The French car rental market is worth €5.8 billion, a study has found, but there are also tips you can follow to keep rental vehicle costs down.
The market study from private research institute Xerfi shows the market value of the six million rentals made across 2,800 companies in France per year - even though business tends to be dominated by the major players Hertz, Avis and Europcar which are typically also some of the more expensive operators.
However there are tips you can try to get the best price for your next holiday, advises RMC Conso.
Use a comparison site
Using online comparison sites can help to save costs on many expenses - such as insurance - but the websites also exist for car rentals.
The major sites include:
They compare rates offered by several hundred rental companies, enabling you to search for some of the most competitive deals on the market at the time.
Carigami also offers a ‘best price guarantee’, and promises a refund if you are able to find the same deal for cheaper elsewhere.
Most deals found in this way will ask for online payment or deposit. Although convenient, if important to you, do check the deadline for free cancellation or changes to your booking, as this can vary from 24, 48 or 72 hours before the start of the rental, depending on the company.
Compare with peer-to-peer rental platforms
You may wish to consider peer-to-peer rental companies which allow drivers to rent cars to other drivers privately, via an app.
The main apps for this include:
Turo (formerly Ouicar)
Getaround.
These apps can offer competitive prices in comparison with traditional car rental agencies. However, because the prices tend to be calculated depending on the number of kilometres you expect to travel, it may not be cheaper overall.
As the apps broker agreements between individuals it is also important to check the condition of the vehicle you will hire before agreeing - a 2024 report found that many users of these apps had unwittingly become embroiled in disputes over cars in a dangerous state of disrepair.
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Check additional costs
It is important to double check any additional costs or fees involved when renting, as - depending on the company, app, or your travel plans - these can quickly add up.
Rental companies may offer a fixed rate per kilometre per day, but if you are intending to go over that, this can significantly increase the final cost. If you don't know how many kilometres you are going to travel per day, it is best to choose a rental that offers unlimited mileage.
Extra equipment fees can also escalate fast; for example having a satellite navigation GPS, or a child’s car seat etc. Where possible it may make more sense for you to bring all the equipment that you need yourself, to avoid having to hire extras from the hire company.
Also before driving the car it is advisable to carefully check all the paperwork, to ensure that you are not paying for ‘optional’ extras that you do not need.
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Beware insurance upsells, and credit reserves
Many rental companies will repeatedly try to sell you insurance, with varying excess amounts depending on any potential damage.
Sometimes the insurance is third-party only, which covers damage caused to another vehicle, but this can leave you responsible for paying for any other repairs. This can be addressed by opting for comprehensive cover.
However, many rental car companies will try to sell you this at high prices, or lower upfront prices but with high excesses (for example, €500 to €1,500 excess). This means, for example, that if you end up with €1,000 of damage to the vehicle, you may have to pay the entire cost yourself.
It is worth checking any existing insurance you may hold before buying extra through the hire company.
Many bank cards include insurance for car hire, as do some travel insurance policies, so check before you travel. You may be able to buy cheaper, fully comprehensive car hire insurance in advance of your travels, with some policies able to cover you for several trips per year or for an entire year of travel.
It is important to have proof of this insurance to show to the car hire company when picking up the car, or they may not let you take it.
Also check the terms and conditions for payments by credit card. Some rental companies will take a reserve or a deposit on the card in case of damage or an accident, and this may be a large sum.
Check in advance which type of card you have, and which cards are authorised by the rental company, to ensure that you are able to leave this deposit and/or pay for the car when required.
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Do not skip the pre-hire ‘inventory’
Most car hire companies will provide a comprehensive ‘inventory’ of the car’s condition, and any pre-existing damage before you drive away. It is important to check this against the car before you take it.
Similarly, you should also do your own ‘inventory’ check, and take photos of the car - including close-ups - from every angle, particularly of areas that could be easily damaged, or have pre-existing problems, such as the wheel rims, bumpers and wing mirrors.
Doing this will enable you to contest any future claims or accusations from the company about damage after you drop the vehicle back at the end of the hire period. Checking any damage - and taking your own inventory and photos - before the hire period will enable you to prove that the problem was already there and you did not cause it, if necessary.
Ideally, you will be able to drop the car back during the company’s opening hours, and double check the vehicle’s condition with a staff member. This should avoid any surprise claims at a later date.
Note that for any driving fine you incur you may be charged also by the hire company, in addition to the fine.
Lastly, be certain of the agreement on fuel before you hire or drop the vehicle back. Some companies will give you the car with a full tank and expect you to fill it back up before you drop the car off, while others will have different policies. Getting this wrong can be expensive as the rental company may charge more than the fuel price at a local garage if you do not return the vehicle fully fuelled.
