Don’t complicate things too much Berry, that will cost an arm, possibly a leg as well, and you know it.
I’ve looked at training or flying, so picking up and dropping off at different locations. Adds like another $500 just for the rental, not counting tickets for train or plane, so that’s a no-brainer, just for 2-3 hours of extra travel time (train is a poor option for both departure and travel times). Saves some money to use the airport rental location as well, so I’ll do that.
All pretty consistent with my long experience renting around Europe. But then I had a corporate discount, and the company was paying for everything most of the time. The best option so far is to use Costco to book Enterprise, which saves about 20%.
Sounds like you are dropping off in a different country?
My drop off fee was 110 euros last spring in France via Sixt (Rouen to Rennes) which is what I expect returning to the same country.
It was 500 euros Paris to Zurich once, so I stopped it off at the French side of Basel Mulhouse airport, saved most of it.
No, that would be picking up in, say, Vigo, up in galicia, and dropping back in Madrid. I don’t know if rental agencies there work like they do here, where they are often franchises that own their own cars, but a smaller, distant agency would then have to wait to get that car back.
That’s still pretty pricey. We often pick up in Santiago and drop off in Madrid and the dropoff fee has never been that high.
What company do you typically use? Admittedly I didn’t check Santiago, only Pontevedra and Vigo. Also didn’t look at train service to Santiago.
Ah, Santiago has significantly better train options.
Different drop off is better as well from Santiago, still about $150, plus two train fares.
Just checked Sixt for a one week one way rental, vigo airport to Madrid airport, in February, one way fee $105. Don’t know how the other pricing compares though.
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Sixt is more expensive. Cheapest is $750, more like $900 for a car I would want. Costco’s price with Enterprise is $500.
You can consider flying from MAD to one of the Galicia airports. One way fares on Iberia are usually super cheap. The train has never, not in more than 10 years, turned out to be the best option for us.
As I mentioned early on, our A game sometimes is to pick up in MAD and then drive to Galicia, with a stopover 1-2 nights at one of the terrific places along the way to break up the drive.
Appreciate the good advice. For better or worse, my wife does not like to fly. So I won’t stress her out to save a few hours of driving. A 5 or 6 hour drive is nothing for us, we do that all the time out here in California. It’s no big deal.
Funny, we’re the opposite. She can’t handle long car tides, so we fly or train.
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Then I would totally pick up in Madrid and drive. We don’t mind long drives, either. Four hours is no issue, but around 5-6 hours we start considering options. The roads are great, scenery is beautiful and there are a few great places to stop for lunch or overnight.
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I typically travel to Spain twice a year for (wine) business and rent whatever is the best rate at the time, Sixt, Avis, Hetz, Barcelona, Madrid, Jerez, A Coruna etc
I always opt out of additional coverage but that’s me, different drivers, different choices.
As M Kaplan noted below ‘most CC auto rental insurance is secondary to YOUR personal auto insurance’.
You should call your CC company and find out what if anything is covered under what circumstances.
Thanks Claude. I have usually done the same, rarely took coverage in hundreds of times I’ve rented cars around the country and world. But for a few hundred dollars, it’s probably worth having the peace of mind not to have to think about it.
The secondary vs primary issue is moot for US insurance policy and a car outside the US. The auto insurance policy only covers US, no obligation to report to the US auto insurer an auto accident abroad.
Still need to check the credit card coverage, some countries are excluded.
Seems like I would be covered:
Worldwide Car
Rental Insurance
No matter what car You rent or where You rent it,
You may be covered.
We will cover You up to $50,000 toward the cost of repairs or the cash
value of the car, whichever is less, if a covered accident or theft occurs
when You pay for a rental car with Your Citi® Card and decline the
rental company’s collision loss/ damage insurance.
To be eligible for coverage under this benefit, Your Citi Card must be
used to pay for all of the cost to rent the car. If a rental car company
promotion/discount of any kind is initially applied toward payment of
the rental, any remaining portion of the rental must be paid for with
Your Citi Card.
How Long
are You Covered?
The length of the rental car
agreement, with a maximum rental
period of 31 consecutive days.
Where are
You Covered?
Coverage is available worldwide.
Some countries or car rental agencies
require a letter of coverage. Please
check with the rental agency before
You go and call 1-866-918-4670
Maximum Coverage
per Rental Car
$50,000
WHO’S COVERED
You and any authorized driver designated or listed on the rental car
agreement, with a valid driver’s license.
WHAT’S COVERED
To take advantage of this benefit, the following conditions apply:
• The rental period is no more than 31 consecutive days.
• The rental car is a motor vehicle with at least four wheels that is
designed to be driven on public roads.
• The rental car is:
- Damaged by an accident, a natural disaster or vandalism; or
- Stolen.
You will be reimbursed for the following in the event of a covered
accident or theft:
• The cost to repair the rental car or the actual cash value of
the rental car, whichever is less.
• Reasonable towing expenses to the nearest collision
repair facility.
In the United States, the coverage provided by this
benefit is secondary.
This means that if You have another insurance policy that will cover
the cost of damage or theft to Your rental car, this benefit will cover
only the amount Your other policies do not. Worldwide Car Rental
Insurance does cover deductibles You may have to pay under Your
other insurance policies (or that Your employer may have to pay, if
You rented the car for business reasons).
Outside the United States, the coverage provided
by this benefit is primary even if You have another
insurance policy.
WHAT’S NOT COVERED
Coverage does not apply to any claim under the following conditions:
• The rental car is used in a way that goes against Your rental car
agreement (such as driving recklessly or under the influence of
drugs or alcohol) or against clear instructions or warnings posted in
the car.
• The rental car was used as a car for hire.
• You or an authorized driver does not take responsible care of the
rental car.
• The car is rented through a car sharing company that allows
individuals to rent out their own vehicle.
This coverage is not all-inclusive, which means it does not
cover such things as personal injury, personal liability or
third-party personal property. It does not cover any
damages to other cars or property. It does not cover any
injury to any party.
Coverage does not apply to the following charges or expenses:
• The diminished value to the rental car.
Looks good, as long as the car isn’t worth a lot more than $50k.
Surprised no country exclusion, but I haven’t checked coverage in a few years. Ireland, Israel, Italy all need to be double checked that they aren’t excluded.
ETA - I checked mine with Chase - no countries excluded. That must have changed in the last few years (or my memory is worse than I remembered!).
I’ll call them to verify exclusions. Just booked a Ford Escape class, about $500 for 2 weeks, damage coverage included in my card. That’s a pretty good deal! Was about $400 less going through Costco travel than booking direct through Enterprise.
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Costco Travel is always a great price.