If you're driving in Italy or Europe for longer than three weeks, Auto Europe's Peugeot Buy Back Program is worth checking out. With this program you get a brand new Peugeot model of your choice with complete insurance coverage and you often save money over car rentals for long periods. I found it much easier than renting a car and there were no hidden charges or extras I had to pay later.
Check availability and prices or book a car with Auto Europe.
Review of Auto Europe's Buy Back Car Program
I tried Auto Europe's Peugeot buy back program in fall, 2010, and was favorably impressed. My car, a 207 model, was very comfortable to drive. Because it was near the end of the year, the model I chose was not available so I had the 207 Cielo diesel model, with a few extra features including GPS. The car got outstanding mileage and had plenty of power. It was large enough that we carried 3 adults in the back seat for short trips without a problem. Having never used a GPS, I had a little difficulty at first as instructions are in French but once we got it figured out, it was good and several times I was happy to have it. For rural driving in Italy, however, I found that it was not well set up as many places were missing or misspelled.
I picked up my car in Zurich and pick-up could not have been easier. The car was waiting for us right outside the terminal. After signing a few papers and a brief explanation of features (by the English-speaking agent), we were off in a matter of minutes. Drop-off was a little harder because the instructions provided were incorrect but the agent and I quickly found each other and even with the glitch, drop-off was much quicker and easier that with a traditional rental car.
At many of the other car locations, however, you must call upon arrival and be transferred by Auto Europe to the car pick-up location. When you drop the car off, you have to make an appointment and go to the car center to turn in the car, then be transported to the airport.
If you need assistance, there's a 24 hour toll-free number you can call. The car is well insured since they plan to sell it as a used car when you return it. Why do they do this? In France there's a 20% VAT on new car sales. By leasing the brand new car to a foreigner, buying it back, and selling it as used the tax can be avoided. Read more in Europe Travel's Buy Back Car Lease article.
Pick-up and drop-off are available (and free) at many places in France, however in other European countries it's available only at the larger, international airports and a fee is added on when you make your inquiry. Even with the additional fee, the cost is competitive with car rentals for longer periods but you have a brand new car, excellent no-hassle insurance, no fee for additional family drivers, and easy pick-up and drop-off.
As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with discounted services for review purposes. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our Ethics Policy.
How To Book a Buy Back or Rental Car from Auto Europe
Check buy back car availability and prices or book your car. Auto Europe also has discount car rentals - check prices or book a rental car.
