Sebastian T, seby00@hotmail.com, 06 october 2007
Hello Eric and Jerry,

Thank you for the advice and help in getting a good price on a Peugeot 407 diesel sedan with automatic transmission for our three weeks travel through Europe.
It was the first time needing to drive a car in Europe, which was due to our itinerary through Germany, Austria, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Romania, and back to Germany.
The paperwork process was really smooth, as well as the car pick-up/drop-off in Frankfurt.
I could not believe the car's torque and acceleration on Germany's Autobahn, through Austria's tunnels and the winding Italy's highways. As well as the smooth suspension over the uneven, challenging roads in Eastern Europe.
Like other reviewers, we were impressed with the options in this vehicle, automatic wipers, folding mirrors, quiet-smooth suspension, and the 39-40 mpg diesel consumption.
Best part about this program, was the zero-deductible insurance, which came in handy when we got hit by a hail storm in Romania, which left dents all over the car. All we had to do was to write a statement of when, where and what happened, which was left with the car's title upon drop-off.
Compared with car rental, the leasing is the best choice, and would definitely do it again on our next trip through Europe. And we have been telling everyone about Eric and Jerry, and the leasing program through Ideamerge.

Fred Joyce Boley, 29 september 2007
Thank you Jerry and Renault Leasing!!!
My wife and I just returned from a seven week driving trip through France, Spain and Portugal. We had the Clio 1.5 diesel with a 5 speed manual transmission and air conditioning. In one word, the car was GREAT. We drove 5000 miles (not km) and our over all fuel consumption was 5.2 liters/100km or just over 50mpg. With diesel fuel costing around $8.00/gal. The fuel economy for the Clio was very much appreciated. The car had plenty of pep for driving on the many toll roads and highways and was great handling on winding mountain roads. The car had features you would only find on expensive cars in the US. Windshield wipers that came on automatically when it started to rain and regulated the speed based on how heavy the rainfall and headlight that came on automatically when we were in a tunnel. We picked up our car at CDG Paris and returned it to Barcelona. We have no complaint with the service at pick-up or drop off. We are starting to think about another European trip next year and will definitely be using Ideamerge for a car lease.

Ann Danis, anndanis@uri.edu, 27 september 2007
27 september 2007
I have leased from Ideamerge for the past 3 years and every
experience has been just great. The customer service,
efficiency, and prices cannot be beat. I highly recommend
this company for all of your leasing needs in Europe. They are
top notch. Happy motoring!
Ann Danis
P.S. The Renault Kangoo is a really great vehicle for touring
because all passengers have a great view.

Leif Ramsey, 21 september 2007
The Renault Scenic Diesel was a fantastic vehicle. I rented it for 3 weeks to drive around Europe with a group of friends and it turned out to be a great choice. The optional 2 jump seats in the back where great for the extra passengers that we occasionally had (although I would not suggest using them all the time, because you will have no room for luggage). Diesel is definitely the way to go because fuel cost are much cheaper. Good power and good storage throughout.

The Christiansen Family, 21 september 2007
We had a very smooth and perfect experience with IdeaMerge & the (Automatic,Petrol/Gas) Renault Clio! We just got back from nearly three months in Europe and will definitely use IdeaMerge & the Renault lease program again. We picked up the car in Zurich and drove all over Europe. The pickup/dropoff was very smooth and easy -- the paperwork went very quickly. We liked that everything was included - even insurance & roadside assistance. The Renault Clio was fantastic to drive. We were on the Autobahn in Germany often and it had great acceleration and speed. The interior was surprisingly roomy for our family and very comfortable. We would definitely choose IdeaMerge & the Renault lease program on a future trip.

Nelda Figueiredo, 20 september 2007
We used Ideamerge for the first time and chose the Renault automatic diesel scenic, even though we were not familiar with this car. The entire experience was pleasant. Every step of the process went efficiently and with no hidden surprises.
The car was waiting for us in Porto when we arrived, and due to our luggage not arriving with us, we were delayed reporting our baggage claim. The Ideamerge rep was waiting for us all that time.
Turning in the car was easy and fast as well.
As far as the Scenic, my husband, my daughters and I felt in love with this car. It was roomy, comfortable and we felt very safe in the road. We liked the car so much we wished we had been able to bring it home with us.
We will definitely use Idearc again whenever we travel to Europe.

Charles Monroe, 19 september 2007
A group od us leased two five passnger Espaces with a a7 passenger Pathfinder for two weeks in Tuscany. We picked up and returned the vehicles at the Renault depot outside of Rome since we hd already been in Itlay (Rome) for a week befor the lease began... Pick up and drop off were effortless with great service assistance at the depot...

The Espace is a wonderful vehicle with good mileage and comfort for 5 passengers and decent luggae space for people who know how to pack sensibly...
This is teh second time I've arranged leases of Renault Espaces and will definitely do so again...

Charles Monroe, 19 september 2007
My group leased a Pathfinder the summer of 2007 for two weeks in Tuscany... we picked this vehicle up with two Espace vans at the depot outside of Rome and returned the vehicles there with absolutely no hastle whatsoever. The vehicle had a GPS as standard feature and that was veery helpful... passenger space iin back rows is not the most comfortable for long distance drives due to speace made avaialable for storage at teh back... and gas mileage isn't the greatest due to the weight of teh vehicle... we leased thi with teh other two vehicles since we hd a group of 15 and wanted ability to transport 7 in obe vehicle for short trips...

Walter Koch, kochandwebber@juno.com, 19 september 2007
After the fifth time we have leased for the summer through Ideamerge, I'm running out of superlatives to describe the experience! The paperwork is always fast and smooth at the airport, both arrival and dropoff, and the cars are always great; never a single problem in a total of about 35-36 thousand kilometers of driving over the past five summers.

The Megane Scenic is a perfect family car - great to see out of with those huge windows, secure handling and gas mileage that I could only wish we were able to achieve in the US - again about 42 miles per US gallon of diesel. We miss it.

We will be looking forward to doing the same thing next summer, same car, and through the same people at Ideamerge.

Laurence Barratt, 19 september 2007
we were very pleased with the whole service offered by your company: from the quick and reliable correspondence during the booking to the pick up and drop of in a different city, total coverage etc. The whole experience made the rental process easy.

We will definitely use your services again next year when we go back and recommend you as well.

Thanks again.

Laurence B.

Avie Abramowitz, 19 september 2007
Your lease deal for cars in Europe beats general car rentals by a mile, and I am delighted to continue using your company in future years.
Best regards,
Avie Abramowitz

Mario Aldana, maldana@stetson.edu, 23 august 2007
My experience with this lease was excellent. Everyone I dealt with was very friendly and helpful, especially Mr. Svoboda and the French gentleman who delivered the car and had to wait for my very delayed arrival at the Nantes station. The car was totally satisfactory and economical. Returning the vehicle was easy and I was dealt with promptly and driven to the station. In short, your service is excellent and I plan to use it again next year on my return to France for three months.

Al Finci, 16 august 2007
This was my fourth rental of a Renault Scenic. This year we picked it up in Brussels and drove through Belgium, Northern France, Switzerland and Northern Italy.
The Scenic performed flawlessly, as in prior years. So it was a great experience again.
The car came equipped with a navigation system (CARMINAT). It was fully functional in France and covered major highways in the other countries. I found CARMINAT extremely helpful in France. In the other countries it was useful, as it kept us on the right highways any time we encountered a detour.
The pickup at the Brussels airport was with Europcar. The navigation system was not previously installed and we had to wait about 30 minutes for the DVDs to load. In addition, the Eurpocar people were really not very familiar with the CARMINAT system to get us started with it. The English instructions were not quite sufficient. Fortunately, we speak enough French to understand the manual.
The car was returned in Geneva on the French side of the airport. It would have been helpful for the navigation system to find the return location. The address for the return place was not a street address, and the navigation system could not find it.
In the future, if I use the Scenic navigations system, I will always attempt to get from Renault the street address of the return location before going overseas.

Andrew Kamin, 15 august 2007
Hard to believe I was able to rent a brand new Espace turbo diesel for two months in Marseille and just hand the keys over to someone in Amsterdam when we were done with no hassles or extra fees. The car was great and the paperwork and hassles were minimal once we set the whole deal up. The only thing I would caution people about is that with red license plates virtually everybody looks at the car thinking you are a tourist or/and an embassy official...which in the South of France leaves you to be careful not to leave anything valuable in the car. That said, the deal was great and we would recommend these guys to anyone.

Shelly Bailes/Ellen Pontac, 04 august 2007
We picked up our Clio in Paris and returned it to CDG airport.
Everything went smoothly. We loved the car. We got an automatic
and it had manual controls on the steering wheel. What a kick to
drive. The windshield wiipers went on automatically when it
rained. We couldn't believe all the features it had. The car drove
like a dream. We would rent it again without hesitation and would
rent from Ideamerge. They were friendly and easy to deal with. We
would have loved to have the manual in English for we know that
there were many features that we didn't know about or couldn't
figure out. When we picked up the car, it had very little gas in it
and we had to drive around the block because the gas station was
a one way in and out, but that was our only hassle. All in all I
would buy a clio if it were available in the states. When I told them
that on our return, they said that if you drive it for a month, they
will ship it to the states for free. What a deal!!! Something to think
about next time. Thanks Ideamerge
Shelly and Ellen (Davis, CA)

Bill Laura Brown, 23 july 2007
Rented a Scenic in Italy for the month of April. It was our second time using IdeaMerge, and again, it was a no hassle, good experience. Pick up in Milan, and drop off in Rome went smoothly, and the car ran flawlessly. Scraped a fender the first night on a narrow driveway after 22 hour flight. When we turned the car in, the reply was "no problem, you're covered". That's carefree service!
Will use IdeaMerge again.

Lew Christine Fifield, lsfifield@aol.com, 17 july 2007
Jerry: Thanks for everything, the car rental went smoothly, we had a great
experience and a wonderful car wish we could have brought it home with us,
but it wouldn't have made the baggage allowance on Ryan Air.
Thanks again

Mark Inciong, 13 july 2007
The trip was great. We loved the Kangoo! It was the perfect car for us - so easy to drive, great gas mileage, fit into many small parking spaces, our kids loved the fold down trays that they could eat or color on while we were driving. Maybe the best part was the luggage capacity! For the size of the car, I still can't believe we fit all of our EIGHT pieces of luggage in the trunk area. We couldn't even fit them in our full size Explorer when we returned.

The pick up and return was very easy - the only downside was the location of the drop center - kind of far from the center of Rome and not too easy to get to from the airport. I would highly recommend the IdeaMerge lease over conventional car rental. We couldn't have been happier with our experience. Thanks again!

Patrick Francois, francois@interchange.ubc.ca, 12 july 2007
We leased an Espace with ideamerge in early 07, and used it mainly in France. The lease was kind of arranged in great haste, due to our own rush. Even so, things went incredibly smoothly.
The drop off and pick up went well. The car was excellent, the insurance, which we didn't check very carefully and unfortunately had to use, was incredibly comprehensive. It was generous to a fault.
Renault were quick and helpful in their responses, and the same is true of ideamerge. I recommend this company, and this leasing arrangement without reservation.

