early drop-off of rental car in Nice
 

We'll be dropping off our rental car at the Nice airport before they open - our flights are at 6:30, and that's when the agency (National Car Rental) opens. So we'll be using the drop box option.

Now I've done that in the US and haven't ever really worried about it - that I'll get socked with a bogus damage claim. "Some" in our party are worried about this strategy (and are even thinking that maybe we ought to drop the car off a day early when the agency is open and incur an extra night's hotel lodging cost to avoid such a problem). Anyone have any experience with use of the drop-box option and problems therewith? I know I can take photos of the car to prove no damage, but I'd prefer not getting in such a bind in the first place.

TIA,

Sam

We were in this situation last year in Nice and expected to use the drop box because of our very early morning flight. When we arrived, though, there was a (Hertz) employee checking cars in. He hardly looked at the car before printing out our receipt.

I'm not sure that helps you much at all, but that was our experience.

Where are you staying? Can you drop your car in that city the afternoon before and taxi to the airport the next morning? We just did that from Antibes and it worked very well.

We did exactly that -- dropped off for an early flight. No problem. That doesn't guarantee that you won't...

Where are you staying ? If you took a taxi, would it be a long ways ? (ie. downtown Nice vs. an outside town - Villefranche, for example). I personally would rather control my own destiny and deal with the unknown of dropping off rather than relying upon a taxi at the ungodly hour of 5am.

Thanks for the advice. Our condo is in St. Jean Cap Ferrat, so we'd be needing a very early taxi from there to the Nice airport - like Surfmom, I'm leery of depending on getting taxis (we'd need two for the two couples and too much luggage) at that hour. Since our last night in St. Jean Cap Ferrat is already paid for, I'm also reluctant to add on an extra night's lodging at a hotel near the Nice airport just to avoid the possibility of the problem occurrence. Others have advised to take lots of pictures of the car when we return it as proof of its condition when we return it.

I guess this is part of what makes life interesting?

Sam

May I please ask a related question - has anyone dropped off a rental car after hours at the Nice train station? We are considering doing this on a Sunday evening before catching the overnight train to Venice.

Thanks for letting me piggyback on your original post!

Some advice for dropping off cars in the off hours:

Take lots of pix, inside and outside of the car, showing yourself and the place where you dropped it off.

You can then contest damage claims.

((I))

Attnymom - most of the Nice train station rental offices are rather small, and the parking is limited (up in a poorly marked corner of the public garage). When we did the night train to Venice, we dropped the car in late afternoon and found a nearby luggage drop (just a small hotel down the street, I think the rental office gave us directions). The fee for holding our luggage was fairly nominal, and it let us wander around town and have a relaxed dinner and do some shopping before the train.

If you do expect to do a late drop-off, I might suggest calling that office ahead of time to confirm any details.

I would drop off the car early in the morning. The rental car return is just opposite the terminal - a short and easy walk.

I can hardly imagine that a big international rental car company would betray you like that and I never heard of such a case. Another option would be booking insurance with full coverage - which will be probably cheaper than two taxi rides from the airport to Cap Ferrat and back (at least 150 Euros).

I guess we, technically, didn't taxi. We used a recommended limo driver with a van from our rental in Antibes. He charged us 80 Euro for 4 adults and luggage.

Our flight was out of terminal 2 and the rental car return's at terminal 1. We couldn't seem to get a confirmation that the shuttle to terminal 2 ran as early as we would need so the "taxi" option was less stressful for us and worth the 20 Euros/person to us.

Have a wonderful trip whatever you decide!

I have been in the same situation, coming from Cap Ferrat for an early morning flight. I would suggest a van also, the companies and drivers are used to tourists with their early flights, nothing new to them, that is how they make their living.

I have also returned the car in the early morning, just left it where they designated. I would agree that you should take photos, many photos, maybe even carry a newspaper for the date. I have gotten odd charges much later for some "damage" that was never there.

I posted this a year or so ago, but even take a photo of the top of the car, I was charged after the fact for supposedly scraping the roof of the car. It was really rippling from the factory installed sunroof. (This was in the US)

Curmudgeon - thank you for the great advice!

One last point on the "thread within a thread" for Attnymom. Having done the night train from Nice to Venice, I don't think I would do it again. We slept quite poorly on the train (even in 1st class sleeper) with the various stops and sections being added and removed from the train. If there weren't good flight options, I'd take the day train; while you do kill most of a day on it, it is faster and you can see the countryside.