Can you rent car in St. Pierre Des Corps without reserv?

Whew-I%26#39;m tired of looking for car rentals! However Economy Car Rentals, and

Argus have the best rates so far and are inclusive.

Any possibility of renting a car in St. pierre des corps without reservation and do just as well as prebooking? Seems if you reserve before getting there, you also are overcharged.

I will be staying in Chinon and there is a local car company there which isn%26#39;t always open. Would prefer renting there rather than going by back to Tours. I don%26#39;t want to rent for the entire time I%26#39;m there, thus the reason not to rent when in St. Pierre des corps upon my arrival.

thanks,

sks61

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Walk-up rates (without reservation) are usually more expensive than pre-booked rentals, and there is always the danger that there will not be a suitable car available. Especially if you want an automatic.

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It has been my experience that most car rental firms in France (possibly except those at CDG or Orly) do not stock vehicles hoping that someone will happen by to rent them. If you%26#39;re tired of looking now, you%26#39;ll certainly not want to do it in France.

%26lt;%26lt;Seems if you reserve before getting there, you also are overcharged.%26gt;%26gt;

Do you have any evidence or anything specific that would lead you to such a conclusion? Car rentals are very expensive in France but you can pay more by just showing up and hoping something is available.

Typically, you%26#39;ll pay an extra 30€ to 60€ just to pickup a rental at any train station or airport. Road tax is another 2.90€ per day for the first 11 days and if you ask for a rental with an automatic transmission (assuming you get one) there is a 5€/day environmental fee for each of the first 6 days. These costs are above the rental fees. Companies such as Hertz and Avis add one way fees if you do not return the rental to the origination location. You%26#39;ll not save any of these fees no matter when you book.

You won%26#39;t find any better pricing than what is available at Autoeurope and if you do, they%26#39;ll meet any quote:

www.autoeurope.com

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I can%26#39;t emphasize how important it is to follow the advice you%26#39;ve just had from Nick and Sarastro. They both have long experience renting in France.

If you don%26#39;t reserve you%26#39;ll have no car or a rate that is sky high. Believe me, if you%26#39;ve done all this research, finish the process and make a reservation now or the time you%26#39;ve spent up to now will have been wasted!

Rob

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Thanks for all the information. Yes, I will definately book before I go! Good point that my time would have been waisted if I don%26#39;t complete the job. However autoeurope doesn%26#39;t have automatic cars. Economy care, and Argus do. Any input on these companys?

Thanks again for the help.

sks61

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I can%26#39;t say about Argus but Economy is a broker so your car will be supplied by Avis, Hertz, Europcar or whoever.

As far as automatics are concerned... you have to remember that just because you reserve an automatic does not mean you will get one... ;^(

Rob

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%26lt;%26lt;However autoeurope doesn%26#39;t have automatic cars.%26gt;%26gt;

This is a true statement.

But then Autoeurope doesn%26#39;t have ANY cars. They are a rental broker and only act as in intermediary between you and a rental company such as Citer, Europcar, Sixt, Avis, or some other company. Autoeurope like Kemwell or Easycar or Nova Car Hire all act as brokers to find you the best price available from among a host of rental companies. Most people will save a great deal of money dealing with these brokers over trying to deal with individual rental companies themselves.

Automatic transmissions do consume a certain amount of horsepower and energy in their operation. This degradation is hardly noticeable in the large cars with significant horsepower driven by Americans. But auto transmissions significantly reduce (by percentage) the available horsepower of Europe%26#39;s smaller cars that are built with small engines and whose primary design objective is fuel efficiency. It is for this reason that manual transmission cars are the norm in France.

The French even level an environmental tax on cars with automatic transmissions, you%26#39;ll pay an extra 5€ per day for the first 6 days of a rental. Cars with automatic transmissions are difficult to find and has been said, you may not receive one even if you are promised one. It just takes the renter before you to extend his contract period a few days and your planned auto trans car is simply not available.

Those who absolutely must have these cars should arrange to pick them up where reserves are more likely to be found - CDG or ORY.

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If you are planning to drive in Europe in a few months%26#39; time, it would be a very good idea to learn how to drive a manual transmission (stick-shift) car.