Cars

Dude · Guru

Cars

Michele Erdvig · Host

Dude,

I tend to book a month or two before my trip. I find if I wait till just a couple of weeks before the rates seem to go higher. You could be seeing a blip in the car rental rates. Keep watching but don't panic. If you find a lower price Kemwel will match it.

Michele

Dude · Guru

Thanks, Michele. After cruising around on some other car rental sites and getting totally confused, I have been sticking with Kemwel only.

Michele Erdvig · Host

Dude,

If all the different sites are confusing you I suggest just checking Kemwel every couple of weeks to see what's up there. Navigating the car rental maze is never fun but is essential to your trip. Does your credit card still cover CDW or will you have to pay for that this time?

Michele

Dude · Guru

I'll try the idea of trying Kemwel every two weeks but don't think I can hold out that long! As long as I'm doing something toward the trip it seems more real and more fun.

My MasterCards don't cover CDW any more so I guess we'll just spare the brass for the extended coverage. Kemwel says there will be a $2,055 deductible with that.

Michele Erdvig · Host

Dude,

You can also buy Super CDW directly from your rental car company on arrival to make your deductable disappear. Might be anywhere from 8 euro and up per day. Check that out too.

Michele

Dude · Guru

Now that is why we love this forum. I didn't realize that. Does the Super CDW replace CDW or is it in addition to getting CDW from Kemwel?

By the time I get this all figured out in my Very Little Brain it will be time to go and I won't be packed yet. But my camera battery recharger and my windbreaker arrived today. My non-traveling husband is even getting involved, finding me a case for the recharger! This is the first time he has evinced much interest in one of my trips so I'm taking that as a positive sign. Unless he just wants a vacation from me!

Michele Erdvig · Host

Dude,

Go to my "Car Rental" page and study up. Super CDW is in addition to CDW. It brings your deductible down to zero or near that (depends on the company). Now mind you, it may not cover everything. Many times tires, windshields and perhaps undercarriage may not be covered.

I had a good laugh over your musings about your husband's motives!

Michele

Dude · Guru

When I go to Car Rentals I just hit Kemwel and forget to scroll down and check out the wisdom. I promise to start reading up!

My darling husband hates to travel but understands that I love to, so we just do our own thing and are glad to see each other when I return. Works well so far. And I have never suffered a lack of traveling companions; when I say the word "Ireland" everybody (well, except my husband) wants to go along.

Michele Erdvig · Host

Dude,

Not everyone likes to travel. I have a friend in the same situation. Her husband must be dragged kicking and screaming anywhere. She has given up and goes with friends, just as you do. It's nice that you have no shortage of traveling companions.

Michele

Marie · Guru

Dude:

I booked my car with Auto Europe. We are going in May 2007. They only needed a deposit of $126.00 for the reservation. Having them hold that amount for a few months was worth it for the piece of mind.
The CDW was inlcuded in the rental amount, and Super CDW (optional) can only be purchased from the rental company once you've arrived. Good luck!
This is an adventure for me, too.

Marie

Dude · Guru

Thanks, Marie. If I'm not mistaken, AutoEurope and Kemwel are sister companies. The only difference I can ascertain from the websites is that AutoEurope will hold with a deposit and Kemwel require full payment upfront. For the same car, AutoEurope right now is about $25 cheaper for our 12-day rental.

On our last trip, which we booked through a travel agent, we arrived in Shannon to find no cars available which fit our booking--we had to shove 5 women and all their luggage into a Land Rover (loved it, but not the crowding) until we got to Killarney where the situation was remedied. If we have problems such as this, can we contact Kemwel or AutoEurope or are we on our own? Does pre-booking the entire payment (Kemwel) help as opposed to just putting down a deposit (AutoEurope)?

How interesting. I just looked at Kemwel and their deductible after purchasing CDW has gone from over $2000 to $1650. AutoEurope is about the same.

-- Edited by Dude at 20:31, 2007-02-10

Marie · Guru

Dude:

I shopped around like a madwoman for the "right" car rental company. After researching abut 8 different companies, I decided on Auto Europe because of the inclusive, competitive price, and the recommendation of Cowboy Craic on this forum and others on other forums. Since they are a sister co. to Kemwell, which Michele uses, they seemed like a good bet. Mind you, I found cheaper rates out there, but not with companies that others recommended.
Hertz, with its big, recognizable name, was a lot higher. According to the reports I have read, Auto Europe is very professional and reliable.

I hope all goes smoothly for us both!

Marie

Michele Erdvig · Host

Dude,

AuroEurope is indeed a sister company to Kemwel. Keep in mind that Kemwel will meet any other price. You will have to call their toll-free number to do that.

I have a little trick that I have found out by trial and error. Clear all cookies from your computer. Go to the car rental page that had the cheapest rate (in your case AutoEurope). Input your info and get a rate. Then go to my car page and click on Kemwel. The rates are usually the same or even a bit cheaper on Kemwel. The websites "remember" what you were looking at before. Each time you do that you must clear all cookies before going to the cheapest website first then the more expensive one.

See if it works for you.

As far as cars not being available the company that Kemwel books you with should remedy that problem. I find the car companies will back each other up if shortages occur. For peace of mind call Kemwel and ask all your questions.

Michele

-- Edited by Michele Erdvig at 01:36, 2007-02-11

Dude · Guru

Wow! Not only an All-Ireland Expert, but an IT Maven besides! Right now, Kemwel is cheaper than Auto Europe; Auto Europe seems to have gone up about $45 overnight. Very interesting.

Will just keep watching for a while and see what happens.

BTW, Hertz in Shannon was the company that gave us all the grief by not having an appropriate car and not seeming to care one way or the other. The Hertz folks in Killarney were absolutely wonderful, and we wrote to Hertz and told them about the whole setup when we got back, and received a $100 certificate on our next rental.
The young man who was so shirty with us on arrival at the Shannon desk was parking the cars when we dropped off. Maybe just coincidence, but you have to hope there is justice...

Michele Erdvig · Host

Dude,

I am full of obscure info!

For my last trip I played with the dates of the car rental online. I found out if I rented one day later at the start of my trip the price for the whole car rental was cut in half. Needless to say, I did not rent the car till the day after I arrived. Gotta love those computerized booking engines!

I have heard many complaints about Hertz in both Shannon and Dublin. They tend to give out a lot of old beat up cars that are several years old. My Kemwel rentals have always been with Europcar. The people at the rental desk in Shannon have been nice as can be and very accommodating. The cars have been very good.

Michele

Dude · Guru

But what did you do that first day? I can't see staying at Shannon Airport an extra day as being much fun!

I understand that there are things to do within cab fare of the Airport. But we'll want to get on the road.

Just for fun, I'm going to check the same thing. Nope, although taking one day off did drop it about $70. Since our tickets are purchased, we are locked into dates.

We initially thought we would have 12 days on the ground, but we found by leaving on a Thursday instead of Friday we saved a ton on our airline tickets, plus of course one less day of car rental and B&B. We'll just have to drive faster to get everything in. JUST KIDDING! We might need that Super CDW.

Michele Erdvig · Host

Dude,

I think what I did by cutting my car rental price in half happened because I was traveling off-season. One day was considered the season, the next was off-season. That is why the rates went way, way down. As for the first day, friends picked up my husband and me at the airport and we spent time with them.

Michele