Renting a Car in Europe:
A GoNOMAD Italian
Experiment in Savings
By Max Hartshorne
We took my parents to Italy in September 2005. It was important that we had a reliable car that could hold all of our luggage, and would not be a hassle or too expensive. We did our research and checked prices on every major agency website (except Auto Europe), and checked directly with major car rental companies in Europe
The rental car we chose was a compact, four-door with a/c, rented through EuropCar, and had a base price (no insurance or extra driver) of $611 for 11 days. The price was almost identical on Orbitz, Expedia, and directly with EuropCar. With insurance and an extra driver (both purchased at pick-up), our price would total about $725. We booked it directly through EuropCar's website.
Then we discovered Auto Europe. For our scientific research purposes, (plus we wanted extra money for Italian wine and olive oil) we searched for the same dates and were shocked to find that the same car, through the same company (EuropCar) for the same dates was $100 cheaper! Naturally, we cancelled our previous reservation with EuropCar and rebooked using Auto Europe.
When we booked with Auto Europe, we added the insurance and extra driver upfront - resulting in a final cost of $575. Yes, the final price, including insurance and extra driver, was still less than the original base price!
Our experience with our car in Le Marche, Italy, was first-rate: EuropCar upgraded us to a midsized Fiat station wagon with all the perks for no extra charge! In fact, there were no hidden or extra charges at all!
Because of this experience, GoNOMAD now unabashedly endorses Auto Europe. We have partnered with them to offer their superb prices to our readers.
Why Choose Auto Europe?
With Auto Europe, you're renting directly from the top European car rental companies, including EuropCar, Hertz, Avis, Budget and more. The difference is the price: Auto Europe guarantees that its price will always be cheaper than ordering directly from the rental car company or any other online agency. If you can find a better price, Auto Europe will beat it by 10%. Furthermore, Auto Europe never charges for a cancellation or order change - they won't even charge you a penalty for a no-show.
Auto Europe is based in Portland, Maine, and provides customer support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through an (800) telephone number accessible world-wide. You may book your order online or by calling and speaking to an agent.
Max Hartshorne is the editor of GoNOMAD.com. He writes his blog Readuponit every day from South Deerfield, MA.
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