Eric Yeomans, eric.yeomans@volvo.com, 29 june 2009
I recently rented an RV through IDEAMERGE in Stockholm. The whole process was excellent, the staff at Touring Cars were superb. I had full knowledge of the KLM charges prior to booking the vehicle & I managed to stay within the limits. I will be returning to Sweden in 2011 & will book book the same company. The only improvement I would reccommend is to place the phone number for the Stockholm office in the advertisement, only the main office in Finalnd is there.

Thanks for a great experience!

Michael Robin, microbin2000@gmail.com, 29 june 2009
We found this service fantastic. The booking systems were easy to use, and the best rates around. We collected a great RV in Los Vegas, we were picked up by an efficient shuttle service that took us to the depot. The RV was ready for us and the hand over and instructions were thorough and extremely useful. The RV performed without fault during our 8 day tour ending in San Francisco. The staff at both ends were helpful and easy to get along with. A great holiday, thank you very much.

Peter Williams Geelong Australia, 28 june 2009
My wife and I were extremely pleased with the deal we were given by ideamerge. The service and camper truck we hired from Fraserway was fabulous and more roomy than we expected. We travelled from Vancouver to Vancouver Island then took the Ferry from Port Hardy up the inside passage to Prince Rupert. We then drove across toward Prince George, Jasper, Banff, Yoho and Revelstoke National Parks camping all the way. Then we haeded down into Okanagan Valley, Whistler then back to Vancouver. We both had a fabulous trip even though our truck broke down 15kms out of Jasper. The tire rod on the left wheel broke which nearly caused us to crash. However with alot of luck and driving skills I was able to hold the truck on the road. Fraserway were very helpful, they had a tow truck to us very quickly, put us up in a motel for the night in Jasper and had another truck to us by the following morning, which was driven all the way from Calgary. We would definetly recommend your service and Fraserway to others.
Thanks for help making our trip memorable.

Jill and Ivan Krolick, 24 june 2009
We rented a C-22 Jamboree rv from Apollo in Las Vegas, and returned it to San Francisco 3 weeks and 1,600 miles later, having visited Zion NP, Red, Bryce, Capitol Reef canyons, Monument Valley, Grand Canyon Route 66, and Yosemite NP. The van performed well, and was very comfortable. We're used to motor caravans, but driving an automatic, left handed, on the wrong side of the road, through some of the most impressive scenery in the world was an adventure we will long remember.

Gary Jonassen, gary.jonassen@devro-casings.com, 21 june 2009
We were a family of 4 from Australia. We hired a 6 berth motor home so we ddi not have to make up the beds each night as we were traveling in this for 36 nights. The staff at Offenbach were very helpful. The pots and pans were basic. Bought a plastic bowl for helping with the washing up and another place to leave wet things to drain.
It was hard to get used to driving on the other side of the road and in a much larger vehicle than I was used to. The roads off the autobahns tend to be narrower than we are used to and in constant anxiety not to scratch the vehicle. I ended up doing all the driving as it took 3 days to get used to it initially and my wife would again have to do this. It was helpful that my wife would mention the road signs and speed limits and staying on the right side of the road.
We went as far as Norway where the Roads are even narrower.
We has a GPS which we took a while to decide on but which made a great addition to the strees reduction of the trip, and not wasting too much time in wrong turns. I highly recommend one, however the one we had had non existant campites as POI, but we always knew where we were and could then look for the next closest POI.
I would recommend that people look up the road rules for the countries that they are going in. We went to Denmark where Bicycle riders have right of way even over pedestrians. They seem to have an invisible bike lane (sometimes marked)on every road so need to be very careful when turning as they just assumethay cars and pedestrians will not be in 'their' lane.
WE also visited relatives whilst on the trip and this mode of transport is great as they do not need to find beds, which seems to be the hardest part of a visit. We could just park outside and use it for sleeping.
We averaged about 14L/100KM in teh 6berth Motorhome, about what it had on the website, for the fuels which was about 1.1Euro/L in Germany to 11NKK/L in Norway.
We did a lot of travel on the autobahns which brought up our average. The van could do about 120Km/hr but it was very unstable and hard to control so stayed at about 110Km/hr. At times when the wind was up could only do 80Km/hr.
I would recommend this type of vehilcle for any family of 4 for a longer rental.

Gord Pope, 19 june 2009
Thought I’d give you a report of how our 5 week rental of an RV went.

It was excellent! The staff in Frankfurt were fun and helpful. The vehicle was excellent if a bit intimidating at first. Things went smoothly from start to stop and we had a terrific 5 weeks.

As a possible assist to future renters, I thought I’d put together some of the things we observed and experienced. Use it as you see fit.

First, the cab fare from Frankfurt airport to Mcrent is more like 30+ Euros rather than the 20 suggested on the web site. Also, the Mcrent facility is not obvious because it is actually in behind the building with the given address on. Look for it over in the corner. A bonus, right beside it is a large store that sells all kinds of RV stuff that you might need while traveling and is not normally provided (Be aware that it is not cheap). One thing to get is the special toilet paper that dissolves properly in the onboard toilet. Regular stuff apparently causes no end of cleaning problems.

The kitchen stuff provided is fine for basic plates and cutlery but the pots and frying pan leave something to be desired. See our list of things you might want to bring with you or acquire yourselves while travelling. We rented chairs and tables from Mcrent which were adequate but check them out before you leave as one chair was already broken. Cheapest folding chair we saw (and equivalent to what we rented) was 8 Euro. Cheapest table we saw was 20 Euro. So the 35 Euro rental amount is not a bad deal. Check out what they give you for kitchen stuff and look at what else they have. Anything that they have around the shop you seem to be welcome to take. The checking out process is straightforward but you need to stay focused, especially if you are not familiar with RV’s. (Our situation). Our unit was almost brand new and had almost no scratches on it. But check it! I kind of wish we had a more beat up unit so that anything I did would not show. However, We did no damage. The unit was intimidatingly clean and raised some concerns as to how we would get it looking as good when we brought it back. It took us several hours to clean ours but it was raining like crazy at the time so this created additional problems. And while we passed with flying colors, they do actually give it a thorough clean before it goes out again.

Unless you are a pro at driving RV’s in Europe, the advice to go to a nearby campsite for the first night is good. We went to the Mainkur campsite which was 15 min away and it was fine. BUT! For some reason, difficult for us North Americans to appreciate, many campsites in Europe close after lunch for a siesta. Mainkur is no exception. They are closed from 1 pm to 3pm. And you have to wait outside the gate. So time your arrival if you can. We also used Mainkur for the return trip and if you approach it from the Mcrent location as per their directions (Mainkur website) you pass by a convenient shell gas station where you can fill up. This station also had a vacuum unit where we were able to vacuum out much of the accumulated dirt etc. If Mainkur is your target, I recommend studying the access in some detail before you go. Their map is not a lot of help. We used Google Earth to get a photo of the turnoff and a mapping program to print out a more detailed map. If you just got off a jet plane and are jetlagged and somewhat nervous as we were, that preparation is really worth it. If you miss the campsite turnoff, getting back to it is non trivial.

There is a reasonable grocery store called Aldi just across the street from Mcrent where you can do your initial stock up.

Here is our list of things we either brought with us, bought while we traveled, or simply wish we had thought of:

Outside door mat, plastic flipper (if you can get hold of a Teflon fry pan), rubber spatula, SHARP paring knife, cheese grater, dish sponge, dish soap, dish towel, egg cups, wine glasses, coffee pot unless you want to use their filter system which makes a lot of coffee, rubber gloves, sink stopper, salt and pepper, other spices you like in containers, soap powder, sugar, small cutting board, oven mittlets, twist ties, paper towels, toilet paper, plastic wrap, small hand clamps, clothes pins, small kettle, better fry pan than they provide (small electric one could be ideal (220volts)), bungee cords,

Because we rented bicycles (no small feat for 5 weeks as it turned out and Mcrent does not assist with this), here is what we also took for that or wished we did:

Helmets(Not used everywhere but if you are concerned), lock, pump, gloves, bag that attaches to bike,

The RV is equipped with a very good bike rack. Our cost to rent for 34 days was 110 Euros per bike. Liability if bikes were lost or stolen was 250 Euros per bike. You can also buy a brand new bike for under 200 Euro at many stores in Europe. In act, the Aldi store sold what looked to be reasonable bikes for 179 Euro. You may find someone to sell them to on your return or advertise them in the campsites on your last few nights. The concept of selling you a bike with the understanding of buying it back at say half price at the end of your stay seemed very foreign to all of the bike shops near Frankfurt that I contacted via email. Also, I could find no Craig’s list or eBay equivalent to search for used bikes. The cost of shipping our own bikes from Vancouver to Europe was $200 each way per bike on Lufthansa according to their website.

The cost of diesel fuel we found to average about 1.1 Euro per litre and our mileage (literage) averaged 10.7 L/100 KM. Our trip was mostly in the lowlands of Belgium and Holland so a trip over the Alps would be more consumptive.

On a final note: USE A GPS! This was a big help to us and we did use the one mentioned on the Ideamerge website, the TOMTOM 920 and found it excellent! Practice with it at home before you leave.

Anybody with any questions is welcome to contact me.

Regards and thanks for your help Doug,

Gord Pope

Rob Futter, brit552371@yahoo.co.uk, 15 june 2009
Well, there were six of us Brits riding Harley Davidsons across California and we used a Road Bear RV as our admin vehicle. It was perfect. At a very reasonable hire cost and reasonable fuel costs (compared to the UK anyway!!) we clocked up some 1900 miles and saw some amazing scenery on our adventure. The Roadbear gang in The Agoura Hills were great. Their service was impeccable with a shuttle from our hotel in LA to the Hire location and back again on completion some 18 days later. The RV was immaculate and handover was simple with a full explanation of how everything worked. The vehicle itself was easy to drive with full mod cons and coped with the roads (PCH and the route down through Yosemite particularly) admirably. I would heartily recommend Roadbear RV Company to anyone thinking of touring the States with a view to really seeing a few things of interest and not just staying in crumby hotels/motels. An RV is just different and put a completely unique spin on our trip. Well done Roadbear!!

Filips Lombaert, 13 june 2009
I found it very easy to make the reservations for the mobilhome. The local partner company was very friendly and we where on the road in no time and could start enjoying the nice country-side of South-Portugal. Around Easter, the campings in the Algarve are quite cheap, almost empty and of very high quality. Camping on parkingspots you can find on the internet was also possible, there are quite a few in beautifull spots . We went for a round of golf and arrived there with the camper, no problem, all is foreseen. Returning the camper was fun , all formalities done in less than 20 minutes. Will do this again.

Pim Revet, 11 june 2009
Hello

First time we rent a RV. We did it with internet. Exiting to do and after that we checked double if everything was alright.

When we arrived at L.A. we took a taxi to Apollo (rental company). I know in what knight of street the are located. Near the airport and not whit an entrance as like with big companys. So don't be afraid of that.

We get a good explanation of all de things in en out de RV. Our camper was perhapes 3 a 4 years old and drove about 90.000 miles. For us it was good enough. We used to new en luxery cars en things and with this RV where glad for the 2 weeks we have to stay with it.

Inside the RV it was nice, clean, not new to see (somthing was already damaeged before depart), but good enough. In stat of booking whit sleeping-bags etc., chairs and table for outside, the said to use that it was in the bookingprice we said it was'nt. But we get it for free.

On the way the 22 feet RV drove nice en comfortable. It used 1 liter on 4,6 kilometer (like 1 liter on 3 miles).

The staf by Appolo where very nice. And something what was important for us to make the dessision to book by Appolo (with Ideamerge) was the nice price/pakkage deal. We've done this this year for our sons and we want something to do (back) in time of creditcrisis for USA.

After all, where not dissapointed at all in Appolo, ideamerge and in the idea that we dit it in spring for just 14 days. We've seen a lot between L.A. San Francisco en Las Vegas.

Sory for my Enlish, I'm Dutch and have not much time to write this.

Dannie Cho, 10 june 2009
Booked a RV through Ideamerge from Moturist in Salt Lake City. Initially, we had problems finding where the depot was. We had the address, but were traveling without a GPS, so it was down to atlases and street maps to find our way. It would have been nice if the name was updated correctly as Camping World.

However, once we received found the place, everything else was a breeze. Ideamerge really lived up to its promise of letting us know all the costs upfront, which ws extremely useful for travelers on a budget like us.

I also have to add that with everything already added in and explained to us by Ideamerge, I really felt that the job that the Camping World staff was made so much easier, as compared to his earlier customer.

My wife and I have posted articles on our experience wit the RV on our blog. Feel free to check it out for additional comments and pictures.
Just use the search function and look for 'RV' --> http://danyilin.blogspot.com/

Michael Stockwell, 09 june 2009
I just thought I'd let you know that we had a wonderful family holiday in Italy. All the arrangements went according to plan and we were very happy with the camper rental and the services provided by the local agent. Pickups at the airport were on time, smooth and efficient and the camper was spotlessly clean and well equipped. We would certainly recommend using your company again to any friends thinking of having a similar holiday in the future.

