I need help! For my upcoming September vacation to Germany/Italy, I have managed to save lots by using miles on Lufthansa for free tickets and points with Marriott for 7 free nites out of 14. Now, I am tackling the car issue. We can rent out of Munich airport or out of Freising, where we will stay for free the first 2 nites. So far, I have looked at Hertz and Sixt and Thrifty but all of the prices for a mid sized car are around $800 or more. Has anyone found any better rates with another company?

Check with www.gemut.com or call them directly. They usually have very good prices and sometimes will match any lower price you find elsewhere.

Also, you'd do much better with a compact instead of a mid-size. However, you may be able to get a free upgrade. Ask about it when you check with gemut.com. You can also check with autoeurope.com.

I second betty's recommendations. Gemut can help you with all your questions and find you the best rate.

It is also cheaper if you pick up your car at a city location rather than at the airport.

You don't say what you're looking for, but you'll also save if the car is a manual transmission.

When you say vacation to Germany and Italy, does that mean you want to rent from Munich or Freising but return in Italy? If so, that may be the reason for the steep quote, since international drop-off charges boost any rental significantly.

Hi EmilyC,
We rented through www.gemut.com less than 6 months ago from Frankfurt airport to Munich airport for 11 days for roughly half that. We wound up with a Seat Leon w/manual trans. from Avis which was perfect for us.

Paul