Here’s our advice when it comes to renting a car or driving one in Paris: don’t bother. Traffic can be a nightmare, it’s hard to find parking, and roads can be confusing. If you plan on visiting sights outside of Paris, we advise taking a train to the suburbs and rent a car from there.
That said, you’ll find all the major American car rental companies in Paris (like Hertz and Avis), as well as European-based companies. Keep in mind that you’re liable for the entire value of the car you rent, so you may want to consider purchasing a collision damage waiver (CDW) supplement that covers most of the car (except for the undercarriage, roof, tires and windshield). The CDW costs anywhere from $10 to $25 a day, adding up to about 25 percent of the car rental cost. You can also purchase the CDW through Travel Guard at a more reasonable rate of $7 a day, and most European car rental companies will honor it. Visit www.travelguard.com for more information.
You’ll find that the age restrictions for renting a car in Europe are pretty much the same as they are in the U.S., meaning anyone between the ages of 25 and 75 shouldn’t have any problems.
If you plan a one way driving trip through Europe, it’ll cost you anywhere in the neighborhood of $200 to rent your car in one country and drop it off in another .
Your American driver’s license is all you need when renting a car in most European countries. If you’re planning on crossing borders, you may consider getting an International Driver’s License, particularly if you plan to drive through Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Italy, Greece or Eastern Europe. You can get one from AAA (www.aaa.com).