Best regards,
Michael Stockwell

Mal Fox, 08 june 2009
Picked up the vehicle in Lyon, wrong address given
for Camping car 69. but the taxi driver got the
correct address from the 'phone No., which was
correct.
Arrived late due train delays just before closing
time, but apart from saying we should have been
there in the morning, everything was OK.
Adequate linen and duvets supplied (Mar/Apr), full
tanks, water and fuel, 2 gas bottles, full, useful
books on camping, incl. FREE areas on motorways.

On return, very efficient handling of vehicle return
Very satisfactory all round

Note from IdeaMerge: Indeed the McRent Lyon depot had recently moved a couple of blocks down the street, although we weren't informed about this change. Our deepest apologies and thanks go to this client. We've straightaway corrected our McRent France Locations page.

Kolinda Duer, 08 june 2009
My husband and I just took our 3 teenage daughters on a trip to Germany on May 8th - 17th. We arrived in Frankfurt around 10:30 in the morning. We were told in the customer agreement that we could not pick up the RV until after 2 in the afternoon, but after sitting in the Frankfurt airport waiting for an hour, I had my husband just call and see if it would be possible to pick it up by noon instead. We were happy to find out that we could pick it up and proceeded to get a taxi (large one for 5 Americans who like to pack alot!) and made it to McRent. The lady who waited on us was great. The only thing we wished was that she hadn't been in such a hospitable mood, wanting to talk so much because we were tired and just ready to get on the road! She was a great agent.
After getting our RV, we loaded it up and took off! It was a little scarey driving out of the parking lot there. It's a bit tight, but we made it okay. We traveled back to a former Air Force Base where we had lived in 1986, revisited our former landlord and drove to several major cities in the central and southern part of this most beautiful country.
One thing that would be of great help to English-speaking customers would be for McRent to make sure they give the drivers RV instructional manuals that are in ENGLISH and not just German! It was a little bit of work deciphering which hose went where at first! Also, it would be great to have a really good driving map that you don't have to purchase but that McRent could give to the customers. It is very disorienting being in a new country with language barriers and also being tired from a long flight. If McRent could make sure the customer had all materials in their language, that would be helpful.
One more helpful suggestion for weary travelers: Please give customers more than 1 key to the side compartments!!! Yep, you guessed it: my hubby locked the key for the dump in the side compartment. We had to drive back to Mannheim on Monday (he locked it in there on Saturday morning...)and we had to make sure we used public restrooms for those two days because the place wasn't open until Monday morning! Getting to Mannheim was not a problem, though, and we found where we needed to go, unlocked the side door, retrieved the lost key and were back on the road within an hour!
One last thing: On the agreement it says that you have to bring the vehicle back in CLEAN condition. When we got to the rental place, we had the RV really clean, but then the guy who checked us out upon return said he could do it for us for about 30 Euro - which I happily paid! I think it would be FANTASTIC to just include that service to the customer and NOT have them clean out their RV as we were very tired by the end of the 10 days.
Otherwise, we had a PHENOMENAL time in Germany, were very, very happy with the RV which drove beautifully and was very nice and hope to do it again!!
Thanks, IdeaMerge. We have already recommended your company to some friends of ours!

Family Els and Sauer South Africa, els.huis@mweb.co.za, 08 june 2009
We just returned from a trip through Europe (Germany, Austria, Italy, Switserland and back to Germany) with a Camper rented through IdeaMerge, what a wonderful experience. No nasty surprises or additional funds to be paid. What IdeaMerge promised was what we got. The staff in Offenbach - Micheal - was very helpful and professional. The only comment I can make is that if you plan to tour three to four countries, it will be wise to buy the campsites book by ADAC "Campsites for touring Europe". This book is available at all big bookstores in Europe. All campsites are rated per star grading with GPS co-ordinates and phone numbers. This helps a lot to ensure maximum time for sight seening and little time spend to look for a campsite. The start grading ensure that no dissapointments waits at the campsite.
The camper was great and we enjoyed every kilometer we travelled. Switserland....fantastic and very very clean. Once again thanks to IdeaMerge for your profesionalism and making the bookings smooth and easy, we look forward to make use of your company again.

Aussie family, 08 june 2009
Booking through Ideamerge was very easy. They responded very quickly to all our queries and the price was definitely the best we could get for the vehicle and itinerary we wanted.

We picked up from the Euromotorhome depot in Madrid (good pick up service) and the owner spoke some English which was very helpful. The person who oriented us to the van spoke no English so we weren't sure how to use some items (e.g., fridge!). We didn't get the 2 gas bottles we were supposed to (only got one) and as per other comments, the 'kitchen kit' left more than a bit to be desired. We froze with our thin sleeping bags until we relented and left the gas heating on all night every night. Kitchen utensils were surprising - no sharp knives or chopping boards etc and crockery plates (plastic would have been better and less breakable when driving around!) but then extras like Italian coffee percolators were included (they almost won me over with that one).

Definitely agree with others re: finding camp grounds in Spain/Portugal. The directory provided by Euromotorhome only listed sites who had paid to advertise in the directory and was spanish/portuguese only (I eventually learned to interpret!). No road maps and the depot didn't sell any so make sure you bring your own good one or you will find it VERY difficult to find anything (our record was 3 hours driving in circles to find a camp ground which it turned out had closed 2 years before).

Campervan was reasonably new though and no mechanical issues. Check inside and out THOROUGHLY before leaving the depot as the check-in inspection is far more thorough than the check-out inspection. We didn't notice scrapes up high on the side of the van (in the dark depot) or the fact that the top of the gas heater was cracked a little bit. Neither did the person who did a cursory inspection as we left. They did however notice it when we returned the camper and it almost cost us a lot of money (hard to negotiate what damage we did and didn't do with someone who doesn't speak English - we dropped off in another country and he met us there). Seriously - check every square inch inside and out as closely as you can!

That all sounds bad - it's not meant to. We had a fantastic time with our 2 and 3 year old and loved the camper. We'd definitely use Ideamerge again.

MS, 08 june 2009
Staff was friendly and helpful. The camper was
pristine and in excellent ordr. Would highly
recommend, and will use Ideamerge again. Best prices
out there, and the online rental was a breeze. Thanks.

Tom Krukow, tkrukow@mchsi.com, 04 june 2009
My family and I returned from our trip to Europe where we used the McRent RV. I have to tell you the trip was great, because you booked us with a really fine company. Everything promised came to fruition and then some. Michael and Susanne at the McRent facility in Offenbach were terrific. There were no surprises, no hidden charges, and we can't thank you enough. We look forward to booking with your company again soon.

Hannes and Sonja Pienaar, hannes@hpproductions.co.za, 24 april 2009
We have just return from a wonderfull holiday in Europe. We picked up and returned our vechile in Frankfurt. We had wonderfull service and help from the staff and enjoyed the motorhome. This is by far the best way of traveling if you have kids. We were on a tour previously with a group, but in furure we will only go with a motorhome. Thank you for your part in our dream holiday.

Nicola Duncan, fandnduncan@bigpond.com.au, 22 april 2009
We rented an RV from Road Bear for 5 weeks, picking up in San Francisco and dropping off in Los Angeles. We had to return to San Francisco for repairs when the heating stopped working, but the San Francisco staff were very accommodating and helpful. We were very happy with the RV itself and with the service both from Road Bear and Ideamerge.

Roger and Kelly Anderson, kibby_creek@yahoo.com, 21 april 2009
We rented for 2 weeks from the Rome depot last November. It was a wonderful experience. It was wonderful way to travel and see the countryside and have a place to sleep every night. It was very convenient for us as we are a family of five and it is very hard to find a room that would accomodate all of us. We found rv supplies hard to find(maybe it was the time of year) we never did find camper gas(propane) luckily we had 2 full bottles to start with. It was problem free as far as pick-up and drop-off went.
the door handle was partially broke when we picked it up and broke about 3 days into the trip but we were not charged. we cleaned the camper upon returning it and were not charged any extra fees except for extra mileage and that we knew about. Thanks to the people at the depot for delivering as promised!

Kevin, Ethan John; April 20, 2009, kbcassis@aol.com, 20 april 2009
We arrived on a flight from Charlotte NC at 10 AM and caught a the train from the airport to Offenbach where we caught an inexpensive cab ride to McRent. The staff was friendly and processed us quickly with an orientation and all the necessary documents and we were on the road that afternoon. We made our first stop for supplies at REAL just 5 minutes away. This is when I realized I should have studied the German road signs. After a 20 minute lesson on the internet of the road signs I realized the "no parking" sign was not a "do not enter" sign and our lives got much easier. I reccomend learning the raod signs for the countries you are traveling in if you are not familliar with them. First day to Wurzburg and then on to Prague. The Fiat chasis with tandem axles was probably around 25 feet long but easy to manage everywhere we went and could even handle u turns with no problems. The six speed manual transmission enabled us to get decent mileage and travel at respectable speeds. The autobahn rest areas were fine for overnight stays while traveling and had clean facilities and even showers for .50 euro. In Prague the campgrounds in Troja were close in and had bus stops within 100 feet and tram stops within a 7 minute walk and you could be downtown in 10 minutes. The facilites were very clean and we never really needed the shower and toilet in the camper. We returned through Nuremberg and enjoyed a brief visit there. After 10 days we returned the camper to McRent in Offenbach outside of Frankfurt and were processed very quickly. All in all the trip was a great success and we think we enjoyed our vacation more than we would have if taking trains and staying in a hotel. The comfort level we achieved by setting up the trip through Idea Merge was outstanding. It had a tremendous impact on reducing stress and worries. I highly recommend vacationing with a camper and booking through Idea Merge.

mauget, jeff_mauget@hotmail.com, 16 april 2009
I've rented a RV Moturis 25 for 3 weeks in March 2009 and I'm really happy of this choice. We have travelled from San Francisco to LA with all the great national park (Sequoia, death Valley, Zion, Joshua Tree, Grand Canyon and monument Valley)about 3600 miles. This RV is very confortable for 4 people and we had great time with it. The staff in LA is very helpfull and I higly recommend this rental.

Lorne and Sandra Logan, lorne.logan@ns.sympatico.ca, 05 april 2009
We rented a 25 ft. Winnebago from Moturis, Orlando. The pickup and drop-off were seamless. Andy, at the Camper World depot was very helpful and pleasant. However, the personal kit (bedding, kitchen supplies) was skimpy - one thin blanket for freezing temps; can opener also broke on first use, etc. Did not compare well to the Las Vegas personal kit.

Another problem: We found out the hard way that Florida law requires a screw-in sewer connection. Eventually bought one, but try doing that on a Sunday on Big Pine Key. If Moturis will not supply same, it should at least alert people at pick-up.

The Rv worked just fine and was quite comfortable.

Overall, we had a great trip at a very reasonable cost. We will not hesitate to rent from Moturis again.

Lorne and Sandra, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Paula, pbeckw1044@aol.com, 31 march 2009
We just got back from a 2 week RV vacation in the Netherlands. We rented from the Amsterdam location and the people there were wonderful. Very helpful and friendly. We had a little problem with the engine light, we called them and they took care of it immediately. Otherwise it ran like new. We camped in Brugge, Belgium and took the bus and rail to other cities and sites in the area, we found this to be the easiest. This is the 3rd time we rented from McRent, once in France and once in Germany and every time we very extremely happy and pleased with the RV and people we dealt with. Thank you McRent for making it possible for us to see the world.

Damon Emma Amess, 08 march 2009
We travelled West coast usa in a 30ft rig,The guy giving us the walk around was good and informative and the rv itself was adequate for the 6 of us.It was surpisingly good on fuel too if we drove it at 55mph ..No real waiting time at pick up or drop off either -which was good.I would recommend this company to anyone and would definetely use them again

Fiona Grantham, 08 march 2009
my partner and I are RV novices so it was daunting to be stepping onto a 29 foot rig! The staff we encountered at the start and end of the trip were really lovely and helpful, no problems at all. the free shuttle to the airport was also a bonus as we're on a tight budget. The instructional video we watched was ok but didn't really prepare us as much as a personal walk around tour of the rig would have done. the video was pretty old and wasn't specific to our rental anyway so thats our only complaint. Once on the road the vehicle itself was extremely comfortable, reliable and fun to spend 2 weeks in. Good impression all round and we would certainly recommend to a friend.

