Big John

Will be visiting France this summer with my 3 kids and want to rent an SUV, preferably a Suburban or similar. Anyone know if this is possible?

elle

Just in case this is NOT a troll---<BR><BR>We &quot;accidentally&quot; rented an SUV in France two years ago--big mistake! Not only was it extraordinarily expensive to gas up, but it was far too large to drive comfortably and confidently through the narrow streets of cities that date to medieval times.<BR><BR>(How did we &quot;accidentally&quot; rent an SUV? I had originally booked a cheap, basic car--manual transmission, no AC. At the last minute I chickened out and called to see if we could upgrade to something with an automatic and AC. They said yes (well, they said &quot;oui&quot, no problem, but they only had one vehicle that qualified and it was the SUV. . . .

sheshe

At close to $5.00 a gallon, for gas why in the world would you want to? Are you a family of linebackers?

Marianne

The very largest vehicle an ordinary citizen can rent in Paris is quite large enough for a family of 5, yet far smaller than a US 'Suburban'. If you want to rent a larger vehicle (e.g., size of a Suburban, or Yukon, or similar), you will need to sit the test for the equivalent of a French bus driver's license. You'll have to sit the pass in France, and in French.<BR><BR>If your time in France is limited, I'd suggest taking the train - see www.raileurope.com for details. It may open your eyes to a delightful, ecologially sound, and non-exploitative world your parents never dreamed of, and therefore couldn't educate you about.<BR><BR>Vive la France,<BR>Marianne

Maurice

We were in Italy in Sept. 2001; we rented a vehicle in Florence (drop off in Milan). It looked like a cross between a mini-SUV and a minivan; A Peugot ELF or something. Actually a pretty nice vehicle - little touches, like drawers under the front seats. It might be a little tight with 3 kids, and luggage- but hey, do you need a bus? And, driving a standard is fun.<BR><BR>Filling up is about 3 times what it costs in the USA. In 1999 if I recall, gas was 7.70FF/litre, or about $US1.25; That's about $4.75/gal. Happy Driving!<BR>

uncle sam

Just pack all five of you in one teensy weensy litle car like the Europeans claim to do...or rent the biggest gas guzzling Mercedes you can find, just like they drive in Germany!<BR><BR>The best suggestion is rent one of the moderate sized station wagons. They are relatively comfortable, get good gas mileage, and while not exactly a Swatch, they are small enough to keep all the greens happy!<BR><BR>Its either that or roller blades!<BR><BR>US

Deanna

Yeah Right is SO wrong…I just got back from Paris and I saw Bo coup S.U.V.'s, my friend. In fact, a very good friend of mine is a big-shot with Citron and they’re doing everything they can to get into the ever-expanding European S.U.V. market. If you could get over your America bashing long enough to THINK you be wondering where all those BMW, MERCEDEZ, and other brands of S.U.V.’s are coming from…and no, they’re not just for sale here. Last spring in London we were in the city of Westminster and were amazed at the number of S.U.V.’s, huge Beemer’s, Rolls, Bentley’s and other gigantic cars. Sorry to burst your bubble but conspicuous consumption is not an exclusively American trait, as much as you and your other Fodorite Lefties would like to believe.

Philip

We were in the South of France recently and rented a Renault Espace, which is a combo mini-van, small SUV. (It's very similar to the Mitsubishi Outlander.) We found it to be fairly spacious.

ttt

ttt

put

Of course European manufacturers make more and more SUV's. Volkswagen recently launched the Touareg, and even Porsche is joining the club.<BR>But, they are all the size of a traditional Jeep Cherokee, and they don't have 5-, 6-, or 7-litre engines like the Excursion. The Range Rover is probably the only exception when it comes to big engines, has been around for 30 years and its sales are quite limited. Most of the ones you do see are diesel.

marianne

I for one am thankful for the generation of Americans who conserved gas and other resources to help fight WW2. You know, those guys that saved Europe's ass. Americans today are so weak they could never be asked to conserve anything. It's a nation of big fat babies.<BR> A BMW SUV is one thing but a huge Yukon is just silly. Please fellow Americans do yourself a favor and try not to be so pig-like. <BR>By the way, if any of you watched the news today, yes SUV's are far more dangerous than cars.

