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Car Hire at Nice Côte d'Azur Airport


JohnH
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We have a mobile home in the Var, which we visit whenever we can get away from work for a few days. Because we do not have the time to drive down, our visits entail hiring a car from Nice airport and, over the last several years, we have done our bit to keep Europcar, in particular, in funds. Europcar has two advantages over its competitors - its rates tend to be slightly less eye-wateringly outrageous and one can go straight to the pick-up office, without having to first pay a visit to the desk in the arrivals hall. There is however a downside - Europcar's success means that their facilities at Nice are so overstretched that I have been known to queue for over an hour to get to the desk in the office, before finding that either the vehicle I have been allocated is not ready and/or when the vehicle arrives it has damage which needs to be noted and signed off by a Europcar person, thus entailing another trip to the office! Any, preferably practical, suggestions as to an alternative to this frustration would be welcome. I have tried alternative car hire companies which operate from Nice Côte d'Azur airport.
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I use the car hire at Nice too when we visit our place in Collobrieres, (even though Toulon is nearer for us since the Ryanair flights to Toulon are usually far more expensive than Easyjet to Nice) and for the last few years I have been booking with Holiday Autos which I have invariably found to be cheaper than booking direct with the car hire people. There is also another benefit from Holiday Autos as for a small fee you can protect your excess (subject to the usual exclusions) I did in fact use that once when I lost a wheel trim. Paid up no problem. In my view it is worth the extra cost.

However like you I got really fed up with Europcar and their long queues. I therefore usually book the car and if Holiday Autos say it is with Europcar I ask them to switch to Hertz who are much more effecient and there is no extra charge for the switch. Indeed,  they will record all the details in their computer the first time you hire from them and you just tell them when you last hired from them at the desk and they accelerate the process as they do not need to type it all in again.

Other than this there is just one solution.

When you arrive leave your other half to collect the bags and sprint like mad round to the pick up office, trampling any others trying to do the same, and get there before the queues. Even then it is pot luck if another flight from elsewhere arrived just before!

Actually there is a second solution and that is to join the Hertz club so you go straight to the executive desk where that paperwor has already been done and just pick up the keys. Amazing service. Problem is you have to book direct with them which adds something like 40% to the cost of doing through HA.

As a matter of interest, where in the Var are you?

Andy Philpott

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Thanks Andy! It it looks like your experience is similar to mine. I have booked through Holiday Autos and been directed to Europcar and I'm well used to the sprint round the car park! Sadly, on the last several occasions, even doing this hasn't avoided a queue around the front of the building. My experience with Hertz wasn't good - even though I'd pre-paid and was clutching the paperwork, I still had to queue to collect the car keys, only to be told that the care wouldn't be available for another twenty minutes. I guess we both need to do a bit more research.

As to your question, we're about halfway/ten minutes between Roquebrune sur Argens and the coast at Les Issambres.

John.

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This is probably not really relevant but I used to fly into Nice quite a lot until a few years ago, as I had an ongoing contract at the Palais de festival in Cannes - same venue as the film festival and right on the beach!

The first time I flew in,  I waited to hire a car at the Hertz desk but as the queues were horrendous I ran out of time for my meeting, gave up in the end and caught a taxi down to Cannes which cost 500 Francs  took about half an hour, and I had a very surly taxi driver who seemed to hate tourists.

When I arrived my French hosts at the exhibition centre told me when I come back next time to take the helicopter link to Cannes ! The next time I did as they suggested . It cost 750Francs return and took six minutes each way - and what views on the way.

So don't bother with all that queing at the airport  take the heli down to la Croisette and hire a car in Cannes!!!!

Paul.

 

 

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Simple answer - join the end of the Hertz queue and shout "Hey Gareth, fancy a spliff"  and I can assure you my mate who's worked there for the last ten years will serve you before anyone else.  Oh but the down side for you guys, he's a dead ringer for Jim Morrison (well, he was 15 years ago!) so if you don't want you wives leaving you at the airport best carry on queing with Europcar [6]
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