PAYE

We will be renting an apt for two weeks in Munich in Sept. However, we want to go to Fuessen and the Eisenberg Castle ruins for 2-3 days. I know we can take a train to Fuessen but we want the freedom of a car for just these 2-3 days. We will not use it in Munich or other day trips. Although we have to been to many European cities, we have never rented a car, relying only on trains/buses.
How difficult will it be to rent a car for a few days and what advice do you have?
Thanks

Bellarosa

It's not difficult at all to rent a car; the roads are pretty easy to navigate. Just be sure to book your car rental BEFORE you leave for Germany; we tend to use AutoEurope or Sixt with good results. It's much less expensive booking from the USA. If you have an American Express card, there is a program that you can get that covers the CDW insurance for around $25. Purchase a couple of good maps (Michelin) either at a bookstore or online so you can plan out your routes beforehand; this is also good for spur-of-the-moment trips. I could not imagine going to Fussen by train--it's so much easier by car.

Another thing, you may want to pick up the car at a location near the edge of town, so there would be less traffic to go through--it will save you a lot of sturm und angst (sp?).

joannyc

I rent through Kemwel.com, a sister company of AutoEurope, where I get better rates. But, both guarantee they will match competitor's rates.

You don't need to to get the American Express insurance as most credit cards will cover your CDW in most European countries without extra cost (Italy and Ireland are exceptions). You just need to use that credit card to reserve/rent the vehicle and decline any additional coverage. Check with your credit card company before renting to make sure that you are covered.

Kemwel and AutoEurope often require a 3 day rental period so look at the fine print when planning a reservation. It may be better to book directly with Sixt or Europcar if you are renting for less than 3 days (72 hours).

I have loaded the European maps onto my Garmin GPS and bring that with me. It not only serves me on the road but is very handy in pedestrian mode while walking around a city.

Driving is very easy but just remember to stay in the right lane if not passing. And, use your turn signals when changing lanes. You can look in your rear-view mirror and not see anyone on the horizon behind you but in a few seconds..... whooossssstttt, what the heck was that??????

Have a great trip!

Cowboy1968

Rentals from train station locations can incur a surcharge (like from airport locations).

If you use autoeurope.com, there are locations especially suitable for your trip (ranked by ease of access with public transport and proximity to nearest freeway access)
- Landsberger Str. 18
- 61 Nymphenburger Str
- Landsberger Strasse 293

Each of the locations is easily accessible by tram or subway
and a short and "fool-proof" 1-2km straight drive on a regular city street to nearest freeway access.

logos999

My advice: www.sixti.de
123€ for 4 days incl. CDW and 600km.
Smart (and cheap)

The office is at Karlsplatz and the car will be in the underground car park there.

november_moon

We rented a car for the Bavarian Alps portion of our trip a few years ago. It was quite easy and I am glad that we did. It allowed a lot more freedom and flexibility. We rented from AutoEurope.

Bellarosa

joannyc is quite right that you may not need the extra insurance, but $25 for 100,000 Euros coverage bought us a lot of peace of mind, especially since we took the car into Italy. I happened to back into a granite post and had a long dent on the car, and we did not have a bit of trouble with either the car rental agency or American Express, and as this incident occured over 3 years ago, I (hope) it has long been resolved.

You need to call your credit card company to find out exactly what coverage they have for European car rentals, as my AE and MC covered some things, but two of my VISA cards did not.