Drive A Better Bargain On Car Rental

This is usually the month when Americans expecting to go to Europe in the summer can reserve a rental car and lock in a rate, often an advantageous one, in dollars.

This year, with the United States dollar rising - in France, Germany or Italy, it was worth at least 10 percent more in February than it had been a year earlier - it’s hard to know who is locking in whom. However, the car rental agencies are trying to entice consumers to book now with discounts and upgrades, so travelers may not want to reject the idea entirely. Hassle reduction can be worth money, too.

Those who have not shopped for car rentals in Europe before need to know a few basics first.

Most cars rented in Europe have manual transmissions (and in Britain and Ireland, the stick shift is typically on the driver’s left-hand side); automatics, when available, cost 40 percent more, according to one company.

The lowest prices may be deceptive. Many European two-and three-door cars are small beyond the imagining of Americans. It can be impossible to get two adults and luggage for two weeks into the cheapest models.

It is not advisable to leave belongings in a rental car in a popular tourist parking area. If you plan to visit monuments along the road, at least specify a car that has a luggage area that is not visible.

The advertised rates do not usually include the value-added tax. (There is no rebate on this tax for car rentals, as there is for many purchases.) It can be as high as 25 percent. The rental company should be asked if the tax is included in a quoted price, and if not, how much it is and whether an airport pick-up charge is also piled on.

Renters accustomed to using their credit cards in lieu of buying the collision damage waiver are out of luck in Italy, where renters are compelled to buy the local coverage, costing probably $10 to $15 a day. There are other variations, so renters should check with both the rental company and the credit-card company before rejecting the collision damage waiver.

That said, car rental companies that operate internationally have set prices that they guarantee to keep for reservations made by March 31. Some are offering discounts and upgrades. It is a competitive business, and it is worth asking if other companies can match a deal.

These offers all include unlimited mileage. Rick Steves’s current “Europe Through the Back Door” catalogue estimates gas for 1,000 miles’ driving in Europe will probably cost around $130.

Auto Europe, a company in Portland, Maine., that acts as a broker for Avis Europe and Europcar, is offering both a 10 percent discount and a one-class upgrade for certain reservations made by March 31.

An economy-class three-door Renault Clio, for instance, is listed at $146 a week without VAT and damage and theft coverage. A reservation in this class will be upgraded to a compact Renault Megane, ordinarily $202 a week. Cars in the Megane class, if booked at the 10 percent-off price of $182, would be upgraded to a midsized Renault Laguna, usually $247. Reservations must be prepaid to get the discounts and upgrades. There is no penalty for cancellation. Auto Europe: (800) 223-5555.

Avis Europe is offering free upgrades in certain groups on its Early Booker program. This offer covers reservations for Italy, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland and the Netherlands until the end of the year, but they must be booked by March 31. Prepayment is not required. Dropoffs at other cities in the same country involve no extra charge. Avis Europe: (800) 331-1084.

Hertz varies the theme: A choice of a one-class upgrade for certain types of cars, or one day free in a week, which amounts to a 14 percent discount. These options require full prepayment. There are no cancellation charges. Hertz: (800) 654-3001.

Travelers going to Europe for at least 17 days and up to six months may want to consider leasing a new European car, which involves buying the car and then selling it back. The cars are then sold as used cars to Europeans, with a tax saving to them. There is no VAT to pay, no collision damage waiver and unlimited mileage. It is also easier to get an automatic model in one of these plans.

Europe by Car, a New York company, offers Renaults, Peugeots or Citroens. (The manufacturers also offer their cars independently.) Europe by Car has 22 Peugeot models, starting with the two-door 106, at $479 for 17 days and $14 a day after that.

The company’s biggest Citroen is a nine-passenger Combi bus at $1,949 for 17 days and $45 a day after that. Europe by Car: (800) 223-1516; in New York, (212) 581-3040.