Cheap One Way Car Rental Munich to Milan?
#1
Original Poster
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Cheap One Way Car Rental Munich to Milan?
I'm trying to drive from Munich to Chiasso to Milan but finding most of the rental agencies want to charge me at least 250 Euros of a one-way fee for such a trip. (Avis showed me the price as $76 with $450 of surcharges when I went to book). At that point I'm better off flying to Milan and driving up to Chiasso
Anyone have any recommendations on rental agencies that don't charge such high one way fees or maybe a discount code that eliminates them?
Anyone have any recommendations on rental agencies that don't charge such high one way fees or maybe a discount code that eliminates them?
#2
Moderator: UK and Ireland & Europe
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You pretty much don't get cheap one-way international car hire rates in Europe, with a handful of exceptions. There was a scheme set up by Hertz during the Eyjafjallajokul (sp?) ash cloud (http://www.hertz-transfer.eu/) but this is no longer active for private customers.
If you're just doing the journey direct, then it's a pleasant train journey with a transfer in Zurich (alternatively, there's a bus direct from Munich airport to Zurich, then the train from there).
If you're looking to stop off on the way over a few days, you may be better off getting a one-way rental solely within Switzerland.
If you're just doing the journey direct, then it's a pleasant train journey with a transfer in Zurich (alternatively, there's a bus direct from Munich airport to Zurich, then the train from there).
If you're looking to stop off on the way over a few days, you may be better off getting a one-way rental solely within Switzerland.
#3
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Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: London, UK and Southern France
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I'm trying to drive from Munich to Chiasso to Milan but finding most of the rental agencies want to charge me at least 250 Euros of a one-way fee for such a trip. (Avis showed me the price as $76 with $450 of surcharges when I went to book). At that point I'm better off flying to Milan and driving up to Chiasso
Anyone have any recommendations on rental agencies that don't charge such high one way fees or maybe a discount code that eliminates them?
Anyone have any recommendations on rental agencies that don't charge such high one way fees or maybe a discount code that eliminates them?
Fly to Milan or take the train (although the latter is quite slow but can be done overnight direct if going to Milan).
Last edited by NickB; Nov 18, 2014 at 2:54 am
#4
Join Date: May 2009
Location: SIN (with a bit of ZRH sprinkled in)
Posts: 9,455
If you don't need a car while you're in Chiasso, take train/bus from Munich to Zurich, then train from Zurich to Chiasso. If you need a car there, fly Munich to Milano (or Bergamo/Lugano) and rent a car there (I assume your eventual departure will be from Milano once you finished in Chiasso?) - cheaper to rent a car in Italy than renting it in Switzerland, and that way you also get your ride from the airport to Chiasso.
#5
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Train/bus isn't an option for me as I have an event in Munich that ends around 8pm the night before I have to be in Chiasso at Noon - all the evening trains make 2-4 changes to get there which means no sleep. My plan was to leave the event and stop halfway - Vaduz or Chur - and then drive the rest of the way in the morning. I'll probably just fly to Milan in the morning and drive up to Chiasso instead.
#6
Original Poster
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You pretty much don't get cheap one-way international car hire rates in Europe, with a handful of exceptions. There was a scheme set up by Hertz during the Eyjafjallajokul (sp?) ash cloud (http://www.hertz-transfer.eu/) but this is no longer active for private customers.
If you're just doing the journey direct, then it's a pleasant train journey with a transfer in Zurich (alternatively, there's a bus direct from Munich airport to Zurich, then the train from there).
If you're looking to stop off on the way over a few days, you may be better off getting a one-way rental solely within Switzerland.
If you're just doing the journey direct, then it's a pleasant train journey with a transfer in Zurich (alternatively, there's a bus direct from Munich airport to Zurich, then the train from there).
If you're looking to stop off on the way over a few days, you may be better off getting a one-way rental solely within Switzerland.
#7
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All car rental agencies in Europe will hammer you with a high fee if you drop the car in a different another country to the one in which you picked up the car. It is a bit like hiring a car in San Antonio, TX and dropping it off in Monterrey in Mexico. I suspect that you would struggle equally hard to find a car rental agency that would not charge you a big drop-off fee (if they allow it at all, that is).
Fly to Milan or take the train (although the latter is quite slow but can be done overnight direct if going to Milan).
Fly to Milan or take the train (although the latter is quite slow but can be done overnight direct if going to Milan).
#8
Moderator: UK and Ireland & Europe
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Location: Biggleswade
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I believe the Hertz site is now for employees only.
Flying to Milan and driving (or getting the train) would certainly be an easier option. An alternative is to take the night train - there is one from Munich to Milan (via Verona rather than Chiasso, annoyingly) that leaves about 9pm.
Flying to Milan and driving (or getting the train) would certainly be an easier option. An alternative is to take the night train - there is one from Munich to Milan (via Verona rather than Chiasso, annoyingly) that leaves about 9pm.
#9
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I believe the Hertz site is now for employees only.
Flying to Milan and driving (or getting the train) would certainly be an easier option. An alternative is to take the night train - there is one from Munich to Milan (via Verona rather than Chiasso, annoyingly) that leaves about 9pm.
Flying to Milan and driving (or getting the train) would certainly be an easier option. An alternative is to take the night train - there is one from Munich to Milan (via Verona rather than Chiasso, annoyingly) that leaves about 9pm.
#10
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I very deliberately made that comparison precisely because it is most definitely not like inter-state rentals within the US. The EU is not a state and most businesses are still organised along national lines within the EU. Car rental companies in different European countries do not function as a single unit. It is no different to car rental companies in different countries of Latin America, for instance.