Any recommendations for diesel car rental in Provence?
 

I've looked through past posts and see that diesel is the way to go for car rental. We're not familiar with the car models, though. We're looking at a small car--though not too small as my husband is 6'1"--manual transmission.

Has anyone rented a car they particularly liked? What agency did you use? We'll be renting at Aix-en-Provence, the first week of October. What do you think about A/C? Should we get it?

With luck, you won't need A/C in October. However, it wouldn't hurt to err on the side of caution; if you have warm days, getting into a hot car after a strenuous round of sightseeing is no fun.

Given your husband's height, I think a European small car might be pretty uncomfortable for him. We like the Renault Laguna model, which is something between compact and medium, and we usually rent from AutoEurope.

While it's true that diesel will save you money, it's important to keep it in perspective - - unless you're driving a tremendous amount, diesel will save yu maybe $5 a day - - so shop for the best rate first, and think about how many days you actually need.

7 days usually cost the same as 5 - - but paradoxically, the 8th or 9th days will often revert to the higher ("individual") daily rate(s).

In general, you will likely NOT be <i>promised</i> diesel availability; I have typically been offered a choice at the time of pickup. I would urge the next model up from the smallest also - - as much for the power of the car as the interior room. I avoid engine sizes smaller than 1.6 liter.

Generally, the company www.autoeurope.com is the ony name you need to know to find the best rental rates. AutoEurope does NOT rent cars; they are brokers, and will set you up with Avis, Europcar or one of the other majors at a better rate than you can get on your own. Still, it doesn't hurt to comparison shop - -

www.its-cars-hotels.com
www.kemwel.com

or

travelocity

are worth checking. Lately, there has been favorable mention of a company called nova (I don't know their details personally).

Best wishes,

Rex

Another vote for AutoEurope. Like Underhill, we've used that firm several times without problem.

If you book through their website, selecting &quot;midsize&quot; will get you quotes for cars in the Renault Scenic, Renault Laguna, or VW Passat size. I would think all of these would be fine for your 6' 1&quot; husband, especially if there are only two of you in the car. You'll also find it fairly easy to park a car of that size in Provence. (We had a Renault Vel Satis last fall when we were travelling with another couple. It was perfect for four people with luggage, but we found some parking lots pretty tight.)

I'd opt for air conditioning, even at that time of year.

Anselm

It depends on what you consider to be a small car. Would that be European small or US small?
My sister-in-law drives a Renault Laguna and she loves it. I drive a Citroen C5 diesel and I am happy with it. Either of these cars would be fine with the C5 qualifying as a larger European car. Small in France would be a Renault Clio or Citroen Saxo. These would be 1.1L or 1.4L engines and very unlikely available for hire as diesels.
The Renault Scenic mentioned above is what we term a small people carrier and is very large by European standards.
A smaller car would be a Citroen Xsara or Renault Megane - but again, unlikely to be found as a diesel. I would suggest the C5.
Going for the manual will save you money. Aircon is these days standard on most cars so don't worry too much about it. As Rex has wisely pointed out, it's true that diesel is very cheap in France, but make sure that you don't overspend on the rental so that you negate the benefit.

We rented for the second time from Autoeurope this summer. They are great to deal with...no problems at all! Last summer we had a Peugeot mid-size stick(can't remember the #s of the model)that used regular gas. This summer we had a VW Passat manual diesel. Great car. Diesel is a lot less. We were amazed at how far we could go between fillups!

Thanks all. I was mostly looking for personal recommendations about makes of cars. Some small cars are better at headroom/legroom than others. My husband was born in England--his first car was a Mini--so he knows all about the different perceptions of the word &quot;small!&quot; It's just that on the varying websites, all those cars start looking the same, and there's really not too much of a price variance it seems.

Another vote for AutoEurope. We rented in Mariseille last September for a tour around Provence. They were wonderful. I especially like that the cars come with full insurance coverage standard. No worries. We had a mid-size. I think it was a Peugot-diesel. Very nice. Big enough for 5. Wouldn't want anything bigger to get around the small villages. We didn't really need air in September.

Our experience that last five years or so has been that we get a diesel, period There don't seem to be as many non-diesels for rent these days, just as there are few cars with lockable trunks.