Dave and Linda Moore, 12 july 2007
Jerry:

I just wanted to let you know that we have returned from our trip to Europe. I am also contacting you to thank you for the excellent experience we had leasing with Ideamerge. I can’t think of one aspect of the process that did not go smoothly, starting with my first conversation with you when we learned details of the program and chose the vehicle to completing the paperwork to picking the car up in Paris to returning it at Charles de Gaulle.

Not only did the process work flawlessly, all the people with whom we interacted at Ideamerge were professional, thorough and pleasant.

If ever we get the chance to return to Europe, we will without hesitation lease another vehicle from Ideamerge.

Again, thank you.

Sincerely,

Dave Moore

P.S. Would you kindly pass my compliments on to your colleagues in New York and Paris?

Todd Tarantelli, todd.tarantelli@ge.com, 14 june 2007
We had a great experience leasing the Kangoo. It was very roomy for a family of 4 on an extended vacation. There is also plenty of luggage capacity for suitcases...ideal for ski vacations and beach vacations. My experience with renault was also excellent. The time spent at the lease location was minimal and everything was ready to go upon arrival and departure. I would definately use Renault again...and Ideamerge was also very helpful in the process.

Carrie Bedford, carrie@baireycom.com, 14 march 2007
We rented a car though Jerry at IdeaMerge for six months of our
extended stay in Italy. The car of our choice, the Renault Laguna, was
not available, so IdeaMerge set us up with a Peugeot 407, which
turned out to be ideal. Big enough to feel safe on freeways and
(almost) small enough to maneuver along our local narrow roads
without too many scary moments. Pick up and drop off in Rome was
very easy – much faster than dealing with a normal rental company,
and the staff were very pleasant and helpful. No hidden costs, no
surprises. When we asked if we could extend our lease by one week,
Peugeot handled it our request very efficiently. We’ve recommended
the service to friends and will definitely use IdeaMerge again.

Jim Stevens ( for Katie), jpsdls@woh.rr.com, 22 january 2007
We leased a Clio for our daughter to use while she was student teaching in Frankfurt, Germany for about a 10 week period. It turned out to be a great car for her. We also used it to tour southern Germany and Salzburg when my wife and I visted her for a week or so. It was a little tight for 3 adults and luggage, but do-able. A nice, tight ride for a small car, and great mileage with a diesel engine and manual transmission. The pick up and drop off of the car was very easy. The cost of leasing the Clio was definitely a lot less than renting a car while my wife and I were there, and buying rail passes for my daughter for the rest of the time she was there, plus it gave her much more freedom to get around. I would definitely lease a car through Ideamerge if I go back to Europe.

Lisa T, 15 january 2007
In August of 2006 we were on our way to Italy for a holiday before a permant move to Belgium from the US. We rented a relatively new Meganic Scenic through IdeaMerge and Renault. We had great service, a good car, and when we got to Belgium and our car had not yet arrived from the US were able to easily extend our contract. IdeaMerge and their leasing program are a great way to go if you are going to be in Europe for 17 days or greater. My husband and I would whole heartedly recommend their service. Friendly people and efficient service and so much better than renting a car...and you can't beat the price!

Kevin Green, 16 november 2006
Jerry-
Great trip! The van and the process were seamless. We couldn’t
have asked for more. We will be in touch next time we are there for
an extended trip.
It would have been helpful to have a map indicating where TT
picks you up at Charles DeGaulle (rather than just a description).
Other than that, no suggestions. Nice people at pickup and drop
off.

Kevin

D. E. Lowe, 16 november 2006
I leased this car for a 17 day trip. It was great. I went all over Italy, southern france, Austria and Germany and never had any problems. This vehicle is extremly spacious on the inside. There are lots of overhead storage areas and the trunk space is large enough for several large suitcases and travel bags. It was great on milage 39 mpg (a small diesel), which is important when you travel around 3,000 miles in such a short period of time. There were 4 adults in the Kangoo and plenty of space for each. The Kangoo handled the mountains much better than I expected. It had the power to keep it at the posted speeds no mater what the altitued. It drives like a car and is easy to squeese into tight city parking spaces. The pick-up and drop-off process was easy and the staff was very friendly. I will definately use this program again and would recomend it to anyone who is considering renting a car for travel in Europe.

Thomas Daniel, tom1224@msn.com, 15 november 2006
Picked up Laguna in Nice and drove 3848 kilometers. Pick up and return was easier than a rental. Agent was very helpful. Only problem was could not find the phone that was said to be in airport terminal. Will use again when needed. There were three adults and plenty of room for luggage for three.

Mike Churns, mchurns@optonline.net, 15 november 2006
As usual the pick-up was simple, the staff in Rome were very helpful, the Clio was perfect,you see we have to park the auto on the side of a cliff overlooking the Med.a very tight fit with no room for error.The car visited Mt. Vesuvius, and Mt.Etna (the top) with no problems.Because of a commitment in Paris we needed to book a Hotel near the Rome Airport for an early morning flight in a hurry, I called the Renault drop-off location in Rome to confirm the drop-off of our auto and as an afterthought asked about a nice local hotel, they gave me two suggestions. We called and booked the hotel,we made our appointment in Paris with no problems.The staff in Rome did a little something extra and I thank them for it.This was my second lease thru Renault, it won't be my last.
Michael & Diana Churns, Tomkins Cove, N>Y>

Walter Koch, 04 november 2006
We have leased Megane Scenics four summers now (the last time the Grand Scenic) for a total of about 260 days. These have to be the best four or five person touring cars in the world; they handle like sports cars, have reassuring brakes and controls and get phenomenal gas mileage. We average about 42 miles per gallon of diesel with the six-speed, calculated from accurate unit conversions, and that includes 130 kph on the Autoroutes, crossing the Alps over and over and everyday around town hill-climbing.

It's like giving up a family member at the end of each summer and we only wish that we could buy a Renault Megane Scenic in the US.

Hal Helsley, hal@Helsley.com, 23 october 2006
We had a most delightful 5 weeks in France and Spain even though
it was the hottest july ever recorded in France. the Scenic we
contracted for was gas and automatic, even the mirrors folded in
with a switch. We used this feature many times in the old parts of
towns in Spain. Once in Seville, we had both tucked in but still
scraped the buildings.
We did not get the navigation system as we brought a GPS on a
computer with so the rear plug-in was a real nice feature. It located
our little old hotel very nicely, but parking in and around then is a
pain in the larger cities of Madrid, Seville and Granada.
I am 6'3" and had no problem in the Scenic. A real joy to drive in
old town and on the country back roads - as well as the freeways.
Great visibility for the passengers too. Our bag and gadgets all had
plenty of space an ease of access.
We spent a week plus in Bordeaux for a wedding and a funeral,
then off to the caves in south central France. Plenty of power as we
traversed the mountains between France and Spain on little
mountain roads and the the four-lanes. We, too, had the fun
experience of the car not starting as I had usually put my foot on
the brake before pressing the start button, even without the key-
bob in the slot! Walking up to the car and having it open was great
after shopping with all our hands full, no hassle of finding and
inserting the key - a very nice feature! We traveled three plus
weeks in central and southern Spain in great comfort with the
superior climate control.
Checking in and returning the car in Bordeaux was 3 to 5 min, a
walk in and out ... what service. Would I do it again or recommend
it to others ... you bet ... the only way to have a car in Europe!
In 1963 we bought a VW bug and traveled for 67 days and then
shipped the car home, we still drive it! I would have loved to do
that again as the Scenic is another superb vehicle with great
visibility and road handling features.
Thanks for seeing to our "out and about" needs.
Hal and Nancy Helsley, Calabasas, California (a USA megapolis)

John Weber, jokawebs2@aol.com, 20 october 2006
As you know from our pre-trip conversations we had some reservation about room in the Laguna Estate for four adults and accompanying luggage. What a pleasant surprise. We managed two semi-large suitcases, one large duffle, one medium duffel, and three or four hand totes very nicely. Ples note however, that we did see a Megaine uup close and are glad we did not opt for that model. Definitely not large enough.

As for the performance of the Laguna...It wa great. Very responsive to excelleration and stoping, as well as steerabiliy. The interior appointments, though a bit spartan, were sufficient.All in all for our needs I would rate this car to be a four on a one to five scale.

Most appreciative was the service we received. One phone call upon arrival at Munich and your representative was there in ten minutes. We were transported to his office where the paper proceesing went smoothly and we were on our way in less tha half an hour. One small improvement could have be made in that process if the representative would have given us some explanation of the mechanics of the car. As it was a French automobile, and items wer designated in French, we had some trouble finding things, but that was minor.

the process upoon return was equally as good. In fact, we were very pleased at how a potential problem was very nicely treated. Unfortunately someone did a minor Hit & Run in a parking lot in Germany. We anticipated a lengthy reporting process etc. A simple "No problem, I will take care of everything." by the representative and we were driven back to our hotel for departure.

both tom and I would like to thank you as well for all your patience and assistance in geting us through the whole leasing experience. I would definitely recommend leasing as opposed to rental. In fact you may use our names to that end. Thanks again Jerry. Be well.

Miles Capron, 18 october 2006
Hi Jerry - The trip was great and the Renault Grand Scenic TDI was terrific. We've used you guys for a number of years and wouldn't think of doing anything else. I'll contact you after the first of the year when our travel dates are firmed up for next year. Thanks again for making leasing a vehicle so easy and hassle-free. I'll never rent again if you service the area and I'm there for 17 or more days. Miles S Capron

Don Winkley, ultradon@grandecom.net, 18 october 2006
I had great prior experience but on my last trip I had the need to get a car very fast. I was within the outlines on the web site for pickup in Paris but was unable to get a car. It seems France is always on holidays and if you wish to get a car in France they work only mayby 30 hrs per week on average. Weekends, holidays (every 3rd day and all of Aug) forget anything happening. Lots of lead time and pickup at their convenience it works great. But don't assume anything reference needed lead time. No such problem with rental car companies at airports (they actually work Sundays and holidays) but thier drop off places also have their own agenda. Remember it's France - of upmost importance is holidays for all Frence. Oh the place to work. Remember when you go to France it's frequently closed. UltraDon
IdeaMerge note: The leadtimes quoted on the IdeaMerge Website and by IdeaMerge consultants are accurate barring the rare and unexpected, and within one business day or so IdeaMerge knows with surety the earliest date a particular pick-up is possible. Moreover, the Renault airport locations are open seven days a week in conjunction with all scheduled arrivals of major passenger airlines.

Jill Yarnoz, 17 october 2006
This was the third year that we rented a Clio from IdeaMerge for our trip throughout Spain. We have thoroughly enjoyed our experience renting from you. We have had no problems at all either with the car or the pick-up and drop-off in Madrid. I also agree with the reviewers that it would be nice to have the car manuals in english! Thanks for great service.

Chris Measures, chrism@soest.hawaii.edu, 17 october 2006
We leased a Megan Scenic for 7 months during a sabbatical in
Bologna, Italy. Everything was effortless from the pick up which
was delayed due to flight problems to the drop off. If only the
airlines were as efficient! The car was extremely comfortable, even
when our many visitors who sometimes showed up with large
amounts of luggage. The Scenic was also a pleasure to drive, even
for long distances, and surprisingly economical on its diesel fuel.
We will certainly do this agian.

