transportation
 

I have never been to Europe, going to France in June......how much are rental cars? What type of cars are the best deals? what are expected rates? What are the best ways to find out about train travel? how much is train travel?

You can get a handle on rental car rates at any of these websites - - <BR><BR>www.autoeurope.com<BR>www.its-cars-hotels.com<BR>www.kemwel.com<BR><BR>or<BR><BR>www. travelocity.com<BR><BR>but for many travelers, autoeurope is as far as you need to look.<BR><BR>You'll also want to become familiar with a route planning site, such as <BR><BR>www.viamichelin.com<BR>www.mappy.com<BR><B R>or <BR><BR>www.shellgeostar.com<BR><BR>You'll need to factor in the tolls, which can be considerable and the cost of fuel, about 0,80 to 1,00 euro per liter (i.e., about 3 to 4 euro per gallon).<BR><BR>The website www.raileurope.com is a decent place to get an overview of routes and fares for train travel, but it will cite fares that are 20-40% more than you will actually pay in France. do not buy from www.raileurope.com<BR><BR>The official website for the French rail system is www.sncf.com and you can get actual fares there; a few people here have experience with actually buying their tickets on this site, and claiming them at a rail station IN France.<BR><BR>I just buy when I am ready to travel.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

to the top, for deb<BR>

Deb- A few more things to watch- as you look at car rental prices, pay attention to whether they're for standard or automatic transmission (the best prices are usually for standard). Also, the insurance is often very expensive. Check with your insurance agent at home to see if your policy covers you at all out of the country &amp; then check with your credit card co. to see if you get any coverage when using your card. Also pay attention to whether the car will come with A/C if you care (depending on where you go, it may be warm in June).

Hi Deb,<BR><BR> Before we can tell you about trains vs cars we have to know where you will be going.

You might also want to look at www.railsaver.com

I've spent quite a bit of time over the last 10 years traveling around europe and have never rented a car. I have found the rail systems to be more than adequate and alot less stressful. Who wants to be fighting traffic in a car through Tuscany when you can be relaxing in a train car watching the scenery?

My husband and I just got back from two weeks driving around France. Even with the extra insurance, that they make you pay; Europcar was the best deal.

We liked the extra insurance, because unlike many posts have stated here, most American car insurance does NOT cover you overseas.

Good points are being made here. I've rented cars several times in Europe and while I will decline insurance on rentals in the U.S routinely because I understand the laws and my coverage HERE, I'm simply not competent to make the call on such things in European countries. I therefore consider the insurance a &quot;cost of doing business&quot;. Insurance is exactly that: INSURANCE. <BR><BR>The point about automatic vs. manual transmission is also a valid one. It's best to PRESUME that you are talking about a manual unless you really know differently.<BR><BR>In the great majority of trips, I don't even think about having a rental car because it's a hassle. There needs to be a very good reason, but sometimes there is.