News, Tips & Bargains : Boning Up on Europe Car Rentals

Travelers thinking about renting a car in Europe this summer had better start doing their homework now, especially if their plans include a comfy high-end vehicle that they plan to rent in one country and drop off in another.

Car thefts have been on the rise across Europe since the borders with Eastern Europe were opened (according to one published report, more than a million vehicles were stolen in Germany, France and Great Britain in 1993) and car rental companies are taking steps to protect themselves. Although the rules vary from company to company--and even from country to country at each company--most firms have tough limits on where you can take one of their cars and what kind of insurance you need.

For example, National does not allow consumers to take its luxury cars (such as most Mercedes, or a Saab 9000) on one-way trips from Switzerland to Italy or France. And if a traveler wants to take any National car from Germany into Italy or Turkey, it’s up to the traveler to find his own insurance against theft or loss, said Pam Tamas of the company’s international reservations department. National does not allow any of its cars to be taken into Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, and what was once Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union.

Avis and Hertz allow premium cars from neighboring countries into Italy, but at a cost. At Avis, you can rent an automatic Rover 827 for a week and drive it from Munich to Milan at the $359 “Discovery Europe” rate (excluding collision and damage insurance and taxes), but the drop-off fee will run about $381, spokeswoman Mariana Field Hoppin said. Rather go from Zurich to Milan? At Hertz, a Volvo 850 with automatic transmission will cost about $655 for a week with a $352 drop-off fee.

Kemwel allows none of its cars to be driven into Italy from most other countries, although inside Italy, the company will rent you a four-door Ford Mondeo for one week for about $349. Like all other companies, it requires that you buy theft insurance at extra cost. Kemwel’s is $90 for a week on the Mondeo; daily rates range from about $11 to $15 a day at most companies.

Thinking of ignoring the rules and driving into a forbidden country anyway? Be warned: If something happens to your rented car and you’re in a place you shouldn’t be, your insurance becomes invalid and you become entirely responsible for the car.

So what’s a consumer to do? First, tell the rental company precisely where you want to go so that agents can spell out the rules. Company spokeswomen say agents are trained to alert consumers to potential problems in various countries. But be prepared to ask a lot of questions: Renting a car in Europe has become a complex, confusing transaction. Next, double-check the fine print on your credit cards: Coverage once offered by some is being scaled back.

Treasures From the Tombs of China

A gold burial mask (pictured above) from the Liao Dynasty (916-1125) is one of 250 objects on view in the “Imperial Tombs of China” exhibition that opened Tuesday in Memphis. Organizers say the exhibit, on display through Sept. 18, is the largest collection from China’s underground palaces to come to the United States. Information: (800) 2-MEMPHIS.