Whitney Sherman, 14 october 2006
Hello Jerry,

I wanted to let you and your associates know how much we
enjoyed the Clio I leased for the month of September. I received
excellent service at Ucar in Nantes, both on the front end [when I
missed my flight] and on the drop off end which fell on a Sunday.
Your associates on the Nantes end extended themselves in polite
service to their customer. Clear directions to my destination locally
and patience with my language limitations were greatly
appreciated.

The car drove fantastically! Excellent gas mileage. Wish there had
been a little more gas in the tank when it was picked up. I would
suggest that for those of us from the US who are accustomed to
swiping our Visa cards at the pump, that you let folks know how
this is impossible to do. The pumps [altho they show Visa card
symbols] would not accept our Visa card. We had no trouble
making any other purchase on the same card. The gasoil purchases
all had to be done in cash, which proved a little bit of a problem
one evening at 8:30pm when we stopped at a 24/24 station
thinking it was manned. No such luck. Fortunately, a very kind
person let us use their European Visa card and we gave them cash!

We also found that although the paperwork says the Nantes
location is open everyday and our paperwork clearly had Oct 1 as
the drop off day, the associate in Nantes said she had to come in
especially for us and that this only happened because she checked
her email. We did not expect to get a complimentary ride to the
airport because we called later than the required 72 hrs advvance,
but assumed we would be able to drop the keys off and leave the
car there secured. We don't know what we would have done if she
had not been cooperative about this.

All in all, I was very very happy with the lease and found the
freedom it gave us to see more of Brittany to be invaluable. Bravo
for this terrific idea!

Donna LeMaster, 24 september 2006
I had a great experience leasing a Clio from IdeaMerge/Renault. The pick up and drop off were both convenient and easy. The employees at the airport (CDG in Paris)were extremely friendly and helpful. I would definately do this again! I only have one complaint - it would have been nice to have gas in the car when we picked it up. We got lost trying to find a gas station and drove around for an hour on nothing but fumes! Thankfully, the Clio gets excellent gas mileage!

Jim Walker, 21 september 2006
We are a family of five and leased a Nissan Pathfinder this summer. We picked the car up in Paris and dropped it in Amsterdam after driving over 8,000 Km. Both picking up and dropping the car was easy.

We hadn't realized that Renault had ownership in Nissan when we started planning our trip. The Pathfinder was great for us, except for driving through streets in Rome where cars were double parked! The car was large enough to carry us comfortably and was reasonably fuel efficient.

We didn't request the GPS but it was great to have. We would lease through Ideamerge again and would recommend a Pathfinder.

Carl Reller, desertguy@Hotmail.com, 21 september 2006
This was our first year with a Clio. We had previously leased a Scenic for the past 2 years. As we send 1 to 3 months in Europe each year we have definetly found this the way to go. (See reviews under Scenic for our past thoughts.)
The Clio was great for the one month this year in Portugal, Spain and France. We had gotton diesels before and a gas model this time. We only drove 2500 KM and the difference in cost was a wash. With a claimed 51 mpg for the Clio deisel it wouldn't take to many Km to jusify the diesel.
As we had previously found this Renault is one class act! Such easy pick up, a new car and no worries about insurance etc. We had a cluch go out 2 years ago in Austria and they handled it completly to our satisfaction. I again would reccommend IdeaMerge and the Renault program as the best deal around for any one going a month or longer to Europe.

Lorri, macdonald108@mchsi.com, 21 september 2006
We went on a five week trip to Europe this summer. It was our first trip to Europe and we took the whole family (5), my five year old little girl and our two teenage boys. We started in Sweden and picked up the pathfinder in Germany and had it for 24 days. Everything went very smooth with pick up and drop off. We put about 5000 km on our car. I would also like to have had the owner's manuel in English, but the pictures helped with a couple of things we couldn't figure out. We got the GPS navigation system and that was the best decision we could have made. We named her "Grace" because it was only by grace that we were able to navigate to our destinations. We went all over Germany and Austria and into Prauge. Without grace I know my husband and I would have had "tension" with navigation. And of course our boys always knew the right way to go-- after the fact. We also used the Gps to find the nearest hospital in southern Germany when my 16 yr/old fell off a railing into a briar patch and hurt his knee pretty bad. There was plenty of room for us and our luggage (and a bandaged knee with crutches). We did pack light-- only one carry-on suitcase and a backpack per person. On long segments of the trip we would put our daughter in the way back with stuff all around her so the boys could have more room. My eighteen year old is '6"4.
The Pathfinder comes with a sliding trunk screen thing which we had to leave with our friends in Germany in order to use the third row seat. Our battery died in Rothenburg and we had help within an hour. One tip I can offer is to park the car outside the big cities and take public transportation in. We stayed 4 days in Prauge and got to our old town appartment to drop of the bags & kids and then drove back out of town to a guarded park and ride. It was very inexpensive and our car was undisturbed when we returned. We did the same in Vienna and Berlin. We definately got some looks along the way. A car this big is unusual. The French (out of country) license plates seemed to help explain any tiny errors we made while trying to figure out road signs. We did make a huge mistake when it was time to drop off the vehicle. We forgot to return our vehicle when we arranged. It's a long story but sufice it to say we were a day late and it was actually not a problem, we just had to pay for the extra day. We would use idea merge again in a heartbeat. There are so many positives that I could not see the sense of renting a vehicle for that long a trip.

Tony and Paula Oppermann, opperajo@aol.com, 21 september 2006
Don't know if we could make a trip to Europe without the guys at Ideamerge and a Renault. We have leased two Kangoos that we loved and now have a little Clio which is super. We have had the car since early July and are still traveling. We prefer doing our transportation with ideamerge because when we arrive to pick up the car it is quick and easy and no one tries to sell you a bigger car or more insurance or something. Once again thanks Ideamerge and Renault.

Frederique Behm, behm0001@mc.duke.edu, 21 september 2006

We leased a Nissan Pathfinder this summer (06) for an 8 week trip in France. The help I received in both lining-up and picking-up the vehicle were great. Jerry at idea merge was efficient and friendly. The staff at the renault dealership in paris were pleasant, although a bit slow, especially since we were dealing with a new employee who obviously had a lot to learn, but they were accomodating. We wished their offices were open every day, weekend included, which would have been easier for pick up and return. Our Nissan Pathfinder was brand-new and in perfect condition. It functioned flawlessly and we felt safe driving it while being a lot of fun to drive! We dropped off our car in Paris again, we were treated with the same courtesy and ease we'd experienced earlier. I would definitely do this again. Thank you.

Marvin Trish Scott, 21 september 2006
We just finished an 8,000 km drive through Scandinavia, Poland, Germany and the Benelux countries in our brand new Clio from Ideamerge. Our favorite thing was bragging to people we met – and our friends since – about what a fantastic deal we got. No one could believe the low price for a brand new classy car; with were no strings attached (we haven’t found any yet but have heard horror stories about getting speeding tickets in the mail later).

Everything is covered except the tires. We had a flat on our first day – and Renault was experiencing one of France’s infamous “manifestations” that day; but we managed to get through to the Paris office and everything was taken care of. Also, I would recommend that they give out the auto manuals in English. There are so many features to take advantage of in the new Clio’s; it’s a shame not to be aware of all of them.

We definitely plan on using the Ideamerge program in the future and would not hesitate to recommend it.

Aaron and Pamela Langley, litlover39@comcast.net, 20 september 2006
We put over 5,000 kilometers on our lovely Laguna TDI diesel, traveling through Italy, Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic and Germany without a mechanical hitch. I think the vehicle had 13 kilometers on it, and sported that wonderful "new car" aroma. One of the first things I said when we returned to the US was, "I miss the Laguna."

The car is stylish, comfortable and handled beautifully. I probably shouldn't confess to how fast my husband drove on the German autobahns, but suffice it to say that the car purred. It is the perfect size, being both comfortable and navigatable through those older, tiny European streets. We only missed cupholders, but learned to cope! :)

Our pick-up and drop-off experiences were smooth beyond belief. IdeaMerge is upfront and as someone else mentioned, no surprises--what a relief that is in an industry rife with hidden costs!

Would love a more user-friendly program for perhaps purchasing the car itself ... what do you think, Renault? Free flights with purchase? ;-)

We recommend IdeaMerge without reservation, and would honestly urge anyone signed up with a competitor to research all associated costs carefully, as IdeaMerge beat everyone we looked into, and had a better selection of vehicles.

laurie rossi, 06 september 2006
we rented an espace this summer for a three week trip to france and england. the help we received in both lining-up and picking-up the vehicle were fabulous. jerry at idea merge was super helpful and responsive. the woman at the renault dealership in paris was amazing and so accomodating. our car was brand-new and in impeccable condition. when we dropped off our car in london, we were treated with the same courtesy and ease we'd experienced earlier. we would definitely do this again. thank you.

Marco Cenzatti, 05 september 2006
This was my third Megane-based European trip. Idea Merge worked
perfectly: I picked up the car in Paris and returned it at the Milan
airport two months later. The car was ready when we got to Paris.
When we left, the driver was waiting for us at the airport, by our gate.
The Megane was a good mid-size car: big enough for the three of us
and luggage on long trips, and small enough for French & Italian city
driving. I think we managed to save a little money by having a diesel. I
forgot to check, but we probably put over 4,000 Km on the car wth no
problem whatsoever.

amy Hase, amy@toddhase.com, 05 september 2006
Third year with Idea Merge...says it all. Easy, efficient. great car, no
hassles...impossible to imagine any company works this well.
Scenic standard 2x and long Scenic last year. Prefer the long, for
those unexpected guests but both great cars. We use it for about
three months and can't consider an differnet option...thanks.

Sheryl Seel, sherylseel@yahoo.com, 30 may 2006
I leased a Megane Grand Scenic for a month in France and the car was perfect for us! At one point, we had 7 people legally (and comfortably) seated in the vehicle: two adults in front, two adults and a child in the middle row, and my four-year-old twins in the children's jump seats in the back.

The storage capacity of this vehicle is not to be believed; there are marvelous convenient cubby holes all over the place; we found the cubbies at each person's feet perfect for our spare jackets. The car truly was big on the inside, small on the outside. While I wouldn't have enjoyed trying to park this car in a big city, it was fine in parking lots and parking garages, and we were very comfortable in it. The cruise control was especially handy on the French autoroute, and we appreciated the convenient temperature-controlled climate control.

Also convenient was the supplemental rear set power plug for our DVD player, to keep children entertained on long drives. We loved the tray tables that folded down from the front seats, for use by passengers in the middle row, "just like on the airplane" my kids said. They complained when we got home and mommy's minivan did not have that feature.

The car was fun to drive, had plenty of pick-up, and cruised comfortably at 130 kph, and even higher, on the autoroute. I was glad we got a diesel model, due to the high price of fuel, it was more economical than regular gas would have been. The diesel engine was not at all noisy, as I had feared it might be.

We managed to put one modest stratch, and one reasonably large dent, in the car; it just took a few minutes at drop-off to complete applicable paperwork. No hassle.

My only regret? I should have gotten the optional navigation system. We routinely got lost; it would have been worth the extra expense. I recommend this vehicle, and IdeaMerge, without hesitation.

Paul Mullan, 12 april 2006
Guys you need to get the Grand Espace, it's about a foot longer and
this means up to 7 in total comfort plus luggage space. The extra
room goes at the rear and makes the car perfect. The standard model
is just that littel bit too small.

