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Any recommendations for diesel car rental in Provence?

Any recommendations for diesel car rental in Provence?

Old Aug 7th, 2004, 08:12 AM
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dln
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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?
 
Old Aug 7th, 2004, 08:21 AM
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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.
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Old Aug 7th, 2004, 08:31 AM
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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 promised 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
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Old Aug 7th, 2004, 08:39 AM
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Another vote for AutoEurope. Like Underhill, we've used that firm several times without problem.

If you book through their website, selecting "midsize" 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" 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
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Old Aug 7th, 2004, 09:36 AM
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AR
 
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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.
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Old Aug 7th, 2004, 12:23 PM
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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!
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Old Aug 7th, 2004, 12:29 PM
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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 "small!" 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.
 
Old Aug 7th, 2004, 12:33 PM
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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.
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Old Aug 7th, 2004, 01:58 PM
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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.
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Old Aug 7th, 2004, 02:07 PM
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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...
 
Old Aug 7th, 2004, 02:31 PM
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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.
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Old Aug 7th, 2004, 02:53 PM
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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!
 
Old Aug 7th, 2004, 02:56 PM
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Dln, we do a shift Renault Clio . J. is six feet, four inches.
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Old Aug 7th, 2004, 03:01 PM
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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.
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Old Aug 7th, 2004, 06:40 PM
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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!
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Old Aug 7th, 2004, 06:43 PM
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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.
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Old Aug 7th, 2004, 09:58 PM
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Mimi, now you have me confused. I read in past posts that diesel is sometimes referred to as "gazole" 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!
 
Old Aug 8th, 2004, 12:56 AM
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Gazole = diesel.

-Kevin
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Old Aug 8th, 2004, 01:50 AM
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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.
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Old Aug 8th, 2004, 02:07 AM
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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.
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