Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site cca.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!cca!mickey From: mickey@cca.UUCP (Mickey Levine) Newsgroups: net.travel Subject: Re: Transportation in Europe Message-ID: <3274@cca.UUCP> Date: Thu, 11-Jul-85 16:04:21 EDT Article-I.D.: cca.3274 Posted: Thu Jul 11 16:04:21 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 19-Aug-85 23:11:35 EDT References: <62800001@hpfclr.UUCP><> Reply-To: mickey@cca-unix.UUCP (Mickey Levine) Organization: Computer Corp. of America, Cambridge Lines: 32 Summary: Although my trip was in the spring, I would like to point out some recent things I have learned about renting a car in France: 1) Check your receipt and 2) watch out for the hidden costs. I rented a 'C' class car from Hertz in Roissy which was a 'free car/unlimited mileage' for one week. I paid the upgrade from class 'A' to 'C' before leaving the states. The car (an '85 Opel Kadett 1.3S) was a pleasure to drive, except that it was only a 4-speed. Top speed I got out of it was 160KPH on the German autobahn. As some previous articles stated, if you are a courteous (read not NY, NJ, Boston or Quebec) driver, and understand that a passing lane is just that, you should do fine. In my week of driving, I never saw a radar trap, but we did get off the beaten track a little. Worst places to drive were Paris and Metro, Holland (they speed like crazy) and Belgium. Best places were Western Germany (along the Rhine) and Switzerland. Sorry, I digressed: back to the rental. I finally received the VISA charge for my free car: $183!!! About a week later (3 months after returning, I got the receipt for the rental) and tried to interpert the numbers. First, they added then subtracted the $69 upgrade so they could tax it. There was also about a $40 charge that had no meaning at all. I also elected to take CDW (a good idea), about $5 a day, and PAI (which I later found out is not neccessary if you are insured in the US) again at about $5. So before taxes, I had 69+40+60=$169 in charges. Then there is the 33.3% VAT tax. To top it all off, there was at least one major addition error to the tune of $50. I have sent a letter to Hertz USA to try to straighten out the charges. Just double check. Have fun and safe driving, Mickey Levine decvax!cca!mickey