My dad and I preparing to leave Bayonne, France ~ July 7, 2007
There are many options for traveling through Europe. Depending upon your needs you may wish to use one or several methods. For the type of far-ranging travel I typically engage in there is really only one reasonable option for me: a short-term car lease. This option was brought to my attention by my friend Lori while planning a trip in 2004. She came across it while looking at car rental options in Europe.
The program works like this: 1) you must not be a resident of the EU, 2) you must lease the car for a minimum of 17 days, 3) you must pick it up in France (for free) or in a neighboring country (for a fee), 4) you must return it to a designated location, 5) you must pay in advance, 6) you must reserve the car at least 2-3 weeks in advance (so they have time to do the necessary paperwork).
The deal is: 1) the cost is significantly less than it would be to rent a comparable car, 2) full insurance is included (so no matter what condition the car is in when you drop it off you do not pay extra), 3) roadside assistance is included, 4) theft insurance is included (if someone steals the car they replace it with no questions asked), 5) there is no mileage restriction, 6) you own the car for the time you have it, and 7) the car is brand new!
I have leased a car in Europe twice ( in 2004 and 2007) and I plan to do it again this summer. Aside from the benefits mentioned above, this option appealed to me for many reasons. I like the freedom a car provides. Traveling by train limits your ability to stop and smell the flowers, literally.
On the road to Salmanca we spotted an old cliff-side church and
decided to investigate ~ July 7, 2007
A sunflower farm along the roadside north of Barcelona ~ July 20, 2007
Tracy hadden't noticed the bees buzzing around her yet ~ July 20, 2007
My dad and Hope wait by the Kangoo ~ July 20, 2007
Traveling by car makes it much easier to transport luggage. I have had nightmarish experiences lugging suitcases on and off of trains. Wheels have broken, luggage has gotten stuck, I've gotten bumps and bruises and worst of all, because my luggage slowed me down, I have missed stops and wasted time changing trains backtracking to my planned stop. The Renault Kangoo, the car I leased both times, has amazing storage capacity and made transporting and storing luggage simple and hastle free (when traveling with three girls some creativity may be required).
Tracy, Hope, my dad and I preparing to leave Barcelona and head to Nimes, France ~ July 20, 2007
You may be wondering how this works and what is in it for the car dealers, here's the scoop. When you buy a new car in France it comes with a lot of taxes. When you buy a used car in France the taxes are much lower. By leasing the cars for short periods of time, everyone wins. The Frenchman looking for a new car gets one that has been only slightly used for a low price and pays low taxes on it. The tourist looking for an inexpensive and convenient way to get around Europe for a few weeks or months, gets a new car and doesn't have to worry about any of the issues that come with renting a car. It is a win-win deal!
I have been very happy both times I leased a car. I did everything online using Idea Merge, a company specializing in sort-term leasing of Renaults and Pugeos (they also lease motor-homes if you are looking for something a little bigger). They lease over 20 types of cars, SUVs and vans.
I have been very happy with their service and have had no problems, other than some small wait times when picking up and dropping off the cars. The first time I leased a car I picked it up and dropped it off in Amsterdam. The second time I picked it up in Paris and dropped it off in Amsterdam. The Paris location is at the airport (and is a bit difficult to find), the Amsterdam location is in the city, but fortunately they do provide a free shuttle service to and from the airport.
The insurance came in handy when this monkey in Gibraltar scratched the paint and broke the mirror while trying to get in. It had spotted the crate of cherries we bought earlier from a farmer selling them on the roadside.
~July 12, 2007~
