We love doing road trips in Europe and one of the things we’ve learned along the way is the importance of renting a small car!
We pack light so it’s never a problem to get our carry-on bags and personal items into the trunk or under a hatchback cargo cover. This way everything is nicely hidden when we stop to visit attractions along the way. Having luggage in plain view on the back seat isn’t advisable.
Recently we were reminded of this when we had reserved a parking spot in the old historic town of Cordoba. We pulled in and the pillars between the floors to go up and down the ramps were concrete and filled with a rainbow of paint colors. We had to do a couple of attempts back and forth ourselves to clear the barriers with the small Peugeot 208 we had rented.
I don’t think anything much bigger would have passed unscathed. Glad my husband was driving (not sure I could have managed those narrow ramps!).
A few good reasons to rent a small car and decline the upgrade if one is offered!
- Smaller cars are usually cheaper to rent
- They take much less gas (expensive in Europe)
- If ever it’s stolen, there’s less liability (some credit card insurance plans have maximums)
- Public parking spots are notoriously small in Europe (and navigating the narrow barriers in multi-story parking lots will be easier)
- Street parking spots are also small, so there is less chance of scratches and dings with a small vehicle
- If driving on the opposite side of the road that you are used to, a smaller car gives you more margin for error and better perspective to see
- You’ll also stand out less and be less of a target for thieves
So while that free upgrade to a BMW, Mercedes, or Audi may be tempting, we prefer the low profile Renault or Peugeot or anything compact for a European road trip!