PS, we don't call them mini-vans, that's a crap name, they're People
Carriers or MPV's.

Toodle Pip
PAul

Terence Warner, 18 february 2006
I'm on my third Renault Scenic [ 2 petrol ] this one diesel. I keep them for 3 years.
They are Unbeatable in all ways comfort, performance
and looks.

Thanks Renault and good luck in the forth coming F1 season.

Walter Koch, kochandwebber@eartlink.net, 26 january 2006
2006 will be our fourth year of leasing a Renault Magane Scenic for the summer in France. We lease for about ten weeks, put about 8,000 km on the cars during that time and never have any trouble at all. The cars are economical to lease and operate (41.5 miles per gallon of diesel for the whole summer, and it's hilly where we drive); I do the research every year and there is never any deal from anyone else that can touch the deals from Ideamerge. The way that the affiliate TT Cars get you back and forth to the CDG airport terminal in minutes as part of their service is really great, especially when you're beat to pieces from an transatlantic economy seat. It's like somebody coming to your rescue.

My only regret at the end of the summer is that you can't buy a Renault in the US!

Christopher Jane Shipley, christophershipley@gmail.com, 29 november 2005
We've just returned after a 9 week sojourn in Europe where we drove a Renault Modus all over the place--6000 miles throughout France, Italy, Switzerland, and Germany, in big cities (Paris, Rome, Naples, among others,) on the coast, in the mountains, on narrow country roads, on the auto routes and the autobahn, picking our way along tiny, narrow back roads in the Pyrennees and zipping along (150 kph) the big roads with the big boys. The Modus was an excellent choice for us--roomy, providing great visibility for the driver, quick, nimble, and reliable, to say nothing of the fantastic bargain the leasing program offers.

We did have a spot of mechanical trouble, but that was quickly and kindly taken care of by gracious and efficient Renault service people. Pick-up and drop-off were smooth and easy.

I can't imagine travelling in Europe for any extended time in any other way, and I can't praise too highly Doug and Eric at Ideamerge. They were scrupulously honest, forthright, completely unflappable, patient as saints with our endless queries, and accurate and immediate with their answers. It isn't often these days (or any days) to get exactly what you hope for, precisely what you've been promised, an especially important matter when you are thousands of miles away when you are making arrangements to lease a car, unseen and undriven, to be serviced by folks in "foreign" countries.

But that is exactly what we got. Thanks in large part to Doug and Eric and the Renault leasing program we had the time of our lives this fall. We hope to duplicate this experience (different itinerary, same choice of a leasing program with Ideamerge) as soon as we can.

Ed Haldeman, 13 november 2005
We just returned from France after having leased a Renault Megane for three weeks through you. I would recommend IDEAMERGE and the Renault leasing program to ANYONE. Everything was delivered EXACTLY as stated. No hassle anywhere in any part of the process. The staff at CDG was polite, courteous, and most responsive.

In particular we bent a tire rim after having run over or into something on the road we never saw. We changed the wheel with the spare and headed for the Renault dealer in Gamat, the closest to where we were staying in Rocamadour. These people were wonderful as were the Renault assistance people in Paris. A new wheel was ordered that day and installed the next without a bump in our travel plans as we continued to tour on the spare. The dealer even washed the car when they were finished. And the paperwork process was minimal.

I won't travel to France again without leasing a car from you.

Thank you.
Ed Haldeman

Bill Mykytka, 26 september 2005
Ideamerge and the Renault Laguna were great!!

Picked up the Laguna (diesel, GPS) at Paris Orly. Pick-up agent was a great guy with a great sense of humor. Made picking up our car an informative and fun experience.

GPS is a must! We drove Paris, Epernay, Colmar, Grindelwald, Luzern, Munich, Salzburg, Venice and finally to Lake Como.

I'm not sure what they mean when they say the GPS program is not as "detailed" outside of France. I was able to enter all addresses throughout Europe and GPS directed me there. GPS worked well and I couldn't imagine getting through Europe without it!

Called to arrange pick-up at Milan Malpensa. Agent said he spoke "Italiano solomente." Scary at first, but he was able to understand and communicate when and where we were going to meet. I drove up to Gate 16 departures at 1pm and a gentlemen with Renault sign walked up to car, had me sign one form and said that was it! Too easy!

I will definitely use this service again in the future. Complete insurance coverage and no credit card surprises upon return of car (like some rental car charges for scratch discovered after you returned car(ahem...Avis in Ireland)).

Warren, wlder@gte.net, 21 august 2005
In 2003, 4 of us rented a Scenic, and then this year 7 of us, 4 adults and 3 children, rented an Espacie and did a 3 and 1/2 week trip. The Especie is not big on luggage room but with some "creative packing" as Doug Bredesen suggested, we got everything in, including a baby stroller. We had the diesel stick shift, and to have a brand new vehicle is nice. We did not have it long enough to really effect much savings, but it was a totally reliable service and that's important with 3 small children. We visited Lake Como, Venice, Bavaria, Rothenburg, the Rhine River, and the Black Forest. We flew in and out of Zurich. It was easy to arrange pickup and delivery, and to have complete insurance was a relief.

Phil and Eva Costa, phileva@wavecable.com, 17 june 2005
Hi! We just came back from the two moths vacation from Europe. We wanted a comfortable car and we got a Scenic. Great joice.!!! Pict it up in Zurich and dropped it off in Munich.It was intersting to figure out all the wonderful fetures on the car since we dont know any french. When we got pick up the car the Lady was very nice and very busy.She told us about the basic,s and we were on the way to the gas station. No problem until was time to start up the engine. NO GO.Got the book out, no help. A nice police man came by and told us to step on the brake and start the car. BINGO1 We had a good laugh and we were on the way. What a great safety feture. We loved the car. Roomy, very comfortable, lerge windows, easy handling, easy parking, great milage, lots of power,and good looking. We can go on and on if we could have been able to read the book. We felt very safe, even on the Autobands. Highly recomended! Ideamerge gave us great service. I,m sure we do it again.Thank you. Phil and Eva Costa Port Angeles Washington. June 17 2005

Chuck & Leah Tidey, 11 may 2005

Mr. Bredesen:

Thank you so much for your help these last few months. This has, by far, been the easiest car lease we have ever done. The price was great, the paperwork easy to understand, always on time, and the final papers and manual very informative and thorough in detail. The manual answered all the questions I had, negating a need for further correspondence with you. Given the scope of this trip and all the other planning I needed to do, not having to worry about the car was a blessing.

We are off tomorrow morning for Germany and as much of Europe as we can see in five and a half months in our little Renault auto.

Sincerely,
Chuck & Leah Tidey

Dr. Tom Maretzki, 23 february 2005
I have rented a Renault Megane station wagon through IDEAMERGE several times in the last few years during two to three longer visits to Europe each year. The Ideamerge Service, the Renault Service, the car, all are exceptionally good. Having a brandnew car waiting for you on arrival, one that suits driving on European roads very well, fully equipped with all you need, is a real pleasure. The Megane belongs to the top middle-range Eropean car models. You are insurance covered and highway protected in other ways. Before the Megane I have had earlier model Renaults under the program, they are all very good. The delivery and car return services are outstanding if you keep to the instructions, phone beforehand, etc. It is really such a good deal that one can only hope that more travelers from the USA (and other qualifying countries) will discover and take advantage of these offers. I have not been once disappointed. I am sure you will not be either. I have not mentioned the savings over alternatives. They are amazing.
For questions you may contact me via Ideamerge with whom I have no affiliation - I am a client.

Jerry Taylor Doris Beck, jerry@becktaylor.com, 11 january 2005
We rented an Espace in April and May of 2004 through IDEAMERGE. I would highly recommend this service and this company.

The car fit our needs perfectly, but if you do not have a lot of people, go for a smaller car. Parking is difficult everywhere.

We were treated with the upmost courtesy by a very helpful agent at the Renault dealer in Paris when we picked up the car. When we returned it in Nice it had damage. The agent noted the damage and said thank you very much. No concern at all.

A month or so later I got a nice letter from Renault asking us how the rental was and if we were happy with the service and vehicle.

If you plan to be in Europe for more than 17 days, this is the way to go. We will be doing it again this year. None of the hassle, rudeness and hidden charges that show up your credit card months after the rental that we so often see from regular rental agencies.

Avia Huisman, 02 december 2004
I leased this car for a 17 day trip. It was great. I went all over Europe, from Holland to Hungary and never had any problems. This vehicle is extremly spacious on the inside. There are lots of overhead storage areas and the trunk space is large enough for several large suitcases and travel bags. It was great on gas milage, which is important when you travel around 4,000 miles in such a short period of time. It drives like a car and is easy to squeese into tight city parking spaces. The pick-up and drop-off process was easy and the staff was very friendly. I will definately use this program again and would recomend it to anyone who is considering renting a car for travel in Europe. (I had no problems at any border crossings, including Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary, The Czech Republic. This would not be the case with a normal rental car.)

Giff and Mary Jones, 07 november 2004
Hi Doug,

Just a quick note to let you know how much your new car leasing program added to the enjoyment of our recent month in Italy. We (two couples) put 3,000 kilometers on our brand-new Renault Grand Scenic and it was PERFECT for ourselves and all of our luggage. Very roomy and extremely comfortable. In fact, we would love to own one here in the US.

Best of all though, and this is why I'm writing to commend you, was the ease of making all the arrangements. The paperwork was simple and straightforward. The car was waiting for us at the exact time and place we arranged for in Milan, and the same person was waiting for us at the end of our period... at the exact time and place we arranged for. We had damaged a side view mirror, which when called to his attention, he simple smiled, scoffed at us with a wave of his arm, and said, "Oh, that's no problem. You are COMPLETELY insured!" Pickup and delivery each took just a matter of minutes and was completely painless.

Thanks for your service. We'll do it again.

Best regards,
Giff and Mary Jones
Seattle, WA

Jerry Venice, FL, 21 october 2004
Sept-Oct 2004

We leased a Megane wagon for four adults. When we arrived in Milan, I called the IdeaMerge toll-free number and the car was delivered to us at the Malpensa airport within 15 minutes. There was ample room for our three suitcases and three carry-on bags in the rear compartment. The car handled beautiflly on the autostrada and the 6 speed standard transmission worked very well on the winding mountain roads we travelled every day. After our Italy trip, we were able to drop the car off at the Lyon, France airport at 4:00am for our early flight back to the States. The whole lease process went smoothly. I would definitely lease another car from IdeaMerge.

Marlene Eldridge, 18 october 2004
We were four! The car road high...had good pick up for the mountain roads. We rented the diesel car for six weeks got about 40 miles to a gallon. We had plenty of room for our luggage. The car is not a "looker" but really practical for several people traveling with luggage. I would recommend it without hesitation.

Linda Brincks, Ohio, 14 october 2004
This was our first time leasing a vehicle in Europe. We toured Spain with my children and parents so we needed a larger vehicle, which can be hard to come by through the European car rental agencies. Our car was outfitted with great features like audible alarm when you were backing up and about to hit something, and 6 CD changer (which took us a long time to find in the trunk area :-). My kids loved the "credit card"-style key and the push starter button. I would highly recommend this program and this minivan to anyone who is taking an extended trip to Europe.