Petr, phouska@seznam.cz, 08 march 2009
Well I had borrowed an RV at the Moturis in the NYC and returned three weeks later in LA. Everything was fine with the car and the service, just one thing. An enormous consumption of fuel. On the moturis page they say that it does about 10-12 mpg but the best we could get out of it was 8.5 mpg at a very low pace. So the expences for the trip got much higher because of that.
Note from IdeaMerge: The prevailing winds in the USA blow from the West Coast to the East Coast. As such, a one-way intinerary in the opposite direction entails a lower than average fuel economy. Moreover, winter travel (as was the case with this rental) entails lower than average fuel economy. To learn precisely why, please see About.com.

Jorge Crudele, Argentina (January'09), 10 february 2009
We booked the Motorhome easily with Internet, and got fast and accurate response to our several questions. The vehicle was exactly as promised, the service very friendly, and the return of the Motorhome was done with no fuss at all. VERY recomendable vendor.

Inge de Beer and Rikus Botha, 25 january 2009
We picked up our motorhome in Frankfurt. We had a very pleasant experience at the depot. The service was prompt and they gave us detailed instructions on how to use the motorhome. We rented for 20days and travelled through Germany and Italy to Rome and back again to Frankfurt. I must say that this was by far the best holiday we've ever had. We really enjoyed using the motorhome as we could stop where ever we wanted and didn't need to follow a schedule. It was one of the few holidays where we came back completely relaxed and refreshed.Thanks also to Ideamerge for making our booking easy and hassle free! We got everything we expected and then some!

Stephen Hawkins, steviehawks4@hotmail.com, 24 january 2009
We rented a 25ft class C RV for almost 4 weeks to take us up and down the golden state. We found the RV to have ample space for the three of us(all over 6ft!). Driving the RV was a breeze, dealing well with the tricky roads of the north and comfortably cruising through the south. The service at both depots(san fran & las vegas) was excellent. The RV came with a bbq, enough toilet chemicals for the whole trip, flashlight, maps and a directory. All the facilities worked easily and there was plenty of storage space. I recommend this type of travel to everyone - a unique experience to travel quickly with oodles of comfort.

Shelley and Craig Christie, shelley@brownlie.org, 13 december 2008
We hired our RV for 10days and drove around Arizona and New Mexico and it was great. The RV company Road Bear were very helpful and friendly. The RV itself was great for us. We had no mechanical issues and no other issues. It drove really well and it was clean. I would recommend using this company if you would like to hire a campervan. They also provided maps and books for us which we thought was a great help for us as it was our first time in the states. As we are Australians who love to travel we think this is a great way to travel.

Gary Christine Foreman, forefuel@xtra.co.nz, 13 december 2008
We rented a 31ft Moturis RV for 3 months for our family of 7. We booked through IDEAMERGE and they were absolutely excellent. Their effeciency and communication made us confident to book and pay upfront for 3 months.

We picked up the RV from Moturis in LA. They went over everything quite thoroughly but we were missing a couple of things (which we didn't realise until the first night), and the toilet door was a dodgy and our 9yr old son got 'locked' in the toilet, ie: toilet locked had jammed up. When we phoned Moturis,to try and arrange a locksmith, or some sort of help, the number they had printed on their documentation was incorrect. Needless to say after 1.5 hrs we just had to force the door open, and return the next day.

When we did return they were very good about replacing the lock, and providing us with some extra sheets, fixing blinds etc. So although we'd wasted half a day, on our first day, it wasn't too much of a problem. However, the lock they put in was a 'push-button' lock from the inside and it didn't take long for it to have been accidentally locked with no-one in it, and no key to unlock it! So, day 2 we're back again, except this time it was a Sunday, and they weren't open. To their credit, they did have their hours written down and I hadn't read it. So let's just say, they are a 9-5, 6 day a week company, and as fate would have it, you never have a problem during these hours. So, back again on day 3 to try and obtain a key - not an easy task. The employee their was off-handish on the brink of rude, firstly never even acknowledged my presence, argued with me, that a toilet door would not have a key etc etc. We just wanted to get on with our holiday! Of course, they had a key, and after waiting almost an hour from the time we arrived, we were finally on our way.

After that initial 3 day dilemma, our problems were very little. Certainly the motorhomes are made a bit on the 'cheap side', but mechanically there wasn't an issue at all, even in the cold weather. The only thing to watch for, is, that even though it was a v10, when you got a strong head wind it struggled to do 60miles an hr, and of course you use a lot more gas. Nothing you can do about it, but it's just info to take into account in your planning. On the positive side, when you don't have those winds, it can really motor along.

Just some thoughts:
*to save on the gas (and electricity is included in campsite fees), use an electric non-stick frypan, and electric heater in the winter months.
*unless your 'fee camping' don't travel with a tank full of water, it's heavy, and will cost you more in gas
*gps is a must! Don't rent it, cheap enough to buy
*we found buying necessities like crockery, cutlery, duvets (from Walmart) was cheaper than renting because there's 7 of us and the 'kits' are always rented on a per person basis
*check reviews on www.rvparkreviews.com, they are worth their weight in gold (KOA parks not what they make out to be)
*cheap $20 mobile phone to book ahead if you need to

In summary: we would absolutely recommend to anyone a holiday in a RV. It was value for money, a great experience, and generally the campsites were fully equipped and very pleasant.
IDEAMERGE were excellent, and always answered my questions, and certainly were the most competitive.
Although we had an inital hiccup with Moturis, I would use them again. The pick was great, the drop off was easy, and they even provided a free shuttle back to the hotel.
Don't regret it a bit!

If you have any questions, please feel free to email us.

Gary & Christine Foreman
Auckland, New Zealand

steve, 13 december 2008
Camper van great. Issues were with service - I had to pay for satnav twice once to ideamerge and once to the pick up location. No body has addressed this issue which is disappointing.

Vans are a great way to see the US and I would recommend.

Note from IdeaMerge: All IdeaMerge quotes include not only the costs to be paid upfront to IdeaMerge but also the portions, if any, which must per the vendor's policy be paid directly to the vendor upon the pick-up occasion. In other words, all IdeaMerge quotes communicate the true total cost. Hence the total quoted by IdeaMerge to this client included the cost of the GPS rental but noted clearly that the cost of that particular line item would not be charged by IdeaMerge (i.e. up front) but rather would be charged directly by the vendor upon the pick-up occasion.

Phil Houweling, philh@frsa.asn.au, 13 december 2008
We rented a 29 foot RV from L.A and spent 3 months driving through the US and Canada. It really was ideal for our family and it became our little home on wheels by the time we dropped it off in New York. We had clocked up a total of 7686 miles, just 14 miles short of our allowance before we needed to pay extra (we thought this was quite amazing because we didn’t calculate our miles beforehand). The trip was fantastic. We spent a good amount of time in the National parks (Grand Canyon, Zion and Yosemite). This was the only R.V parks that we booked before we left. We then drove up along the Oregon coastline, past all the giant redwoods. From there we made it up to Vancouver and then across the Rockies. We then drove across to Ontario (Niagara falls) before heading south to Washington D.C and New York. We really enjoyed the flexibility of the R.V. The service of Motouris was very good. We only had one problem – a flat tyre. The repairman was out within 30 minutes and while he fixed it, my wife fixed dinner. Motouris happily refunded the expenses incurred for replacing the tyre. We were very happy with Matt (manager from New York). Nothing was too much for him and he happily covered some of the extra costs that we would have incurred. The motorhome was very clean when we picked it up and apart from a few maintenance issues it was fantastic. Overall we were very happy with the company and will most certainly recommend them to other potential customers.

Steve, Debbie, Chris, Harry Ben, stevedebs@clear.net.nz, 11 december 2008
We picked up our campervan the end of September, a Family Plus (6 berth) from Frankfurt, for a 28 days, heading south through the Black Forest, heading to Italy. Rome was as far south as we travelled, before heading back around the coast, stopping in the beautiful Cinque Terre, before heading into South of France. Then up to Paris and north into the 'Somme', before heading east back into Germany along the Moselle and Rhine Rivers. We dropped the campervan back at Frankfurt. We had an absolutely brilliant time, and although it took a few days to get used to the small space for 5 people (3 boys, age 10/12/14)it was the best way for us, as a family, to travel. We could stop and see what we wanted, when we wanted, but keeping to a rough itinerary that we'd prepared. The campervan was a good size for driving and manouvering through traffic, would not have wanted it any bigger as in some villages roads are very narrow. Wouldn't leave home without our TomTom navigation, I'm sure it saved us from a lot of stress, it was an amazing little gadget. The people at McRent Frankfurt were great and we had no hold ups, they were very helpful and would difinately use them again if we were to do another trip. Thanks to Ideamerge. Travelling outside of summer season was good, it was not too busy anywhere, and the autumn colours were amazing. I definately recommend travelling in Autumn.

Felicity, caleb + james Moore, jmoore@membersequity.com.au, 25 november 2008
Excellent allround service + camper ( VW California manual )

I sent the pre booking form to organise a faster pick-up. This worked and we were away quickly.

The lady at the pick up point for DRM was excellent, explained car well and had a sense of humour.

She added extras for no cost- annex, and had the choice of a number of car seats for our son 3 years old. They also added a net to keep our son safe up the top, a map book and Camping guide

Car drove well, excellent vision and small enough to get to some of the smaller more attractive villages in Europe and also able to park in normal car spaces. Large enough for 2 adults and 1 small child. More than 2 adults and 1 small child not really recommended as room was limited. Diesel was a good option, probably the only one, car managed to keep up with the best of them on the autobahn. Not bad for a family Camper, then again it is a German car

Annex was handy when it rained and or was hot + sunny.

Car lasted well without plug in power if you didn't have the option or didn't want to pay. Lasted up to 3 days.

The Camper was modern and comfortable, diesel heater kept us warm even in colder conditions eg st moritz. The camper is not recommended for pure winter conditions and probably best to keep it this way, as the top sleeper could get very cold, pop up canvas with hard roof.

Our son slept in the small area at back of car and we slept up top. Couple of nights and all was good. A little difficult to get up top after a few drinks, but alot better than finding and paying for a hotel everynight and the camp grounds suited our small family and child for fun and convienience.

Cooking and eating fine, very basic foods and stopped of at supermarkets ect. Even purchased 2 bikes + childs seat and used most days. More expensive than home for dodgy supermarket mountain bikes approx $100 euro ( as apposed to $100 aussie) each and child seat $35 euro. This almost made Our holiday the access to towns from campgrounds was always a short ride and the exercise was a bonus.

6 speed easy to drive, a few issues originaly deciding on 2nd or 3rd due to power issues, once you adjusted from driving a car to a heaver camper I forgot all about this.

Would highly recommed DRM, and the California to a couple or small family for 3 max, or 4 very, very good friends.

Had a small scratch at back of car after reversing into something or another car bumping us. Original deposit of $1200 Euros ( still not sure why they deduct this from credit card before you leave and with flucuating exchange rates can loose or gain a little )looked goneski however lady at DRM charged us $150 euro for repair. Insurance covered this when we got home.

Will look at hiring in Germany again and the key if possible, to lower cost, is to hire and return to the same town, Frankfurt to Frankfurt ect.

Best tip: Save your marriage, invest in a Sat NAV for Europe, buy at home hiring is way to expensive at last look for 21 days

Great time, thanks to Doug as well for organising over the NET and the tips included ect.

Cheers,

Felicity, Caleb and James
Australia

Allyson Hatherill, hatherillfamily@gmail.com, 24 november 2008
I did loads of research before deciding on Idea Merge. We booked a 6 berth Britz RV for a two week trip around the north island with husband and 13 year old boy/girl twins. We rushed to get to the office in Auckland before they closed as our flight from Chile had been delayed for 12 hours. Got there in time and had the run through as to what to do. Didn't take everything in and would have liked a demonstration on how the tables collapsed and the beds were made. At the end of a very long and stressful day, trying to figue it all out caused a few cross words. I was disappointed in the RV itself. It was a 2003 5 speed manual with 108,000km. It was showing its age and was like driving a tank. The stick had a tendency to pop out of gear if we went over a bumpy surface. We had initially paid for both of us to be drivers, but after hearing the words coming out of my husbands mouth, I decided it was too scary! I'm glad we took out the full insurance, we got a damaged windscreen from a flying rock. Anyone coming to New Zealand for a driving holiday should seriously consider taking out the full insurance to cover the windshield at least. NZ roads are paved with volcanic rock as it is cheaper and longer lasting however it plays havoc with windshields. We were told our windshield would have cost us at least $700 to replace if we weren't covered. A tip for those coming to NZ and not used to driving on the left side of the road. Just remember that as the driver, the middle line is always beside you! The drop off was easy, I just told him where it was, left the keys in the ignition and off we went. We stayed at Top 10 Holiday Parks which often had huge differences between them not to mention prices. We paid anything from $40 to $65 a night. We thought this was expensive for less than 15 hours of use of the electicity and bathrooms. In the end, my husband and daughter would not RV again whereas my son and I would.

