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Money-Saving Tips for Car Rentals in Europe (cont'd)

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Yoga Time
Be flexible. Have the rental agent run the numbers for all sort of scenarios. Sometimes picking up a day earlier or later (same for drop-off) can save you big bucks. Unless you're leaving the metropolitan area directly from the airport and not even bothering to visit the major city to which it is attached, always pick up from downtown locations, not the airport, as there is invariably a usurious extra fee for airport rentals. Trade down a few models; do you really near the Ferrari convertible, or can you make do with a Fiat Punto? Even try different pick-up/drop-off cities—you never know.

Share the Love, Cut the Costs
Renting is a particularly expensive proposition for the solo traveler, who has to shoulder the entire cost himself. For families or small groups, however, the fact that there's just one lump fee actually works in your favor, as the amount is spread across each person's costs. Sometimes the magic number of total passengers is three, sometimes four, but at some point renting a car becomes cheaper than buying three or four separate train tickets.

Still, even if it's just one or two of you and therefore renting is going to take a big bite out of your budget, there can be situations in which renting a car is worth the expense. If you are at all planning to visit the villages of Provence, the hilltowns and vineyards of Tuscany, the whitewashed pueblos of Andalucia, or any other itinerary rarely of never served by trains or buses, get the car. The truer Europe lies in the small towns, not the big cities. Don't short-change your experience by short-changing your budget.

Rent by the Week, or Face the Con$equence$
Daily rental rates for periods less than one week are staggeringly high; it can cost almost as much to rent for two days as it does for seven. It's just one of the annoying realities of the industry. If, however, you only expect to need a vehicle for a day or two here and there, there are two loopholes.

Trains and Automobiles (Planes Optional)
Look into the rail-and-drive passes that get you several days of unlimited rail travel on a flexi-pass along with several days of car rental. You can add rail days or car days as needed to customize the pass to fit your schedule.

P-Lease Don’t Rent for Long Periods
If you're spending at least 17 days in Europe, do not rent a car. Lease one instead. I do this all the time. For periods longer than 17 days, short-term leasing a car fresh off the factory floor is almost always cheaper-often by 20 to 50 percent-than renting. And since the car is technically yours, you get full insurance coverage-no added charges for CDW or theft protection, no deductible, and no taxes (foreigners don't have to pay VAT on purchases). You also get something no rental can give you: that that new-car smell.   (continued...)