Several companies web sites only show manual transmission cars available in Normandy. I have looked at AutoEurope, Hertz and Avis. Does anyone know of any other companies that might be more likely to have cars with automatic transmission?

Which towns in Normandy are you looking at? Do you have a town in which you prefer to get the rental car?

Autoeurope shows a VW Golf and a couple of Renaults, all with automatic and available from the Caen train station.

I use Avis and always rent an automatic. However I call the agency directly to reserve it. I never depend on the website. Have gotten the Golf but generally Mercedes C class. Avis always sends an email confirmation of the reservation requesting automatic.

One thing that might be useful for people to know but which probably won't be helpful in this specific case (where baggage space is presumably needed) is that all Smarts are automatic. Europcar has some, but generally only in the big cities, since they are an urban car. However, they handle quite well on the autoroute in spite of their tiny size, and I have used them to go to places like Deauville or Lille from Paris for a day trip.

There is a slight worry about Smarts' ability to corner at speed (not a turnover problem) probably perfect on the motorway or in city centres

I'm also getting some automatics appearing on Auto Europe, but checked holiday autos as well and they seem to be slightly cheaper.

I personlly don't like the smart cars as they're too small!

Even if you have a reservation for an automatic, there are so few of them generally available that one accident or one late return can be that an auto will not be there when you are. As automatics are not popular among French drivers, the smaller rental companies which target locals are even less likely to have them.

If an automatic is really that important to you, rent one in Paris and drive to Normandy. Usually the airports have a good supply.

Sarastro is correct.

Things happen.

Hope and assume you will get the automatic you reserve but DO be prepared (i.e. brush up on your skills) if it turns out all they have when you get there are manual transmission autos.

People who "need" an automatic and can't use a manual transmission have been known to have to wait for it half a day (or more) due to the supply problem.

I know people do not like Smart cars. But on a recent trip to Italy I rented one and found it fine. I also rented one in France a few years ago.
For two people it is good as long as you do not have a lot of luggage which we didn't. Although we did have two 24" cases and two small carry ons. When we placed the cases in the back we couldn't use the sliding cover to conceal them but that did not concern us as we did not have to depend on touring with the cases exposed.

Some advice I would give about renting automatics. In my experience they are more available the larger the pick up station such as a major airport. And also they seem to be availble during the week. On the weekend people may have more difficulty since sometimes demand is higher on the weekend.

I don't think you could possibly find any rental company more likely to have ATs than the major ones.

I've never had a problem getting one in Provence, all through Europcar. But I don't rent in small towns. If the websites don't show any, then I would assume that they don't have any, or why wouldn't they make it possible to rent them?

We alwasys rent an automatic and have never had any trouble getting one - but we rent either at the airport or a major center city office with a large number of cars. The smaller town/ofice the less chance of an automatic.

Don't know your exact plans but I wuold change where you are renting and drive to Normandy.