A car in Provence.

[RDM]

Hi,
I'm currently working near Aix-en-Pce and work is supplying a hire car
at the moment, Opel Meriva (Gets you to work/ airport but performance/ roadholding not exactly breathtaking!). Problem is I only have car for
another 2 months and then I have to think about renting my own or buying
a car here. Therefore I'm looking for some advice.

To hire a car at Marseille airport looks to be about €300 a week for a Meriva
which seems expensive to me. €2000 for a small Merc!. I've heard there may be somewhere doing Smart cars for €10/day but haven't found them yet.

To buy a car I've had a look at Le Autotrader or whatever they call it but the
prices look very expensive for secondhand cars compared to UK.

1- Is there cheaper car hire available rather than the Avis/ Hertz people
at the airport.
2- Are cars really that expensive here or would I get a better deal in a local
paper?
3- What are the other costs of buying a car here and how do they compare to UK
, e.g.insurance/ tax etc?
4- Should I bring a right hand drive out from UK?. Is it worth the xtra cost to
sit on the right and how does the tax work.

Thanks,
Dougie.

[Reidy10_0]

Dougie,
The last time i was there i hired through Auto europe.

http://www.auto-europe.co.uk/index.cfm?aff=google&...

I got a great deal, they buy up spare hire time from Hertz etc.

[RDM]

Cheers Reidy,
Compared the hire prices and for a Meriva the Hertz was 207 Sterling and
Auto-Europe were the same at 207 Sterling, there are C1's for 157 Sterling
but not sure if I would even fit in a C1!

Depending on flight time I can get the bus from the airport to apartment
and walk to work but sometimes the flights are very early so a car would be required. (Or a taxi, I haven't priced that yet)

My wife insists that the best idea would be to take her car to France.....
....and obviously buy her a new one to replace it!

[Marcellus]

it's really no bother sitting on the wrong side (as the french see it) however your insurance could be the issue.

If work give you the money I suspect you'd just be taxed as though it were earnings.

[RDM]

Cheers,
It was the car tax that I was interested in if I bought a car over here,
I assume there are similar taxes to the UK. It looks like I will need a car
to get to and from airport,problem is I would then pay a full weeks rental
for the car to sit in either the apartment or work car-park before I head
back home which is a serious waste of money.

Dougie.