I worked hard all my lifetime, No help from my friends
Oh Lord, won't you buy me A Mercedes Benz... 🎶
So as you already know, you're going to need a car for your Adventures to Provence Expedition.. You can pick up a rental car at any of a number of places over there.... France has all the big names you know like Hertz, Avis, etc... and a bunch more that you may not be aware of... like EuropeCar, Sixt, Kemwell, etc. So we suggest you don't wait till the last minute to do this! It's simple supply & demand economics; as inventory starts to get low, prices tend to get higher.
We always use AutoEurope... they're an American consolidator/agent that works with all the rental companies, and because of their size & volume, their prices, convenience and selection are hard to beat... We've personally been using AutoEurope for all our rental cars for over 40 years! They're the agency for all the major brands .... They make it super simple to find, compare and reserve cars from all the rental car companies and their prices are usually 20 - 25% cheaper than going direct!
Adventures to Tuscany & AutoEurope. We've expanded our relationship in both Italy & France with AutoEurope and we're proud to announce that they supply us with our own Booking Engine! (full disclosure: we get a small referral fee from them at no extra cost to you if you book from our new site)
AutoEurope is by far the global leader in international car rental services and have been helping travelers find the perfect rental vehicle for their trips worldwide for over 60 years. They offer the most competitive car rental rates in the industry, guaranteed. With that said, here at Auto Europe, we don't believe customers should expect less because they pay less. Our rates will always be competitive, and we continue to remember this is also a service-based business. Auto Europe also understands that clients appreciate saving money whenever possible, so we not only take pride in guaranteeing the lowest car rental rates, but we also offer great deals on accessories, and offer the most extensive car rental fleet selection in the business!
a classic 1950's era Fiat Cinquecento you'll still see these all over Italy!
You can make arrangements to pick up your car from offices at the airport, or arrange to pick up at one of their intercity offices... Usually, just like here in the states, rentals cost about 7 -10% more to pick cars up at the airport (airport /convenience tax), but you have to measure that against convenience...
Rental car operators typically make cars available in upwards of 10 categories; Mini, Economy, Compact, Mid-Size, Family Size, Luxury, SUV, Station Wagon, Minivan, etc... Make sure you get a car with enough room for you and your luggage! That may sound obvious, but believe me, both cars and their trunks are smaller in Europe! If you're sharing a car with others, 4 people, 4 suitcases and 4 daypacks WILL NOT usually fit in a mini car... you'll probably want at least a Compact or Mid-size vehicle... If it's just two of you, and you're only coming from Florence, the little Fiat 500's are a really fun, economical and classic choice! But if you're driving from farther away like Rome or Milan and spending several hours on the highway, you may want to consider a compact or mid-size. Also be aware, that unless the car your renting says "guaranteed model" in it's online description (usually only on super highend luxury models) then it likely says "or similar"meaning you'll most likely get whatever's available in that size/category when you pick-up.
Insurance
You'll want insurance coverage in France... And you can check with your personal auto insurance company or your credit card company to see if you're covered for a rental in France. If either your insurance company or your credit card company tells you you're covered, we suggest you get it in writing! It won't help at all, if you have a claim to say "the lady on the phone told me I was covered". Otherwise, we strongly suggest getting a car with "full insurance coverage" (zero dollar deductible... I think AutoEurope calls it no-deductible coverage). It's a few dollars more, but it pays off easily when you're returning the car and they try to tell you "that scratch/dent wasn't there when you picked it up..." When it comes to the insurance coverage, do what Nike says... "Just do it"! Also, make sure you list on the rental contract everyone who will be a driver... and any damage already on the car... (even small scratches) and take pictures with your phone of any damage you see on the car before you leave the rental lot... You'll have to pay a little extra for extra drivers, but if you had a fender bender, and the person driving isn't listed on the contract, the damage won't be covered.
Stick or Automatic
As you're searching for cars, be aware that most cars in Europe are standard transmission, (stick shift) and you'll need to highlight "automatic transmission" in the search criteria if that's what you want. (usually a little more for a car with auto trans). If you don't do this, you'll likely end up with a car with a stick shift.
Fuel Make sure when you pick up the car, you find out if it's "gasoline or diesel" and where the latch for the gas lid is... they can be hard to find... (more info on fueling in future posts). If you put the wrong fuel in the car, the engine will stop working! (and you'll be financially responsible). Also, you're likely to see "Electric" vehicles as an option; we advise against this choice. We'll be in a rural area and you're not likely to have easy access to a charging station. Hybrid vehicles are fine as they also run on gasoline.
Short-Term Leases
If you need a car for at least 15 days, you might want to take a look at & consider a "short-term lease". This is just what it sounds like; A Lease instead of a rental... You lease the car from the manufacturer and they buy it back from you at the end of the lease. There are a bunch of valuable benefits to these short-term leases: first off, it's just like buying a car... You get a brand spanking new car (never been driven)... it's a guaranteed model ( so you know exactly what car you're getting)... it comes automatically with no-deductible insurance for no extra cost... Family members can be additional drivers at no extra cost... most all these cars usually come with built-in GPS units... and lastly it's usually less expensive than renting IF it's 15 or more days... the longer the lease period, the more money you save over renting . (we personally most always lease as opposed to rent as we typically need a car for upwards of 30 days). If you have questions about leasing, reach out to us and we'll be happy to help you!
Maps
We also suggest you have both a good map and a GPS unit or maps App on your phone... The one they'll give you at the car rental office is typically totally useless. Often times it's very small scale, and sometimes it's just a bad photocopy of a small scale map... We suggest Michelin Maps, they're by far the very best... Michelin Provence #527 available from Amazon.com Click here . You'll see lots of maps available online... In our experience, none are as good as Michelin. If you have a portable GPS unit you plan on taking, you'll need to check to see if it has "Europe Maps"... (it probably doesn't) You can either choose to rent a car with a GPS in it, rent a GPS from your car rental office, or choose to use the maps program on your cell phone.
They'll also offer to rent you a "mobile wi-fi hotspot..." Our experience with these was so-so at best... not that great... The good news is there is free wi-fi available at the Villa... but just be aware, wi-fi internet access is rarely as fast anywhere in Europe as what you're probably used to here in the US... but it does work fairly well and it is free!
On the day you return your rental car, fill it up immediately before you return it, and "keep the receipt" for the gas... in fact, we suggest you take a picture of it with your phone... show the receipt to the attendant and get him to note on the contract, that the gas tank is full... (keep the receipt, you may need it later.)
Lots more to come... As always feel free to contact us with any questions...
