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-   -   Under 25 Car Rental (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/under-25-car-rental-1721731/)

travelingtulip7 Apr 11th, 2024 05:13 PM

Under 25 Car Rental
 
I'm traveling to Provence for a few days this summer, and we are looking to rent a car. I am under 25, and the young driver fees are looking a bit vague for many of these rental companies...

Does anyone have a company they recommend for our situation - or just a company they strongly recommend in general for car rentals in the region?

Thank you!

KTtravel Apr 11th, 2024 09:48 PM

I would check with AutoEurope or Kemwel and recommend calling and speaking with someone on the phone. They both work with multiple car companies so should be able to find one if there are any that will rent to someone under 25.

J62 Apr 12th, 2024 03:16 AM

Agree - check with AutoEurope, or their sister co Kemwell and get an actual quote... They will quote you a young driver surcharge estimate, with the caveat that it will be charged locally (at the rental counter), and the actual $ may vary based on exchange rate at the time.

Lately I've found that booking dot com has better car rental rates than AE/K, so it's worth checking with them too. All of them are brokers, where you get a prepaid voucher that you present to the car rental desk. One supposed advantage of using a broker like AE is that they have 24/7 english speaking service desk you can call if there are any issues, including pressure to buy additional insurance or other issues at the car rental desk. I say supposed only because I've never had the need to call on customer service., thankfully.

Regardless of which route you go, I strongly recommend you do NOT rent a car immediately upon arrival.
a) you may think you are able to navigate and drive, but your driving skills WILL be impaired after an overnight flight
b) you may think you are of clear head to negotiate with a rental desk agent, but the thinking process is always slower/impaired after an overnight flight.



phillyboy Apr 12th, 2024 05:10 AM

Try Bob Bestor at https://gemut.com/. He knows more about renting cars in Europe than anyone I've come across.


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