Are You Being Driven?
Written: Jan 30 '08
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Good deals on good wheels
Cons: Welllll, *I* had no gripes, but read some other folks' opinions here for cons.
The Bottom Line: Funny how some folks seem to invite problems while others have smooth sailing. I sure sailed right on through the rocky rental car waters at Europcar!
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| mrkstvns's Full Review: Europcar |
Judging from all the negative comments I see about Europcar on this site, I guess I'm a rare beast in this wild world of car rentals. I rented a car from Europcar and did not get gouged, cheated, mistreated, or any othe way abused. I got a decent price on a very nice car and dealt with friendly people at the Europcar office in Innsbruck Austria. Maybe its my natural good looks winning me new friends again, or maybe it's just that Europcar isn't as bad some folks make it out to be. You be the judge.
My Rental Car Experience...
I used trains to get just about everywhere during my recent trip through Europe, but we were spending some ski quality time in Innsbruck Austria, but desperately wanted to do an excursion into Bavaria to see Neuschwanstein --- the fairy tale perfect castle of "Mad" King Ludwig II. Train schedules were beyond impractical for us, so the rental car was the easy backup plan.
I'd scoped out prices on various car rental web sites before I left, and was figuring I could probably get a car in Innsbruck for about 70 euros (at least that was the EasyCar price for a well-in-advance reservation). I didn't book it though because I wanted flexibility in the schedule. Unfortunately, you snooze and you lose (at least you lose those cheap rental deals).
When I got to Innsbruck and tried to book the cheap car, I couldn't do it. By that time, even Travelocity wasn't helping me score any rental deals. A call to Europcar a couple days before I wanted to drive got me a reservation for an Audi A3 for a day --- though at a price about 50 percent higher than if I'd had booked the EasyCar deal back when I was first setting up the trip. Even still, I consoled myself knowing that Hertz would have charged even double Europcar's rate (according to Travelocity), so I didn't exactly get reamed even though I didn't get a bargain either.
What You See Is What You Get (And Its Pretty Good)...
I liked that the Europcar price I was quoted was a "bottom line" price, not a "come on" price that would be later inflated with fees and nonsense. It included required insurance protection, and the prices listed in the paperwork at the rental pickup site matched what I had been given when I reserved the car. If you're not renting at a major airport location during typical daytime hours, check the drop-off terms: our contract specified that the pickup site closed at 4:30 each afternoon, but we could return up until 10pm, but with extra charges.
I especially appreciated that nobody tried to do the insurance upsell scam on me.
The downtown Innsbruck location was pretty good (in an auto dealership lot) and the guy who helped me out was friendly and efficient. He not only provided a map and directions on how to get out to the autobahn, but when he heard I was driving the car up to Neuschwanstein, even went so far as to draw his own extensions, even providing a couple tips on where to park when I got there, and some recommendations on places to eat. Useful local advice and real friendly service. I gotta love it!
Nice Wheels!
The car itself was excellent. Low mileage and very clean. I just loved getting a car with a 6-speed transmission. It's always next to impossible to get a car with a stick when you rent in the U.S., it's refreshing to go elsewhere and find that it's the automatics that are the cars you can't hardly find. Especially in winter weather, I'd far rather have the extra precision and control of a stick than the unpredictable behavior of an automatic (those things are just SOOO complicated, aren't they?).
The A3 is a wonderful car to drive, with soft leather seats, a good sound system, and a quiet, solid ride. It's got plenty of space, plus a really cool sunroof system that spans both front and back seats (not that you want to be opening any sunroofs when the outside temperatures are hovering around the 0 degree Celsius mark).
At 102 euros per day (that's nigh on to $150 in American greenback speak), it was hardly a bargain, but I can't really complain. Last minute booking and still a decent, late-model car.
Bottom Line...
Europcar gave me an excellent car and was up-front and honest in their pricing and rental agreement. There were no surprises at pickup or dropoff, and I'd use them again in a heartbeat. What I saw was what I got. I gotta be happy with that!
Recommended:
Yes
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