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      03-27-2023, 02:25 PM   #1
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recommendation for rentals in Germany

Hi guys, this is mostly for our friends in Germany but If anyone have an advice, I'm all ears.
With my luck Germany on transportation strike at the moment and I'm going to Germany on Wednesday, I'm flying to Berlin and it seems Berlin is still open at the moment, but even if I'll get there I need to go to Munich and then to Vienna, Austria in few days (I have some other destinations but not in Germany until I'll get back to Berlin on April 9)

I booked trains and buses in advance but it seems I'm not gonna be able to get on those, I started to think to rent a car.

I haven't rented cars in Germany or Europe before and was trying to see if there any recommendations I can get.

Thank you in advance!
p.s. doesn't have to be a fancy BMW I got excited first but my gf not supporting my idea for fancy rentals
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      03-27-2023, 02:30 PM   #2
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Avis works there just fine. Sixt has a cooler selection of cars.
Many are manual transmission, so pay attention to that.
Many are also diesel, something else to make note of.
Read up on Autobahn signage so you know what's happening.
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      03-27-2023, 02:32 PM   #3
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Oh, and if you take your rental on Nurburgring, there's a good chance you'll never rent from that company again. You'll likely get blacklisted.
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      03-27-2023, 02:37 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by diirk View Post
Avis works there just fine. Sixt has a cooler selection of cars.
Many are manual transmission, so pay attention to that.
Many are also diesel, something else to make note of.
Read up on Autobahn signage so you know what's happening.
I appreciate the reply, I'm watching the situation over there and will make final decision tomorrow, but it nice to know about Avis and Sixt!

Thx for heads up on Autobahn signs, something I need to read up on a little more to be aware.

my second car is 5-spd manual Passat so I'm not afraid of manual transmission.
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      03-27-2023, 02:38 PM   #5
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Oh, and if you take your rental on Nurburgring, there's a good chance you'll never rent from that company again. You'll likely get blacklisted.

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      03-27-2023, 02:44 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by boneca View Post
Hi guys, this is mostly for our friends in Germany but If anyone have an advice, I'm all ears.
With my luck Germany on transportation strike at the moment and I'm going to Germany on Wednesday, I'm flying to Berlin and it seems Berlin is still open at the moment, but even if I'll get there I need to go to Munich and then to Vienna, Austria in few days (I have some other destinations but not in Germany until I'll get back to Berlin on April 9)

I booked trains and buses in advance but it seems I'm not gonna be able to get on those, I started to think to rent a car.

I haven't rented cars in Germany or Europe before and was trying to see if there any recommendations I can get.

Thank you in advance!
p.s. doesn't have to be a fancy BMW I got excited first but my gf not supporting my idea for fancy rentals
I'm in Germany now, was in Berlin yesterday. I wouldn't sweat the transportation strike. Allegedly it is a one day strike. Likely ripple effects Tuesday 28 March, possibly remnants Wednesday 29 March.

Sixt first choice for car rental for me. Avis or Hertz either/both are second choice. I have used Sixt many times in Germany and it is seamless.

Are you flying or driving to Munich and Vienna?

Last edited by chassis; 03-27-2023 at 02:51 PM..
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      03-27-2023, 02:45 PM   #7
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Also be aware and try to abide by the speed limits, most of the areas where it goes from unlimited to 140/130/120 etc there are speed cameras on the back of the over the highway signs.

If you rent a BMW with HUD, it alerts you of upcoming speed changes which is cool. After getting on the Autobahn and leaving Munich waiting for the first unlimited section was psyched when it popped up in the HUD about 1km before seeing the sign on the highway.
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      03-27-2023, 02:50 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by boneca View Post
I got excited first but my gf not supporting my idea for fancy rentals
Isn't it funny how they are always the voice of reason
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      03-27-2023, 02:53 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chassis View Post
I'm in Germany now, was in Berlin yesterday. I wouldn't sweat the transportation strike. Allegedly it is a one day strike. Likely ripple effects Tuesday 28 March, possibly remnants Wednesday 29 March.

Sixt first choice for car rental for me. Avis or Hertz either/both are second choice.

I have used Sixt many times in Germany and it is seamless.
Thank you, yes I see its a 24hour strike but you never know for sure, also I'm flying out on Wednesday 29th at night and suppose to arrive to Berlin on Thursday 30th in the morning. I have train tickets to go to Munich at night on 30th and I have a bus ticket to go to Vienna on April 1st.

EDIT: so Idea to rent in Berlin, drive to Munich and return car in Vienna

Quote:
Originally Posted by bagekko View Post
Also be aware and try to abide by the speed limits, most of the areas where it goes from unlimited to 140/130/120 etc there are speed cameras on the back of the over the highway signs.

