You may want a lot of convenience and freedom whenever you travel to another country, which is fine. Europe is a prominent place, and you should explore the areas at your own pace. You can take lots of pictures, stopover the places where you will reach easier with the help of private transportation, and more.

Renting has its own advantages and knowing the differences will save you money and time. You won’t even have to rush to go inside the trains, and not sharing a ride with other people can be a relief, especially for those who are keeping safety protocols in mind.

How to Rent a Car

1. Choose the Right Company

There are major companies that are well-known in Europe. You can compare their prices by visiting Comparatiflocationdevoiture.fr/ and see which ones will give you the best offer. I’m sure you may have heard about Hertz, Avis, Europcar, Sixt, and others.

The best way to go is to ensure that you book in advance. When it comes to the planning stages of your vacation, look for the ones that can give you a car on the actual date of your trip and give you the best rates. It may take a lot of time when it comes to comparison, and you may probably have enough already on your schedule to look over them.

What you can do is to visit comparison sites on a particular date and see the offers. If you don’t have the time for comparisons, you can always check those that can provide you with the most excellent deals that are available. This is similar to using comparison websites that deal with flights.

2. Factors that Affect the Price

Several factors will affect the price, such as the number of tourists, the location, and more. You need to set a rental period and the overall size of the car that you would want to get for your friends or the entire family.

Automatic and Manual

Many cars in Europe have manual rather than automatic. This is because of several reasons like smaller cars, more expensive fuel, and narrow roads. Many have found that manual transmission is more responsive and comfortable than an automatic one. 

This means you may have to pay 50% more when you choose the automatic. You can read more about automatic transmission when you click here. This can depend on the car rental company, manufacturer, and the country, but you may expect to budget more for this.

Different Drop-offs and Pick-ups

It can make sense to rent a car in Paris and drop it in another place in many situations. You may decide to go to pick-up something in Nice, go through Provence or French Riviera, then drop the car when you arrive in Avignon.

This way, you’ll have more flexibility, time, gas, and lesser unnecessary backtracks. However, convenience may come at an additional price, and there are always drop-off fees that you should be prepared for. The costs can range from 100 Euros to 300 Euros, and it can be more, especially if you’re going from one country to another. Crossing borders is possible as long as you get in touch with a company with plenty of networks in other countries. 

Train Station or Airport Pick-Ups

It’s always convenient to get pick-up at airports or train stations so that you can proceed to your destination without a hitch. However, they do come at a price. The charges can be up to 100 Euros per country, and when it comes to saving money, you may want to go further in town and sign papers at the dealers’ shops themselves.

With this said, the rent on the train stations or airports may have several advantages that you may want to know. For one, the comfort and convenience of knowing that you have a transport service that you can use to drive to your hotel can be worth it. Many facilities are also larger and offer more services when you’re renting at train stations and airports.

A higher volume of cars is there so you won’t have to spend hours stuck and waiting for an available one. Another is that the shops don’t usually operate 24/7 or during holidays. You shouldn’t usually expect a drop-off or pick-up before 8 in the morning or past 5 in the afternoon in many instances. It’s always up to you if the convenience will be worth the money, especially if the trip will take you a long time.

Crossing Borders

There are fees that you need to pay when crossing certain countries. Generally, Western Europe won’t have much of an issue when you go to the borders. However, the non-EU countries may cost you about 15 to 100 Euros in fees.

3. No Permission to Drive in Other Countries

Many companies may have specific terms and conditions that you’re not allowed to drive in other countries when you are in France. Some of these nations on the list may include Montenegro, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Albania. The rules are constantly changing, so it’s better to ask them in particular what you are allowed and not allowed to do.

4. International Drivers’ Permit is a Must

When you try to pick up your car, the company will confirm that you have a valid drivers’ license, credit card, passport, and booking number. They will also ask to see your International Drivers Permit that can be translated into almost ten languages. This card will contain your photograph, drivers’ information, and name. You can get this through the AAA for a specific amount.

It’s important to know that the IDP will not replace your passport or original drivers’ license. It’s just a supplementation that is required, especially when you are crossing borders. The countries that may require these are Italy, Germany, Slovenia, Greece, Spain, Hungary, Poland, and more. It may not be mandatory to get an IDP when you first pick-up the vehicle that you’ll be driving, but it’s still the best idea if you can obtain one for emergency purposes.

5. About a Vignette

Vignettes are stickers that you can attach to the windshield, and they are indications that you have already paid for the highway taxes. If your car rental company is located in a country that requires you to have a vignette, you won’t have any issues.

Countries that require a vignette purchase include Bulgaria, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Romania, and Hungary. These are usually sold in nearby gas stations, and they can vary from 3 to 10 Euros depending on the country. There could be a fine of 60 Euros or more if you fail to show a vignette.