EZT

Know anything about Holiday Autos? It's part of travelocity - same principle as AutoEurope -is an agent for known rental car companies. It's a prepay deal and is SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper than AutoEurope.

For $10 you can add cancellation insurance, so you get your money back if you cancel before you pick up car.

Getting a car for 8 days in Bordeaux in Oct.

2nd question: is CDW and theft insurance worth it. Again, you can get inclusive like AutoEurope but total is much cheaper because base price is so much less.

Thanks for your comments.

Sarastro

1. could you provide the details (auto category, dates, pickup/drop off location, transmission choice, insurance coverage) with which you draw the conclusion that Holiday Autos is "significantly" cheaper than Autoeurope? I am not able to duplicate your findings.

2. CDW is covered by many credit cards as long as the card was used to pay the entire rental costs. I have made a CDW claim previously and it does work.

EZT

If you get automatic transmission the difference is more than $300 less than autoeurope with or without CDW. If you get manual, admittedly it is only significant if you get CDW - then it's about $100 less for an Economy 4 door. It's only about $25 less if you get manual without CDW.

So if I go manual - the question is: Is CDW important in Bordeaux and what about Holiday Auto's rep - anyone ever use them?

Michael

But is there a difference in deductible if you rent the car with an inclusive contract, i.e. with CDW?

EZT

No difference in deductible. My research has satisfied me regarding going with Holiday Autos or AutoEurope. The Big Question: How important is CDW. I will be using Amex Gold.

Michael

CDW covers damage to your car. You can't do without. The only question is whether you take it from the rental agency or have it through your credit card; the latter usually reduces the price of the rental.

logos999

>So if I go manual
If you don't go manual, you're female. A GUY won't go "automatic". Seriously.

alihutch

Why don't you try this site to compare the cheapest deals anywhere...

http://www.travelsupermarket.com/c/cheap-car-hire/

EZT

I'd love to disagree with you in my case since it's a very chauvinistic comment, but admittedly you are correct!! I was trying to keep my husband from doing all the driving, but he has since assured me that he doesn't mind so we are going manual.

I have also heard that we are better off going to the rail station to pick up our car instead of the airport - lines are so long etc. We figure we can take a taxi from Bordeaux airport to the Bordeau rail station and save some time. If we do that, then AutoEurope it is - Holiday Autos does not seem to want to book from the rail station. Any experience with Bordeaux out there?

Thanks for all of the advice - we will go manual and no CDW since we will use credit card.

logos999

That's good! Give him the chance to enjoy the engine. We guys have a "strange" but real affection with engines. When we drive, the engine has to "feel" good too. The horror of some "automatic" telling us what to do next and doing it is just too much to bear!

If you can get a manual and a diesel engine, it would be heaven.

Michael

If you can, pick up the car in the city rather than the RR station. You will save the fee that is levied on airport and RR station pickups. The RR station is in the city anyway, so it will not be any easier driving out of there than from another city location.

logos999

Tell him about the torque of the diesel engine, that's just cool , a lot better than HPs. Those aren't important.

StuDudley

We've picked up cars at the Bordeaux airport a couple of times, and at the train station this past June. Both locations will have added pick-up fees. The "pool" of available cars will be larger at the airport. Getting out of town from the train station is a little more complicated/confusing. As I recall, there were no lines at either office. The airport office might have more agents. No significent taxi lines at the airport.

I booked the car through Kemwell - as I stated earlier. It was a EuropCar auto.

We've rented 40-50 cars in Europe - mostly in France and all from AutoEurope/Kemwell in the last 25 years. Cars were all reserved in my wife's name - since she is always the driver. There was a "new twist" at the Bordeaux train station this year. The agent would only accept a Credit Card (for deposit and any small final charges) with my wife's name on it. The card we take to Europe has my name - not hers (both are on the account, however). We were forced to use our back-up card with my wife's name, which charges a higher currency conversion fee than our normal Europe card with my name.

Stu Dudley

jobo

Uhhhh, logos99, we rented a manual with diesel. VW Golf, great car for Europe. But about that "manual is for guys" thing. My wife drove that VW Golf manual with diesel all over France and I mean on the small, narrow roads and full tilt boogie. I'd put her up against anyone, anywhere, any gender, animals included. Way better than me (I'm the guy).

logos999

Listen to the ultimate love song to the car. Some women do like cars too. (Diesel of course)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68C-r9kSLNE

Sarastro

<i>There was a "new twist" at the Bordeaux train station this year. The agent would only accept a Credit Card (for deposit and any small final charges) with my wife's name on it</i>

I'm not so sure this is a "new twist". In the event of any problem, the rental company's recourse is usually with the driver and it is he who is financially responsible to the rental company.

From Autoeurope's <i>Terms and Conditions</i> written on all of their vouchers:

<i>The local supplier will require a security deposit to be blocked on the primary driver's credit card for the duration of the rental.</i>

If your wife has always been the primary driver, it is indeed her credit card that should be used for the required security deposit. If it hasn't always been this way perhaps the agents have simply overlooked the name nuance in the past.

Nothing precludes your paying the final charges (usually the applicable road tax, pick up surcharges, or environmental fees) on a difference card if you present one when dropping off the car. One caution, if you have relied upon the CDW coverage offered by your credit card, the insurance is valid only if you pay all rental expenses with a single card.

EZT

Thanks for the advice, StuDudley. I wasn't concerned so much about the pickup fees as the lines - given that getting out of the city may be more confusing and the lines in your experience, weren't bad, I think we will stick with the airport pickup. We will have just come from DC the night before and will have already traveled long enough. We have rented in Europe many times and the city pickup has generally been a bit more stressful due to traffic and general "foreigner" confusion - add jetlag and it does not sound so appealing!

StuDudley

>>If your wife has always been the primary driver, it is indeed her credit card that should be used for the required security deposit. If it hasn't always been this way perhaps the agents have simply overlooked the name nuance in the past.<<

The 30 or more other agents never had a problem with the card in my name, and the reservation/driver in my wife's name. I'll make sure that we use the card with my wife's name in the future (same account).

My disclosure statment says that the rental has to be on one card, but any final "incidental" charges that are not really rental costs (airport pickup fees, road fees) can be on another card with no problems. That's why we always pay the entire rental up front in the USA, instead of having to do a portion before & a portion after in Europe - with the possibility of the card we used up front not working in Europe.

Stu Dudley

ber

Re: leasing...sorry to be naive..can you pick up in Italy or France, and drop in UK or Ireland? I guess that also means Left hand drive in UK- has anyone done that?

Michael

ber,

Check that with Autoeurope. Its site will give you the pick up and drop off locations available. In Italy, I believe that it is Milan or Rome.