We will be spending 6 weeks in Europe this summer in multiple countries. We have planned to avoid cross border pickup and drop offs. Two issues on which would appreciate advice:

1. Even if our credit card covers CDW, won't the local rental office require a very large "deposit" if we don't have CDW through them or the broker. The issue with this is maxing out the card early in the trip.

2. We last did something like this in 2008. I am finding it much more difficult to find 1 way rentals now than then. In 2008 we used AutoEurope exclusively and had no 1 way rental problems. For this summer, online AutoEurope is not allowing any of the 4 oneways I want to book. Several other companies don't have the option, and even Avis does not for one of them. Any idea what is going on?
TIA.

Look at the Kemwel lease program for Peugeot--makes sense for you.

I'm using Europcar/Hertz this year, picking up a car in Sevilla and returning it to Madrid with no problem in making arrangments. On my last trip in 2009, I picked up in Berlin and dropped off in Vienna. I think I used Auto Europe/Avis.

Thanks to you both. Did as suggested and checked Kemwell. Their agreement states - "The local supplier will require a security deposit to be blocked on the primary drivers credit card for the duration of the rental." which is what I'm trying to avoid since I have CDW plus with my credit card. On the other hand, was impressed by the Kemwell website, transparency and prices.
Now if I could just find a vendor (other than Hertz)that has/allows Bayonne-Dinard

If you consider using www.carrentals.com there is usually no up front money paid. Pay in full at the counter. Richard

We recently did 3 one way rentals (France/Italy/Croatia) - all booked via Auto Europe - 2 with Europcar and one with AMC. They each took a security deposit - the highest being 1200E for a two week rental of a Mercedes C Class. Hope that helps.

Also re Auto Europe one ways - I find it better to call and speak to them than use the website for a one way rental. I was able to get all the one ways I wanted with acceptable drop off charges.

Part of your problem is your combination of countries. I don't know where you are picking up/dropping off but it is next to impossible to drop a LHD car in a RHD country or vise versa. And dropping a car from Ireland in the UK (or the reverse) is difficult even though they drive on the same side of the road.

So either organize things so you pick up and drop off on the Continent - or accept you'll need more than one rental.

And - are you sure you want to deal w/ driving on the 'wrong side of the car/wrong side of the road' for half of your itinerary? I'd rent a RHD car for Ireland/the UK (and maybe two cars, one in each country), and a LHD car for Spain/France.

Rental companies have never wanted to allow drop offs of a car with the wrong side drive for two reasons -

1) it's practically impossible for them to rent it there
2) there is a higher incidence of accidents - esp by tourists - when driving cars with wrong side drive

Have no idea about hold on CC - since we use AmEx - which doesn;t have a limit

I do not understand--did you look at the " buy back" program. All insurance is included since you technically own the car. Any rental plan will not work for you.

I have rented cars in France and not bought CDW because it was on my CC (I did buy some required small liability as I recall). I think they did put a hold on my CC of some amount, I don't really recall, but it wasn't 25,000 euro or anything like that (the value of the car). My CCs keep giving me huge limits on my cards even though I've never asked and don't use them, so it really hasn't ever been something I cared about, actually. My limits on my CCs are all over $20K, at least, if not more, so it hasn't been any problem I cared about. Now I usually use my Capital One MC as it has no foreign transaction fee and that limit is $20K, and I definitely charged hotels and food during that time for several weeks, so they couldn't have charged that much to my card that I ever noticed.

If you are getting quotes from Autoeurope, they might be able to answer that question.

Never tried to take a car to drop-off in another country. You say you are avoiding cross-border drop-offs so it sounds like you cannot find any company to allow one-way rental when both drop-off and pick-up are in the same country? that's weird, if that's what you mean. I've never had a problem in France, anyway, using Autoeurope and Europcar.

I can't imagine you not being able to find one-way w/i countries. Almost every rental I've ever had in the UK, Ireland and France have been one-way.

Could it just be the specific locations you have chosen? For instance some small towns in England only have local/independent hire companies and one-way drop offs simply aren't possible.

I've had no problem getting a one-way rental with AutoEurope or Kemwel, but none involved a cross-border drop-off. I believe that the only hold on the credit card is the potential excess charge. But one must be careful. A rental in town through Kemwel usually involves a drop-off fee by rental agency, whereas a pickup from a RR station does have an extra fee, but that fee is lower than the drop-off fee. The agency at RR stations is usually Europcar, in town, Avis or Hertz.

Only Hetz or Avis will charge a one way drop off fee for pickup and drop off at different locations within France. Europcar, Citer, Sixt, nor anyone else has such charges.

If you want a car long term (greater than a couple of weeks), leases can be a good solution though they are not now as attractive as they once were. Most credit card insurance coverage is limited to fewer than 28 days, some cards have shorter limits. These limitations can tilt the scale towards a lease except that American Expresse´s $25 primary coverage for up to 45 days might mean big savings if you rent vs. lease (assuming you have an AE card).

These points are not solutions in themselves but important considerations when making a decision about car rentals in France. Contact Autoeurope, which does leasing and renting, and compare the options.

I should have read janisj's response more carefully. I tried to specify a downtown office for a Bordeaux rental, but could a drop-off in Limoges. It turned out that the rental company in Bordeaux did not have an agency in Limoges. Maybe that happened to the OP.

You will find that cars in Ireland and in GB mainland are usually not allowed out of the countries.

2 easy soluations for for credit card hold problem:

1- Get another card and use it for the car rental.
Having more than one card is a good plan when away on a long trip anyway.

2- Talk to your current credit card company and raise your credit limit. This only takes a phone call.