William Caldwell, 13 july 2004
Doug, we really liked our Kangoo. It was just right for the 4 of us and we drove it 3000 miles with no problems. It performed beautifully and we recommend it to anybody wanting a reliable and easy handling vehicle. We drove on the autobahns and thru the mountains as well as narrow roads. It took us from Germany to Denmark to Norway, back to Demark and then to Germany. All in all a great trip. You may pass this along to Renault. We had good service from the people at Munich.

Thousand Oaks, California; May 2004, 21 may 2004
We drove over 4,400 miles in eight countries within four weeks in our Megane. The Megane handled well, and it was just the right size for the two of us plus an enormous suitcase, two wheelie luggages, three smaller bags, and two ice chests.

When we had mechanical problems twice (weasels bit through our ABS brake and engine injection lines while our car was parked in the Swiss Alps), Renault Assistance efficiently handled all the insurance paperwork for the repairs at no cost to us. The zero deductible is what sold us on leasing instead of renting.

Many thanks to Eric at Ideamerge for guiding us through the leasing process. Their websites provide invaluable information that takes the mystery out of leasing a car in Europe. They also provide useful information about traffic signs and motoring laws in different countries.

We're really glad we leased a car instead of taking EurRail. We only wish automatic transmission was available with diesel (for fuel economy). But still, we'd lease again on our next trip to Europe.

Warren Elder, wlder@gte.net, 17 may 2004
Four of us adults drove the Scenic from Milan to Venice, then Florence, Antibes, France, on to Lake Maggiore, where we stayed in a very quaint and enjoyable B&B on the top of Monte Rosso at Vermiglia, over 40 tight switchbacks to get to the top, ( the car never faltered-even tho we had to back and forth on some of the turns), Salem, Germany, St. Goar on the Rhine River, and turned the Scenic in, in Paris, We fit all of our luggage into car (tightly). Loved the car, easy to pick up and turn in, loved the trip. We are in our 70's but hope we can make another one.

David Ivory, wistaria@xtra.co.nz, 11 february 2004
We picked our Megane Scenic in Lyon. The Renault lady picked us up from the TGV airport station and took us to her tiny little office in nearby village. The car's colour is olive green so we christened her Miss Olivia and she soldiered on with us 4 and a half month through eatern Europe ending up in Paris with 17,000 kms under her belt. How we were sad to leave her in Renault garage looking forlorn and a bit shabby after a long dusty drive across from Brittany. The sales lady who took her back assured us that she will be cleaned,vacuumed and sold to some fortunate guy out there pretty soon. Both of us swear by Miss Olivia and will choose her type again this year when we tackle Northern Europe.
Pity Renault goes too high-tech and they phased out cassette tape player in all their new cars. We carried our MP3 player with million of songs in our disks but couldn't hook up as the car has only CD player. Apart from that, all were faultless.

amine, kimboo.kangoo@caramail.com, 30 january 2004
send me pecture of megane

Tom and Bonnie Campbell, 26 january 2004
Just wanted to let you know that we completed four months with the Clio. We drove it just over 19,000 kilometers without a problem. We were even able to get three suitcases, two carryons, and lots of wine and cottage supplies as we returned from France to the UK. The pickup and drop off at Heathrow went quick and easy. Overall the experience went very well and we look forward to getting back with you before we return to Europe in 2005.
Thanks again, Tom Campbell

Tony and Paula Oppermann, Oppa3@aol.com, 16 november 2003
This is really a review about how easy it was to do the rent leasing program from Ideamerge. We arranged for our car 6 months ahead of time and the car was waiting for us just as planned in Amersterdam. We changed our plans for drop off and did it all by e-mail and one phone call. Eric in Portland Oregon and John T at renault in New York were super as were the folks in Amersterdam an in Paris where we dropped the car. This is so easy and we loved our little Kangoo. When we go again we will use ideamerge again and Renault. Thanks Renault, Eric and John for making our trip so easy.

Bill Bachand, 04 october 2003
This transaction was too easy. Picked up my Espace in Nice and the whole transaction took less than 10 minutes. The drop off was two minutes. I had the vehicle four months and it was wonderful. I am a big guy and definitely enjoyed the room of the Espace. Kudos to Eric Bredesen at IdeaMerge for providing great followthrough and service.

Craig Julia, cralbur@aol.com, 22 may 2003
Pick up and return was a breeze. The Clio was a nice little car and was good on gas (approx. 35mpg). Do factor in extra $$$ for european tolls, however, if you have extra time/patience you can find alternate routes. Overall it was a great time and would recommend to anyone seeking a rewarding vacation.

Nezar Al Anjari, alanjari2000@hotmail.com, 03 may 2003
Yes, we did it last summer(2002) and we will do it again. Same deal. Megane Scenic 1.6 Manual with A/C, my kid,me,and my wife. Excellent Pickup, dropoff service and a friendly car :)

The Best affordable way to tour Eourope.

dan the man, preciado884@hotmail.com, 29 april 2003
Great! i recommend to every one. 13 days,france,suitz,italy,spain, 5800 kilometers. small like everything else in europe. drove thru mountains down valleys in and around cities. not a problem and believe it or not not a scratch any were. i was able to get in to little narrow streets in rome and pisa no problem my lincoln navigator would have no step rails or side mirrors if i was to drive in europe. only one sugestion get the 1.5 litre or bigger engine thats what i got anything smaller i would not recommend other than for city driving. the car was able to sustain 180 km/hr in highways and up to 220 km/hr down grade. upgrade the best speed achieved was 150km/hr. speed speed speed.love european roads and tunnels.

Dave and Marlis Patrykus, dmpat@wctc.net, 06 april 2003
We recently returned from a 15 day trip through Spain and Portugal in a Renault "Clio". We were picked up promptly at the Madrid (Barajas) airport by a genial and helpful Serge Benisti and were on our way south within about 30 minutes! No hassle. The 1.5 c.i. Diesel Clio was a joy to drive and very economical over the 3,454 km trip, on both autoways at speeds of 120+ kmh and on narrow, winding mountain roads. The drop-off back in Madrid (near the airport)was again hassle-free with friendly service by Serge and Marie France Grueso. Within a few minutes we were on our way to the airport, right on schedule. This was our second experience with Renault leasing (the first from Paris) and we have been very pleased with the experience. Dave and Marlis Patrykus - Wisconsin

Bradley Newcombe, bnewcomb@csc.com.au, 08 january 2003
I would like to add my congratulations to Renault for the excellent car and service provided through their eurodrive scheme. My wife and I had no problems collecting the car (Megane Scenic turbo diesel, A/c, 5spd) in Paris or returning it in London and the staff were very prompt and professional, the paperwork was simplicity itself.
Our initial travelling experience in London was as the owners of a very unreliable second hand campervan. After the problems we experienced we were keen to have a reliable motor vehicle and a trouble free travel experience. The new car, zero deductible comprehensive insurance and 24 hour roadside assistance was a combination that gave us ample peace of mind.

In a bit under 5 months we travelled 25,400 kms everywhere from Ireland to Turkey. Through flooding rain, thunder storms, heat, snow, flying along German autobahns, winding through the mountains and navigating the beautiful (and narrow) streets our car was completely faultless, drove superbly and returned 40mpg as an average over the entire distance (a diesel car is a big saving when you drive as far as we did). The car has ample storage as well as many “hidden” storage areas – under seats and footwells. When we finally unpacked the car to go home we couldn’t believe the amount of souvenirs we had collected. Even though we covered a lot of distance the driving was not too taxing, the car rode well with minimal road noise, had good visibility (a little higher than a sedan) and the air-conditioning meant any temperature outside was always pleasant inside. It was a pleasure to drive and have the freedom of independent travel.

The car made our trip to Europe as enjoyable and trouble free as we could hope. I can’t say enough good things about the programme, the price is excellent and I would recommend the scheme to anyone travelling to Europe.

Donald and Marilyn O'Hair, deohair@yahoo.com, 31 december 2002
We have rented a Laguna for the past two years. The first year we had a TDI diesel wagon; the fuel economy was 38 mpg. The second year we had the 4-door Laguna manual shift and got 28 mpg over 4000 miles, all driven in France - some at 80 mph on the Autoroute. The car is excellent in its road handling. The turning radius was unbelievable!

The pick up in the city of Paris went very well; however, the return at Charles de Gaulle airport was a hassle. The instructions given to us in 2002 had been changed. A call on our mobile phone solved the problem and the person at the Renault return came to where we were and directed us.

For anyone using a GPS inside the Laguna, there is a significant problem. The coating or tint on the windshield reduces the GPS satellite signal 60%, making it difficult to navigate in some areas. If you plan to use a GPS in France in the Laguna, buy an external antenna to be used on the car.

We will continue to use the Ideamerge folks to lease on a yearly basis our transportation in Europe.

Carl Reller, 28 november 2002
I can't resist writing a quick note after reading these reviews. We had a Scenic for 2 1/2 mo. this summer. We previouly had cars from Hertz and Eurocar for the summer so the ease of picking up this car in Nanntes France was really put in prospective. How can walking up to a counter, have your passport photocopied,sign 2-3 signatures and I'm lead out the door to car with 4 km on it, and asked is this O.K.?, be any easier?
The car was great, never a problem and returning was even easier. A few signatures, no "inspections"
and I was out of there. My total time picking and returning the car was 5-6 minutes, total!
The ability to get a diesel was also a very positive point.
The comprehesive insurance surley is another plus.
Will I use them again this summer-you bet!

Seth Maggard, sefmaggard@hotmail.com, 04 november 2002
I need a price for a stinkin rent a car for a school project & I cant find one!

Bill Watters, creative@pipeline.com, 29 october 2002
Yes, we did it again this past summer. Same deal. Scenic, two kids, me, one wife. This time Zurich-Munich-Rheinland Pfaltz-Paris-Caen-Portsmouth-London. The car seemed like an old friend after having one the previous summer. Pickup, dropoff, car quality - all was flawless, no surprises.

The only problem was our shopping. By the time we got to Paris, people gathered round just to watch us try to cram all our stuff in the car. Thank God for tolerance when you're flying First Class! Our luggage topped 1,100 lbs, but no one gave us problems.
Next summer? Fer sure! But this time we'll try an Espace just for a change of pace.

Renault is the ONLY intelligent way to bop around Europe!

Iracy Costa, iracy@terra.com.br, 27 june 2002
Sou proprietario de uma Scenic 1.6 e em setembro de 2000, viagei durante 17 dias, 5.400 quilometros, atraves da França, Alemanha, Suiça e Italia.
Cumprimentos ao pessoal que nos atendeu em Paris fora do horário com muita eficiencia e gentileza.
Quanto ao carro, só elogios ao seu desempenho.
Estamos voltando à Europa e faremos novo leasing Renault Scenic 1.6.
Iracy Costa - Marilia - Sao Paulo - Brazil

Paul Brent, 30 may 2002
Dear Ideamerge,

Just writing to tell you that our experience with leasing 2 Renault Twingos through Ideamerge was extremely positive.

Customer service pre-lease was exceptional, and was echoed throughout the course of the lease experience. TT Auto Transit at Charles De Gaulle airport were friendly, helpful and efficient. The vehicles exceeded our expectations - while we leased 2 vehicles (one per couple), we found that
we could comfortably fit into one and did so for many of our shorter outings. They were fuel efficient, cruised at triple digits speeds (not
kph!) and were small and agile enough to navigate the narrow lanes of rural France. My only regret was that our regulations precluded bringing our
Twingos home to North America - we'd have definitely brought one if not both back if it were allowed.