Beware : the price difference betweend diesel and regular gas is not as high as it used to be in France: maybe 10 euro-cents a liter. And you'll be losing in term of pick-up. Not to mention the extra pollution...

he will have absolutely no problem in the following very popular small car rentals in europe. these are all quite tall cars for their size and offer a lot of head room.

renault clio
fiat punto
ford fiesta

they all drive well and are nicely designed. my least favorite is the corsa (general motors - vauxhall, opel depending on the country). it's also very popular but poorly designed and just blah.

i would not go any bigger as others suggested. driving is much easier the smaller you keep it. dont' worry about a/c. we go to france in oct a lot and NEVER used the a/c (i don't even know if the cars we rented had it).

we rarely get a diesel as they don't ever seem to be available and as the other posters said, you really don't save that much over petrol...and probably nothing if you have to pay more for it. we keep flexible and take the best deal whether petrol or diesel.

Just reserved a diesel A/C manual shift Renault Megane that comes with one free upgrade, from AutoEurope. The price was $365 for the week.

Thanks for all your input!

Dln, we do a shift Renault Clio . J. is six feet, four inches.

P.S. Our first time renting a car, we didn't know the word for diezel and put in gazole and we had to find a place on the road to syphon it out at a Mercedes dealership. They were SO-O-o nice to us.

Cigalechanta - we did the same thing on our first trip - gasoline in a diesel - had to have it towed and drained! It's a funny story now, but at the time, it wasn't that funny!

I know it wasn't funny at the time, blh,
We wasted more than two hours. The gas station guy never showed so we drove on til I sighted the Mercedes dealer and walked in and explained the situation.

Mimi, now you have me confused. I read in past posts that diesel is sometimes referred to as &quot;gazole&quot; and that's what we should ask for. Maybe I mis-read? What is the correct term for diesel fuel? I don't want to end up on the back of a tow truck!

Gazole = diesel.

-Kevin

petrol in diesel car is a very costly mistake. just curious as to what the rental company charged you for this? I heard of this happening and basically (depending on how much was put in and if it was driven) the whole fuel system may have to be replaced and it can totally kill the engine.

I have used Auto Europe for years and years...always got what I wanted or an upgrade. If you want diesel, you should be able to get it, if it is offerred for the location.

Question, please. In Provence, is an intermediate car, say the size of a Volkswagon Passat (which I don't think of as very big, but I think they call intermediate), too big to negotiate through the small steets of the villages? My husband and I tend to like to rent a somewhat bigger car just for safty and comfort, but could easily go with a smaller car, if you thought that it would be easier to deal with. We also don't want to appear too flashy. Thanks,
Margret

Margret, you'll have no difficulty driving or parking a Passat-like car in Provence. As I mentioned in the posting above, this size of vehicle falls in the &quot;midsize&quot; category if you book through AutoEurope.

Anselm

a passat may be an intermediate sized car per the rental agencies (who size cars according to a more international or at least a european-wide standard).

Many vistitors do drive such a car through villages and cities in france. it all depends on your preference and driving skill. If you are not used to driving in very narrow streets and parking under tight conditions then i suggest that you might be more comfortable in a smaller vehicle.

the typical local in these villages will have a smaller car...something more in line with a clio or punto (or even smaller). i live in europe so i am used to driving in tight conditions but find the driving less stressful with a smaller car. Additionally, a smaller car is obviously cheaper to hire and drive and more in line with the local norms in france.

walkinaround - to answer your question about the cost to repair the car after the diesel/gasoline mistake, there was no charge from the rental car company (Hertz) as we paid for the repair. We were frantic thinking we would have a huge repair bill, but the car we were driving (Peugeot) just shut down - we had it towed, they drained the tank and charged us about $100. We were never so relieved and thankful as we had imagined all sorts of expensive solutions! Besides the anxiety, the worst part was the three hours we lost having it repaired. But it makes a great story - we actually rode in the car on top of the tow truck - down the highway, through the toll booths, etc. I just wish we had taken pictures - we were too upset at the time because we didn't know the outcome - to think of taking pictures. But we love to tell the story, and most people think it is too funny - and still kid us about it after more than six years!

dln, i didn't word it clearly. We saw gazole and did not know that was the word for diesel.

My husband is 6'1'' and we have a diesel Renault Laguna. It's fine. I would disagree with some of AR's comments tho--a Renault Scenic is not &quot;a very large car&quot; by European standards. It's medium size and is built on the Megane platform. The Renault Espace is the large people carrier, similar to the Citroen C8, and both of those are more car than you need for this trip.
I don't believe Citroen makes the Saxo anymore (think it was discontinued in 2003), so you're not likely to come across it at a rental dealer. Of the small cars we've rented, we found the Citroen C3 very comfortable for 2 people in the front seat. But it has next to no legroom in the back. The C3 was quite zippy and handled very well (and some models have nifty features like a second, refrigerated glove box for carrying that chilled wine). The manual gearbox was very smooth and it seemed to get over 40 mpg in the petrol version. Haven't tried the diesel.
Of the cars we've liked renting, the VW Passat or Audi A6, the Mercedes 220.
Re AC, it never hurts to have it. Most cars above the Clio size should come with it. In all the cars we've rented from Avis, Europecar, and Budget, none came without airco.
Yes, gazole is diesel. In France, many stations carry a supposedly more environmentally friendly version of gazole.
If you are renting a car in France, you will most likely be given a French car.

