I've heard this is a good choice for rental. Wondering about the amount of trunk space. Other comments about car would be apreciated.

Hi il,

It has a trunk?

Go to www.google.com, enter 'smart car' and click "images".

IMHO, it would also depend on where you are going. You couldn't pay me enough to drive one in Germany. Although, parking would be simple.

I don't think a regular Smart Car has a trunk, it is for urban commuting and shopping errands. There is a small space behind the seat to stick a few packages.

"Trunk space"? There isn't any to speak of if you meant the little two-door one. So you can't hide much from potential thieves. They are also somewhat noisy inside.
The SmartCar may be fun to spin about in for a day, but I wouldn't use it for longer. IMO, you would do better to get a "real" car--a Citroen C2 or C3, an Opel Corsa, Toyota Yaris, etc.

Hey! I had a Yaris! I absolutely loved it. I even could fit my baby buggy in the trunk.

Thanks, everyone. That was really helpful. Are the other cars you mentioned automatic? My husband drives a stick but I don't and I want to be able to drive, too. And do you have a preferred company to rent from?

Go to Autoeurope.com and it will give you all the vehicle-classes (size, A/C or not, auto or manual) and prices. It's a booking service that offer good rates on all major European rental agents.

As far as what car to get, if you need an auto, that will probably eliminate a lot of the smaller (and cheaper) models. And whether the Smart is a good idea or not depends on where you're going and what kind of road you'll be driving on. It's very small, and not very fast. I'd take on a bigger life insurance policy before driving one on a motorway/autobahn/... But if you're just going around in small towns and/or on back roads, then they may be okay.

I've driven the Smart car and my advice is to avoid it if you plan any highway driving. And if you plan to drive in the mountains, an automatic isn't always the best, especially in a smaller car such as the Citroen 2. The Smart is most frequently used by commuters who need to scoot around in traffic and park in places other cars won't fit. Good luck.

A Citroen C3 automatic that we rented had plenty of pep, even for negotiating some steep hilly roads in Germany. But they come in various engine sizes...I think the one we had came with their biggest engine. We also rented one with a stick shift for a week-end (in the Netherlands--no mountain driving) and it shifted very smoothly and handled well. I think even a novice manual driver would find it ok (we found the C3 shifted more easily than a few other small cars we rented including the Renault Clio and the Opel Corsa). Any chance your husband (or somebody else) can give you some stick shift driving lessons before your trip? If you're not comfortable driving stick on the main highways, you might be comfortable on quieter secondary roads (unless you're driving in Italy, then all bets are off).

The Smart is a lovely car, especially to drive in a city. Trunk space however is limited to about the size of a purse and a laptop!