Car Hire in France..

[Dunkyboy]

Any tips, do/don'ts, any firms to avoid, any pitfalls. Never hired a car before in my life so have no idea what to expect.
Need mucho adviceo pleaseoo.......

[charlesh]

Same advice as here really: Check the car over for dents, scratches etc when you pick it up. Check the wheel/styres too so that there's no obvious scuff marks or damage.

Renting a car in France you should aim to get a diesel as this is much cheaper than petrol compared to the UK. Don't forget to fill it up before you hand it back.

You will need the paper part and the plastic card of your license, but they may only be interested in the plastic card.

I would advise going with a recognised firm such as Hertz, National, Alamo, Europcar, because that way you can book it in advance with an English speaker if you're not fluent in French. Specify a manual or automatic, as you don't want to be learning to use a gearbox you're not familiar with when you're driving on the "wrong" side of the road.

Lot's of companies have relationships with the hire firms, so check your chosen supermarket clubcard to see if this entitles you to preferential rates, or whether you can use the points you've collected.