Car rentals

[sistereurope]

Hi all,

This isn't really about other destinations in France, as we are going to Belgium...hopefully French-speaking will qualify?

Anyway, my question is about car rental agencies. We've rented cars twice, and both times I've done it from here. The last time I used Auto Europe. It was a bit tricky because we picked the car up in Nice and dropped it off in Barcelona, meaning we had to pay a hefty fee. But it was worth it to be able to explore the countryside, and for the freedom.

This trip, we are thinking about taking a train from Paris to Brussels, hanging around Brussels with no car for a day or two, then renting a car for the remainder of our stay so that we can take day trips outside of Brussels (We fly into CDG and out of Brussels). Everything seems pretty close so I think that this will be doable.

Finally my question: To those of you who have rented cars, have all of you done it from the US, or did you do it in France? Is it cheaper/better to wait until we get to Brussels to rent the car? Which agency did you use if you reserved from here?
thanks!

[PariS]

I booked our car rental from home, online. I'd gotten recommendations for Auto Europe, Kemwel and others, but ended up finding the best rate on Priceline! Had no problems at all. Our rental was thru National.

[Jody]

We usually rent from Avis, as we get an AARP discount and I've checked various places and they always came up cheapest. Last yer I used a consolidator, sorry I can't remember which one, but we got the car Europocar and it was fine. I always book from the US. Do you mean you are going to drive in Brussels?

[kerouac]

The various AutoEurope sites have different rates, but you can use any of them. Just about everybody finds the AutoEurope United States rates outrageously more expensive than AutoEurope UK for example. Even in France, even though I usually use AutoEurope France for all of my rentals (which are generally just for 3 days, so the price difference is insignificant), I already know that if I wanted to rent a car for a week or more, I would get my voucher from AutoEurope Spain or AutoEurope Belgium. What is funny is that if you phone AutoEurope in Europe, they will even tell you on which site to book to get the cheapest rate.

I have heard that AutoEurope-US on the other hand tries to scare people away from the other sites, trying to imply that there is something illegal about using the site of a different country. In reality, there is free trade in Europe, and even though different prices are quoted on every single site, you are totally authorized to get your rental voucher from the cheapest site you find.

(One thing that really gets me are the airport and train station surcharges on the U.S. site -- these do not exist on the French site, and I have never paid one, even though absolutely all of my rentals are at train stations or airports.)

[sistereurope]

Thanks all. Kerouac, I checked out the US vs UK prices and you are so right...even with the exchange rate the UK quotes were much lower! Avis and Hertz were more using Priceline Annette.

Now we have to decide what we're doing. The original plan was to take a train from Paris to Belgium and go car-less there for a few days, then rent the car at the end so that we can get to see the countryside (and seek out some of the abbey brewerys not on a train line ;D ). But it might just be cheaper/fun to get a car in Paris and drive up to Brussels...decisions!

Anyway, thanks again...kerouac, I owe you for this one!! ;D

[Jody]

Sis, I don't know what you want to see in BE other than breweries, but I really think I'd base myself for day trips by car somewhere other than Brussels. Brugges, Ghent, Ieper come to mind depending on what you want to see. Actually a lot of the places you might want to see are accessible by train. If you want to see WWI stuff then a car is a must.

One place I would not miss is Antwerp. I loved it and would move there in a NY minute, if I couldn't move tp Paris!

[Jody]

I just found a discount code in my AAA magazine for hertz. I haven't used it but if you are booking with AAA or hertz enter discount code . # 14

Worth checking the prices

[sunshine817]

Jody, that's the contract between AAA South (FL, GA, TN, AL) and Hertz -- If I remember right, it gets you 20% off the "regular" prices.

Sick part is that I rarely ended up using it because I could always find a better deal somewhere!

[sistereurope]

thanks everyone. Whew, this car rental search has been a time consuming exercise. Jody, thanks for the discount code but Kerouac's tip of searching the various autoeurope sites paid off...the cheapest rates by far (after also searching Priceline and Expedia and the Hertz discount) were through Autoeurope Belgium and UK...the Autoeurope US site WAS indeed more expensive, even with the current exchange rates. Very interesting...and tricky!
Now I just need to pin the husband down on our travel plans. We are renting an apartment in Brussels just because we didn't feel like packing and unpacking and Brussels is central. I want to vist Liege and the Ardennes...we also have a trip to Brugges and Antwerp planned. Other than that, no set itinerary. We'll see what transpires. This is my husband's trip...I got my 4 nights in Paris so I am just along for the ride! ;D
thanks again for the input!

[Anne]

Aug 25, 2009 9:00:14 GMT -5 sistereurope said:

I want to vist Liege and the Ardennes...we also have a trip to Brugges and Antwerp planned.

Hubby and I spent a day in Liège in 2006 and I found this city very disappointing. It left me a feeling of sadness and decay. There are quite a few historic areas in the city but many of them are quite neglected. I must say that since it was a Sunday many places were closed and since it was the summer there were no students in town (it's a major University town in Belgium), so maybe the city is more cheerful in normal time. There was a nice huge Sunday market on the Meuse bank though.
Anyway, IMO it's not worth it if you have only a few days in Belgium. You should spend more time Antwerp and even more in Brugges. The Ardennes are lovely too when the weather is nice.

[sistereurope]

Thanks for the input Anne. I had seem a write-up of the Sunday market in Liege, and thought we'd start a Sunday in the Ardennes with a market visit, then maybe picnic in one of the small villages that looked nice, in the guide book at least! But that will just be for one day...I am thinking 2 1/2 days in Brussels, one in the Ardennes, at least one each in Brugges and Antwerp. That only leaves one other day. My husband is obsessed with Belgian beer at the moment...I have a feeling that we are going to be spending LOTS of time in breweries and abbeys! ;D Hopefully we'll get some art and architecture tours in there as well (in between pubs - ha!! )

It's really ok - after Japan, which was exciting but hectic, I am quite content to leisurely meander across Belgium, stopping to stroll the streets, eat some moules frites, and drink a lambic or two.

[sistereurope]

Just another shout out to Kerouac - thanks! I just booked through Auto Europe Belgium and it was indeed cheaper, even after the exchange rate is taken into account.