Growth in car hire means more choice for visitors to France

Readers looking for a short-term vehicle lease to cover periods visiting a second home in France now have greater choice.

The car hire market in France has opened up in the last decade, after years of being dominated by three big companies.

A few firms now specialise in monthly renting, although agreements usually start with a minimum six-month lease before moving on to a month-by-month contract.

Most of these new firms are internet based – and some offer the opportunity for vehicle owners to rent out their own cars through the platforms.

Read more: Can UK paper driving licences be used to hire vehicles in France?

Car hire in rural areas

Supermarkets chains have also entered the market, improving access to car hire in more rural areas.

Both Leclerc and Intermarché now sometimes offer car hire at rates usually lower than traditional firms.

One of the new internet-based companies, JustHire, was founded in France in 2017, initially offering daily and hourly rentals.

“We then realised there was a demand for longer-term rentals which was not being met, so we restructured to offer those,” said Miled Essaafi, a co-founder.

“Our standard contract is for 18 months or longer, and those are the lowest prices you see on the website, but we can hire for slightly higher prices for one month, two months or three months.”

As well as the monthly hire fee, paid in advance, the company charges a €99 administration fee. Prices on the website include €394/month for a Toyota Yaris petrol/electric hybrid, while the lowest-priced car is a battery-powered Dacia Spring at €249/month.

Monthly car rental options

If customers wish to keep the car after the initial contract period, they can do so on a month-by-month basis. 

As well as cars the company hires out vans, electric bicycles and electric scooters, also by the month.

Mr Essaafi said the success of the business rested on the people hiring the cars looking after them, and there had been a few speed bumps with dishonest clients.

“The big risk for us is when individuals hire our cars and then use them as professional vehicles,” he said. “We think we have rented to a holidaymaker and then discover the car was used by a salesman driving up and down France every week.

“We have also had people hire cars and then sell them – it is hard to believe – but we managed to get the vehicles back undamaged.”

Read more: Tips to save money when hiring a car in France

Clients must provide ID and their driving licence to hire the cars, plus a €897 caution.

Cars are delivered directly to the customer’s door, usually two or three days after signing the contract electronically.

Airbnb-style car hire

Meanwhile, a US firm called Turo is now operating an Airbnb model for car hire in France.

Turo did not respond to a request for further details, however its website suggests hiring a 2011 Citroën Picasso C3 in Charente would cost €115 for a three-day hire.

To hire for a month, the lowest price was for a 2007 Peugeot 107 at €414. The vehicle was situated approximately 150km away in a neighbouring department.

For those looking to register their own vehicle on the platform, third party insurance is provided by the company and varying levels of damage cover can be bought. Turo claims its highest level of insurance, in which damage is covered “100%”, still allows people renting out their cars to benefit from 80% of the rental revenue.

Another US company with a similar platform, called Getaround, bought French pioneer Drivy in 2019. Its prices start at €745/month for a 2020 Citroën C3, and there is a maximum rental period of 30 days.

Its website claims that customers renting out a 2022 VW Golf could earn up to €570/month, while renting out a 2011 Berlingo Multispace would bring in up to €198/month.

Just how competitive the car-hire market has become is shown by the number of companies which have gone into administration. The latest in March was called Virtueo, with managers confident that administrators will find a buyer for the business as a going concern.

Another firm, Carlili, went into administration in 2024 and was sold off in parts, although a partnership was formed to allow the company to continue.