I have searched and cannot find a post I saw a couple of days ago wherein someone asked what the notations on car rentals mean -

We are considersing:

Renault Megane with ac
Manual (stickshift)
Compact (CDMR)
4 Doors, A/C

or

Renault Laguna diesel with ac
Manual (stickshift)
Midsize (IDMR)
4 Doors, A/C

to drive around Provence. Do you know what IDMR and CDMR mean? I believe the smaller care would be better for parking but since the larger car says diesel, I am assuming the smaller car is gas. I have no idea what the price of diesel is. Should that be a consideration.

Thanks.

Diesel fuel is quite a bit cheaper than gas in France (lower tax). If you will be covering a lot of miles (like to Paris and back), that can be an advantage, but otherwise I would only worry about it to the point of making sure I put the right type of fuel in the car when filling up. I'm not sure if the other notation is hatchback vs sedan, or just size classes. In any case, I wouldn't count on getting the exact model reserved; the rental places almose always say "or equivalent" in the reservation.

Gasoline prices at the hypermarkets are currently 1.25 euros per liter for normal unleaded and 1.05 euros per liter for diesel. Anyone covering a lot of kilometers will automatically want diesel. Anyway, almost 70% of the cars sold in France are diesel.

I believe IDMR stand for intermediate size car whereas CDMR is Compact.

Rhonda, we have driven both a Megane and Laguna rental. I remember someone gave information on a thread about how many miles you would have to drive to recover the cost of the diesel rental if indeed it will cost you more to rent it. You might find that thread in a search.

We like to rent the smallest car because we usually find ourselves driving on the narrowest streets through villages in France, gas mileage is usually better and parking is definitely an issue in many of those same villages.

For our trip this August we are renting a compact for the two of us. I can't imagine driving those switchbacks on Alpe d'Huez with anything bigger I expect there will lots of others on the road so I can't imagine we will miss any loss of power driving a compact, we won't expect to see much "open road" in August.

My husband is rather particular about the feel and performance of cars and he has always been pleased with the European versions of compacts. He is tall and has always been comfortable in the rental cars. Happy travels. Deborah

Hi R,

If there will be 2 adults with one large and one small suitcase, the Megane (or a Peugeot 307) will be perfect.

Get a Diesel if it's close in price. You will save 2 - 3 cts per mile.

Before yu leave the rental car lot, be sure that you know where reverse is, how to open the hood, the trunk and the gas door.

Check all dings and have them marked by the rental agent.

A compass that can be attached to the rear-view mirror is very handy. Make sure it points the same direction in the car as it does outside the car.

Our Peugeot had its own magnetic field and our compass pointed the same direction at all times.

Be very careful at fuel stops to put the correct fuel into the car. It could ruin your whole day if you make a mistake.

CDMR = Compact Manual A/C
IDMR = Intermediate Manual A/C

Have a lovely visit.

I agree that if the two are the same price or near then get the Diesel. In addition to the fuel itself being less expensive, most diesels will get a lot more mileage, increasing the savings as well.

Thanks guys! I think we will go with the smaller car because we will be driving in small villages even if the diesel is cheaper.

Hey ira, I thought of all that except the compass; I'll have to get one of those!

I rented the Renault Megane for our Provence trip today with Autoeurope. The rate was decent but I was surprised that they immediately charged my credit card for the full amount of the rental.

Rhonda, we are using Autoeurope also and they do now charge the full amount immediately. We have used them over the past few years in France and have always been pleased with both their service and their customer service. I believe the rentals are fully refunded if necessary. After your trip and ours we can compare cars Ron and I are going with a Citroen compact this time because the price was better when I was pricing. Safe travels, Deborah

Our favorite model is the Renault Laguna, which we once successfully squeezed through Lacoste with the mirrors pulled in, so no problem in the smaller towns.

I have booked a Renault Laguna or similar intermediate car which we will pick up in Avignon and return in Aix en Provence. The only reason I chose the intermediate was because of trunk size. We are going in May and believe that between our daughter (age 20), my husband and I we will have at a -minimum- 1 large and 1 small suitcase. From the ones I have seen around here, the VW Golf just does not look like it would hold the suitcases and assorted bags. But on the other hand my concern is being able to navigate and park in small towns in Provence. Will an intermediate be too big? Has anyone reserved with Auto Europe then changed type of auto on site without a problem?
Also, the office in Aix does not open until 9A when we return the car (we are taking a 9:10 train)and so we were instructed to make arrangements to use the drop box. What if we leave the car where instructed and then receive a claim back in the states for a dent that was not there when we left the car?
Michèle

The Laguna is a very comfortable car that's easy to handle. It holds a reasonable of luggage as well. Get the diesel if you can.