My husband and I are planning on taking the TGV from Paris to Avignon, where we plan to pick up a rental car. I am looking for advice about which company to use and what kind of car to rent. We need an automatic. We will be driving through Provence for five days and then to Nice area for four days. I know many people on TA use autoeaurope. I have checked them out and they are more limited in selection than some other companies.
I am considering their Peouget 407. I do not want a hatchback since would prefer a closed trunk . Anyone have sxperience with this car?
I also would prefer the largest car practical for this area, ..I know the roads are narrow and often curvy, bukt I would feel safer in as large a car as possible.
I would appreciate any advice, suggestions, ideas etc.
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%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;I also would prefer the largest car practical for this area, ..I know the roads are narrow and often curvy, bukt I would feel safer in as large a car as possible.%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;
Typical American attitude. You might FEEL safer but in reality you may not be. Many small cars before better than large cars in the Euro NCAP crash tests. In addition a small car may be more suitable for driving in the region. If you crash due to the size of the car it won%26#39;t make you safer will it?
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Many people use Autoeurope not only for their pricing (which I find consistently competitive) but their service is usually excellent. They offer toll free numbers from France if there are problems with your rental.
Automatic transmissions are not as universally available in France as they are in the US. Those cars which do offer this option are usually a bit larger than those that don%26#39;t but the Peugeot 407 is fine for your purposes. For travelers in groups larger than 2, the real problem is often insufficient luggage space. The primary roads along your chosen route are excellent; not really %26quot;curvy and narrow%26quot;.
When you find the car that you like, I highly recommend you specify a rental with a diesel engine. Diesel fuel is much cheaper in France than gasoline and give much better economy.
If autoeurope does not have the car you want, you may try http://www.europebycar.com/ or Hertz or Avis.
Additionally I recommend you purchase a detailed map 1:2000000 scale usually sold at FNAC, Auchon, or Carrefour.
Hope this is helpful
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Also, if you plan to stay in the city of Avignon, especially within the city walls, perhaps wait to get the car until you%26#39;re ready to leave Avignon. The old walled city is difficult to drive around in, and very easy to walk. You%26#39;ll most likely just park the car for your stay--and pay for both the rental AND the parking.
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We rented from AutoEurope last summer for 65 days. The company that supplied the car was EuropeCar.
Rent your car as soon as you can from the USA . It is much cheaper. Make sure you get the complete insurance. If you rent it now your will most likely be able to reserve an automatic with disel fuel.
We had ordered a compact car with automatic and a/c they did not have one available so they gave us a free upgrade to the larger ( US size Toyota Camary) Peougot 407. It has all the airbags and we felt very safe in it.
It was very nice car with GPS too. It is just a nice size for all our 3 months worth of luggage and the glove compartment gets really cold with the a/c on.... We put our drinks in there and they got very, very cold!
Make sure you call Autoeurope directly if you have any problems picking up the car and make sure you are NOT charged for the %26quot;Free%26quot; upgrade if they do not have the car class that you ordered.
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I forgot to mention call them directly as they seemed to have more styles available than on the web site. write down all the names and all the information and check the sample contract%26#39;s fine print.
We have used Autoeurop many times and they have always helped us with any problems and we have gotten very good service from them.
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I would avoid the 407. For two people it%26#39;s just too big, and even though it has power steering, you will find it a handfull to punt around smaller towns, and a right PITA to park. This is because the parking places tend to be very narrow, and you will trouble opening the doors to get out.. I now own a Megane, and even that has issues sometimes in carparks.
I always get a hatchback, usually ordering a megane, but often getting bigger. The turbo diesel gets over 50mpg (although I dont know about slushbox models, I always get a manual shift). The hatchbacks always have the load covers in place, so your lugagge is out of view.
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Thanks so much for all the advice. I just called autoeurope and they will request a deisel. I asked about the hatchbacks but they are compacts and might not hold enuff luggage concealed. I have now reserved a mid size, They cannot guarantee which model it will be, but probably the Peugot 407, the Renault Leguna, or the Passat.
Of these three, should I have a choice in Avignon, does anyone have a thought on which would be best?
Will this truly be too large to navigate hill towns etc. We will be staying in St. Remy. Again, I would appreciate any feedback or suggestions.
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Hi:
We have rented through Kemwell and been very pleased with the cars, rates, and service. It is a US firm that serves as a broker with Europcar and others. You might want to give them a call.
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I have now spoken to autoeurope again to add full insurance,I agree it will give us peace of mind. So now my only concern is the sizze of car which as of now is midsize, peurgot 407, Renault, or passat. Will it really be too large for hilltowns etc? If not, which of these three is best? Thanks again to everyone.
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I can also recommend Kemwel. I%26#39;ve used them several times.
I would agree with everyone else who says that a 407 is too big. I can almost guarantee that you%26#39;ll get sick of pushing something that big through traffic (Nice is no picnic) and narrow streets.
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