Autoeurope.com: rates and discounts
 

I've been checking autoeurope.com's rates for about a week now, as I plan my upcoming trip, and I've noticed that they have fluctuated a little bit. Today I noticed that the rates that I see probably benefit from a "15% off special," which ends tomorrow.

Should I hurry up and make my reservation by tomorrow, while the special still applies? Or is this just an "act now, quantities are limited!" kind of bogus incentive? Will a similar special take effect on May 1? Will an even better special take effect on May 1?

<<Or is this just an "act now, quantities are limited!" kind of bogus incentive? Will a similar special take effect on May 1? Will an even better special take effect on May 1?>>

While I am uncomfortable with the term "bogus incentive", it does seem like every time I call them on the phone, the agent offers me a better rate than anything mentioned on the website.

I do think that if you see the rates drop, just call them back and say you want the new lower rate.

I really do think they are a good company, with good integrity, and the deals you can get are often better than you expect.

Best wishes,

Rex

Now that I think about it, this seems like the strategy I have used more than once in BUYING a car. Wait til the end of the month. Sales people really like to make a last minute push to make (or exceed) "quota". So I'd call now. Or at the end of May, if you prefer.

Rex, you raise some excellent points. They promise to match anyone else's lower price, so presumably they'd match their own price, if they started offering a lower one, right? I think I'll call them tomorrow and reserve the car, and then maybe I'll call again at the end of May, if I still feel like eeking out a few extra dollars at that point. And/or if the dollar has gained any ground against the Euro. Thanks!

AutoEurope has deals running quite often that start & stop. There was a Febuary deal that expired. There is an April deal that will expire. They sometimes offer a 1 car upgrade. I agree with your approach to lock in a deal now. Then if you see a better one later, exchange it. Remember, you can cancel an AutoEurope reservation at any time & get your money back.

Also, pay your entire rental up front with AutoEurope, to avoid paying a 1 to 3% currency conversion fee on any remaining balance when you return the car.

Stu Dudley

We've rented from AutoEurope many times, but I don't think I've actually booked on line with them in years. If you call you will nearly always get a better rate than what you find on the website, and the phone reps have always been very upfront about suggesting to call back and see if the prices go down -- particularly when booking way ahead.

Well, I've made my reservation. Interestingly, when I called, the agent initially offered me a rate that was the same as the internet rate. When I pointed that out and groveled a little, she immediately offered me a rate that was slightly lower. However, the official policy seems to be that the internet rate includes a discount that will often make it the lowest.

They also affirmed that their "lowest rate" guarantee does mean that they'll match a lower rate that I find subsequently, even if it's they themselves that are offering it. A nice policy.

Very professional folks on the phone. I had a good feeling about dealing with them.

medhead

Don't be afraid to also consult them if you have problems picking up the car. When we arrived in Montpellier last year & picked up the car at the Europcar office at the train station, the car we reserved was not available. They gave us a higher grade car, but it was too big & bulky for our taste. My wife went back in the office & complained, but since they did not have the car, there was nothing they could do.

I told this story to AutoEurope when I reserved our cars for this year. They said that next time, call them (AutoEurope) and they will instruct Europecar to bring one in from the airport location, which stocks a higher inventory of cars. The AutoEurope customer service person said that they have a lot of clout with the European rental companies.

Stu Dudley

Looking at the pricing online Autoeurope for Greece seems to indicate that an International Drivers LIcense is needed. From everything I've read, an Internation License is not needed. Does Autoeurope enforce this condition of rental?

Stu - as always, thanks for the tip. I'll take autoeurope's phone number with me. One of the reasons why I chose to pick up the car at the Nice train station rather than the Menton train station was that I figured they'd have more cars to choose from in Nice. But if there's a problem, the Nice airport will be pretty close, and it'll be good to know there's a possibility of moving a car from there.

Matrexx: I'm far from expert on this, but the website of the US Embassy in Greece says that Americans need both an international driver's permit and a US license to drive in Greece (http://www.usembassy.gr/consular/ac_...s_licenses.htm). I don't know if you're American or not, but if you are, you can get an IDP for $10 from AAA via their website. AAA is the only authorized issuer of IDPs in the USA, and the price isn't any higher for nonmembers. I'm getting myself one, even though I plan to drive only in France, where an IDP is not required. It's cheap, it can't hurt, and I may decide unexpectedly to drive in Italy.

I don't think that autoeurope would require you to prove you have an IDP when you book the rental. I suppose the local agency might require one upon pickup. Even if they don't, it would probably be better to have one if it's required for you. When I recently called one agency (Hertz or Avis, can't remember which) about renting a car in Italy, they told me that they wouldn't require me to show it to them, but that I could be in very big trouble if I were pulled over by the Italian police for some reason and didn't have one.

I'm a little confused by this message above:
"Looking at the pricing online Autoeurope for Greece seems to indicate that an International Drivers LIcense is needed. From everything I've read, an Internation License is not needed. Does Autoeurope enforce this condition of rental?"

Who cares about what Autoeurope enforces? This is a matter for the police in case you're stopped and it's a law to have one -- not the rental agency. There is little reason for them to care if you have one or not, just as they really don't care if you want to speed and get a ticket, or not pay for parking and get one.

From the consular page on Greece from the US Department of State:

"Drivers must carry a valid U.S. license as well as an international driver's permit (IDP). Failure to have both documents may result in police detention or other problems. The U.S. Department of State has authorized two organizations to issue IDPs to those who hold valid U.S. driver's licenses: AAA and the American Automobile Touring Alliance. Issuance of an IDP is quick, easy, and inexpensive, but must generally be done before a traveler leaves the United States. Vehicles may not properly be rented without the IDP, although sometimes they are. A driver without one, however, will be penalized for failure to have one in the event of an accident, and may be open to civil suit as well. Fines are high."

The idea that an IDP is "not needed" is the same as saying "insurance isn't needed" -- if you don't get stopped or caught, you don't "need" either.