Petr Brezina, 21 november 2008
I have to admit that Portugal is gorgeous country and we were lucky that we used your company to discover all this beauty. The people who took care about us in Portugal were simply just the best from our experience. They were very nice and friendly.

The car was ok too we would just prefer maybe car with gas heating instead of electric ones. We were not always connected to electricity and the batteries couldn't be used for whole night. Also it could be smaller car but as I said everything was nice and perfect.

Thanks a lot,

Petr

Ed Middleton, 20 november 2008
We picked up a campervan for 2 persons in Frankfurt at the beginning of September. The pick up was smooth and easy with everything waiting for us. We travelled 8000km in 56 days and had a fantastic time. We would highly recommend Ideamerge for camper rentals and the staff at McRent Offenbach were brilliant! Thanks again.

Gwen Fairbrother, 18 november 2008
We were very pleased with the vehicle and had no problems with the pick up and drop off of the vehicle, in fact we hired it for an extra night without any problems. The staff at DRM were very friendly and helpful. I would recommend IdeaMerge, in fact we gave your name to some other Aussie travelers we met up with. We have never rented a Motorhome before as we have our own Caravan here in Australia, but if we are fortunate enough to travel overseas again I would certainly use IdeaMerge.

We had a great trip and visited Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Holland and the Czeck Republic.

Kind Regards,
Gwen Fairbrother.

Marco Mueller, muemarco@gmail.com, 12 november 2008
We rented a Chalet 25 foot RV from Moturis in Los Angeles for 16 days and dropped it off there. Ew booked the deal through IdeaMerge which offered the best price/service ratio.
At Moturis L.A. the people were very nice and handling of the paperwork quick and easy. The Vehicle was in very good condition. Blankets, dishes Camping Chairs were in good condition too but cost additional.
Traveling through Las Vegas, Bryce Canyon, Monument Valley, San Diego, Ensenada-Mexico, San Felipe-Mexico and back to LA. No problems at all with the Vehicle and drop off in LA was easy and hassle free.
What bothered us were the prices that the RV Parks charged us. We expected not to pay more than $25 per day but ended up to pay between $36 and $55 per day. In Las Vegas we preferred to stay 3 days in a 4-Star Hotel, which was cheaper than the RV-Park. In San Felipe-Mexico an RV is definitely better than stay in a Hotel, just because of cleanlyness, however it's not cheap there either, we paid $80 bucks for 3 days. The gas consumption is remarkable with 30 Liters per 100km

Tue Søeborg, 12 november 2008
Friendly and helpful staff at the Malaga depot. The VW California is absolutely recommendable. It drives well, it fits in underground parking lots and it sleeps 4. We stayed in it for three weeks and had a great holiday. I would be nice though to have a copy of the manual in English.

Marc Kuhberg, 07 november 2008
We are back in Germany now and very happy about our time in Portugal! Especially our time with the caravan was the most exciting one! The pick up and drop off of the vehicle was very uncomplicated. The atmosphere of the Parracho Company is very familial and warm-hearted. In the first day of rental we had a big unexpected problem with the door of the fridge but Mr. Parracho himself came down over 150km to change the door immediately, this was a unbelievable service for us and helped us to make a save and awesome trip around this perfect country for caravaning:) We never did a caravan trip before but we gone do one again for sure!
Thanks a lot
Marc Kuhberg

Ron, Hermine, Mike, and Livia, 03 november 2008
We rented our camper in Munich, Germany in October knowing that we would not encounter the crush of the main tourist season, and that rental rates would be less. We were four adults sharing the camper. We toured four countries in eleven days and enjoyed good weather. After the first day we worked out an arrangement so we would not be in each others way inside the camper. Everything that was advertised about the camper was found to be accurate. The station personnel at DRM were very helpful and patient. We would highly reccommend Ideamerge and DRM.

Todd and Heather Robertson, the-robertsons@sympatico.ca, 03 november 2008
We rented the motorhome in Dusseldorf from Oct.10-Oct.17 to visit our son in Germany who is stationed with the Canadian Air Force and to see the Alps with him. The motorhome was an incredible way of traveling through the marvelous countryside and was effortless to drive and maintain. The 4-cyl diesel engine had no problems with the hilly terrain and was surprisingly stingy on fuel.
Everything was in tip-top shape when we picked it up and dropped it off and the experience was a positive one. We will rent from McRent again in the future should the opportunity arise.
Thanks again to McRent for making our vacation to Germany a memorable one.

Woongmin Kim, 02 november 2008
It was a vacation like a dream, 40 days in Europe, in Fiat Tribute(standard compact) rented from DRM, arranged by Idea Merge. I recommend these companies highly. Their services were up to their promises, prompt and accommodating, and the price was very reasonable. I had never driven an RV, and had been away from stick shift cars for more than 20 years, but after first 10 minutes, I was on autoban. Easy to operate and simple to use. Camping in Europe was fun and I would recommend travel in camping-car whoever wants to see the beauty of Europe first hand.

Sally Edwards, 29 october 2008
We hired our camper truck for three weeks and travelled throughout Alberta and British Columbia. Both I and my now fiancee (we got engaged whilst in Banff!) had the most fabulous time. The camper truck was clean and practical, though when we return next year we shall hire a camper with a shower unit and a little more leg room. Good job we are a close couple as three weeks of having to visit the washroom with the door open could be uncomfortable for many couples/friends travelling together. We look forward to returning next year on our honeymoon. I wonder if there is a honeymoon special camper - shall have to ask the question!

Carl Egetter, bike2work@comcast.net, 27 october 2008
When planning a European vacation for my son and me, I started researching trains and buses, as I'm sure many travelers do. There was a lot of territory to cover ... we wanted to visit several cities, roughly in a circle: Munich, Strasbourg, Bern, Milan, Venice and Salzburg.

When I began calculating the time it would take, traveling from city to city ... waiting for trains ... checking in and out of hotels ... I began to realize that we would never make it in the short time we had (just two weeks).

And the cost! ... The trains passes were so expensive, and the hotels even more so. I had rented motorhomes in the U.S. before, but they were very costly, and I thought they would be even moreso in Europe.

But I couldn't have been more wrong! The prices at McRent were quite reasonable ... and when you figure in the savings in hotel expense ... and preparing meals in the motorhome ... and most of all the CONVENIENCE of being able to go where you want, when you want, and not have to pack up your bags every night ... Well in short it was what we call a "no-brainer" ... an obvious choice.

In selecting a vehicle, we originally chose the Compact Standard model ... but with the help of Mr. Doug Bredesen, upgraded to the Compact Plus when no standard models were available ... and the fee was quite reasonable.

My fellow travelers, if you come to this same conclusion, and are fortunate enough to pick up your McRent motorhome in Sulzemoos (near Munich), you will be delighted with the attention and service provided by Mr. Peter Schütz ... who made everything easy and simple.

The unit that we had rented was not up to Peter's standards, so he upgraded us to the positively HUGE Dethleffs 5881 ... at no extra cost. And it was a dream to drive. Well, not so much in city traffic ... but we rented bicycles and would park our motorhome in a convenient location, and travel about town on our bikes. Most cities were very bike-friendly.

The Dethleffs motorhome was also surprisingly stingy with diesel, which saved us even more money.

It was an unforgettable vacation ... We'll be talking about our experiences for years to come. And it just wouldn't have been as pleasant and practical had we not rented the motorhome.

If you're considering a trip to Europe, I recommend McRent highly. I know I can't wait for my next adventure.

Carl Egetter
Marietta, Georgia

Tina and Scotty Herbert, 23 october 2008
We've just got back from 2 weeks in a campervan from DRM in Frankfurt. Organised thru Ideamerge, this has got to have been the easiest holiday I've ever booked over the internet. Ideamerge were excellent, prompt and accurate. Everything they said, happened. So very very easy. They folk at DRM in Frankfurt were just as good. Friendly, English speakers and organised - van was exactly what we ordered (in fact it was almost brand new!) and the van and all the equipment was ready when we got there.
I've nothing but praise for both DRM (Frankfurt) and Ideamerge. Very professional and super easy to deal with. We will certainly use both companies next year when we discover Scandanavia - Can't wait!!! Thanks heaps to both group of folk.

Witold Babinski, vident@epf.pl, 22 october 2008
The camper was perfect and very economic. It was nearly new-with only 1500 km. Is is pitty that we spent 3 hours douring picking up. The staff was very kind.I recomend

sophie from Paris, 22 october 2008
we rented a 28" RV El MOnte for 18 days last august to visit the west national parks in USA.
We are a family of 6 people and we recomend to rent an RV which is very usefull, but not an "El Monte RV".
The vehicule was dirty(we found used underwear...), the shower was broken,always gaz smelling inside, the kitchen set & sheets & blankets not included, no sun canopy...The worst thing was we had a breakdown on the highway on second day: the emergency center did not reply and we could not use the RV for 1 whole day!Drop off in San Francisco was better than pick up in Las Vegas.
We travelled with 2 other families so we could compare!I really recommend you to rent a "roadbear rv" from IdeaMerge, a very good value for money!

polly schonfeld and hermann platschka, 21 october 2008
This is our third consecutive september with idea merge. The first two times we rented the VW van and this year we "upgraded" to the fiat Decato. We are never going back to the VW. With the Decato the bed is already down so no shifting around. There is also a lot more room. The totally computerized controls for everything was a bit daunting at first but we had a brief run through and learned as we went along. By the time we returned in a month we were experts on the computer controls. My husband drove on small roads and small tight city streets. The fiat performed great. The check in time and check out time with Ideamerge could not be better. Total time in and out was tops ten minutes. The staff is friendly, knowledgable and professional. We are already planning for next year, of course, with the fiat ducato.

Tobias Ebert, 21 october 2008
Hi, overall we were very satisfied with the whole process. Staff was very friendly and the Camper was ok. (Battery was very weak and the toilet/sink was a bit smelly)
The rest was perfect, thx & all the best

Meia Bink, 20 october 2008
It was not easy to find caravanhirecompany but when we came there everything was allright! Beautiful new camper and it was a clean one. We got a good explenation and had a great holliday in Andalusia. When we had a flat tire they came quick to help us, perfect!!

Richard Harms, richard.harms@oup.com, 14 october 2008
We're not long back from a lovely couple of weeks in Italy travelling with our two children. Very delighted with our experiences with Freedom Holidays. The kids esepcially loved the van. The team at FH are very helpful, our van was immaculate and well-equipped - and everything went without a hitch. The pick-up and drop-off at Rome was a smooth and uncomplicated process. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them wholeheartedly. Thanks to both Doug and FH - great stuff! We hope to come back again soon.

C. Overdiek, overdiek@kpnplanet.nl, 14 october 2008
Google helped me to find a company for camper rental in Portugal. Fortunately I met with IdeaMerge and McRent (Parracho Automoveis in Sintra). For three weeks we rented a Dethleff Globebus 1; almost new with only 20.000 kilometers. It was a pleasure to drive in this camper. The pick up at McRent and the drop off was very well organised. The staff was very friendly; we could start with our trip 4 hours in advance of the normal pick up time. We drove 2200 kilometers through the northern part of Portugal, only on local roads. We only spent 3 nights on official campings, three times on marked camperstands and the other times where ever we liked. We used the necessary guides to find the places to stay over night. This was the first time we spent our holidays with a camper. We certainly will do this again and, if possible through Ideamerge, with a preference for the Globebus, type II with a lower bed in the rear.

Patricia Lambert and Nick Scanlon-Hill, 07 october 2008
My son and I rented a camper for two weeks to tour Sweden and Norway. It was very good for us as we went to some very remote places, especially in Norway. It had plaenty of power to tackle those rugged moutain passes and winding roads. The beds were comfortable, and cooking on the little stove was fun and challenging. We found the camping grounds to be very clean, but some were also very rustic. The large windows and being higher than the cars made it great for seeing the spectacular scenery. We did not have trouble finding diesel anywhere, so that was good. We parked overnight in a friend's driveway in Sweden, and no one complained, so I guess that was OK. We had a wonderful trip.

I would like to suggest that you have a little kit that could be sold for a few kroner that had salt, pepper, some sugar, coffee filters and maybe some onion or garlic salt. We had to buy 50 filters, and used only 12, we bought a kilo of suger and used less than half a cup, the same was true of salt and pepper. There might be some other little items that you could include in the kit that I have not mentioned. If we lived in Sweden we could have taken the unused portions home, but as it was we just gave them away, and it was a couple of days where we had none, and the food was pretty bland. It was great fun shopping in the stores there, as we tried things we usually do not eat at home. We found it strange that everything was prepackaged. Here in the states we are used to buying six lemons or three bananas, in other words bulk foods, but did not find any there except in the farmers' markets. They were fun. too, because they have some berries and melons that we do not find here.

We found all of the roads well marked, so we only got lost once, and that was in a larger town. The roads are narrow, too, which could be a problem for some pwople, but we live out on the remote north coast of California, so were used to that kind of roads.