Congratulations on delivering a great product and thank you for enhancing our vacation.

Fernando Cerna, cerna@nomade.fr, 25 may 2002
This car is marvelous is very pretty.

gus hoag, 24 may 2002
we leased a Kangoo, and travelled around the Iberian peninsula, through tiny towns where the roads turned into almost impassable cowpaths, and were extremely pleased with the auto....the seats wer comfortable, both front and back, and we had room for all the luggage that women will take, for five weeks in a foreign land ( more than necessary, believe us)...the experience was so good that I inquired about the availability of the Kangoo in the United States, since I am in the market for an auto....I was dissapointed to find out that the car is not available in the US, because our experience was such a good one....this is a very confortable auto for 4 people and all the luggage necessary for
an extended trip in europe...I can't be more supportive of this vehicle...we spend many miles driving through towns that were originally cowpaths, and had very little problemms, unless you woudl count the propensity of the spanish to abandon their cars in the middle of the street to go do their business (whatever that might be)

camilo neder, camiloneder@hotmail.com, 11 april 2002
i¨m need the rates for the twingo in europe thank

David and Marlis Patrykus, Dick and Gayle Bnneville, dmpat@wctc.net, 27 march 2002
We recently returned from a 15 day holiday in France and Spain, where we drove over 5000 km in our Renault Kangoo 1.9 Diesel. This great car/van/bus was fun to drive, both on the Autoways (at up to 130 km/h), on back roads and in the villages!! We had plenty of room for four adults and our baggage. Mr. John Tomasini and his folks in New York were most helpful and the pick-up and return at Charles de Gaulle Airport was quick, efficient and hassle free. The diesel option saved us a good amount in fuel and provided the necessary power to handle all driving situations with ease. We will surely do it again and reccommend it for anyone who plans to tour Europe. We only wish we could have brought the Kangoo home with us!! Sincerely, Dave, Marlis, Dick and Gayle

Richard Anderson, 12 march 2002
Just a note to let you know that our trip to France and Belgium in January was great. We picked up the Renault in Paris and drove to Caen. The WWII museum is marvelous. We traveled through the countryside to the D-day beaches from Arrowmanches to Omaha as well as the cemetary. Then to Rouen and finally to Bruges. This seems to be a great time to visit these areas as there were very few tourists and only a few of the museums were closed. The Clio was a nice car and although we didn't put a lot of km's on it we were glad to have the freedom to go where we wished when we wished to do so. An interesting note. At Place des Vosges in Paris we met a young family that was on a round the world trip. They were from USA and were using the Renault Eurodrive automobile, too. I felt comfortable that all the insurances were taken care of and I didn't have to make decisions when picking up the car. The Renault reps were very courteous and friendly and we appreciated having the opportunity to visit France again and Belgium. Hope to do it again sometime. Thanks for your help.

Will K, eurowak@hotmail.com, 16 november 2001
This was a great car. The one I had also came with leather interior, xeneon headlights, and GPS navigation. The navigation was great, and saved me a number of times. The map CD was for France, and had every single street listed inside of France; hoewever it only listed major roadways in other parts of Europe, and it covered western Europe only. The car handled well for a wagon. I was able to keep up with a new BMW coupe on back roads going through the Austrian alps with no problem. I highly recommend this vehicle, and I whish I could have taken mine home with me.

Julian Ellis, jellis@hatch.com.au, 30 october 2001
My wife and I have recently returned a Clio 1.9 DT-X after 5 months driving around Europe. It took less than 5 minutes to pickup the car (which was upgraded to a turbo charged model with CD player and air conditioning). What a brilliant car, it is zippy, compact enough for pretty much all of Europes narrowest lanes, very economical (5l/100km on average), fast: it felt safe and stable even flat out at 170 km/h, quiet for a diesel and extremely comfortable for long trips. At one stage we had 4 people with luggage crammed in. The drop off was equally as quick. Renault even dropped us at our airport departure terminal! All in all, we travelled 24,800 km in about 5 months (a Euro-drive record??). We were sad to leave our dear little Clio behind, and would buy one if they were sold here in Australia.

Bill Watters, creative@pipeline.com, 01 october 2001
My two sons and I (and for the last three weeks also my wife) spent two months in Europe driving from Paris to Rome. Leased a Scenic 1.6 manual. Pickup was as easy as a rental.

We had a rather bad accident in Reims on Bastille Day, pretty much everything was shut down as per our 4th of July. The police were most courteous and professional as was Renault. With only one phone call to their 24-hour number, they had a Renault mechanic and truck out to us in lass than an hour. The guy has us back on the road in about a half hour more.

We stopped a few days later in Germany to have the car looked at, but then puttered on in the general direction of Rome.

Renault really offers an exceptional program. And a very comfortable car as well.

Dr. Watters

Sue Girsch, 10 september 2001
We just returned from a 3 week vacation in Europe. Our Kangoo was a delight to drive through the streets and highways. Plenty of headroom for my tall husband and the covered storage area was roomy and easily accessible.

Pick-up and delivery was hassle free. In fact, we needed to change our delivery location and it was no problem at all.

I would highly recommend leasing a car rather than renting.

Karen Koshy, 24 august 2001
We picked up the Renault in Amsterdam and drove all over Europe. The car was great and we had a wonderful vacation. We returned to Amersterdam and retuned the car. We will definitely lease a Renault on one of our next vacations. Thank you for all your help.

Karen Koshy

Declan Killarney, 17 august 2001
I also loved the Espace.
Picked vehicle up in Paris, Drove through France, Italy, Spain & Portugal. Returned vehicle in Madrid. Total over 8,000 Km.

The 5 passenger V6 automatic turned out be a six passenger vehicle. That meant the luggage was a tight squeeze for 5 people as the extra seat was unnecessary. The vehicle was a beauty to drive but I wish I had headed the advice on this site and got a Diesel as it is difficult to truely comprehend how much fuel costs in Europe until you start filling & filling & filling the tank.

One piece of advice. Don't waste your money on AAA maps of european countries. They are useless and it is very easy to purchase maps there.

John McMillan, john.mcmillan@usa.net, 02 august 2001
I too had a great experience with the 1.9L Diesel Scenic, in France. To avoid repeating many of the last reviewer's comments I'll just add the following, as it was the type of info I was looking for before making my trip:

Distance travelled - 4,030km (mostly on autoroute)
Average diesel consumption - 6.3 l/100km
Average diesel cost - FRF 5.69 per litre.
Autoroute toll cost - about the same as the diesel cost
Problems with car - Nil

Pros:
None of the usual rental car insurance dribble about what coverage you would like.
I am 6'4" and the headroom was fantastic.
Booking in and out in Paris was quick and efficient.
The car had good acceleration and we never felt underpowered.
The car is the right size for almost all of France's backroads...go to some of the villages and backroads of Provence and you'll know what I mean.

Negatives:
At 130km/hr on the Autoroute the engine is a little bit too vocal to be drained out by the radio.
I feel the need for a baby seat would better be covered by rental of same rather than outright purchase.
I would have loved to have satellite navigation as a option, SO would my wife.

All in all it's a great program

Gregory Hanka, 12 july 2001
I don't normally do this, unfortunately. But, I just had such a great experience with my short term lease through your company that I had to write.

We had a splendid Renault Megane Scenic automobile with a turbo diesel. It was a beautiful car in a mini-van/tall wagon styling. Many amenities like
comfortable seats (my wife needed them), trays for each back seat passenger (my sons loved it), the ability to get at things in the trunk through the
back seat and the storage compartments in front and back. The trunk was spacious and fit all our rollered suitcases in a row. My boys brought a CD
player along and used the 12V DC receptacle by the floor in the back seat the entire trip.

I picked the car up at Budget counter in Geneva. The fellow behind the counter was friendly and courteous and got me on my way with the information
I needed to have a safe and enjoyable trip.

I ran into one problem on the road. The warning lights on the dash came on. Since the manual was in French, we didn't know exactly what was the problem.
I called the toll-free number, got a person that could speak English on the line and he dialed a mechanic. We had a three-way conversation going. The mechanic said it was nothing serious and bid us a safe, rest of our journey. (It turned out that I needed to check the tire pressure and the warning
lights would not come on.) So, we really had nothing serious the whole 27 days we had the car.

When I returned the car to Geneva, I had one form to sign and I was out the door. With normal renting, I would be looking at damages, assessing fines for not enough gas in the tank, etc., etc. This was the most carefree rental I have ever had.

I will definitely keep you on top of the list for our longer term driving vacations in Europe. I was glad I found you.

Thank you.

Ken Mockler, 10 july 2001
Our Clio lease in Spain was fantastic. Our plane was late getting into Malaga, but the Renault representative was still there. It took 2 minutes to the car, he explained the car and papers, I singed 2 documents and was finished. We were on our way in 8 minutes total (much better than the rental companies). The car was comfortable, good on gas, accelerated easily on the freeways, handled well, and was just the right size to navigate the narrow streets of Seville. I called 72 hours before returning it and told them my 8:00 a.m. departure. We pulled right up the departure terminal. The representative was their on time and had me sign 2 more papers. We completed everything in 2 minutes. I recommend a Renault lease to anyone traveling to Europe.

Sincerely,
Ken Mockler

Ryan Birr, 24 april 2001
Dear Eric,
Sorry I haven't taken the time earlier to thank you properly. My dealings with your company and particularly you were nothing but pleasant and helpful. The car was great, and it couldn't have been easier to obtain or drop off. You answered all of my inane questions promptly, even on the weekends. In turn this made my parents' visit a great experience. I will recommend you and your company to anyone who will listen. (Which, unfortunately, isn't many given how I ramble on. Anyway, thanks again for everything.
Sincerely,
Ryan

Nessa st James , 13 january 2001
I just returned from 3 weeks in France and booked one of your brand new Renault Clios. The service I got was excellent and it was a very nice car
that drove really smooth. I couldn't believe I drove it out of the dealership showroom in Paris. We put 2100 miles on it and saw alot of France.
Your operation is the best kept secret it only cost me $26.00 a day to drive a brand new car with full coverage insurance. I have told alot of people
about your program and would be gladly recommend it.

Rochelle Weiner / Peter Kaplan, swpjk@mindspring.com, 05 january 2001
This is one of the best things you can do when going to Europe for over three weeks, and the little Clio is a champ on the main roads. It's got enough room for two people and their "stuff" in the hidden cargo area. It's got lots of pep and power to get through the Alps, and is small enough to fit into some tight spots in cities.

If you get the diesel, you will get about 40-42 miles per gallon and, even at the reduced price at the pump, you will be glad to have the savings. The only drawback: Until we got the car past 1000 kms on the odometer, there was a distinct smell of diesel in the car which made my husband a little lightheaded. But, as we said, that went away after the first week or less.

The best part of all was the ease of getting and returning the car -- it took all of 10 minutes on either end at the Brussels National airport. Highly recommended, and we'd do it again -- in the Clio or a slightly larger car (w/diesel, of course).

Max Mehech, 20 december 2000
The car was great for me and my family (me, my wife and 3 kids ages 6,10 and 12). It had enough space for our luggage and was small enough to fit in
mostly crowded Europe. We toured France, Germany, Austria, Holland and Belgium without any problems. The service when we received the car and when
we returned it was fast, efficient and very friendly. I would definitely leased another car for our next vacation to southern France, Spain and
Portugal.

