August 9, 2004 -- As we begin the shift into autumn, now's the time to consider a leisurely driving tour through Europe. Europeans and Americans both will be finished with their August holidays, thus the more-scenic backroads are less crowded. We've discovered some nifty bargains for fly and drive packages, decent straightforward rentals and affordable long-term leasing options.
Auto Europe (888/223-5555; www.autoeurope.com) has a slew of offers. We like the their three-day fly and drive offer () starting from an incredible $299, from New York City to London. This is valid for departures from September 8 through October 31, 2004, and includes the airfare, the car plus a cell phone. Other arrival cities, for flights out of NYC, include:
- Amsterdam $459
- Brussels $389
- Frankfurt $489
- Madrid $509
- Milan $569
- Munich $489
- Paris $409
- Rome $587
- Zurich $497
Departures are available out of a wide variety of other gateways at additional cost. For a bit longer stay, there are seven-day packages () available for the same period of travel that include air, car and cell phone. For example, NYC to London starts from only $357, a better average cost per day than the shorter trips. However, you'll have to factor in paying for 4 additional nights of lodging.
The company is also offering another deal that allows you book a car and get an automatic upgrade to the next class, i.e. book a compact and get a midsize sedan. This offer is available in Austria, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. See for details.
Europe by Car (800/223-1516 or 212/581-3040; www.europebycar.com), in business since 1954, is a good resource for straightforward car rentals. For example, a 2-door GM Opel Corsa in Austria starts from $185 for seven days before taxes and fees, an average of just over $26 a day. They have cars in Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and the UK as well.
Renault Eurodrive specializes in long term leasing programs. Your kicker here is that you get a brand new, never-been-driven-before car. Checking out a typical rental, for the smallest car available out of Frankfurt (a Wingo 1.2 16V Automatic AC) and a 20-day rental, we got a price of $799 for the first 17 days, $54 for the additional three days, drop off and pick up fees of $100 each (when you don't return the vehicle to the same location), plus a "rush fee" of $20 for a grand total of $1,073, or an average of $54 plus change daily for the entire period.
An eight-passenger Trafic van came to only $2,279 for a 17-day lease when we chose to pick up and return the vehicle to Paris in mid-September; that's just $136 a day.
There are no taxes to add on, you get unlimited mileage and comprehensive insurance with no deductible and 24/7 roadside assistance are included in the cost. You must be a minimum of 18 to lease. For more information, go to www.renaultusa.com or phone them at 800/221-1052 or 212/730-0676.