kwcm

Hi

Does anyone have any tips on how to best secure the model of the car you reserved from places such as Hertz and Avis.

I want to hire from Avis/Hertz in Rome Termini station branch and from Lugano city Hertz branch in Switzerland.

For example, looking at the F group for Avis in Rome, it's either the Alfa 159 or the Chromo 1.9. Now the Alfa is a sedan and the Chromo looks more like a station wagon. This is quite ridiculous - someone wanting an Alfa 159 is more than likely not at all interested in wanting a Chromo 1.9. And when I called up Avis - it seems this car group F has even more model options!!

So any tips or advice on how best to secure the model I want is appreciated (and what people's experiences from these branches are).

stanleys

there are a few rental company "car groups" that have only one model of car. But they are the more expensive cars.

uhoh_busted

I've never been given the model of a car I've reserved in Europe OR in the US. (Well, maybe when I used local places to reserve cars for road trips when we didn't want to put the miles on any of our own cars.)

Usually we've gotten better cars than we had "reserved" but one time the smaller car category we really wanted (for touring around little towns across Southern France, with tiny streets) was not available. They wanted to "upgrade" us with some kind of van. NOT what 2 people wanted or needed. So we simply cancelled and rented from someone else.

This doesn't refer to any specific location -- but you will find that the supply-by-location is never truly the same. It helps if you don't need an automatic -- then you will have more options based on what they've got when you are there. I know people who have been delayed by a couple days just to get an automatic. (Driving "stick" is probably one of the most valuable skills I've ever learned.)

StCirq

You just can't be that picky unless you're willing to pay more than the rest of us who take whatever car in "the category" we've selected is available. Unless you rent a luxury car you're going to have to be flexible, in my experience.

J62

In my experience the actual cars in the fleet vary widely.

Even if they only list the Alfa 159 as the representative car in that class, chances are good you'll end up with something else like a Renault or Hyundai, Ford or some VW brand - don't count on an Alfa just because you're in Italy. It's a complete folly to actually expect the exact model listed - that would require Avis/Hertz or any other company to only buy one model per class for their entire country fleet.

bob_brown

I don't think you reserve a specific model; you reserve a class of vehicle. Even within the category of "compact" you can find different price ranges.

What I found nice on my recent trip was that Auto Europe was offering a one class free upgrade. When we arrived at the Avis location in Munich, a vehicle for the one class upgrade was not available. So we got a two class upgrade and drove off in a baby Mercedes. Needless to say I was not arguing!

Neat car. I felt like the King of Bavaria riding around in a Mercedes.

traveller1959

If they display an Alfa as an example for a class F car it is more likely that you will get a Fiat or a Seat or a Skoda. Usually the display the fancier models. You book a car of a certain class and they are free to give you whatever they have in this class (or, if you are lucky, a free upgrade).

If you hire in a large branch (like Rome/Termini) you may have the chance to select from different options (ask them if they have different models in class F). If you hire in a city branch they will have brought the car from another location and you have to take what you get.

schnauzer

In my experience they simply do not guarantee a car, just the category.

Schnauzer

travelgourmet

I'll agree with the others - you reserve the car class, not the car. The only exception are for the fanciest cars, but that will cost you a lot of money.

It is, however, worth asking at check-in which specific models are available. Often, there are several models and you might find something that will work for you.

BTilke

The only way we've been able to get the car we really want is to make the reservation well in advance, communicate directly with the individual agency about our preferences, then visit the agency in person a couple of days ahead to see what specifically will be on the lot that day and put in our "dibs" to the branch manager. But even that can fail if the car we want has a mechanical problem or for some reason the renter keeps it an extra day.

Rent the class you want and accept the fact that the luck gods will decide what you get on the day.

ira

Hi K,

No one guarantees that you will get exactly what you asked for.

You will get something within the class or an upgrade.

Our last visit, the VW Golf became a Renault Laguna.

Don't worry about it. It's only a car.

Have you checked www.kemwel.com, www.gemut.com, www.autoeurope.com, www.novacarhire.com?

nytraveler

Your best chances of getting what you want are to rent from the largest offices (as at major airports) and fairly early in the day. The offices have no control of what cars come in to them - and in a small office - or late in the day - you have to take what they have. (All of the reservations guarantee a "class" and often you don;t even get that.

This is just a fact of life - and if a specific car is so important - then arrange for one to be held for you (at your cost) from before you arrive.