Thank you, and we will recommend you to our friends.

I want to thank IdeaMerge for being such a wonderful help to us when we were planning our trip. I got so carried away with telling about the trip that I forgot to mention this fact in my summary. All of the information you gave us helped us to feel good about the whole transaction. The person with the shuttle was there waiting for us, and when we brought it back they took us to the train in the shuttle as well, so we could get back to Stockholm without difficulty. We called my cousin from their office, and she was there in the station when we arrived. We will certainly recommend you to any of our friends who plan to travel by motorhome in the future.

K Cox, 06 october 2008
We rented an RV from McRent (Hamburg, Germany) through Idea
Merge. Idea Merge did a great job; I would rent through them again.
They were very helpful when McRent did not want to supply the
camping table/chairs that I had already paid for (when we returned
McRent did include the table and chairs). We had an excellent trip --
we travelled to Denmark also -- and I would recommend renting an
RV in Europe to anyone with a bit of an adventurous spirit. Thanks!

Andrew Henderson, akh379@hotmail.com, 30 september 2008
We picked up a camper truck at Halifax for a tour of Nova Scotia for 3 weeks. This size of RV is ideal for 2 people and was in good order inside and out. Very good service from Fraserway Rentals and generally good campsites throughtout the Province. the Provincial parks are more spacious than the private ones and in our view better value all round.
Holiday spoiled by collapse of Zoom Airline!
Only complaint was the information on some of the tourist maps regarding projected times for journeys, which were often greatly underestimated.

Andrew (Scotland)

steve W, 28 september 2008
We rented a HUGE RV from "EL MONTE" through Ideamerge starting near Vancouver and heading south to San Francisco. Washington, Portland and California werew all quite magnificent, as was the RV itself and the people and places met along the way. We did it easily in one week but having 3 weeks would have been better!

We are Europeans and were happy paying a lost of cash for such the luxury of driving such a big RV and the resulting experience. Our only critisism (and a big opportunity for the owners) is we were willing to pay more for a fully kitted out RV - with the sort of gear I'd expect anyone would want to take on a camping trip and use - such as better utensil, a table, a lamp etc not to mention fishing rod, canoe, bike, inflatable etc. The lack of "toys" was not critical but could make a big difference to a longer trip. As it was we bought a whole lot of stuff in WALMART...

Other than that - just great!

David McDonnell, David_McDonnell@itnet.ie, 23 september 2008
Me and my friends decided to do a tour from chicago to LA. A total of 3400miles. We rented our RV from motouris as they offered a combination of excellent service and excellent price. The RV itself was spot on, no problems at all. Very comfortable and it had no problems with demanding roads in colorado or high temperatures in vegas. An excellent machine. The pickup and drop off locations were placed well and each station boasted a team of extremely professional and friendly staff.
Motouris was an excellent company to deal with and I look forward to many more years of RV rental.

Michal Gabrialowicz, 17 september 2008
Thank You very much for an excellent vehicle. We spent perfect holidays. The car was just fine, fuel consumption was regular, the engine could have been stronger, but anyway we weren't rushing anywhere. All the equipment worked just fine. Camping sites all around Europe were very comfortable. I can't imagine next summer (or maybe even spring) holidays without camper. The person in Duesseldorf responsible for running the rental station was very competent, helpful, and nice. He spoke fluent English, which was very important. Thanks again. We will remember about IdeaMerge for sure.
With regards
Michal Gabrialowicz

David Davies, david.davies@uk.bp.com, 17 september 2008
We recently rented a McRent Premium Plus, sleeps up to 6, (Dethleffs 7871-2), and had a great holiday in Austria and Italy (near Venice). The vehicle was excellent. On pick-up in Munich the Venice wasn't ready at the agreed time and we had to wait the best part of 2 hours however apart from that the pick-up of the vehicle was fine. We had communicated that we were dropping the vehicle back a day early but this weasn't communicated to the Sulzemoos dealer so agin some delay. As as said the vehilce was excellent, it drove and handled really well, and it's facilites were very good. We had an excellent holiday. The only thing we were surprised at was that given the excellent storage (which we were pleasantly surprised at) that a few more basic weren't provided or offered, eg. brush, mop, bucket, bikes for hire, more kitchen utensils, etc. Also the video had suggested that the toilet chemical was provided we had none so had to buy at extortionate cost! However these are minor complaints about an excellent vehicle.

Joanne Robb Des Gray , joanne@wwa.co.nz, 13 september 2008
We hired a camper for 49 days around France & Italy (6000 kms) and overall had a fabulous trip and now that we are back home just realize how much we actually saw and did.

Idea Merge was an efficient way to book this over the net and we commend them on their prompt service with all required information in detail. That was great, thank you.
.
Only having motorhomed in US and no experience we Europe we chose Avis Caraway thinking they would be good with a name like Avis, however we have to say we were disappointed with quite a lot of things about the camper and reading other reviews seems we all have the same issues, seems Avis could do a lot better. The other thing that annoyed us when I commented about certain things in the camper, the guy at Avis kept shrugging and saying “This is France”.

1) Camper was old and shabby – 47,000km on the clock
2) Some of the seat’s upholstery was ripped
3) Kitchen kit shocking – china and glass are very impractical in a camper
4) Blankets – horrid – pleased we bought our own sheets and towels
5) Van was not very clean, in yet we paid a prep fee!
6) The blinds were old and hard to bring up and down
7) The fridge had a faulty lock
8) Maps and Campsite information was inadequate
9) Directions to depot – useless

For the money we spent, versus the service and camper we got from Avis did not represent value - we would not hire again from them. Despite all that we had no breakdowns and no mechanical trouble and very much enjoyed France and Italy.
In the USA we hire from Road Bear who are exceptional in every way – and our 10m camper there is like our own “private mobile hotel” brand new every year – we highly recommend them, and for the record it is not hard to park a 10m in the US – there is space everywhere!

Hints for others:

1) Take own linen
2) GPS a definite must for easy travelling
3) Keep off the freeways for better sightseeing
4) Get own maps and campground info

A great way to travel, will be back – and will be in contact with Idea Merge.

Kind Regards
Joanne Robb & Des Gray
Queenstown – New Zealand

Bill Sargent, 11 september 2008
We, my wife and I, recently returned from a 7 week drive in a McRent Citroen van. I was very happy with the vehicle which was near new, clean and very reliable. It was fuel efficient and really did suit our needs. The pick up and drop off were fine and McRent Munich explained well the ins and outs of the vehicle before we left. Bike racks were included on the vehicle. We planned to buy bikes on our trip but could never find where to get them. They would have been a welcome addition as the size of the vehicle meant we parked outside main centres. If they could be included as a part of future rentals or a scheme could be arranged with a bike hire company as a part of the rental, I would definitely hire them in future.

Thank you. Our trip was great and would be confident to rent again from you.

Bill Sargent

Lekah Frenkel families, Israel, lekah@bezeqint.net, 11 september 2008
Hello all!
In August we had a terrific two weeks' Europe trip with great help from IdeaMerge (special thanks to Mark Carr, Doug and Eric Bredesen - excellent job).
We rented Compact Luxury and Family Standard vehicles, both in practically new conditions.For family of four we would suggest Compact Luxury,wich have a big useful laggage container, easier to drive as it lower and narrower and no need to assemble/disassemble a double bed at the center of a saloon.
There were no problems at all recieving/returning vehicles at Mannheim's McRent station - very kind personell. The only difficulty was to get to the station itself from the railway station - althought its not a long distance, but to get there with 4 children and a lot of laggage is a real challenge.McRent people did not agree to pick us from and to the railway station.
At return it was possible to clean up the vehicle at the station itself, wich is very convinient.
Another advice for non-european travellers is to rent a vendor's GPS device. It includes all McRent stations around Europe,vehicle (Fiat) repair shops, tourist information points etc'.
Finally, we want to thank again IdeaMerge stuff for helping us to transform our dream into reality.

Marco Sciuto, 09 september 2008
the motorhome was really great and all well organized. we were a little bit disappointed about the total milage because the rental fares don't include unlimited milage fare and so, in most of the cases, you have to pay additional fare for every kilometer you drive.
byb the way, the sign to the rental office in stockholm are not clear ( we had a GPS navigator but it was hard the same).

Don Bobert, Vancouver Canada, bev.don@telus.net, 08 september 2008
We rented a Dethleffs GlobeR 5881 Family Plus unit from McRent in Hamburg for 2 weeks in August 2008.The unit was almost new, with 6500 km on the odometer, and we put 4300 km on it travelling in Northern Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway.

If you have three kids this unit is excellent as it has 2 rear bunk beds, an almost king size over-cab bed, and the kitchen table conversion-bed. Our smallest child, who is 5, slept with my wife and I in the over-cab bed, which meant we never had to take the kitchen table bed up and down.

We had rented the same vehicle from McRent in Frankfurt for 3 weeks in 2005. There have been some good updates, including a more sturdy fridge door closure mechanism, a deeper and wider sink, a back-up camera with sound, and an increase in horsepower from 110 to 130. We got about 21 mpg US (11.2 litres/100 km Canadian)which we think is excellent for a vehicle of this weight.

The McRent people in Hamburg were a little more relaxed about the cleamliness of the vehicle when we returned it than those in Frankfurt in 2005. It's hard to clean a vehicle like this before you return it when you are not given any equipment and therefore have to buy it all. We spent 5 hours cleaning it in 2005 and 3 hours this year. In 2005 we barely "passed" so that we could get all of our 1000 euro deposit back. This time we passed with flying colors.

One caution I would have for North Americans is that the roads in Norway north of Oslo can be very narrow, especially if you are not on a main road beginning with an "E" such as the E6 (the main north-south road). Roads such as the 55 which go east-west over the glaciers to the fjords are one lane total (not one lane each way) and a number of times this meant backing up for hundreds of feet when you met a semi coming the other way. This is not for everyone, especially on an incline.

All in all I would highly recommend this way of travelling in Europe. It is much cheaper than renting a car and staying in hotels, and way more fun!

John Weel, jweel@mercuryspeed.com, 07 september 2008
Found IdeaMerge/McRent [Frankfurt/Offenbach Am Main, Germany] on the internet in April 2008 and booked for my wife and I a two-week European camping adventure in August 2008 for travelling through Germany @ Campsite Wolfsground/1 night, Schluchsee; Camping Lago Maggiore @ Tenero Switzerland/1 night(bought the pass for driving in Switzerland); Italy we took a B&B 2 nights for safe parking and then train/boat from LaSpecia to Cinque Terra; Antibes, France, for lunch and Camping Bagatelle 2 nights @ Avignon, France [Pont du Gard ... magnificent); Camping Nautic Almata 2 nights @ Sant Pere Pescadoor, Spain; quick lunch vist to Carcassonne, France, and then 2 nights in Dordogne area, Camping Le Capeyrou @ Beynac, France; then drove long day Beaune for lunch and arrive at Campsite ClairVacancies 2 nights in Herrlisheim-pres-Colmar to tour Colmar and Equisheim. Last day visited Heidelberg, Germany, for lunch.
The Compact Standard Globecar Globescout Fiat Ducati suited our needs perfectly re size for 2 people and mileage/diesel . Pickup and dropoff experience was excellent. We read reviews and appreciated all comments as we had no past experience other than our own trailering RV trips from home in British Columbia, Canada. I had purchased maps but reviews said to buy a GPS and so glad I purchased the TomTom.
Tips: I rented bedding but bring your own duvet and pillows or buy en route as rental pillows not comfortable and extra duvet needed in mountain camping areas; towels adequate but be prepared to add a few items to kitchen supplies. My wife and I enjoyed grocery shopping and she made good meals on the 2-burner stove. We brought our own fold-up chairs/table but would rent them next trip instead of bedding.
I did a lot of internet searches before we left for camp sites(nothing provided) and reserved some; others not. I booked the Etap Hotel in Offenbach am Main first night and last night (walk to McRent easily). Grocery store just down the street was excellent.
I would definitely recommend IdeaMerge/McRent. My wife and I are already researching another European camping adventure.

Mikel Larrea, mikel.larrea@ehu.es, 05 september 2008
It was our first experience renting a motorhome. Everything was fine. In particular, the pick up was excellent. Many thanks to Andy for all his explanations!!! The information you provided as (maps, camping directory...) was very helpful.

I can for sure recommend IdeaMerge to anybody.

Best regards,
Mikel Larrea

The Holgate's, 05 september 2008
We have rented twice from Frankfurt, completing some 12,000km and on both occasions we have received nothing but first class service. The staff are extremely friendly and only too eager to please, nothing is too much trouble.

