France is a wonderfully diverse and bountiful country. From the southern region, known throughout the world for its untouched bucolic countryside and wineries, to the ever-cosmopolitan city of Paris, France offers a plethora of cultural experiences and opportunities for the adventurous traveler. In order to explore the full range of France’s charms, however, you need a good car to get around.
While it’s true that France offers a vast network of public transportation options, Americans visiting the Gallic homeland may want more convenience and flexibility. Unfortunately, renting a car in France can prove to be quite a challenge, particularly if you’re unschooled as to the taxes and surcharges that normally get added. If you’re not careful, you can end up paying as much as three times the so-called sticker price for your auto rental.
European can rental agencies often try to foist poorly engineered or dilapidated used cars on American tourists, students, and entrepreneurs visiting the continent. Even at those so-called discount European car rental agencies, transportation often ends up costing a small fortune after the addition of value added taxes, mileage surcharges, gasoline fill charges, insurance taxes, and the like. Thus, what starts out looking like a pretty good deal on a European rental car turns into bureaucratic and financial quicksand.