We just returned from out ten day trip to Provence, and will share it with you all when I can find a free moment. Loved Saignon, Hotel des Ecoles in Paris, and Mas Fondacuette in Loumarin. As I also expected Europe Auto did not come through with the automatic that I had to pay for up front. Will stick with Avis from here on out.

If you have any immediate questions we were in Paris, St. Remy, Sainte Cecile, Loumarin, Saignon, Roussillon and Forcalquier.

So sorry, we used Auto Europe two years in a row: in Italy and Switzerland. In Florence they where trying to play a game with us, but we did not gave up, I just sat on suitcases in front of the office, and our car magically showed up an hour later. In Monteux – no problem, as with everything in Switzerland. We are planning to rent this year again in Paris in June, your story scares me. Anything we can do to protect ourselves from situation like yours and what did you do?

We’ll be going to Loire Valley and Provence in June, I’ll be waiting for your travel stories – no rush, and welcome home.

MRS

Who did AutoEurope contract with - Avis, EuropCar, Hertz?? The actual rental company (Avis, Europcar, etc) is the company that did not have tha Auto Transmission available for you.

When AutoEurope rents you a car, their system puts a "record" into the Avis system. I'm pretty sure that the "record" is handled by Avis just like a rental made directly with Avis. When we got a big hard-to-handle station wagon instead of the mini-SUV we reserved, I told AutoEurope about it when we returned home. They said if we had called them at the time, they would have made sure that a mini-SUV was made available - perhaps a day or two later, since there was probably none on the lot at the time we picked up the car. Specifically, the station wagon was in the lot at the Montpellier train station where we picked up the car, and AutoEurope would have arranged with EuropCar to drive a mini-SUV from the airport lot to the train station lot.

I think I remember your concern from one of your past posts. Did anyone advise you to call the specific rental company (not AutoEurope) a day in advance to check to see if the automatic you wanted was available & reserved for you at your pick-up location??

Don't assume that if you would have rented directly from Avis instead of through AutoEurope, you would have received the car you wanted & paid for.

I hope you've contacted AutoEurope and asked for a refund for the difference in the cost between an automatic & manual. Also tell them to compensate you on your next rental. Somebody made a mistake - EuropeCar if they screwed up the reservation when they reserved with Avis (not likely), or Avis themselves in not having an automatic on the lot when you picked up the car (more likely). We actually encountered an AutoEurope "screw-up" in a reservation in '07 - so it does happen. AutoEurope resolved it, however. We got the car we wanted & AutoEurope refunded us some money.

FYI, if you had rented directly through Avis & the car you wanted was not avilable, you would have had to deal with the French Avis "home" office. Dealing with almost any French bureaucracy would have been much more difficult for you than dealing with a US one . AutoEurope would have been able to apply more "leverage" than you possibly could have provided.

Live & learn !!

Glad you had a wonderful time in Provence. How was the market in Forcalquier?

Stu Dudley

Hi MRS

>>we used Auto Europe two years in a row: in Italy and Switzerland. In Florence they where trying to play a game with us<<

The "they" in your sentence is not AutoEurope - it's either Avis, Europcar, Hertz, or whomever AutoEurope contracted with. AutoEurope does not own cars and only has an office in Portland, Maine, USA.

>>but we did not gave up, I just sat on suitcases in front of the office, and our car magically showed up an hour later.<<

That's what I would have done too. The actual rental company might have called AutoEurope in that hour, or just figured that they (Avis, Europecar, or Hertz) had better resolve things for you because you were not just going to let them (the rental company) get off easy.

>>We are planning to rent this year again in Paris in June, your story scares me. Anything we can do to protect ourselves from situation like yours and what did you do?<<

Call the pick-up locatioin office (number is on your AE Voucher) a day in advance to make sure the car you reserved is on their lot with your name on it. You only reserve a "class" of car, and they are only obligated to provide a car in the same class. Same with diesel vs a regular gas car. But automatic vs manual is something different if you've paid a "premium" for it.

Stu Dudley

Hi Stu,

Thanks for explanation. We where in Florence few days, and called the office where we are to pick up car from twice, a day before. First it was us, I believe my husband, but as paranoid as I am I asked our hostess, who is Italian, to call them too. And they insured all of us everything is in order. It made me very upset when we came in and they offered us manual Alpha Romeo, it made my husband very happy, but I can not drive manual, honestly, tried and can not. You should see my face sitting on suitcases, no wonder they found our car.

I don’t want to hijack this tread with my personal stuff; I will share with you my thoughts on the tread I’ve started.

Thanks,

MRS

Hi Barnum,

I can't believe you're back already. My big question is how did you get to the train station in Paris?

Do you recall if there is still a chambre d'hote in Saignon; it was just up the street from the hotel, on the same side as the hotel, right next to the spring fountain. I remember staying there years ago and it was a delightful experience.