The vehicles are all in really good condition with the kit that is supplied with the vehicles being sufficient to allow us to enjoy our holidays. Accepting and returning the vehicles is painless and completed with a professional approach

We would not hesitate to rent another vehicle from Frankfurt. Thanks to all for making our holidays hassle free and memorable

Raffi Balmanoukian, 03 september 2008
I picked up the McRent in Dusseldorf (Mulheim); it was no problem being a bit early and, on return, was also able to camp overnight in the lot (there is a public dump site just down the road to fill/empty tanks for the final time). There was no language barrier and the review was thorough.

I had broken a glass range cover from a speed bump, and was treated very fairly on this damage.

All accessories were in good shape and clean.

The motor home itself was in good shape - with a few scratches that were noted on the inspection - but could have been better designed and laid out (I rented a similar sized one in Belgium the year before on the same chassis and it was much better thought out); no reflection on the rental company. It was very efficient on fuel and easy to handle. The tires were excellent, and the fact propane and exterior cleaning were included in the price helped defray the operating costs considerably.

I would have no difficulty renting from these folk again, and in fact hope to do so.

Pam Symons, pamsymons@yahoo.com.au, 31 august 2008
We collected our van from Nantes, we had a bit of trouble at the depot, as they had prepared the wrong van for us but when mistake realised van was changed over, but the process was very long, took over 3 1/2 hours, even though we had sent all our information through previously. Van was in immaculate condition, beigh that it was almost new. Had no problems on our two weeks travelling in France, which was an amzing holiday, would recommend to anyone and will probable do again in the near future. When we returned van we were again kept for a long period again whilst they went over everything, we had cleaned the van inside and out, but they insisted that it wasn't clean enough as they found dust in a storage box, that we didn't even know existed, so we were charged for cleaning, which was disappointing as we had gone out of our way to keep van clean, and seeing as no cleaning equipment supplied, not even a broom, or a dust cloth, that wasn't easy. Staff were quite friendly and did help us with other issues. We would most probably hire through them again, but take a broom next time.

Avis Family, Ontario, Canada, 27 august 2008
Executive Summary - Had a great time. Camper was an ideal way to travel for our family. Would do it again.

Our family of 5 (parents and 3 teenage sons) had a fantastic 2 week camping excursion around northern France starting the last week of July 2008. We arrived in Paris on a Wednesday and spent two nights in a wonder hotel just one block away from Notre Dame Cathedral (Hotel Europe St. Severin). We returned to the same hotel of our last night before heading home. Our camper pick up was at the Rennes depot. We took the high speed TVG train to Rennes and luckily found a taxi van to carry our group plus a mountain of luggage. The depot is about 20 minutes from the train station.

Faxing in the rental information prior to leaving Canada really helped to streamline the process for signing out the camper. The staff at the rental shop were courteous and helpful. We had a reasonably detailed briefing of the ins and outs of the camper and were on the road in about 1.25 hours. We had the Family Luxury unit that has a huge storage bunker below the rear bed and we put that storage to use for the bulk of our luggage. The camper was brand new with only 200 km on the odometer.

When planning for the trip we purchased an SD card for our TomTom GPS with maps for all of Western Europe. We don’t know how we navigated around Europe on previous driving trips without this unit - we certainly wouldn’t attempt another trip without a GPS. It took most of the stress out of driving. Our preference - stay off of toll roads - they are typically built in never-ending ditches with no views. Go for the smaller 4-lane and 2-lane roads to see more of the country. (Set your GPS to avoid toll roads).

We brought $10 Canadian Tire summer sleeping bags with us to reduce housekeeping (as well, reviews were not very positive for the bedding package that was available). The sleeping bags worked great, and we would not have had guilty minds if we had to leave them behind to free up space in our luggage for our return flight. We also brought our own old pillows (some of those remain in France). Use the stabilizer legs under the rear carriage to reduce rocking of the vehicle when parked overnight.

The utensils, cooking equipment, dishes, etc. were adequate for our needs. Hint: pack towels or sheets around the dishes and cups when travelling to eliminate shifting of the load.

We purposely avoided using the on-board toilet. We did not realize that emptying of the dirty sink water should have been done at every possible opportunity. After about 5 days of warm summer weather an unpleasant odour was noticed and it intensified as days past. We finally figured out it was the fermenting dirty water vessel that was back gassing.

To our surprise, there was a strong-box (safe) under one of the seats for storing valuables.

We were amazed that there were essentially no bugs during our entire trip which included coastline and inland travel. The campground book provided was on little use. We had pre-purchased a Alan Rogers guide book which was of more use. Unfortunately, we were unable to purchase the interactive CD from ACSI - I think it would have been very helpful since we did bring along laptop computer to allow for email access and cataloguing of digital photographs.

We eventually discovered that campers are allowed to set up overnight at certain parking areas throughout France. One Dutch camper said there is a book that identified all of these free campsites. District information centres can point out the free campsites in their area. We utilized three of these free sites and also set up camp on residential streets on two occasions.

We wish that we would have had a few fold up chairs to use once we settled in for the night. We did not arrange for rental of the chair/table set due to comments from other reviews.

Our travels took us from Carnac, all along the D-Day Beaches, through Flanders Field (including parts of Belgium) and down the Lore Valley. A total of 2,700 km of travel was accumulated. A typical fill of diesel fuel was just of 100Euro. We had to fill up about 6 times in total.

We spent a few hours on a last night in the camper to do a thorough cleaning. No problems upon return, even though the upper corner panel had a couple of dings from encountering a tree limb. No additional charges or penalties, only the cost as per original booking arrangements.

Sharon Rumba, rumbas@dccnet.com, 27 august 2008
We had a very good experience with everyone at IdeaMerge as well as the pick up depot, McRent in Frankfurt. The pick-up and drop-off went well and the motorhome was clean and gave us no serious problems . The only problem was the fridge not locking when we were parked. It was roomy with a great layout for travelling, and still small enough for parking and doing quick U-Turns when needed. Thanks so much, I will definately recommend IdeaMerge.

Heidi, Has921@gmail.com, 26 august 2008
Thank you ideamerge, your service was excellent. We had a great time in the truck camper we rented from Fraserway. The staff at Fraserway was friendly, helpful and knowledgeable, a pleasure to do business with. Banff and Jasper National parks are exquisite and the campgrounds beautifully maintained. We will definitely rent another RV!

Margaret Messner, mbmessner@sbcglobal.net, 25 august 2008
We picked up our McRent Globus on July 14 in Frankfurt. The customer service was very efficient and checked everything thoroughly. We rented the table and chairs but took old linens, towels, pillows and a sleeping bag (duvet) which we didn't bring back with us. Then we immediately went shopping at Bauhaus and IKEA to get cleaning supplies, paper towels, toilet brush, etc. IKEA definitely has the best prices, where we saw a folding table and chairs for less than the rental fee!
We loved driving the Globus. We traveled in southern Germany, the Dolomites, Venice, Switzerland and southwestern Germany for a month. In Cortina d'Ampezzo after dinner, the engine wouldn't start. Unfortunately it was Friday evening and no garages were open, plus no Fiat garage was listed in the book until Belluno (which wasn't open because it was Saturday by the time we got there). We were able to get the camper started again and made it to Venice without turning off the engine (once we got it started). We enjoyed our weekend in Venice, managed with some help to get the camper started again on Monday, got to a Fiat garage in Venice but they were too busy to fix it, got to Vicenza (the next Fiat garage) where they were out to lunch and finally almost made it to Verona when the engine died at the autostrada tollgate just four kilometers from the garage. We were towed to the garage where it was fixed within an hour (new battery had to be put in -- unusual for a new camper -- 2008!). We lost only a few hours from our trip, but had a lot of anguish trying to figure out what was wrong.
We had to fix the bathroom door handle and a button on the cupboard which was caused by a loose hinge, faults which were present at pickup but not noticed. But no big deal!
We took our Tom-Tom with us and it worked just great -- took us to the address every time. We also picked up an ADAC travel atlas, camping guides and roadside park places guides and maps and they were super useful (but one might need to know German). We left them with friends at the end of the trip along with cleaning supplies, etc.
The return of the camper went smoothly too. We unfortunately were hit with a hailstorm on the autobahn in the Allgau and had to pay the 300 Euro deductible for hail damage to the top of the camper. Our son, who had also rented a camper, was with us and he had to pay the deductible, also. But we were reimbursed for the towing at the tollgate in Italy. All in all, none of this put a damper on our trip and we had a wonderful time. We would do it again in a heartbeat!

Alon Eizenman, aeizenman@hotmail.com, 25 august 2008
We picked up our truck camper from Fraserway in Halifax on August 2, 2008 and toured with it for a week.
The pick-up and drop-off of the vehicle was satisfactory, but a bit slow.
I found the camper to be very comfortable and almost new. However, there was a slow leak in one of the tires which was known about by Fraserway at the time of rental. Instad of replacing the tire, I was told that I would have to fill the tire with air every so often. That turned out to be every day, which was something of a pain. I would encourage future renters to, if such an event comes up, ensure that the rental company replaces the tire before embarking on the trip.

Lindsey and Keven Grogan, lin-kev@bigpond.net..au, 25 august 2008
My husband and I have just returned to Queensland after renting 20ft Dethleffs Motorhome from Frankfurt,Germany Depot. Our collection was held up for a couple of hours as they awaited the delivery of a brand new vehicle.. This was great and we found it all to excellent. We choose to have the configuration East West which meant we had a small ladder to climb each night... next time we would choose the model with the bed down. but apart from that we loved the vehicle.. We found the Gas Cylinder refilling to be quite a drama as we hired on March 13 and struck snow in Geneva. We had been told that we could exchange the cylinder anywhere in Europe except France... We finally sorted the problem in Portugal but upon returning to Frankfurt we were then informed that they also realized the problem and equip the vehicles with universal fittings that enable the bottles to be filled. We would suggest that this is estential if renting long term and in the cooler months. Otherwise we loved the vehicle, we travelled. Germany, Spain,Portugal,France, Belguim,Netherlands,Luxemburg,Switzerland,Italy,Croatia,Slovenia,Czech Repulic,Austria and Bavarian Region and back into Germany. We travelled 18000klms over the 4 1/2 months hire... We found the staff wonderful in Frankfurt and Doug Bredesen just wonderful and always available to help with any questions. I would highly recommend dealing with Doug as we will again, and also the staff at Frankfurt. A great trip, with fantastic memories and experiences. Just sad that it is all over. Thanks Doug and Suzzane for all the wonderful service. We will recommend you to everyone. Lindsey and Keven Grogan Queensland Australia.

Norbert Häg, norberthaeg@aol.com, 24 august 2008
We picked up the motor home in Carlgary. The vehicle was is very good condition, aslmost new and the instruction we got was perfect, however I would wish that all insuranches are included.We had very good time in the Canada national parks everything worked very well.

John Watson, 23 august 2008
We had an excellent rental unit at a very good price from Ideamerge. They were very friendly and helpful with all of our questions and concerns. I would recommend them to anyone renting an R.V.

Simon Hooton, simon_hooton@hotmail.com, 21 august 2008
We booked to pick up our camping car from Loisirs 44 in Nantes. The company were great but we were supplied with the wrong address for the depot. We were given 315 Route de Vannes where as the address is 316 Route de Vannes, which is about 3km away. We found it having made many phone calls on expensive mobile roaming charges, thinking all the time that the company had gone bust and we'd lost our holiday, hey ho. Once we arrived, everyone was helpful and we had a great holiday-France is brilliant for campervans. So after a bad start we had a great time!

Neil McGill, macgee@xtra.co.nz, 19 august 2008
We very much enjoyed our exploration of north western USA National Parks and western Canada.

A highlight was meeting up with many friendly and helpful Americans especially in RV Parks. We were in the thick wildfire smoke at Lewiston CA when the President and California Governor flew into Redding on July 17 to conduct a helicopter inspection of the fires, and next day we passed by a field full of huge helicopters and armed forces personnel and we assumed that this turn out had something to do with the Presidents visit.

Our thanks to you for the very friendly way you set out the terms and conditions of our agreement with Road Bear. The 27 ft motorhome was very comfortable and Road Bear good to deal with, especially at San Francisco drop off where they treated us very fairly and courteously. We appreciated the free shuttle back to SFO International.

We covered 6706 miles in 59 days and the big Ford V10 with the auto transmission was a dream to drive. We went from sea level to 12183 ft which is as high as one can drive on a main road in the USA and the engine fuel consumption averaged 8.53 miles per gallon which I thought was very good for such a heavy rig.

We had our share of fixit jobs in the RV and purhased a few low cost hand tools to do the work, which Road Bear had no hesitation in reimbursing. I suggested to them that there should be a small tool kit included with the RV. Only two things bugged us about the RV, one being the plastic sheeting stuck over the carpet, the second being the very sweaty driver/passenger seats of artificial leather. We suggested to Road Bear that they either replace the carpet with vinyl or include a small vacuum cleaner and get rid of the plastic sheeting which was forever getting tangled in sandals or socks, and looked awful untidy, especially toward the end of the journey. Early on we purchased two chamois leather car seat covers and this helped a lot to overcome the back and backside sweating problem.