If you rent a BMW with HUD, it alerts you of upcoming speed changes which is cool. After getting on the Autobahn and leaving Munich waiting for the first unlimited section was psyched when it popped up in the HUD about 1km before seeing the sign on the highway.
I appreciate the advice, I doubt I'll be renting BMW but we'll see
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      03-27-2023, 02:56 PM   #10
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Originally Posted by Tommy-G View Post
Isn't it funny how they are always the voice of reason
you know it

we did rent BMW in FL few months ago, she was fine with that, so you win some, you loose some
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      03-27-2023, 04:04 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by boneca View Post
Thank you, yes I see its a 24hour strike but you never know for sure, also I'm flying out on Wednesday 29th at night and suppose to arrive to Berlin on Thursday 30th in the morning. I have train tickets to go to Munich at night on 30th and I have a bus ticket to go to Vienna on April 1st.

EDIT: so Idea to rent in Berlin, drive to Munich and return car in Vienna



I appreciate the advice, I doubt I'll be renting BMW but we'll see
You will likely get hammered with a one-way rental fee, all the more because it is another country. Different on that point (one-way rental) than in the US. Please report back. Enjoy the trip.

Sprechen Sie Deutsch?
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      03-27-2023, 04:10 PM   #12
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We're going to Munich in May, I rented a BMW 7 series or equivalent from Sixt. Looking forward to it as we drive through Austria, Italy & Switzerland in a roundtrip, two week trip back to Munich.
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      03-27-2023, 04:20 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chassis View Post
You will likely get hammered with a one-way rental fee, all the more because it is another country. Different on that point (one-way rental) than in the US. Please report back. Enjoy the trip.

Sprechen Sie Deutsch?
you are correct, I did some research and one way pretty expensive, I'm starting to think just to rent from Berlin to Munich if still necessary it will be around $150-$200 and hopefully by the time I need to go to Austria strike ends (I'll be in Munich 2 days)

unfortunately I don't speak German, just a few sentences
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      03-27-2023, 04:20 PM   #14
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I rented an A6 Avant and two A4 Avants in Italy through Hertz, roughly ten days per visit. Was very seamless, in that the paperwork is familiar and I was awarded Hertz points after the rental. Although most cars in Italy are MT, the Audi's I was given were all automatic (I think the A6 might have had a dual-clutch). The A4's were 2-liter turbo diesels, while the A6 was a 3-liter, if I remember correctly.

I got the complete, 100% insurance coverage, as my home auto coverage doesn't work outside of the USA.

I used Waze over there. I switched settings to metric, but otherwise used it as in the US. One advantage with Waze is that it found 100% of the speed cameras while we were there.

I kept up with traffic that for the most part did 5kph over the limit. Most autostradas had 130k limits; there were no unlimited speeds as in Germany.

Their lane discipline is incredible, which I found refreshing compared to the left-lane bandits over here. In fact, it seemed like the driving skill over there is miles ahead of what I witness here everyday. One day I was following a cheezy, decades-old Fiat down a twisty two-lane, and I simply could not keep up. Granted, he knew the road and it was my first time seeing it, but he looked completely relaxed and gradually pulled away. There were no straights that permitted me to catch up.

I have rented outside the US roughly ten times. In every case I needed an international driver's license. You can buy them at AAA, and they're good for one year. Not expensive.

A lot of the Italian autostradas require a toll. I searched in vain to purchase a transponder like we have here, but the conclusion I came to is you have to be a resident to get one. Instead, just swipe a credit card at the booth, and the robot says "arrivederci!!"
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      03-27-2023, 04:21 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BMWGUYinCO View Post
We're going to Munich in May, I rented a BMW 7 series or equivalent from Sixt. Looking forward to it as we drive through Austria, Italy & Switzerland in a roundtrip, two week trip back to Munich.
this seems like an awesome trip
enjoy!
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      03-27-2023, 04:25 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ppointer View Post
I rented an A6 Avant and two A4 Avants in Italy through Hertz, roughly ten days per visit. Was very seamless, in that the paperwork is familiar and I was awarded Hertz points after the rental. Although most cars in Italy are MT, the Audi's I was given were all automatic (I think the A6 might have had a dual-clutch). The A4's were 2-liter turbo diesels, while the A6 was a 3-liter, if I remember correctly.

I got the complete, 100% insurance coverage, as my home auto coverage doesn't work outside of the USA.

I used Waze over there. I switched settings to metric, but otherwise used it as in the US. One advantage with Waze is that it found 100% of the speed cameras while we were there.

I kept up with traffic that for the most part did 5kph over the limit. Most autostradas had 130k limits; there were no unlimited speeds as in Germany.

Their lane discipline is incredible, which I found refreshing compared to the left-lane bandits over here. In fact, it seemed like the driving skill over there is miles ahead of what I witness here everyday. One day I was following a cheezy, decades-old Fiat down a twisty two-lane, and I simply could not keep up. Granted, he knew the road and it was my first time seeing it, but he looked completely relaxed and gradually pulled away. There were no straights that permitted me to catch up.

I have rented outside the US roughly ten times. In every case I needed an international driver's license. You can buy them at AAA, and they're good for one year. Not expensive.

A lot of the Italian autostradas require a toll. I searched in vain to purchase a transponder like we have here, but the conclusion I came to is you have to be a resident to get one. Instead, just swipe a credit card at the booth, and the robot says "arrivederci!!"
great input, I won't be in Italy so most of this probably doesn't apply, as for international driving license, I guess this might be a problem as I only have US one and I don't think I have time to apply for another one, I have one full day left before my trip
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      03-27-2023, 04:39 PM   #17
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This incident happened to us in 2009, which was an eternity ago, so maybe things have changed, but...

