Rentin an Alfa in Europe

[Pottree@domain.elided]

In a message dated 10/08/2001 5:39:56 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
owner-alfa-digest@domain.elided writes:


> Never use Hertz or Avis to reserve a specific car.  These are good companies
> if you don't care what you end up with.  No matter what you reserve it's 
> luck
> of the draw to get one.  Most of the time you'll reserve exactly what you 
> want
> and end up with something in the same "class" -- believe me, you won't like 
> the
> Opel they consider in the same class as an Alfa 156.

Ditto on the firms, and double ditto on the Opel Vectra!

Last month, the same situation with National-Cite in France; wound up with a 
Citroen Xantia.  This was much better than an Opel but nothing like an Alfa.  
It did have what I consider the #s 1 and 2 most important features on a Euro 
rental, though: 1: a genuine enclosed trunk or boot, not a glassed-in 
hatchback or wagon (estate) configuration displaying all your luggage and 
treasures for the pleasure of neighborhood thieves, and 2: sufficient power 
to navigate the Autostrada in confidence. 

A problem you may encounter if you are like me: if you want a car small 
enough to be handy in smaller Euro streets and byways, it won't come with a 
real trunk.  If you get one with a trunk, it will be a midsize car like the 
Vectra or Xantia, which is rather larger than I'd prefer.  For example, that 
size (similar to a Honda Accord) just barely makes it around turns on the 
ramps inside many parking structures.  With the Xantia in an underground 
garage in Vence, France, the lid of the trunk could not clear the low ceiling 
when opened all the way.  Like some of the ancient streets, some of the newer 
structures are designed with much smaller cars in mind, so be careful! (I am 
pretty sure the GTV6 hatch wouldn't be able to open all the way in there, 
either.)

Charlie
LA, CA, USA

--
to be removed from alfa, see /bin/digest-subs.cgi
or email "unsubscribe alfa" to majordomo@domain.elided