Three tips for other travellers. First, don't leave home without a GPS navigator. Our unit saved so much stress and time. Our notebook PC had Google Maps and Google Earth loaded in and Road Bear supplied a good RV Park directory. In combination we were able to find RV Parks at our next stop, look down on them from Google Earth to make sure they were not close by a busy road or railroad, or if they were close by a river or lake, and key in the earth coordinates on our GPS and never get lost. We found that a lot of addresses provided by RV Parks were incorrect or not recognized by the GPS, but earth coordinates were always safe, providing the exact figures are entered which ensured that the rig did not wind up outside a private home in say residential Medford CA when we were supposed to be around 25 miles north.

Second if anyone in Aspen CO advises it is OK to take a 98 inch wide RV over Independence Pass to Twin Lakes ignore the advice. In our opinion that busy road is far too narrow for big rigs and the RHS drop offs are sheer for hundreds of feet in places. Maybe departing Aspen around 6am would have been OK with lower traffic volumes, but many sections of that road are one way, and we were lucky to meet several dump trucks, going too fast, in the few wide parts of the road. When we got to the top and saw the row of toilets my wife remarked "I know why they put those up here."

Third, the coast road from Fort Bragg to San Francisco has splendid scenery but is very narrow and therefore requires a lot of concentration and patience to drive. Fortunately traffic volumes are low and trucks few and far between. Don't choose a weekend to drive the last 50 miles into San Francisco because you are likely to meet hundreds of city dwellers out for a Sunday drive and generally going too fast for the conditions. I found it impossible in many parts of that road to drive without being over the centre line and just slowed to crawl pace in many places. I allowed heaps of time for the daily journey and was always prepared to stop overnight earlier than planned.

In summary a very good holiday.
Kind regards,
Neil McGill

Arno, 19 august 2008
The check-in and check out process was easy and quick. Deposit was promptly returned. The camper had a strong engine and was comfortable. The only minor I would say was the fact we could not leave our car on the premises when we picked up the camper. We had to park in a residential area on the street in front of somebody's house, which turned out to be no problem but still. I would also suggest to upgrade the kitchen utensils they were very basic and not adequate. All in all a good experience.

David, david@semmel.com, 19 august 2008
My wife Jocelyn posted below. I'll just add a few items from a “first timer’s” perspective:

The Fiat-Globus drives great and is remarkably easy to handle. You are up high and get great views out the front. It took a day or so to get comfortable with the width, especially in the mountains. Using the levelers (plastic wedges) is important to master – a level RV makes for a comfortable night’s sleep. Also, be aware that tolls on motorways and mountain tunnels are VERY high by US standards.

The dishes/kitchen supplies are just the basics - plan on buying or bringing a few things based on your camping style. One or two stops at a hypermarket, a few dozen euros, and you will be happily outfitted. For us, it was a coffee pot, cereal bowls and pillows. Bring good, detailed maps or a GPS and bring your own camping guides. I brought a good pocket knife and a cork screw. If you plan to go to mountains, even in summer, bring/buy a blanket. The bedding provided was not adequate. An outside doormat would have helped keep the interior clean.

We are gadget freaks. Know that the RVs electric outlets work only if you are externally plugged in. Charging things like cameras can be a problem if you are off the grid for a few days. The cigarette lighter on the dash (no smoking!) works when the engine is running for cell phone charging but next time I would bring a 12v cigarette to 110v plug inverter (cost ~$10).

Other than as noted by Jocelyn, McRent was great. We cleaned the night before and our full deposit was returned promptly. Two suggestions:

1. It would be REALLY nice if McR or a third party would rent bicycles. Most camp sites are on the edge of town or further and a bike would really add to the overall enjoyment of the trip.

2. Tell us the height and weight of the rented vehicle! You need this for underpasses and speed limits and it is not listed in the van’s instruction booklet which is generic for Dethleffs vehicles.

All in all – we loved our caravan trip and strongly recommend IdeaMerge/McRent.

joel and emma, 19 august 2008
We had a great experience in our motorhome driving for 4 weeks around France and Northern Italy during July 2008. The van was great, we drove 4,500km and had no hiccups at all. The pick up and drop off in Frankfurt was very smooth and easy. We did need to mention the complimentary dish set as it wasn’t in the van, but that was no problem and quickly supplied once we reminded them about it. A thorough check of everything before we set off ensured we had listed all the problems (eg. We noticed and documented that a pin was missing which secured the electricity cap, therefore when the cap came off completely in transit there were no questions asked upon our return). Our deposit was promptly refunded upon our return with a small deduction for a dint in one of the tables which we were responsible for.

Cleaning wasn’t an issue – we spent a couple of hours thoroughly cleaning the interior the night before we returned the van – If you’re not willing to buy some wet wipes or sponges and spray cleaner from a supermarket and spare a couple of hours I think you shouldn’t complain about the cleaning fee. We took along some non-slip matting (used with rugs/carpets and you can buy it from Ikea) and cut it up to fit the cupboards, and that was great to prevent the dishes & pots from sliding around. We took our own TomTom (cheaper for us to buy than rent) which was a life saver, we wouldn’t have done the trip without one. We took along our own linen & towels and bought a cheap blanket, but on reflection bringing a few less clothes and adding a goose down sleeping bag instead (to use as a duvet) would have been better.

We utilised the France Passions book to stay at vineyards along the way and found the ‘Aire De Services’ book excellent to find the nearest chemical toilet drop and drinking water fill-up places. We rented the camping table and chairs with the van and used them almost every day. We also took our bikes which was fantastic. We agree with a previous comment that the rental company MUST put a sticker somewhere prominent on the dashboard showing the height of the vehicle. We looked through all the booklets, and not remembering which ‘category’ of vehicle we were in meant we had no way of knowing the height. This meant one of us getting out of the van to judge while driving very slowly under some low bridges – quite inconvenient when it’s something that could easily be fixed with a sticker.

Overall we had a wonderful trip, so many great memories and would really recommend the rental companies (Idea Merge and McRent).

Jocelyn, jocelyn@semmel.com, 18 august 2008
We picked up our rental in Frankfurt on July 9; it was clean and ready even though we got there early. We watched the movie and then went out give it the once-over with the clerk from the rental place; she didn't know much AT ALL. For example, she couldn't tell us the height of the vehicle ("Just make sure the bridge says 3 metres and you'll probably be OK." Probably?????????????) and when I asked her how to make the front seats swivel around, she said that they didn't swivel (they did - we figured it out the next day). The bathroon door lock was broken, but they noted it at the time. It was functional but touchy for most of the trip, and when it wasn't touchy, the lock was actually non-functional. No matter - everything else in the Globebus worked just perfectly, and we drove that thing over, among other Alpine passes, the Col de la Bonnet, which is the highest paved pass in Europe. Gas mileage was pretty good; the bed was comfortable; the gas power worked fine when we were "off grid", the shower worked well - I was even able to wash my hair, and I have thick, long hair. We used our Globebus to follow the Tour de France, and had an absolute blast. We did not rent tables and chairs from the rental place, but we bought some at the first hypermarket we found; ditto with towels, decent coffee mugs, decent cereal bowls, decent pillows, a decent tea kettle and a decent coffee pot. I carried 2 pounds of ground coffee from Starbucks with me from the States, so we were in good shape.

Here is a helpful tip for first timers: Buy a large pack of paper towels and use the rolls as padding for the dishes when you store them in the cabinets for the drive. Day-old bread also works well as "packing material." I had a lot of handiwipes with me (what my mom used to call Wash-n-Dries). Every time we used one to clean off our hands, I would clean dust, dried mud, and crumbs out of the crevices in the vehicle. I also used them to clean the floor frequently. We had NO PROBLEMS upon our return - we passed the inspection with flying colors and got our entire deposit back (I think it helped that the couple who returned their vehicle just before we did had scraped the top off of theirs trying to go through a too-low tunnel. Ours looked pretty good in comparison!)

I'm ready to go again!

Iddo Riemersma, 18 august 2008
Dear Doug,

Thanks for your mail and your interest in our trip. Yes, we made a very nice trip, all the way up to the North Cape (most northern part of European mainland, next stop is the North Pole). We have driven for 3,5 weeks, every day, on average 300 km per day, 6800 km in total. The camper itself proved to be a very good travel mate, and made it possible to travel so far. You can see some of the pictures in a slideshow on my personal page http://iddo-r.hyves.nl/

The pick up and the drop off were just fine. The guy at the Hannover rental shop was very kind and friendly. Only strange thing was the the 'speed pass for pick up' that we filled in and e-mailed never arrived at Hannover, while we got confirmation that it was received in Germany in good order. Concerning the trip, I must say that we had quite a number of incidents, some of them due to the fact that we are not experienced camper users. They were the following:

- a punctured tire, which we luckily discovered before it was flat. It was repaired at a tire shop with a plug
- the north of Sweden is known to have millions of mosquitos. They kept coming into the camper, while everything was closed. Thorough investigations learned that the roof window was not closing good enouth. The mosquitos managed to enter it, passing also a mosquito net(!) and a curtain. Once we found the problem, we bought some mosquito netting in the local hardware store, and taped it in front of the roof window. That solved the problem.
- the dishes that were delivered with the camper were stored in a cabinet up in the kitchen. At a very steep and bumpy downward slope, all of them fell out of the cabinet, despite the fact it was properly locked. The problem was that they were made of porcelein, which applied such a heavy weight on the cabinet door that it gave way. And as a result, all of the dishes were broken. We would recommend to put proper camping dishes in the camper, that are much lighter, and will not easily brake as well.
- Driving through a village, we missed a (not so good visible) speed hump. In an open compartment over the stove we had a coffee pot which was launched in the air and landed on the glasplate over the stove. This broke into thousand pieces and was obviously charged. We would recommend to warn people not to put heavy stuff in places where they can fall out of.
- The most serious incident was when we drove through a -not even so deep- ditch. There is still quite some distance between the rear wheels and the back of the camper, which we did not properly realised. When we drove through that ditch, the front wheels went up at the back of the ditch, the rear wheels were in the middle, while the back of the camper was not in there yet. As a result, the bumper dug into the ground and was badly damaged. We were never aware that this could happen, and the event seriously ruined our day. At the drop off, the damage was estimated at some 500 euro's, a serious amount of money. We would recommend that with this particular type of camper people will be made aware of this. By the way, after that event it happened another 2 times, one time even at the entrance of a gas station on a near flat road!

Despite these troubles we enjoyed staying in the camper very much. We are already considering to rent another one next year, or maybe even to buy one.

We hope you can use this feedback to better inform future customers on the do's and don'ts about camper handling.

Best regards,
Iddo Riemersma

Theo Berden, tberden@optusnet.com.au, 18 august 2008
We picked up our van on the 8th of July and it was practically brand new. We were treated very courtiously by McRent in Dusseldorf and had no problems with the van. We drove 5500Km's in 3 weeks through Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway. We had no problems with the van and returned it after 3 weeks. The return proces was quickly completed and our Euro 1000.- deposit was returned to us within 2 days. We cannot fault the rental and will be using them again if we plan another holiday in that area.

Robert Koritnik, 18 august 2008
We had a great holiday travelling all over Andalucía. We rented our vehicle in Lorca. The problem was, that taxi driver (from Lorca) didn't know where it was so we spent quite some time (and money) to get there. Our confirmation papers were stating wrong data, because instead of motorway exit number it said on what km the rental company was. Which was of course wrong. That's why we had problems finding it. So it's not 585km but exit 585.
Next problem was also that we were able to get the vehicle at 16:00 (as being standard hours) but they don't start working before 17:00 so we were roasting on very hot sun in the area that is quite remote with no shade anywhere.
Vehicle was very well maintained and also quite new. The owner of the rental company was very helpful, he even spoke some English (which is to my surprise VERY rare in Spain because I'm also not coming from an English speaking country) so we were able to get through all the procedures in about 3 hours. Yes. Very long and tiresome.
Once we hit the road all was forgotten and we really enjoyed the holiday. And just a tip for others: don't go to the centre of small towns or cities because in cities you won't find parking spaces with enough headroom and in small towns you'll get stuck into narrow one way streets.

Heinz Kraehenbuehl, 14 august 2008
We picked up a Family camper van in Berlin and went for 22 days on the 9th of July 2008 touring Danemark, Sweden and Norway. Great car with everything working well, we made almost 5'000 KM Pick and drop has been well handled with no delays and professionaly done. The only remark was that my credit card was deducted with a deposit of Euro 1'000 which is not right. I understand, that you block the money on the credit card as a deposit, but if the client is bringing back the car back and everything is fine the amount should not have been deducted. Please in the future pay more attention to the payments.
Note from IdeaMerge: As described on our relevant Payments & Policies pages, the Germany vendors do indeed charge the security deposit to the client's card upon the pick-up occasion and do credit that amount back to the card in whole or part (i.e. minus the cost, if any, that happens to be due from the client for damages and such) upon or after the return occasion. IdeaMerge has suggested to these vendors that for such purpose they merely make an imprint and authorization upon the pick-up occasion and actually charge the card only if necessary and only on or after the return occasion. To that request those vendors responded that they would generally be at too great a risk if they didn't actually make that charge upon on the pick-up occasion.

michael frantum, mfrantum@yahoo.com, 13 august 2008
What a great trip.

