Sarastro

Checking with various Autoeurope websites, prices not only can change, but so can the terms of the quote. For example, using autoeurope.com will inevitably result in a 40€+ location surcharge if pickup is made at a train station or airport. Fees of this type, and there are others, are paid a drop off and are not included in the quoted price. The location surcharge is not always included in the terms of contracts of all countries.

There could also be disadvantages in using various site including foreign transaction fees when paying.

ColtonJ

The various Auto Europe websites and subsequent rates are designed for residents of that given country. This isn't as problematic for citizens of EU countries, but US or non-EU residents should be careful because many EU rates are only valid for EU citizens with EU licenses.
Many different parts of the terms and conditions will also be different, like inclusions, insurances, etc.

If you are a US resident and you find a lower rate in EU, just call Auto Europe and they will always be able to match/beat the price in USD for you

IMDonehere

I agree with almost all above. If you still want to rent a car, get one of the periphery of Paris, so you do not have to navigate traffic.

A car is a PITA in Brugge and most other cities. We visited Brugge while we were visiting Belgium and I left the car in the parking lot by the train station and took a cab to the hotel. That town is easy to negotiate on foot.

kerouac

<I>just call Auto Europe and they will always be able to match/beat the price in USD for you</I>

And I had colleagues who would just call the rental company in question, which would immediately match the rate as well. After all, they save the commission that they would be paying to AutoEurope by applying that rate for you directly, so they are coming out ahead also.

Sarastro

The big advantage is not necessarily that Autoeurope will match any price, it is that you will be dealing with a US company that will have free phone lines available to you to someone who speaks English to help you if there is any problems at pickup or thereafter.

Additionally, if your credit card will charge you foreign transaction fees, AE payments are not subject to these fees.

StuDudley

>>Additionally, if your credit card will charge you foreign transaction fees, AE payments are not subject to these fees.<<

If you pay in advance in dollars - which we always do.

I don't know if Autoeurope/Kemwell still offer it - but if you choose to pay a portion if the rental at the time you return the car, you'll pay in Euros and subject to a conversion fee. If course any "second" driver, train/airport, road, environmental fees will be paid in Euros & subject to conversion fees.

Stu Dudley

ColtonJ

>And I had colleagues who would just call the rental company in question, which would immediately match the rate as well. After all, they save the commission that they would be paying to AutoEurope by applying that rate for you directly, so they are coming out ahead also.<

Car rental companies do not pay commission to brokers and they do not benefit from offering further-discounted direct rates in any way. If this were the case, brokers like Auto Europe, rentalcars.com, etc. would not exist! Brokers are able to offer lower prices because they get wholesale rates based on the volume of bookings they generate.

Some brokers may try and take advantage of their position by hiding extra costs that will be due at pickup (as Stu Dudley mentioned; road tax, location surcharges, insurances depending on country, etc.) and highlighting a lower up-front cost to gain business, but that's why there are trusted brokers and then the ones you constantly see complaints about.

In the end, reading terms and conditions in full will enable you to make an informed decision on where to book. The purchasing power and industry influence of brokers like Auto Europe will grant you an avenue to get the lowest price (much like Groupon, where wholesale volume allows individual end-level consumers to get discounts they simply wouldn't be able to get on their own).