out of Toulouse.
I'm going to repeat my earlier suggestion: Take a cheap flight to Paris, have a nice dinner, take an early train the following morning to the Dodorgne area and rent your car. Fly home out of Toulouse.
Aug 23rd, 2006, 05:54 AM
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Try going straight to Dordogne, pick up car there, spend your few days, see Carcassonne en route back to Toulouse where you drop the car.
Example: Overnight train Barcelona-Franca leave 21:05 (EN train, direct, no need to change) arrive arrive Limoges-Benedictins 05:04.
From viamichelin: Limoges to Sarlat 1 hr 40 mins; thence to Carcassonne: 3 hours; back to Toulouse, about 1 hour, total just under 6 hours driving from Limoges.
You will need to wait till car rental office opens in Limoges, of course, which is a drawback. Also not everyone likes overnight trains. But you would be sleeping and travelling at the same time, which is pretty darn efficient. And there won't be a dropoff charge for 1-way car rental within France.
Example: Overnight train Barcelona-Franca leave 21:05 (EN train, direct, no need to change) arrive arrive Limoges-Benedictins 05:04.
From viamichelin: Limoges to Sarlat 1 hr 40 mins; thence to Carcassonne: 3 hours; back to Toulouse, about 1 hour, total just under 6 hours driving from Limoges.
You will need to wait till car rental office opens in Limoges, of course, which is a drawback. Also not everyone likes overnight trains. But you would be sleeping and travelling at the same time, which is pretty darn efficient. And there won't be a dropoff charge for 1-way car rental within France.
Aug 23rd, 2006, 06:12 AM
#12
Sorry, Margot, I've forgotten why you have to end up at toulouse! [and I'm too lazy to read the whole thread].
so far, if the Toulouse bit is fixed in stone, sue's idea looks best. If you could possibly escape from toulouse, then everything will be a whole lot easier.
so far, if the Toulouse bit is fixed in stone, sue's idea looks best. If you could possibly escape from toulouse, then everything will be a whole lot easier.
Aug 23rd, 2006, 07:39 AM
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Margot
Only the 6:45 departure stops on Sept 10. The 5:25 still runs in Oct - however that's only 45 mins later than the 4:42 which goes to Perpignan in half the time with no train changes.
Stu Dudley
Only the 6:45 departure stops on Sept 10. The 5:25 still runs in Oct - however that's only 45 mins later than the 4:42 which goes to Perpignan in half the time with no train changes.
Stu Dudley
Aug 23rd, 2006, 08:44 AM
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Hi Margot
I've checked with some people who fly through Barcelona and Girona often. There are people who work as couriers but this is private. It's hard to have someone else sign up for this service.
There is another too. Ryan Air flies from Girona to Paris and then you could drive down to the Dordogne. Maybe this thought might help.
Getting your husband to change would be the best.
Blackduff
I've checked with some people who fly through Barcelona and Girona often. There are people who work as couriers but this is private. It's hard to have someone else sign up for this service.
There is another too. Ryan Air flies from Girona to Paris and then you could drive down to the Dordogne. Maybe this thought might help.
Getting your husband to change would be the best.
Blackduff
Aug 23rd, 2006, 10:36 AM
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Just thought; further to my suggestion, after arriving in Limoges at 05:04 you could then take a 6:20 train leaving Limoges arriving Brive-la-Gaillarde 7:27 and pick up car there, which saves you some driving time (not to mention less hanging around Limoges till depot opens, generally around 0800.)Or if you prefer, a 6:11 train arriving Perigueux 7:22 and pick up car there.
You could even backtrack to Toulouse leaving Limoges 6:20 arriving 9:49, if you are determined to start out by going to Carcassonne first and the Dordogne second. Though given you wish to end up in Toulouse, finishing with Carcassonne makes more sense. Note that in general only major municpalities have car rental depots with the major firms.
The overnight train involved Barcelona- Limoges is a 'trenhotel' meaning it has several categories of sleeping accomodation.
In any case, as you now appreciate, sometimes the fastest way isn't the most direct or even the shortest.
I would be wary of cutting it too fine. Although in my experiences conferences end earlier than stated, your H will probably at the least want to change clothes before heading out, not to mention you need to allow time to get to the correct train station in Barcelona from your hotel, find the right track/platform, etc. etc. Even flying means allowing adequate commuting time and check-in time, and the discount airlines especially are sticky about check-in times.
Good luck, let us know what you decide.
You could even backtrack to Toulouse leaving Limoges 6:20 arriving 9:49, if you are determined to start out by going to Carcassonne first and the Dordogne second. Though given you wish to end up in Toulouse, finishing with Carcassonne makes more sense. Note that in general only major municpalities have car rental depots with the major firms.
The overnight train involved Barcelona- Limoges is a 'trenhotel' meaning it has several categories of sleeping accomodation.
In any case, as you now appreciate, sometimes the fastest way isn't the most direct or even the shortest.
I would be wary of cutting it too fine. Although in my experiences conferences end earlier than stated, your H will probably at the least want to change clothes before heading out, not to mention you need to allow time to get to the correct train station in Barcelona from your hotel, find the right track/platform, etc. etc. Even flying means allowing adequate commuting time and check-in time, and the discount airlines especially are sticky about check-in times.
Good luck, let us know what you decide.
Aug 23rd, 2006, 11:55 AM
#20
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annhig, et al - the main reason that Toulouse is inthe picture is that we have booked our flights in such a way that we go EWR-CDG, budget flight from Paris to Barcelona, and will end our trip after the Dordogne staying near Toulouse airport where we have an early flght the next morning, so that is now set in stone.
Sue- thanks for the suggestion - it sounds rather complicated, but I need to read it over while looking at a map, which is not accessible at the moment. Will keep brainstorming...
Sue- thanks for the suggestion - it sounds rather complicated, but I need to read it over while looking at a map, which is not accessible at the moment. Will keep brainstorming...
