We're going to the South of France in Sept. Three night in Paris first then St. Maxime. We want to see as much as we can of the Coast in a week. What is the best way to go about renting a car?

Call AutoEurope (www.autoeurope.com) and pick the car up at the airport or train station in the South of France (Nice, Marseille, Aix TGV station, etc).

Stu Dudley

AutoEurope seems to be the popular choice, but I'd also check out the major U.S. brands, such as Hertz or Avis.

Maybe because I can get an AAA discount that gives me lower rates from Hertz than I do for AutoEurope.

It doesn't hurt to shop around.

You also want to pre-determine the size of your rental. I tend to go a bit larger, mainly because I want to have a full trunk that can't be seen by potential thieves.

>>Maybe because I can get an AAA discount that gives me lower rates from Hertz than I do for AutoEurope.<<

Last week I asked AutoEurope for an AAA discount, and they reduced my rental by 8%

Stu Dudley

Major rental agencies will have have a good sized office at the main airports, and typically a smaller one at the main rail stations, as well as some little ones around some of the main towns.

If you want something specific in the type of car (like an automatic transmission), the biggest locations are best, as the small ones may only have a few cars in the lot.

I've done pretty well with Hertz in the past, by digging around for special tourist rates on their website as it gets within a month or so of my trip.