I have car rental reservations at both Budget and Sixt in Munich. Their price differed by less than $10. Any suggestions as to which company is better/worse.

I have no experience with either. Last week there were several negative posts regarding Sixt. I would do a search on Sixt & pull that thread up. <BR> <BR>I am reserving with Kemwel (http://www.kemwel.com/) and I have found them to have the best prices. I have been emailing Kemwel almost daily with questions. I have been very happy with their response. In fact, I have been talking with the same agent. It has really helped not having to explain my situation with every email I make.

I answered the post regarding Sixt last week and said I had no problems. That said, I almost always use Budget. I think their service is great. This past December - my car was totalled in an accident (not my fault). I called them and they had a car ready for me the next morning. I handed over the registration, the location of the wrecked car, the polizei's card and the info of the guy who hit me and that was it. No paperwork, no questions, just the keys to the new car. Couldn't have asked for a less complicated situation. I'd go with them again in a heartbeat.

We rented from Sixt last fall in the UK (pick-up and return to Manchester airpirt) and earlier this month in Germany (pick-up and return to Munich airport) -- in both cases there was no real problem and no unexpected charges. No problem at all in the UK. The "problem" -- if it can be call that -- in Munich is that we had reserved, specifically, a Jeep in Munich, understanding that few rental companies permit Mercedes to be driven into Italy. (Italy was a possible side-trip destination, if we had time.) They did not have the Jeep, but they did provide a much nicer, large Mercedes SUV. (We simply didn't go to Italy this time.) I used to use Hertz, exclusively, because I considered them highly reliable. I now put Sixt in the same, reliable category.

Are the car rental facilities at the Munich airport on the American plan? Shuttles to the rental offices and cars? Or can you pick up your car directly in a garage outside the airport terminal? The Tampa airport is a joy with the rental counter and Hertz garage directly outside the terminal. I think that's the exception, not norm in the US, hope Europe is different.

The rental cars (Hertz, Avis, Sixt) are in a garage essentially adjacent to the rental counters. The rental counters, themselves, are all located in one "room" and are a considerable distance from the baggage claim area; but they are inside the terminal and there are "moving sidewalks" to speed the walk.

Was Just quoted a weekly rate on Sixt.com of 488dm with vat and airport tax included for a Mercedes C-class in Munich. I keep reading posts of people renting a Mercedes for around 500-1000 US$. Is there something I'm missing with this very reasonable rate when I get there? Or have others been getting rates of $200-$300 weekly for their Mercedes C-class rental?

Has anyone else reserved a car on Sixt.com? I made my reservation but I can't find an option to view, change, or cancel my reservation. They're offering the best rates, but would like to have ability to alter my arrangements if necessary. Will they automatically bill me if I don't rent a car from them without cancelling my reservation? I've read about unethical business practices by Sixt on this forum, but I'm sure they're mistakes and isolated incidents, or is this part of their shady ways?