Didier and Elizabeth Chaigne, 17 november 2000
Thanks for reminding us about the importance of supporting your great product: the short term leasing of Renault vehicles. We were looking for a means to travel around while visiting "back home" in France for 4 1/2 weeks this past summer when we stumbled across your web site. I was quite incredulous and nervous about making such a large purchase over the web, but we decided to try it anyway. (There was nothing at all in the process that would have led us to believe that you guys were not authentic. We had just never heard of your offices in New York and wanted a little more background info.) We had ordered a Megan, but upon arriving in Paris they were all out. So, we were instantly upgraded to a brand new smelling (gotta love that new car smell!) Laguna at no extra cost to us! The car was fantastic, the service at the Paris offices even better. We were treated like royalty and when we requested (rather tardily) to extend our contract an extra four days, we received a resounding "pas de problème" with no questions asked. There was virtually no paper work in Paris as all of this had been taken care of prior to leaving the U.S. The car ran great and having the diesel engine saved on gas. (After taking into consideration gas mileage, diesel fuel and the rate of exchange, we ended up paying about the equivalent of what we would have spent in the U.S. for the same type of trip.)
I highly reccommend using your services and know that we deinately will in the future!

Heidi Letzmann, supersvet@yahoo.com, 15 november 2000
I rented a Kangoo for a two-month visit to Italy. Traveling with four other people (and everyone's luggage), we really needed a vehicle with plenty of room. The Kangoo was the perfect solution in every way. Not only was it economical and practical - we loved its height - but it was incredibly comfortable. Whether it was our 11-hour road trip to Austria, steep mountain dirt roads, or cobblestone bridges so narrow we had to tuck in our side mirrors - the Kangoo got us everywhere we needed to go (and probably some places we shouldn't have been)! We'd love to have one in the States.

Trevor Wyckoff, trevorsw@yahoo.com, 15 november 2000
My finace and I leased a Twingo last summer for 3 weeks. It was probably one of the easiest parts of our trip to Europe. It came in very handy when we could't find a youth hostel, we just found a campground, or slept in the car. The Twingo really suprised me. I really enjoyed driving it. I am still dealing with some separation issues from when we left it in Paris. Driving in Europe was an experience, but it is nothing that someone used to big city traffic cannot handle. The Twingo was much roomier inside than I expected too. I would not want to fit a family in one, but we were very comfortable, and had more than enough room for our luggage in the trunk. I would highly recommend leasing a Twingo while in Europe. We rode the train once, and found that we REALLY liked being able to drive through Europe. The benefits greatly outweighed any negatives.

S. Lee Elliott, leeelliott@tnaccess.com, 14 november 2000
We leased a Megane turbo diesel station wagon in September 2000 for six weeks and loved it. During the time we drove about 6000 kilometers through 9 countries from Paris to Sorrento Italy. The vehicle was new when we got it and we had no problems with it. Povisions for trouble were available but we had no need for them. The vehicle was relatively economical for Europe (diesel fuel is cheaper and the fuel consumption excellent. The vehicle accellerated well and cruised easily at 100 mph (in fact we got so used to the speed it took a while to slow down to US speeds). For the 6 week lease the cost was about equal to rental and we had a new economical vehicle.

Doug Brouwer, dbrouwer@firstpreswheaton.org, 14 november 2000
My family and I picked up our leased car, a Renault, in Milan. I expected the worst, and so was surprised and delighted by how easy it really was. The dealership could not have been more helpful in getting us into the car and on the road. The car itself performed flawlessly -- even in the mountains. I was impressed. The return several weeks later in Paris was just as easy.

Before our trip we did a fair amount of research on every aspect of our trip, including cars. I thought the lease arrangement with Renault sounded too good to be true (usually a warning sign). In the end, though, it really was the best deal around for our needs. We were in Europe -- mostly Italy -- for a month, and the lease arrangement turned out to be a great deal.

One small caveat: my family of four (including two tall teenage girls) occasionally had a tight squeeze to get into this car. When we had to travel with our luggage, we just barely made it. But -- and this is the good news -- we did it!

I'd lease this car again.

Steve Stanec, cclsteve@aol.com, 13 november 2000
We leased a Renault Scenic earlier this year (2000) through Ideamerge and the Internet. Everything was straight forward and they did a great job with the paperwork and trying to get us insurance for Poland and Hungry. After talking to the US Embassy in Hungry we gave up the idea of driving through that country and elected to drive through Austria instead.

When we arrived in Frankfurt, Germany, we were met at the airport by the leasing agent. He then took us to his office about ten minutes away, where our new automobile was waiting for us. This was a Sunday and there were very few other people around. The agent was very courteous and helpful and the whole operation took only about thirty to forty minutes.

Our trip took us into or through eleven (11) countries and covered twenty-three (23) days, just under 5,000 miles or 7, 700 kilometers. For one half of the time there were four (4) adults (my wife and I, her sister and brother-in-law) and all our baggage. It was tight but comfortable. The other half of the time, it was just the wife and I and we had lots of room, even with some of her sister’s luggage and our purchases.

The car was a Scenic with auto transmission and A/C. It performed above expectations and visibility was excellent which I feel is extremely important when traveling in unfamiliar areas and trying to sight-see at the same time.
It road well and was able to keep up with all but the very fastest cars on the autobahns and autostrasses. I might add the gasoline mileage was also very good and this was definitely a plus with the cost of gas in Europe. We enjoyed the car so much that we hated to turn it in at the end of the trip and asked if we could purchase it to take home. I might add the cost was straight forward and very reasonable compared to rental rates we had obtained from various sources.

Another thing we really enjoyed was the full coverage insurance they provided for all the countries we visited, even though, we did not have to use it at all. Most rental agencies would not provide insurance for such areas as Slovakia, The Czech Republic, Slovenia or Croatia. We had no problem taking the car into any of the countries, probably because the car was registered in my name.

When we returned the car to Frankfurt we took our bags to the airport first and had them checked-in and then returned the car to the leasing agency. Like when we picked it up, it only took about 20 to 30 minutes and again the agent was extremely polite and courteous.

I have already recommended the Renault lease to several friends and would not hesitate recommending it to any one else. At present we are hoping to return to Europe with others in our family some time in 2002 at which time we will probably arrange for the lease of two vehicles and hopefully the Scenic will still be available. It was really a great experience!!!

Joaquin Langenscheidt, jlc012@hotmail.com, 13 november 2000
I can´t begin to tell you the kind of service I received from you guys. Never in my life I had experienced this kind of service.

I bought the megane through ideamerge in the internet, I flew to paris from mexico and all I had to do was call them from a phone in the airport and ten minutes later they were there to pick me up 10 minutes later we were on the road the car was excellent we were 4 adults traveling for 45 days and the car did it great from the shores of Italy to the mountains of switzerland the car had no problem going 190 km/h loaded!.

Anyway we were in Rimini, Italy when we had a Major accident the car was wrecked, nothing happened to us but we thought our vacation was over on the 15th day, and here is where it gets good. I called the guys from eurodrive and all I had to do was fill in a report of what had happened ( we ran a red light, hit an audi A4 and destroyed a telephone post ). And that very day, 6 hours later they gave me a rented car, for free, while they brought a new megane from paris. no questions asked!.

Returning the car took not more than 5 minutes, they gave me a ride to the airport and i was off to mexico. I couldn´t have enjoyed my vacation more thanx to you.

To anyone having second thoughts about this kind of trip. This is IT! no carrying bags from place to place, forget about lockers, forget about bad hotels because you can drive to the outside of cities and get a much better hotel for a lot less, forget about traveling light. bring what you want not what you can carry. Economically, its the way to go!.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Karen Weir, 13 november 2000
It's easy! It's a good deal! They don't actually drive it for you or help you find parking places (sometimes unpleasant experiences when living in Paris), but they do practically everything else.

Frank L. Svendsen, jsvend@bellsouth.net, 12 november 2000
We leased the Renault Clio diesel for 6 wks and had a great time, it was fun to drive, plenty of room for two and very economical. We toured 9 countries & put 5,000 KM on the car, we didn't have any trouble at all. The leasing program was also great. We picked the car up in Germany at the agreed upon time and we returned it 7 days early. The company gave us a 7 day rebate in record time. We would reccomend the company and the program to anyone.
Thank You Very Much.

Bob Andree Swezey, RWSWezey@aol.com, 10 november 2000
We toured France and Spain for 6 weeks in May and June 2000. We traveled something like 5000 Km. This is our fifth road trip through Europe and our second use of a Clio. The Renault leasing program is very much the least hassle, worry and cost method. We took possession and returned the car at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. Though my wife Andree speaks French the service is completely bilingual. The group is pleasant and energized to serve your interest. The Clio is a good little car. We went though a surprise heavy snow storm in the Pyrienees, along with wind and rain, and the Clio worked the changing road conditions well. The economy of the gasoline Clio is good. At this end, the pre-arrangements with Eric were a pleasure and we would not hesitate to use exactly the same service again.

Joseph Martinez, 10 november 2000
We leased a Kangoo for a month while vacationing in France and it was one of the best things we did. The pick up and drop off went very smoothly and we
were treated very curtiously. The price was magnificent and having a car we didn't have to worry about having any problems was fantastic. We
definately will go this route again.

Nicholas Chrisman, 10 november 2000
I am still in the midst of the lease period, but I can attest to care-free service from Renault. I had the misfortune of having someone try to get into the Clio through the rear. The car's automatic locking devices resisted the attack handily, and the insurance replacement was quite simply arranged. The local Renault people were amazed that there was a zero deductible...

The Clio handles very nicely. I have done some long-distance travel on the large auto-routes with plenty of multi-trailer trucks. It remains quite
stable and little affected by winds.

Michael McConnell, 10 november 2000
We picked up the Espace in Lisbon and returned it in Rome. The car itself was just fine, but what made the service unusual was how easy Ideamerge made the process. Their American representatives were extraordinarily clear and helpful; the process in Lisbon was fast and convenient; and the agent picked the car up curbside at the Rome airport and was away in minutes. I had never done an auto lease before and had been a little concerned about bureaucratic complication -- but it was easier, faster, clearer, and more convenient -- as well as cheaper -- than a standard car rental.

Brad Carlton, 09 november 2000
Renault service was excellent across the board -- thorough, professional, quick. Clio 1.9D was surprisingly well-built with a good ride for such a
small car. Driving place-to-place was much easier than I'd imagined, although I wouldn't recommend point-to-point driving within a city unless you have a very strong, tolerant constitution. It's really nice to be able to stop anywhere you desire (rather than only where the train goes) if you see an interesting deviation, and to be able to drive right up to a hotel with bags in trunk as opposed to dragging them through train stations, public transportation, etc. to your destination (although I do miss the freedom of a train ride). Overall, I'd rate the entire program top notch. I'd do it again in a minute, and will whenever I plan to use a car for at least the minimum lease period. I'll never use Rent-a-Car (especially Hertz) in Europe again if I can help it (except for short rentals when Renault lease program is not available). Thanks much for helping make the experience so positive and easy.

