Drive Across Spain Border to France?
 

I'm planning to drive from Barcelona to Nice in June. Is there any way to avoid the one-way drop off fee from the car rental company? It's over $500!!

Not unless you lease for 21 days or more.

Perhaps you should check on the train for the first part of your trip. All the major car rental companies have installations at the rail station in Perpignan. The rail fare would depend on class, speed of train, and number of people, but it seems to me unlikely to reach $500. When last I checked, even the 21 day leases had extra charges to pick up or drop off in a second country.

Take a train or a taxi across the border and pick up your rental car in France.We did that going from Portugal to Spain and it saved us a lot.

At least once I was lucky to ask and get in Zurich a car with ITalian registration , that was neat.
No drop off charge charge. I asked at several rental companies in Zurich and that was it.

Definitely take the train to Perpignan and rent from there. Will you have just spent time in Barcelona, or will you have driven around Spain for a while first? You won't need a car in Barcelona at all, so you may be able to drop your car off there.

The problem is this: We are spending 4 days in Barcelona with no car. Then we plan to pick up a car at the airport in Barcelona, spend 2 nights somewhere in Costa Brava, drive across the France border to Provence, then keep going east towards Nice. Upon heading back to New York, the car rental will be dropped off at the Nice airport. If we take a train from Barcelona across the French border, then we'll miss the opportunity to expore the Spanish Riviera, and really wanted that to be a part of our plans....the car is coming to 900 USD, and that is without gas or tolls!!

You can pick the car up at AVIS office in Barcelona (C/CÒRSEGA, 293-295), to avoid paying the steep airport pickup fees, and drop it off at the AVIS office at airport in Girona. You can then take the train from Girona to Perpignan to pick up another car to continue your trip.

This would allow you to explore the Costa Brava and avoid the one-way drop off fee.

Check with Auto Europe regarding the rentals.

I see. Well, compare prices for what the drop-off fee is versus dropping it in Spain near the border after you've done what you want to do, and taking a short train trip to somewhere in France to rent. I suppose that would be in Girona or Portbou.

If the rental agency has a car available that is registered in France, they can waive the fee. (The bigger the agency the better, if you try this.)

Drop the car at Girona Airport and take a bus from there to Perpignan.
See www.frogbus.com and www.perpicat.com for timetable.

We took the train from Barcelona to Perpignan, and picked up our rental car. We then drove it back into Spain, and spent the day in Girona and Figueres. Then drove BACK into France for the remainder of our trip. You might consider doing this for your trip. Or the suggestion to rent and drop in Girona for the Costa Brava portion of your trip, with a second rental once you're in France.

We're doing the reverse trip to yours in June. It's not costing us anywhere near $900 with AutoEurope.

THANK YOU all so much for your suggestions. You have saved the budget for my vacation! I haven't figured out exactly what I will do yet, but I now know that there are options. Thanks again.