Need a car for 19 days for driving around France in October. Rent or buy back lease?

If you are willing to drive a shift car and decline the CDW because your credit card will cover such charges, you will discover that renting is cheaper than leasing for that short period of time. Just go to http://www.renaultusa.com/ to get the price of a lease and then go to http://www.autoeurope.com/ to get the price of a rental of a comparable car.

The price differential might not apply to an automatic.

I did a buy-back lease from Peugeot for my 3 month driving trip around France & Italy last fall, and was delighted with the whole experience. I don't recall exactly what they say about the number of days at which it makes good 'financial sense'....19 may be near the 'border'. The folks at the Peugeot lease phone line are helpful.

But, what's great about the lease deal is how *everything* is taken care of for you--insurance, road service, etc. You just show up and drive away.

I envy you your October drive trip--in my view, the best way to enjoy France. Small backroads lead to beautiful surprises and human contact. Have fun.

Karen
http://www.pbase.com/karenmickleson

Hi M,

>Rent or buy back lease?

You have to do the numbers.

We checked a lease for a slightly longer period than you are planning (25 days) and decided that leasing was about the same price as renting. Other factors:
Leasing would have provided us a specific car and equipment, an advantage. Downside with leasing would be if something went wrong such as an minor accident or a breakdown on the highway. You can't just call a Hertz office nearby and get another car. We were more concerned with a delay in our travel plans than with a modest edge in the price.