Car Rental - Any advice?

Hi,

I%26#39;m planning a holiday to france end Aug-beg Sep and plan to rent a car to give us freedome to explore. We%26#39;ll be picking the car up in one place and dropping off in another city. Does anyone have any advice / recommendations on particular car rentals that are particular good or one%26#39;s best avoided ?? The prices are all coming out pretty similar, but I might use one called Auto Europe....

Thanks for any advice...

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Yes, use AutoEurope, but book using their toll free number. The reps are very knowledgable:

http://www.auto-europe.co.uk/contact.cfm

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You do not mention the pickup and drop-off locations but if they are both in France (excluding Corsica) expect no additional fees. There are fees however for picking up and dropping off at an airport (or I believe train station). Pickups at city offices do not incur these fees. In any event, it is best to clarify all additional fees you shall be charged (road tax or additional driver fees for example) by the rental company in addition to what Autoeurope charges. Costs not disclosed nor understood until the final billing may result in a very distasteful surprise.

If you plan on driving into Italy, rental fees increase. Many renters specify a diesel car because of the operating savings.

Finally, dishonest individuals in France know a rental car when it%26#39;s on the road so be more vigilant than ever against break-ins and extremely cautious about leaving valuables unattended in your car.

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We rent cars in France for various durations about 10 times a year and always use Hertz.

In that time they have been consistently relaible with no shocks in the final fee. In the past 5 years I have only had one problem with a half empty fuel tank on pick up which was corrected without query.

We book on line (get hold of a - free loyalty card saves time at pick up) where you can either pay locally in Euro at the end of the hire or if you pay in advance there is a small discount applied.

I endorse the comments of others in not leaving visable anything tempting and take care if driving in hot weather with windows open that nothing is %26quot;snatchable%26quot; from the car by passers by - common sense as for any country.

Have a nice trip

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Thank you all for taking the time to reply and for the valuable suggestions regarding the extra costs and security. Much appreciated.