Europcar - pay in advance question
 

I found a good deal with a car in Sweden with Europcar. If I pay online in advance I can save even more money. My travel plans are stable. Do any of you pay in advance to save $$. I hesitate to do it but why? Any advice about this car company would also be helpful.
Thank you in advance.

If you pay in advance you'll lock in your rate. I always pay in advance and the rental company sends a voucher or email you can print and take with you.

Check the cancelation policy. If you can cancel within a day or two of the pickup date with no penalty then why not lock in a good rate. If you find a better rate later on you can cancel then.

Hi A,

Make sure that you can cancel without penalty.

Also, check with www.autoeurope.com, www.gemut.com and www.kemwel.com.

They should be able to get you the same car through Europcar at a lower rate.

((I))

Thanks for the replies. Good advice. I did check those other links and the rates were very close. However the cars were different and could make all the difference. Thank you.

However, if you have any problems, it's easier to deal with AutoEurope with questions on your Europcar rental than to deal directly with Europcar.

Thank you for letting me know that. The car selection was better at AutoEurope.

Annikany,

Pre paids are great. How-ever, read the fine print in the contract !!! If your plane is delayed and you are not there to get the car, some agencies will charge a reinstatement fee. I believe Europa does not have this and will note the record of flight information as well. I rented prepaid from Sixt. As I went home to Germany. The Euro went berzerk over the FIFA games and I was relaxed due to pre-paid would not fluxuate. Some things are a blessing.
Eric

I usually prepay if I can, since not only does it save money but it saves time especially when returning the rental car. AutoEurope is a wholesaler, part of the Dollar group. Check the deductable offered on AutoEurope since it might not be as advantageous as booking directly with car rental company. Had an example of this when I looked for rates in France, AutoEurope's inclusive rate included CDW with deductable of USD1000 but directly with the rental company, you could get slightly more expensive rate but there was no deductable. CDW doesn't seem to matter to US travellers (think you get cover on credit cards in some cases) but for others it's quite important.

Thanks for the replies. I will look into all of that. I was planning on purchasing the CDW. It's worth the money and the deductible is $500.00. On the sites for booking it was a requirement to have flight information to hold your car in case of flight delays. Now I know why.

Just wanted to say thanks. I reserved a car with AutoEurope and I feel I got a great deal with insurance. No Cancel fees and they will hold the car if plane is delayed.
You were all a big help!