Advice needed, Car rental Paris Fr

May 11, 2018, 06:02 PM

sjtill

I was curious if you'd need an International Driving Permit. From Rick Steves:

quote:
Passports, Driver's Licenses, and International Driving Permits
Whether you're American or Canadian, your passport and driver's license are all you need in most European countries. However, some countries also require an International Driving Permit (IDP). An IDP is an official translation of your US license (making it easier for the cop to write out a ticket). You can get an IDP at your local American Automobile Association or Canadian Automobile Association office ($20 plus the cost of two passport-type photos — OK to bring your own; doesn't require AAA membership). AAA is authorized by the US State Department to issue permits; avoid scam artists peddling overpriced, fake international licenses.
You may hear contradictory information on exactly where you need an IDP. People who sell them say you should have them almost everywhere. People who rent cars say you need them almost nowhere. People who drive rental cars say the IDP is overrated, but can come in handy as a complement to your passport and driver's license. It's a good idea to get one if you'll be driving in Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, or Spain — countries where you're technically required to carry a permit. If all goes well, you'll likely never be asked to show it — but the permit is a must if you end up dealing with the police. That said, I've never been asked to show one.

And yes, Hertz is good. It's surprisingly easy.

May 11, 2018, 07:17 PM

Blackmore

My experience has been to get one when driving on the continent but have not felt the need in my 13 driving trips in the UK and Irish Republic.

I've had good luck with AutoEurope out of Portland, ME.

May 11, 2018, 07:25 PM

Skull Leader

I've rented several cars on my trips to Europe and have always used Sixt. Never had a problem.

May 11, 2018, 07:27 PM

Harkrader

Ditto Dresden: " take a cell phone picture of all four sides. My company required us to accept all of the insurances."
Do it even if your insurance says you don't have to. Too easy to get trapped into paying a LOT of money when they tell your insurance doesn't cover something.

May 12, 2018, 05:37 AM

bigwagon

I have an IDL but have never been asked to show it anywhere in Europe. I recently rented a car in Amsterdam and spent 5 days in France. We booked it thru Thrifty but they are served by Hertz at least in the NL. They didn't have the car we booked so they upgraded us for no extra charge. Great service and experience.

May 12, 2018, 06:04 AM

mttaylor1066

Just two weeks ago rented an SUV in Aix en Provence from Sixt. It was easy other than their web reservation system screwing up the pick up. I even walked into one of their Paris locations to resolve the rez... and is was still screwed up when we got to Aix. They had run out of cars at the station so we took a taxi into town... and arrived during their 2 hour lunch break.

Other than that... it was Ok.

And do get the IDL from AAA, never had to use it... but European cops are known to retain your driver's license.

May 12, 2018, 06:34 AM

Deen

I have also had a good experience with Autoeurope.

May 12, 2018, 07:26 AM

Georgeair

quote:
Originally posted by Harkrader:
Ditto Dresden: " take a cell phone picture of all four sides. My company required us to accept all of the insurances."
Do it even if your insurance says you don't have to. Too easy to get trapped into paying a LOT of money when they tell your insurance doesn't cover something.

I’d add - take those pics at beginning AND end of rental.

May 12, 2018, 07:35 AM

JALLEN

I haven’t rented in Europe for several years, but when I did, it was much cheaper to make the reservation here.

Luckily, I have enough willpower to control the driving ambition that rages within me.

When you had the votes, we did things your way. Now, we have the votes and you will be doing things our way. This lesson in political reality from Lyndon B. Johnson

"Some things are apparent. Where government moves in, community retreats, civil society disintegrates and our ability to control our own destiny atrophies. The result is: families under siege; war in the streets; unapologetic expropriation of property; the precipitous decline of the rule of law; the rapid rise of corruption; the loss of civility and the triumph of deceit. The result is a debased, debauched culture which finds moral depravity entertaining and virtue contemptible." - Justice Janice Rogers Brown

May 12, 2018, 07:49 AM

Balzé Halzé

quote:
Originally posted by JALLEN:
I haven’t rented in Europe for several years, but when I did, it was much cheaper to make the reservation here.

That would still seem to be the case today. Renting a car in France has always been relatively cheap for my wife and me. We typically book quite a bit in advance via carrentals.com or the like.

If you have USAA you might also want to check through them.