Glenn Wendi, pilgrim@xmission.com, 09 november 2000
For nearly five weeks we motored throughout Belgium, Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland...well you get the picture. We drove the hell out of the Cleo, pushed it further than I would want to push my Subaru at home, and throughout 8,500 kilometers, Cleo absorbed the drive better than expected.

Service by Ideamerge in Calais, France was prompt, efficiant and friendly.

I've been back only a week and have already recommended the program to at least a dozen people.

Michael Kessler, 09 november 2000
Not much to add to the other reviews. The Clio performed very well (150 kmh on the autoroute) and was comfortable for three for the two long days we were three in the car. We travel light, but the split seat fold down was very useful on these two days. Diesel is a plus. Pickup and drop off were a breeze, and I had no problem extending the lease by one day. I would definitely do it again.

Jerry Braunstein, 26 october 2000
I wish I could find something to complain about so you could fix it. No such luck. Our experience with Renault and its little champion, the Clio diesel, was all positive. Renault was flawless in execution in Paris delivering the car, and in arrangements for dropoff in Milan, Malpensa. I have nothing but praise for their organization, their staff and their products. As for the latter, the Clio is an incredible little machine that "snaked" me around the tight mountain switchbacks, and powered me surprisingly well on the big Autoroutes. Small enough to fit, perhaps, in the back of my van, it is a smooth-running, easy-to-handle and safe vehicle I would recommend to anyone. I might add that it's best viewed, for maximum comfort, as a two-person car but that's just fine for my wife and me. Another significant attribute of the Clio is its economy. It's for real. Being a diesel, it enabled a singular saving over our three plus weeks of driving over 3500 miles. The diesel prices in France ran, on average, in the 6 Franc range for a liter vs the 8 Franc range for gas. In Italy, they ran in the low 1800 Lire range vs the 2100 range for gas. Now that's a significant savings.

Thanks for the service. It's been a pleasure.
Regards from a very satisfied customer, jerry

vaughn fesenmaier, vfesenmaier@earthlink.net, 02 june 2000
my wife barbara and i leased a kangoo for 2 months in 99. we had the deisel version and really enjoyed the car. we put on about 15,000 Km and much of it on the freeway at 120 to 150 kph. it got great mileage and was comfortable for me and my 6ft 4in
body. nice upright driving position. if this car was available in the u.s., i would consider owning one and we are used to large u.s. cars. barb drives a cadillac sedan concourse and i drive a lexus 400 coupe so we are used to pretty nice cars. we loved the kangoo and plan on leasing again when we visit europe. by the way the folks at the amsterdam pick-up point were great-very helpful. we have told our friends who travel to lease rather than rent if they are going to be in europe for 17 days or more.

Elizabeth Snead, ESnead@aol.com, 01 june 2000
greetings! well, i LOVED my renault Twingo which i had leased for the month of may in france. what a great car! i have been considering buying one and shipping it to the states. The Twingo, which i had worried might be too small, quite comfortably held two passengers and all of our luggage. Including my poodle! it was shockingly roomy with more headroom than i have ever experienced in a car. the pickup was fantastic (and you need that in france!), the gas mileage, while i did not measure it exactly, was surprisingly good. The air conditioning was superb and kept us cool in the warm Provence sun. The darn thing turns on a dime (as i discovered when i would get oh, "lost" and have to make quick adjustments in my direction!) I put close to $6,000 kilometers on the Twingo in 27 days! Believe me, it got a workout from scaling steep mountain roads up to isolated Cathar castles to manueuvering on the congested Croisette in Cannes during the film festival. I want this car! Wish i had arranged to bring it home with me. Next time! thanks.
elizabeth snead

Willis Barnhouse( Honolulu), kekoa37@aol.com, 30 january 2000
We leased a Megane 1.9Turbodiesel for 26 days in September and October, 1999. It was a great car. I really liked being able to research and then select the exact model, brand new. The Turbodiesel gave acceleration that equaled or exceeded my Mazda V-6. We averaged 38mpg under somewhat hard driving, and the diesel was < 3/4 the price of gasoline. My cost per mile for fuel was the same as my Mazda. My only complaint was that despite the assurance in homepages such as this, there was no tapedeck in my car. I brought about 20 tapes of Hawaiian music for naught. All-in-all, this was a very good choice.

Jeanne-Yvonne Tucker, 06 december 1999
Loved the program. The service was exceptional. The agency was easy to get to and the Renault crew were very helpful. The car was a delight to drive. I can not say enough good things about this company. I plan to use this company for all my european leasing. I have also reccommended this company to all friends visiting France. Thank you again for helping to make our stay in France so pleasurable.

Kim and Mary Lou Elton, 06 december 1999
We picked a car up in Nice and then drove to Italy. The Clio and the service were excellent. Easy pick-up, easy return. The diesel worked well and helped to save money on fuel. The front seats in the Clio are above average for comfort on long drives. We traveled in the fall of 1999 and wouldn't hesitate to use the leasing program again!

Vera Gordon, veravicki@usa.net, 02 december 1999
Just returned from a wonderful 5 week trip through Provence and Languedoc France and wanted to share my experience with my Ideamerge/Renault lease of a Clio. Reliability of both car and arrangements were most important as I was traveling alone.

The Renault Clio automatic is a great little car - very comfortable and easy to handle. It performed beautifully. Whether I was driving along the autoroute or a backroad or climbing a twisting mountain road the Clio met every challenge easily and smoothly. I was particularly reassured at how well it hugged the road when I was forced to drive during severe thunderstorms the last week of my stay in France.

I knew the Clio was a small car but saw that it could comfortably seat 4 however the trunk space was just adequate for my one medium sized suitcase and a small duffle bag and so if I were to be traveling with another person, I would have to keep this in mind.

I was extremely pleased with the arrangements and efficient service provided by Ideamerge and Renault and was able to extend my lease while in France with absolutely no problems. I think the only "hiccup" was that when I arrived at the Marseille Airport and went to pick up my car, I discovered that the agent spoke no English and that the manuals in the car were only in French. The agent was very pleasant and between my 20 words in French, my previous driving experiences and sign language we managed to exchange the necessary information. However, there is no question that I would have felt more comfortable if some of the information about the car had been available in English.

Bottom line, I would definitely recommend and use again Ideamerge, Renault and also the Clio (if luggage requirements permitted).

Cheryl King and Tom Tarman, 30 november 1999
My husband and I rented a Renault Clio 1.9 diesel through the Ideamerge program. The car performed above our expectations on all levels. We stayed in a farmhouse in southern Tuscany and many of the roads were winding and quite steep. The car had no problem going up these hills, which we found unusual for a small car. Also, the road to our farmhouse was quite treacherous with potholes and bumps -- again, the car performed with no problem. The car was quite roomy and there was plenty of room for luggage -- even though we were staying for a month. Gas mileage was a plus. We spent very little on gas throughout our vacation as the car was so efficient and clean running. We travelled from the Autostrada to remote areas and, as I said, the car performed with no problem.

The dealer where we received the car was especially helpful and explained everything in detail. We had no need for service but I felt confident because I knew I could call if anything was wrong and we would be assisted immediately.

Thanks again for a great trip!!!! We will definitely use Renault again

Lin Graham, Lion265605@aol.com, 30 november 1999
We had a great trip visiting France, Germany, Austria and Italy.

We were extremely pleased with the Renault Clio 1.9 diesel and I was surprised at my husbands reaction. He drives a Ford diesel F350 at home and absolutely fell in love with the Renault Clio.

Since it was stick he did all of the driving and commented many times on its ability to pull on some pretty mountainous areas, as well as its ability to really move out! We found it to be very comfortable with plenty of leg room (my husband is 6'4'), so that was really important. As a matter of fact, he said, "if he could have purchased it in the US, it would be the car for him."

Since I'm the service oriented person; if you did not deliver first class service, it would not have meant anything to me on how the car performed. Eurodrive's service was outstanding, thanks to you and your counterparts.

Would I use Eurodrive again? Absolutely!

Dave Kaplan, 30 november 1999
Let me say here that the Renault lease was a wonderful experience for us all around. First, the service through Ideamerge was friendly, helpful, and efficient. Second, our service in Europe was quite good. We picked up the car in Milan center and were given a guided tour of the car by a very helpful employee before we took possession. Dropping off the car on our return to Brussels airport was much easier than would have been the case with a rental car. We had noticed a small dent in the bumper that had probably occurred while the car was parked. When I told the receptionist about it, she said it was no problem and did not even ask to look at the car. Third, the Renault Megane itself was terrific. It was brand new, nimble, and comfortable -- perfect for European driving.

We will definitely go with your service again -- so please keep this program going for at least three more years! -- and I have also been recommending it to friends and colleagues.

Faye Augustine, 30 november 1999
Leasing from Renault was a painless enterprise and gave us a great advantage over other types of travel. We could go wherever we wanted! Since all costs were up front, we knew exactly what we were getting and the insurance coverage was especially helpful as we had a minor accident in France. After getting our police report, we continued our trip and handed over the documents when we returned the car. Renault was very gracious. No other costs were incurred.

The car we rented was a Megane Scenic and it was very comfortable and roomy enough for a 6'1" driver. It handled well on those speedy highways, but we never got over 100 mph! We saw lots of great Renaults all over Europe and the Scenic looked like a good size for more than 2 passengers.

Also, there are Renault dealerships everywhere! It was reassuring to see them in remote places, especially outside of France, but we never needed to use one! The car ran well on diesel which was about 1/3 less in cost thatother gases. We didn't notice any diesel smell like you can with older vehicles.

It's great to start out your vacation in a brand new car. The location of the agency in Paris was very convenient. When we were ready to take off, we taxied to the Renault dealer with our luggage and after about 1/2 hour max, they wheeled our "new" car out for us. You will have to buy your first tank of gas, however, you can practically coast back on in your fumes and return it empty. On return, Renault will call a taxi for you and you're on your way. That's different than renting in the US.

We would definately use Renault again!

Mike Metelak, 29 november 1999
I am an American living in France. And when we learned our family was going to expand from 4 to 5 people with the birth of our third child, we decided we better get a minivan. Actually in France the American version of the minivan is a bit smaller than it's American counterparts, but huge compared to most everything else on the road. After test driving a few different makes and models, we settled on the Renault Espace.

Here's why:

1. It's French! No problem to find a dealer to fix it. No problem to get parts. No problem for re-sale.
2. The seats are totally modular. With the seven passenger version, the rear five seats are all identical, so they are interchageable. This allows us to change the vehicle configuration from five to seven passengers very easily. Or sometimes if I need to haul something I take them all out, and it's easy to do.
3. There is a rear cover behind the second row of seats. Since the middle row has three seats, if you remove the two rear you have a huge area for carrying things. But in Europe, you must never leave anything visible in your car when parking in public, so the sliding cover hides anything in the back. This is a must!
4. It has a comfortable driving position. Visibility is excellent.
5. The air conditioning and heater kick butt. Ever drive a vehicle with poor A/C? On a long trip, with sun shining in all those windows? Forget it!
6. It's powerful. I got the 2.2 liter turbo diesel. I can pass with no problem, and the van will cruise at 160-170 kph and not work too hard.
7. It's not TOO big. It's no problem to fit in any parking garage in France, and actually it's only about a foot longer than my little car, so parking on the street is normally not a problem.
8. It rides nice and quiet.

All things considered we are happy with our choice. Happy motoring!