dutyfree

Okay,our family is going to Germany and doing the Rhine and Mosel in a week. I have been corresponding with Gemut for our rates on cars as Hertz, Autoeurope and Avis have been high.

Questions-do we really really need a GPS in the car when we rent?

4 very tall people with luggage-the mercedes C seems not that large. Should we be going with a minivan?

What should I be making sure we have on the car before making reservation besides A/C, 4 doors or auto transmission? Hubs is not helping me(as he is not familar with anything Mercedes) so thats why I am turning to you all for help.
Does over a $1100 USD a week seem high to you? Thanks everyone!

TimS

IMO, if you have good detailed maps, you don't need a GPS. Can you handle manual transmission? It's much cheaper than automatic. On the Auto Europe site I found a 5/7 passenger Opel Zafira with manual transmission for under $700 USD for a week. Judging from the description of the Mercedes C-class I found after doing a search, the trunk space probably wouldn't be big enough even if you limited yourselves to only one carry-on bag/person.

travel2live2

Agree with Tim. We have never yet had a vehicle with GPS and have been in some pretty off-the-beaten-path stuff! We're really adventurous, though... Anyway, if you are doing the Rhine and Mosel I truly do not see the need for one.

Also agree with a manual if at all possible. A lot cheaper than $1100 a week which sounds very expensive. We have always had great service with AutoEurope. If you do find somewhere cheaper they match - it's happened to us a few times and they have been very good about it.

Have a great time in Germany!!

stanleys

We recently rented MB Model C Diesel from Hertz...picking up in Paris and driving into Switzerland and back for about $1600 for 15 days.

This model is small unless you really limit luggage.

nytraveler

We tried a Mercedes C with 4 adults - 2 tall and 2 medium and reasonable luggage - and ended up with one bag - 24" in the back seat - since it wouldn't fit in the trunk. Also, the Mercedes in Europe seem to have different engines than the US - since this one had absolutely no pick up (not loaded - one day my SIL took it while the guys golfed - and it still had no pick up).

For 4 tall adults and anything more than 4 20" carry-ons you will need something larger.

As far as GPS - I hate them and we always disable them. Much prefer maps - which we study before we go. But then we both have good sense of direction and use the driver/navigator system (that is - driver just follow verbal directions - not road signs).

Another note - ask about credit cards. For the more expensive cars (and cars in europe cost much more than in the US) they often allow you to rent only with an AmEx card - since Visa/MC limits value of cars they cover to $30,000 - not much in europe.

dutyfree

Thanks for everyone's imput-I have been so confused on sizes of various cars and they sure don't offer alot of information .Anyone else with their thoughts?

thursdaysd

You could also take a look at Enterprise - the Cologne locations have an automatic BMW S-series for $808 for a week. I agree that a manual will be a lot cheaper, and with four adults you should be able to use at least one as a navigator.

Maudie

Lat year we rented a VW Passat wagon, it was quite comfortable for four adults with 4 pieces of luggage (one suitcase was huge - not ours!)as well as 4 pieces of hand luggage (back packs etc). Took us about 3 tries to load up the luggage area but once we figured it out we just stuck with that method of packing each time. We had one small bag between us on the back seat but it was a nice arm rest!
Also driving in Germany next year and will be asking for a Passat again.