We rented a diesel Ford Focus in Avignon. It was very roomy, but one thing that bothered us was when going slower than 50miles ph, the stench of the diesel fuel made everyone sick. I don't know if all diesel cars smell so bad or if something was wrong with ours, but it was very unpleasant. Suffice it to say we tried to drive very fast everywhere we went as not to smell the fuel. Since it was France no one semed to notice our speed issues.

We have a Renault Scenic reserved next month, having rented one once before. My husband really likes being up high for good visibility. This time we'll be travelling with a friend, and a great thing about the Scenic is that the back seats are of the bucket variety; the one in the middle is positioned exactly to that the occupant can look straight through to the road in front. The car is also easy to get into and out of, useful for back and knee problems.

My husband thinks he enjoys the trip more if he's driving a real 'driver's' car. Would requesting a small Mercedes, Audi, or BMW throw one into a luxury category?

You can request whatever you like, but you won't be guaranteed a specific car (unless you're doing a longer term rental from an outfit like Renault USA). It's always xxx...or similar. Our own experience in France is that you are most likely to be given a French car. If you go for the luxury category, you'd be more *likely* to get a Peugeot 607 or Renault Vel Satis than a Mercedes or Audi.

Same experience with getting a VelSatis when requesting a full-size car. Ressembled a Saab 9-5, except that leather was not standard, as it would be in a Saab or similar higher-end car in the US.

hopingtotravel: my husband sounds like yours. I kept looking at these tiny cars thinking that was just going to be the two of us, and he kept saying that they weren't &quot;real&quot; cars. That's when I gave up and gave him the job of renting the car, but not before I asked for recommendations here!

My DH did look at the Mercedes and others of a similar luxury class, and they ran about $500 or more a week, versus what we ended up with, which was still a lot more than the economy rentals prices I was envisioning. Nonetheless, I thought the Renault Megane was a nice compromise.

The rental through AutoEurope comes with a free upgrade. I needn't tell you all what the DH is dreaming of... (though I've very practically made lists of all the recommendations you've given me).

Without a small car you can not visit alot of the villages and drive through some roads nor park.

Guess I'll have to study some pictures of Renaults. I do remember roads in Cornwall where corners of houses actually hung out over the road.

Just a tip!!! We accidentally drove up to the regular pump and the attendant put reg in,within a few seconds he was swearing. Luckliy there was a mechanic next door. We waited for two hours while he ,one located the right place ,and then drained all of the gas,which of course we really only needed a quarter tank..So just be sure what gets put in,as they do it for you..

So does this mean that French gas stations have attendants to pump the gas for you?

There's no way you could get regular and diesel fuel mixed up here, as the diesel gas nozzle won't fit into a regular car's tank. I know because once, too early in the morning, I grabbed the green (diesel) nozzle and it wouldn't work. I was cursing like a trouper at my son who ran my gas tank dry, but later I was twice as embarassed at my error. :D

&lt;&lt;So does this mean that French gas stations have attendants to pump the gas for you?&gt;&gt;

Way more often than not - - yes.

&lt;&lt;There's no way you could get regular and diesel fuel mixed up here, as the diesel gas nozzle won't fit into a regular car's tank.&gt;&gt;

That may be true - - but the converse is equally UNtrue. A gasoline nozzle WILL fit into the larger opening of a diesel tank.

Autoeurope uses a lot of Mercedes &quot;A&quot; class cars--I forget the exact model, but will check with my husband.

This is not a luxury car--it's kind of like a Ford Focus/Toyota Matrix in that it's a bit of a crossover vehicle, with some of the attributes of a wagon or minivan.

They are narrow enough to negotiate medieval streets, but they sit rather high, so will probably have enough headroom for your husband. The only thing that ever bothered me about them is that they seem to have a very high center of gravity for an otherwise light car.

And how did you find that out, Rex? ;;)

....just a comment re size of cars and back roads in provence..a laguna is a med sized european car. i find that about as big as i feel comfortable on back roads...your hubby is tall but not TALL so i dont think he'll have trouble unless he is very long wasted...just wanted to remind you that there is a trade off re the comfort of a large car and the &quot;comfort&quot; of meeting another car on a narrow road or negotiating a tight space in an old city.