awayfromitall

We'll have a car for 10 days in Germany traveling through Bavaria and the Rhine to
Berchtesgaden, Fussen, Rothenburg, and Bacharach. A mid-size car I'm sure would be more comfortable for us but would we run into trouble maneuvering or parking?

iris1745

No problem--roads are very good. Check lowfares.com sixt.com or carrentals.com for prices. We used Sixt last September and had good results. Many more discounters to choise from. Richard

logos999

You don't expect to find free parking downtown Munich, right? So who cares about the size of your car.

When I exit the underground car park in my car, I've go about 30cm to my right and 30cm to my left on the ramp.
If that distance is an issue for you, then park elsewhere.

bettyk

You might want to look at getting a midsize station wagon as it may give you more room for luggage.

We've had good luck in the past with www.gemut.com. Give them a call for a quote. Very nice people to deal with.

Even people in Germany drive SUV's, station wagons and vans so you shouldn't have a problem.

PeaceOut

Be aware that the car rental agency might insist on seeing your original passports. We had a car reserved and paid for, to pick up in Munich. They would not give us the car because we only had color xerox copies of passports on us.

Since the rental agency was at the train station, we decided to just take the train to Salzburg and Fussen (two different day-trips), instead of walking back to the hotel for our passports. We were really glad we did not get the car, after all.

We had reserved the car through AutoEurope, and they refunded our money and apologized.

logos999

Wow, wanting to get a car with xeroxed IDs and then AutoEurope did apologize to you for not getting the car. AE must be a good company, certainly not a German company!

PeaceOut

Well, logos, you sound sarcastic, which is entirely unnecessary.

We did not have xeroxed IDs, we had original DLs, but had copies of our passports. AutoEurope said they had never heard of such a request. The auto agency at the next desk did not require an original passport, but their last-minute prices were too high for us.

I just wanted to advise the OP, that it's a possibility and to be prepared with original passports.

logos999

Well, I like being sarcastic so what, never got a rental car without proper ID (that's Passport or ID card in Germany), so that "no passport needed" rule is "somewhat unexpected" to say the least. But I'll try with my DL only next time, promised ;-).

But then there are still those check out machines, maybe they don't require proper id? Just you CC.

J62

I've rented cars in Germany dozens of times and never needed to show my passport. MY US drivers license has always sufficed. Maybe logos is on the special "need to show passport list" that the rental car co's maintain on behalf of the government.

logos999

Proper ID is a German ID card, not an US drivers license.

joannyc

Well, I've rented cars in Germany without my passport or a German ID card... just my IDP and US drivers license.

joannyc

I rented a VW Passat or equivalent from Europcar (through a reservation with Kemwel.com). They upgraded me to a Mercedes C220. Really a nice car! I did have some concern driving through some of the narrow lanes of Rothenburg... but somehow made it through without a scratch!

Otzi

We've been renting vans when we go. They can be expensive, but if you shop around deals are out there. With a van you have plenty of room for everyone to sleep while you drive and extra luggage room. Never had any problem with parking or maneuvering. Just be careful if using an underground garage because most are under 2 meters and vans are right about that height. Also everytime I've rented a van I got a diesel which will save you beaucoups bucks on fuel.

nytraveler

4 people plus luggage in an economy car will probably not be possible.

Suggest you look at the cars classified as economy and, if you can find them in the US (cars are MUCH smaller in europe) go to a dealer and just try to get in the car. Then have a look at the trunk. Also, are you comforatble driving a standard shift?

We always take a mid or larger size car (both tall, don;t like being squashed and prefer a larger engine) and often find there is just enough rooms for our luggage (2 mid size bags and 2 small soft-side carry-ons). We have never had trouble fitting in garages or parking spaces - but do practice your parallel parking if you don;t do it every day.

alihutch

I don't understand this worry with 'the car being too big' The inhabitants of the country you are visiting drive all sorts of size cars and manage just fine.

logos999

Mine is bigger than yours.

agedude

My last two rentals in Germany were a VW Passat wagon and a Mitsubishi Montero. I was very happy to have the extra space in both vehicles and had no trouble maneuvering. I lived in Germany for three years and drove a 940 Volvo and took it everywhere. If there are four of you on a serious road trip, the more comfort in your vehicle, the better. If you are worried about parking, a little research can go a long way. If you know the places you will be visiting, find a city map or stadtplan on the internet before you go and figure out where you will be parking before you depart. Make sure you rent a GPS or you can buy one with US and European maps for less than $200 dollars. If one of your planned car parks is full, the GPS will tell you what else is available and where. Parking can be a bear, but I'll gladly pay 20 Euro a day for less hassle and peace of mind.

metry2

We are flying in to Munich and looking to rent a car for 13 days at the end of May. I'll check into the recommended car rental companies. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get the best price? We're flying in on US Air. Thanks!

logos999

If you want small (Smart) and cheap (about 15€ per day), this would be an option.

http://www.sixti.de/

logos999

I also like Buchbinder www.buchbinder.de and www.interrent.com is really hard to beat.