flomania

We are a couple going to embark on a 16 day car tour of the Italian Lakes and Tuscany in early October and I'm not sure whether I should rent an economy type of car or I should upgrade it to a compact. First of all, could someone let me know what car brands I should expect to get in each category when renting from Nice?
Knowing the size of european cars I was wondering whether an economy type of car would be big enough to accomodate a large suitcase in its trunk.

rkkwan

According to AutoEurope.com:

Economy is usually a Renault Clio or Citreon C3.

Compact is something like a Peugeot 307.

Most cars in France are hatchbacks, so no real trunk.

The Peugeot 307 is about the same size as a Honda Civic Hatchback, or slight taller. A compact will be slightly smaller.

You can often get a free upgrade from AutoEurope anyways.

janis

rkkwan has given you good info. You can go into the websites of all the rental agencies ans actually see photos and see the capacities of the different makes/categories.

But a suggestion - are you planning on taking one large suitcase for the two of you? If so - I'd suggest you take two small ones instead. Not only does it give you more flexibility in the car/hotel room - but you can also pack some of each other's clothing in each small bag. Then if one is delayed or lost by the airline you will at least have something to wear until the other bag shows up.

Patrick

One other thought. You mention 16 days for rental. Might that expand to 17 by going over the original pick up time when you return it? Before renting you might want to look at a lease program with AutoFrance (a brand new Peugeot -- you can look at their website and guarantee the car you will get including all the amenities). These plans are also available with AutoEurope, but I'm not sure how they compare with prices. One great advantage is the lease cars come with full insurance and a zero deductible.
I mention 17 days, because that is an absolute minimum for such a rental.

henryandcasper

My husband and I just returned from a beautiful 2 month trip to Europe. Part of our time was spent driving from Nice and into Provence and eventually the Dordogne. When we rented our car in Nice they asked us if we wanted to upgrade to a slightly larger car. I had imagined that our initial economy car was going to be so teeny tiny that an upgrade would just simply be tiny, so we agreed. It was a mistake. the car was the size of a Honda CRV (almost a small mini van) and it was very difficult to navigate on the narrow roads in the towns and villages. Also, it wasn't the most fuel efficient which is important because gas is so expensive there. It didn't stop us from having a ball but it would have been simpler and cheaper to go with our original choice. Just my 2 cents. Have a wonderful trip!

Ruff

My husband and I rented a Citreon C3 in France a couple of years ago and loved the car. It was, indeed, a hatchback, and we fit two suitcases (both larger than carryon size) and two day-pack (back-pack) bags under the cover of the storage area -- it was tight, but they fit. It was also the perfect size for the narrow roads, and did well on the autoroute, too.

ira

Hi Flo,

A compact car (code CDMR) is a Volkswagon Golf.

Go to www.novarentacar.com

Complete the form for renting a car.

Click on "click to view cars".

You will get a listing of all sizes and what they can accomodate.

Michael

I would go with the economy because smaller cars are more maneuverable. They also consume less gas. The fact that there is no "trunk", just a cover over the hatchback, has not created a problem for me regardless of the size of the car. I seriously question the value of a lease for the minimum number of days because the fixed costs are front-loaded. A rental should be much cheaper for 17 days--it was for me this spring both in Hungary and in France.

rkkwan

I am sure many Americans may not be comfortable or feel safe in a car smaller than a compact, especially when driving on the freeway, autoroute or whatever it's called. Some are also underpowered.

Since the OP is going in October, I guess A/C is not important, but many economy rentals don't have it.

Underhill

Good point. In addition, the smaller cars we've driven didn't have the visibility of larger ones. If you rent a diesel, you'll save on gas prices.

BTilke

We've rented both a C3 and Renault Clio--of the two, we much preferred the Renault Clio (of course, it didn't help that the first Renault Clio caught fire in one of the Brussels inner ring road tunnels 15 minutes after we'd picked it up). Agree with the suggestion to use two smaller suitcases rather than one big one--easier to stash.
The one economy car I really DON'T like is the Opel Corsa. Clunky and the rentals usually have the smallest engine. One afternoon with those was more than enough.
Remember, no matter what any ordinary rental agency tells you they will be providing, they reserve the right to provide the dreaded "or similar" option--unless you go through the Peugeot or Renault short term lease programs (like the one Patrick used) where you're selecting a specific car.

Watching the locals negotiate those tiny roads is an impressive experience. While in Sancerre, a hill town with narrow, steep, winding streets, we were nervous trying to maneuver our Renault Laguna around (about the size of a Ford Taurus). But the young manager of one of the wineries had NO trouble barreling around in a Land Rover. I think he knew every street's width down to the millimeter!

flomania

Thank you all for all your great inputs.
Lst year we spent 10 days in the South of France/Riviera area and we are kind of used to the narrow roads in that area. I guess that Tuscany country roads are no different.
We had a Peugeot 307 which was very good for the narrow country roads as well as on the Autoroute. I was wondering how a Citroen C3 or a Clio will handle the high speeds on the Autostrada in Italy. Definetely they would be perfect for the tuscan roads but I do not want to have an underpowered car on the highway.
I already reserved an economy type of car from Autoeurope and I still debate whether to upgrade to at least a Peugeot 307 type of car or to stay with the economy one.

Underhill

WHOA! Are you renting the car in Nice and then going to Italy? If you plan to return the car in Italy you will pay an arm and several legs for the privilege.

flomania

We will be arriving and departing from Nice. Most of our vacation will be in Italy but the car will be returned in France before the return home.

Michael

I have cruised with a Clio diesel at 155 kmh. Fast enough?

ira

>I have cruised with a Clio diesel at 155 kmh. Fast enough?<

That's OK, but how many minutes did it take to get to 100 kph?

Michael

Ira, with a standard shift, these cars can keep up with traffic. I have never felt as though I was poking along, or that I was holding anyone up.