Johnna

There are SUVs available for sale in France but most car rental companies simply don't carry them. It is possible to find an SUV but the rental rate plus tax and fuel would probably cost more than your airfare.

Bert

Don't let some of the morons on here steer you wrong - people are not going to laugh or point at you for driving an SUV. There are more than a few in private hands in Europe. Ever since Daimler Benz bought Chrysler, you see quite a few American cars in Europe. However, like others said. it's a bit impractical due to fuel costs. The only way I'd consider one would be if I were doing a lot of highway driving in the winter. Otherwise, the streets are just too narrow and there's no need for AWD. But if you insist, then your best bet is to stick with the bigger outfits like Hertz and Avis.

xxx

<BR><BR>So what do any Europeans here think is the reason you don't see more SUVs, or other large vehicles, in European countries? Is it due primarily to the much higher cost of gasoline? <BR><BR>Also, as for that much higher cost of gasoline (compared to the U.S.), it's my understanding that most of that cost is due to taxes, not the cost of the gas itself. Can anyone confirm that? Thank you.

Aad

As a European I can confirm that the higher prices for gasoline are due to taxes, and taxes only...<BR><BR>But gasoline price is not the only factor in favour of smaller cars (or at least in favour of less fuel consuming engines).<BR>In most (or all) countries you pay a special car tax that is related to the size of the engine, or the weight of the car.<BR>And than there are the high taxes on new cars, sometimes related to fuel consumption, which make cars much more expensive than in the USA.<BR><BR>Apart from economical reasons I can think of several practical reasons for the smaller number of SUV's in Europe: narrow streets in old cities, less need for driving long distances, not many opportunities for off-the-road driving...<BR>

xxx

<BR><BR>Aad, thank you for that confirmation about the higher gas prices due only to taxes. What I wonder about is the intent of these high gasoline taxes. Is it merely to raise revenue or is there also a social goal: to discourage gasoline consumption? Any thoughts?<BR><BR>I wasn't aware that in most (or all) European countries a person pays a special car tax that is related to the size of the engine, or the weight of the car so thank you for that information as well.<BR><BR>&quot;And than there are the high taxes on new cars, sometimes related to fuel consumption, which make cars much more expensive than in the USA.&quot;<BR><BR>If these taxes are sometimes related to fuel consumption then they would certainly seem to be due to the social goal of reducing gasoline consumption.<BR><BR>I agree with you about one of the other practical reasons for the smaller number of SUVs in Europe, like the narrow streets in old cities, but I doubt that most Americans who own SUVs use them to drive long distances and they certainly do not use them much at all for off-the-road driving (although the ads on TV for SUVs are always showing them bouncing over muddy, rutted roads to sell into this fantasy.)

neville

In the UK, cars pay an annual tax based on carbon emissions, and you will pay more for an automatic as opposed to an identical stick-shift...see http://www.dvla.gov.uk/newved.htm

curious

Just where is the city of Westminster?????

DBB

It's in London, like the poster said. Governmentally, London isn't a single city but a county made up of a number of localities. Westminster starts on the north shore of the Thames at Millbank, then goes past Kensington Gardens, and up the Edgware Road.

uncle sam

A coupel of other quickl points.<BR><BR>It rained the night we went (only night it rained in 12 days).<BR><BR>I cannot rcall for sure but I do not believe you can have an umbrella. However, they sell little plastic rain slickers with hoods on the royal mile.<BR><BR>Since it was raining off and on all day we bought them around lunch time for 1 BPS...as the line formed, and it will to get in it started raining again and the same slickers were now 5BPS...and they say on this board that only us Americans are greedy!<BR><BR>Be certain to arrive early because the only way to get in is by walking up the Royal Mile and if you are late the line will be back around John Knox Church. You may miss the beginning if you do not get there early.<BR><BR>and from personal experience, do not leave the pub wihtout hitting the WC...its along walk and you do not want to have to get out of line!<BR><BR>Your seats are reseved, but if you get caught in the line..you will be late!