<<As I also expected Europe Auto did not come through with the automatic that I had to pay for up front. Will stick with Avis from here on out.>>

This isn't logical, as it wasn't Auto Europe (assume that's what you meant) that didn't come through for you - it was whatever affiliate on the ground in Europe that botched it. Sticking with Avis the next time isn't going to make any difference. And everyone should call the day before to be sure an automatic or whatever is going to be available.

I've done more than 100 AutoEurope rentals and have no complaints at all.

I never heard of a company called Europe Auto, but I have rented an automatic twice using Auto Europe (and they used Europcar), and not in Paris, but smaller cities in Provence. I had no problem. IN fact, one was an Alfa Romeo and I loved it, because they make a car that you have to shift, but there is no clutch, which is all I cared about since I wasn't used to driving automatic and with those hills, etc. I've rented in Marseille and MOntpellier and gotten automatics.

Maybe you got a different kind, but I wish they had those kind of cars in the US, half auto and half manual.

We booked with Auto Europe, and the rental was to be picked up at EuropCar. I did have them call Auto Europe,and they simply said the same thing....they were out of automatics?
I got them to refund the difference, but have yet to see it on my CC bill. I am waiting for another headache there.

When I complained they said I could wait for an automatic, and when I asked how long that would be they said.... maybe tomorrow, maybe the next day. Couldn't believe it.

Avis over the years never promised me an automatic, and they never charge you until you return the car. Once when there was a transit strike in France (2007) I actually reserved one in Brive,and another at Orly just to cover my options.

The driving went fine, but again I did not like having to pay for the rental prior to leaving the states, and of course I didn't like having to hassle them when I arrived in Avignon. I don't doubt many of you have not had this problem, but for me I will stick with Avis in the future.

Stu, we really enjoyed the market in Forcalquier. Apt was much too big and too crowded for us.

If you pay AutoEurope fully before departure, you pay in US Dollars. If you pay when you return the car, you pay in Euros - subject to the 1 to 4% foreign transaction fee.

I've received about 8-10 refends from AutoEurope - never a problem.

If you REALLY want to have a hassle, wait till you rent directly from Avis, have a "problem" with the final bill, and then try to deal with Avis France. Believe me - they will probably just ignore you completly (they did with me).

Stu Dudley

Barnum - you can ask Autoeurope to book you a car with Avis, you don't have to take the car agency that is least expensive, in your case Europe Car. It's usually less expensive to book through AE, at least that's been my experience.

I call this a lesson learned, and something that will make me a smarter traveler in the future. Thanks for all your help. Will post the details next week sometime...

To add further to my frustrations with this company I received a bill today from Europcar for an additional 56.00 Euros. Covered Licenses/Fees and something labeled Prem/Railway/Schg (whatever that is). When I called Auto Europe they said it was in my terms and conditions. So.....what credit they gave me for not having the automatic I paid for, they took back with this surprise charge. Sorry folks....Avis is my company from now on when traveling in France.

Jeeze Barnum - listen to other sides of the story.

The Railway/Schg is the surcharge that is levied on all rentals picked up at a airport or train station. My AutoEurope Voucher clearly states:

RENTAL DOES NOT INCLUDE
- Location surcharge of approximately 32.60 for rentals commencing at an airport or railway station
- Local toll, highway fees, or travel stickers required by local authorities -

The latter is probably the remaining 22.40E

You're going to get these fees added no matter who you rent from. Calm down - you're not being swindled, and nobody is hiding anything from you. This is just normal stuff.

Stu Dudley

Weird...we keep getting automatics these days even though I choose either/or automatic/standard. I've been thinking they're phasing out standard transmission. Guess not.
AE has had great customer service over the years. Really nice on the phone if I had questions and quick with the price-matching service. Our car in Spain was $200 for the week (with very little added on).

You all might be right, and perhaps I didn't read the fine print, but I will still go with Avis next time. Like not having to pay upfront, and not seeing down the road charges.
JMO.

And....I guess this surcharge was included in my Avis cost, but at least I had the amount upfront.

Did you prepay the car rental and receive a voucher before you left home or did you book only and then pay for the car in Europe.

I prepaid.

Barnum - read your AutoEurope Voucher. It says 32.60E for the train/airport pickup. It is not hidden. It is not in any fine print. The entire AEVoucher is only 1 page. The fee is most likely imposed by the French government - not the auto rental company.

Paying upfront with AE will probably save you the 1 to 4% Foreign transaction fee, over paying later in France with Avis.

If youi REALLY want to get "frustrated" - wait till you have a problem with Avis (which you will), and then try to deal with some customer service office in France !!! You may have to get up in the middle of the night to talk during their business hours - and believe me - the French can be VERY frustrating to deal with in these types of matters - I've been there !!!

You're getting a fair deal - but you don't know it.

Stu Dudley