car rental France - an such animal as an automatic diesel?
 

I've asked autoeurope and they don't know. They say it won't be confirmed until pickup and not sure which class car wouldwouldn't have it. Does anyone out there know? thanks.

My impression is that all the smaller diesels are standard shift. But you could check by looking at the Peugeot (Auto-france.com?) and Renault web site for descriptions of the cars they lease. That would give you an indication of what is available as a rental.

All smaller rental cars are stick shift in France. If you want an automatic then you have to go to a larger vehicle.

Avis offers an automatic desiel (category F). The example they give is a Mercedes C class. If rent from avis i recommend going through the US site via special deals. There you will find a reduction code for 20 percent off.

AutoFrance offers a 406 four door with automatic and diesel, and they will confirm the exact model. However, those are lease plans with 17 day minimums. With regular car rentals it will be tough to get them to confirm they will have such an "animal" at any given time.

Hi. I booked a compact automatic through Auto Europe, the actual booking was with Europcar. I requested diesel. When I picked up the car, they did not have a compact automatic ( Renault Megane), but instead gave me a bigger car, a Renault Laguna. It was not a diesel, and I was told that none of their autmatics were. This was in Nice, so I don't know if this is the case with just that office, or with all of them. Hope this helps.

I agree that they must exist. The problem is... if you reserve a larger automatic, then the ONE they have for you may be the only one on the lot.

With standard shift cars, I feel like it is always a random lottery draw whether they have a diesel for us or not. Though probably well over half of the cars I have ever rented were indeed diesel.

Best wishes,

Rex

I've rented a small automatic-shift car from Autoeurope in France, there are small automatic cars in Europe. Mine was an Alfa Romeo and wasn't much bigger than a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla, for example. It wasn't a diesel, but I didn't request one or care. That car I had was extremely fuel efficient as it was and I didn't use that much fuel, although I wasn't driving long distances. they have a different kind of transmission than US cars that makes it more efficient I think. A friend gave me the name for it, but I don't recall -- you have to physically move the shift lever with your hand to go from 1st gear on up, just like a standard shift, but there is no clutch for you to work with your feet, so it's real easy and smooth and you don't have to worry about reactigin, hills etc (or whatever I worry about since I don't drive std. shift very much).

last summer I rented a Volvo diesel automatic station wagon through Autoeurope, so they are available.

Boy you've been great help. Thanks!

I rented an automatic diesel through Auto Europe and picked it up at Europecar at the Nice airport.
I didn't request this specific car at the time, it just happened to be the only automatic available when I arrived.
It was a four door Mercedes.

recently we rented from auto europe and were upgraded to an automatic mercedes c200 from the smaller renault automatic we reserved. It was a diesel--much more economical. When you have a diesel engine in france--you need "gazole" at the pump. We were crazed looking for "diesel"!!! Also if you are outside a major city--don't try to buy gas in the mid day. fill up before or well after lunch!

Yes, there is an automatic diesel in France. I rented a Mercedes diesel from autoeurope in April for one week. Requested a car big enough for four, and that's what they gave me.

We were in Italy just this August and we rented and automatic diesel. It was an Opel Vectra.

I'm sure they must have that in France.

How important is the diesel to you? While I always lease a diesel for my long trips, how much mileage are you actually doing. I just started looking at Auto France for next summer for just a 17 day lease. There is a $120 difference between the 307 gas and the 307 diesel. If my math is right (and allowing about 10 extra miles to the gallon for diesel, plus the cheaper price of diesel) I'd have to drive close to 2000 miles to break even. I doubt that I'll be doing that, so this time I may forgo the diesel.