Renting a car in France

We usually lease a car and if you are going for 21 days or longer, consider leasing. For shorter periods, you'll need to rent so here is some rental information.

Some rental companies won't allow drivers over age 70 or 72. Check age requirements before you rent. There are more and more agencies that rent to over-70s now that the tourist population is aging so check several rental agencies before you give up. Check below for one company that definitely does rent to over-70 folks. Lease agreements do not have an upper age limit.

There are some minimum age requirements too. It is always good to ask . . . or read the fine print. Most rental agencies have a lower age limit of 21 and some of 25 or 26. This can be difficult for young professionals but if you check several agencies, you may find one that will allow younger renters although it may be at a cost. Sometimes you can make up the price difference by renting a smaller car. You may lease at age 18 if you qualify otherwise.

People are often told they can’t rent an automatic in Europe. Not true. You will pay more for an automatic but if you order ahead of time, you will have no trouble getting it. We always use an automatic. Any rental is cheaper if you order ahead. The reason you need to order ahead is that automatic transmission is not the norm in Europe so there may not be one on the lot when you check in. If you order ahead, they are prepared and will have one ready for you.

You will also want to make sure you can take the car into all the countries you plan to visit. Some countries have higher accident rates and some rental companies won't allow their cars into those countries. I suppose there are licensing and insurance problems too. Whatever the cause, you can't take some cars into some countries, so check that you can take your car into every country you plan to visit and be sure you are insured for all those countries.

We've used the following companies for our leases and they also rent so it's a good place to start your search. Check any major companies you normally use and take the best deal you can get. Prices vary wildly so check as many as you can. Here's my list. Just click on the links.
Auto Europe web site
Kemwel web site
AutoFrance web site (generally leases)
Sixt Rental web site
Then check the usual Enterprise, Budget, National, Dollar, Thrifty, Alamo and see what they offer.

The following has been recommended by a friend and they do rent to over age 70s. Nova Car web site

In the UK we have used 1Car1 web site and Hertz web site

Get the smallest car you can cram yourselves into because fuel is expensive, streets are narrow and parking places minuscule. On the bright side, driving gives you great freedom to get out and explore.

For information about leasing a car, click here: Leasing a Car in France