We rented a Mercedes C180 from Sixt out of Munich. The car was fine. But when we picked it up, there was no one there to check it out with us. We signed the paperwork and got the keys inside the airport terminal and they told us where in the garage it was parked. We got there and no one was around. We got in and drove away, expecting to be stopped at the exit for a quick inspection of the car. Didn't happen. So on we went. We had the car for about a week. When we returned it, the inspecting tech went over the car like a forensic scientist. He even had a small rag to wipe away any water spots or mud splashes to check for damage. Luckily, there was none. He signed off on our paperwork and sent us on our way. Two weeks after we got home, I got an email from Sixt saying my car had been returned with substantial bumper and fender damage, which was pure BS. They wanted my insurance info so they could file a claim. I contacted my insurance company to ask what to do. The adjuster said, "Oh yeah, Sixt does that a lot. Just give me the info and I'll settle the claim." I told her there was nothing to settle because there was no damage. She said, "Yeah, we know, it's just a game Sixt plays. It's usually cheap to settle." I told her I would not play that game. I sent Sixt a copy of the inspection sheet where their own inspector had signed off and then I told them I was going to contact my lawyer and if he found there was indeed no damage, I was going to contact the German authorities and press fraud charges. I got an email the next day saying there had been a mistake and it was not my car that had been damaged. Apologies all around.

Now again, this was ages ago, so maybe things have changed, but even with Thrifty in the UK, we've learned that it is essential to take a lot of pics of the car when you pick it up and when you drop it off. Easy enough to do with a cell phone these days.
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      03-27-2023, 04:47 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by M_Six View Post
This incident happened to us in 2009, which was an eternity ago, so maybe things have changed, but...

We rented a Mercedes C180 from Sixt out of Munich. The car was fine. But when we picked it up, there was no one there to check it out with us. We signed the paperwork and got the keys inside the airport terminal and they told us where in the garage it was parked. We got there and no one was around. We got in and drove away, expecting to be stopped at the exit for a quick inspection of the car. Didn't happen. So on we went. We had the car for about a week. When we returned it, the inspecting tech went over the car like a forensic scientist. He even had a small rag to wipe away any water spots or mud splashes to check for damage. Luckily, there was none. He signed off on our paperwork and sent us on our way. Two weeks after we got home, I got an email from Sixt saying my car had been returned with substantial bumper and fender damage, which was pure BS. They wanted my insurance info so they could file a claim. I contacted my insurance company to ask what to do. The adjuster said, "Oh yeah, Sixt does that a lot. Just give me the info and I'll settle the claim." I told her there was nothing to settle because there was no damage. She said, "Yeah, we know, it's just game Sixt plays. It's usually cheap to settle." I told her I would not play that game. I sent Sixt a copy of the inspection sheet where their own inspector had signed off and then I told them I was going to contact my lawyer and if he found there was indeed no damage, I was going to contact the German [...]
wow that’s pretty bad story, glad it ended ok for u
I rented from Sixt last April in FL and as well car wasn’t expected on pickup or drop off, besides on drop off there were no one around as it was early morning before their working hours in Orlando airport, likely no issues, bill got settled couple weeks later with no extra fees.
I guess it could happen to anyone anywhere.
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      03-28-2023, 12:24 AM   #19
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Originally Posted by boneca View Post
you are correct, I did some research and one way pretty expensive, I'm starting to think just to rent from Berlin to Munich if still necessary it will be around $150-$200 and hopefully by the time I need to go to Austria strike ends (I'll be in Munich 2 days)

unfortunately I don't speak German, just a few sentences
Download the Deutsche Bahn app, DB Navigator.

I am taking an ICE train this week, and the app allows me to book my desired journey. I just tried a Berlin-München itinerary and it gave me a choice to purchase. This was not the case on the past Monday (strike day). The app on Monday indicated my desired routes were not available.

No guarantees, but trains should be OK for you in Germany this week.

Use the DB app.
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      03-28-2023, 04:30 AM   #20
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I rented from Sixt primarily when I would travel trough I had a car normally at Ramstein and Rhein Main for about 5 years but when my now ex wife and I PCS'd back to the states I could not have a registered vehicle in the SOFA system so it was rentals.
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      03-28-2023, 06:36 AM   #21
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Download the Deutsche Bahn app, DB Navigator.

I am taking an ICE train this week, and the app allows me to book my desired journey. I just tried a Berlin-München itinerary and it gave me a choice to purchase. This was not the case on the past Monday (strike day). The app on Monday indicated my desired routes were not available.

No guarantees, but trains should be OK for you in Germany this week.

Use the DB app.
I will look it up, thank you for your input!
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      03-28-2023, 08:29 AM   #22
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Help me answer this question once and for all please: will I need to obtain an International Driver's License if I plan to pick up the rental in Munich, and drive it through Germany, Austria, Italy and maybe Switzerland? I haven't been able to find a definitive answer to this.
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