We picked up our GlobeR camper car in Frankfurt and the process was easy and efficient. Klaus was very helpful and the RV was in great condition with few miles.

In the the next 3 weeks, we drove nearly 4,000 kilometers and explored 5 countries. We especially liked France, Austria and Germany. We were suprised and pleased to find that nearly every small town had a camping area. We ended up exploring many of the small communities and got to meet real people rather than the big city rat race atmosphere. We would use the McRent/Ideamerge approach again and are looking forward to our next vacation already.

Betsy Bingler and Family, 11 august 2008
What a great experience! The Ideamerge RV people were
wonderful, they answered back very quickly every silly question I
e-mailed mailed them.
We picked up our RV in Sulzmoos after flying into Munich. We tried
to take the public transportation to the rental place using the
directions provide. We got as far as the train station at Passing and
couldn't find the bus needed, we were told that bus no longer runs
the route we needed. We then took a taxi the remainder of the
way. The people at Sulzmoos were wonderful the instructions were
easy to follow. We are campers but never did the RV thing.
We rented for 3 weeks and went through 7 countries with no
problems. We loved having all out stuff in one place , not having to
pack up every night,and if it was raining we didn't have to pitch a
tent. We brought our own folding chairs which we used a lot. We
also sent over food, pancake mixes, tuna, chicken packages,
oatmeal etc. Next time I'd just pay the airlines for the extra
baggage and bring it with us. It was great to have until we got use
to the stores, it was also cheaper.
We also had a GPS which we couldn't of lived without it was
invaluable. The Church's Book Camping In Europe has coordinates
that were a big help in finding a campsite. The information in their
book was also helpful for the public transportation.
I was really pretty worried that every thing wouldn't go smoothly,
but it did.
We are already saving for our next big RV trip and we'll use
Ideamerge again.
JUST DO IT!

Evald Nergaard, Norway, eva-ner@online.no, 11 august 2008
Booking the van was quit easy, and we got all the help from Ideamerge when we needed it. Picking up and deliver the van was a nice experience. Freedom Holiday in Rome showed us all little scratches on the van, and inspection before and after was a great experience. We borrowed a little book where we could find different parkings in Italy, but it did'nt help us much. It was to difficult to understand and find our way in. We also did some research before our trip, but it's not easy to find good enough information about campingsites in Italy. Maybe suggested tours would be an idea, and adresses to most campingsites in the area you plan to go to should be presented on either the Ideamerge site, or as a folder or something on the rental office.

But, both IdeaMerge and Freedom Holiday seems proffesional enough, and I'm certain I will use them next time we go to Italy.

Anthony Lambros, loopylambi@hotmail.com, 10 august 2008
We had a fantastic holiday picking and dropping off from Barcelona. The RV was great to drive but we had some difficulty understanding how to operate the fridge as the Spanish guy who was very polite spoke not a word of english, i wasn't expecting him to be fluent but even a few words would have been very useful. Also the taxi to the airport was 40 euro which seemed very expensive so maybe ask the driver how much before getting in. Will definitely reccommend to friends and family, all in all very enjoyable.

Chris Jones, 10 august 2008
Booked a 32'RV through Ideamerge and Moturis in Sna Francisco. Absolutely flawless on all levels. This is the 3rd time I have rented an RV and this was the easiest - when I do again it will be through Idea Merge and Moturis.

Penny Shek, 10 august 2008
We loved our campervan holiday, but Avis Caraway, St Laurent Du Var, Nice, was disappointing.

1. We were promised maps, but all we got was one map of France. This was not helpful at all, because it was difficult to read the roads at such a small size, and some roads and suburbs were not even on it. When I asked for another map, there was only one other available (also of the whole of France), and I was not allowed to take it! We had to buy our own for 20 euros!
We did not get a list of camping grounds as promised either.

2. The bedding which we paid for, was inadequate. We booked for two, but only got one blanket. One blanket did not keep either of us warm enough at night (july, summer).

3. The cooking equipment was unsatisfactory and inadequate eg. the knife had black stuck on it, only three plates for four people, no mugs for tea, no cleaning products/sponge. The fridge was not very cold.

4. The pick up location was not easy to find especially when returning the vehicle. Again, a map of France did not suffice.

Some good points were:

1.The vehicle itself was quite new and in good condition. It had good storage, was spacious and comfortable.

2. The flyscreens on the windows.

Colin Ross Valarie McDonald, 07 august 2008
This was the 1rst time we ever rented an RV. Happily, it was a very good experience. Picking up the camper was relatively easy and we were pleased that it was very new and clean inside. The Fiat camper was very practical & made good use of every available inch of space. Likewise, the drop off went smoothly as well.
The staff at McRent in Frankfurt, Germany were very helpful & we were pleased that they spoke good English as we don't speak a word of German ourselves. I would recommend travelers take way fewer items of clothing than they think they will need as there isn't a lot of wardrobe/storage room in a camper. Also, having a GPS was invaluable & I would highly recommend the Tomtom.Having a copy a Rick Steeves Travel Guide is also very useful.
Although traveling by RV in Europe is not as easy as hoteling it, it certainly makes the trip more affordable and gives you the opportunity to customize your holiday. We're happy we chose the Camper Route!

Valarie McDonald

Sara and Ric Rosenkranz July 4th, 2008, 06 august 2008
We rented a 4 berth Kea camper. This ended up being the perfect size for 2 adults, a 6 year old and a 1 year old. What a great way to travel with kids! We saw so much beautiful scenery and met some of the nicest people at the camping spots all around the north island. We found the camper easy to use, easy to convert at bedtime, and overall easy to figure out. We would travel this way again in a heartbeat! The whole rental experience was just great! Thanks.

Beth Shapiro, 06 august 2008
We absolutely loved our camping experience and would do it again in a flash. One suggestion: Better return directions to the Stockholm site, as we did get lost.

Carmel, Australia, 05 august 2008
This was our second experience with IdeaMerge and Doug. Both times we have been very happy with the service provided through IdeaMerge. It was a bit of an effort to organise our rental this time due to us creating our own problem by booking so late and trying to get a camper during the busiest holiday period! But Doug was incredibly patient with all the questions and liasing between us and the renters and the end result was great for us. So we would use IdeaMerge again. Unfortunately, our first rental (2 years ago) did not go well with McRent in Dusseldorf being extremely unpleasant to deal with when returning the van (we still had a great holiday though). They accused us of causing all kinds of damage to the van when we returned it and kept most of our deposit. I've seen lots of other similar experiences here! We actually consider ourselves lucky that we did eventually get a small part of the deposit back, but were unable to ever make an insurance claim because they never provided us with any invoice. So if you want to use the German connection make absolutely sure that you go over that van with a fine tooth comb and take photos BEFORE you leave the yard. And watch out because they will however try to rush this part through (for example tell you not to worry about checking the roof and then when you return immediately commencing the inspection by climbing on the roof and finding all these things that you've supposedly done to it). I recall this being done to three people in the time we were there. So of course this time we were ready to take photos and climb all over the roof and note every scratch and dent when we arrived at Freedom in Rome. Well, what a totally different experience. They were sooooooo friendly, insisted on inspecting everything and made sure that they pointed out every dent and scratch and indicated that it was on their inspection report. Nothing was a problem for them. We did have a small problem when we first left and went back the next day and it was immediately fixed and they made sure we filled up with water again. They also supplied us with travel guides to the places we were travelling. Upon return we were greeted like old friends. The inspection was simple and relaxed and they congratulated us on how clean we returned the van! Deposit immediately returned. The whole experience with them was just so pleasant and so different to McRent. I wouldn't hesitate to book with them again. So if you have a choice avoid the German connection and head for Freedom in Rome. And although we had no choice with the van, my advice is book early and book the smallest camper you can possibly manage to live in because some of those places in Italy are pretty scary to drive around in a big van!

Angela Lynam, 05 august 2008
Booked Ideamerge on line from Ireland and rented 31ft RV from New york. All Tranactions both on arrival and return were very professionally carried out. The RV was almost new and spotless.There were no hidden extras on return and we were transported to the train station by ideamerge when we returned our rv. All in all a very enjoyable

John Lough, lough@btinternet.com, 31 july 2008
write now that I am back in the UK to congratulate you on your service and on your choice of motorhome hire company in Canada (new company Go-West Rentals, not yet represented on our site).
Go-West provided an excellent service with a nearly new vehicle that was the best equipped van that I have ever hired - and I have hired many times in Canada, New Zealand and Europe. Not only was the
equipment comprehensive, it included several extra items that added to the already good experience (for example the vacuum flask in travel case; four place settings of crockery and cutlery for a single person hire; kettle, teapot & coffee machine; two leisure batteries: etc).

I am greatly impressed and will certainly plan to use yourselves and Go-West on my next trip to Calgary.

Hannes, 28 july 2008
Picked up almost brand new camper in Paris. Well organized and friendly staff. Experienced NO PROBLEMS with van, utensils or amenities. Driving a 6 seater in Italy / France was challenging at times, but handed camper back with no scratches.

Will definitely do it again, with the same people.

John and Lisa Bauer, 24 july 2008
We rented a motorhome out of Frankfurt June 17th - July 5th. Doug at IdeaMerge was very helpful and quick to completely answer all our questions.

McRent in Frankfurt was absolutely terrific. The motorhome was immaculate and almost new. We were on our way in less than an hour. Once we reacquinted ourselves with a manual transmission everything went smooth. Two notes about the Dethleff - one don't fill the clean water tank all the way full or it will leak and two - ask them before you leave McRents how to put it in reverse!

We rented a Dethleff 5881. In addition to two adults we have two teenagers. The bunk beds in the back were well worth the little bit of extra money and added length.

We are a camping family and came prepared. Because of the weak US dollar we wanted to buy as little as possible in Europe. We brought an extra bag that had bedding, kitchen and bath towels, toilet paper, paper towels, dish soap, laundry soap, clothsline and clips, shower supplies etc. Worked great and we were ready to camp as soon as we arrived. However, we should have rented the camping tables and chairs from McRents!

Turning the RV in was a snap. We spent a couple hours cleaning it and received our deposit back immediately. The turn in process at McRents took only about 20 minutes. Those folks are fabulous.

Another note - we brought a GPS and it was fantastic, I wouldn't go without it. Mike and Terry Church's book on camping in Europe was wonderful. GPS coordinates were included.

Can't wait to go again.

Kirk Lalwani, 24 july 2008
We rented a Dethleffs FamilyPlus campervan from McRent in Mulheim/Dusseldorf in June for 3 weeks. There are 4 in our family, including 2 children and our plan was to go through the Black Forest, Switzerland, Provence, Riviera into Italy, loop back up to Austria and then back into Bavaria en route back to Dusseldorf.
Everything worked out perfectly. Gregory at McRent was very thorough and very helpful, giving us an excellent checkout. The van was very new, only 6K kms and virtually spotless. We rented a 6 bedder despite us being only 4 so we would not have to re/de construct the table and bench into a bed twice a day, as we had to do in New Zealand, and this made things a lot easier.
The only instruction that I forgot was not to fill the water tank full; on day 2 after I did, we had a trickling leak on the floor. When I called McRent, they assured me it would go away if I filled the tank to 3/4 (a Dethleffs design fault), and it did. Everything worked perfectly during our 4200km trip and the engine was peppy despite the size of the vehicle; it also gave us approximately 20miles/gallon, which was very nice given that diesel was about $9.50/gallon. All in all we spent less on gas than expected.
We really enjoyed the camping experience in Europe. The sites (use Mike and Terry Church's book for the best sites close to public transport) were stunning and well equipped, and very easy to access the city center. You can drive through most European cities and towns with the vehicle, but just beware of the old parts of the city (Vieux Carre, Altstadt etc) which tend to have narrow streets and height restrictions. The only unanticipated adventure was trying to get to a campsite near Moneghlia/Cinque Terre; the tunnels to access it say 3m height limit, but in fact are OK up to 3.5m, as we found out the next day after staying in a hotel. What we also discovered was that the site we were trying to get to through the tunnels had its own 3.2m restriction when I called them. We decided to stay at a different campsite the next night when we discovered the railway tunnels would be OK to drive through despite the incorrect 3.0m restriction. As it turns out, we had a spectacular oceanfront site (Camping La Secca) with panoramic views and steps to the beach. So, all may not be what it seems in Italy, but do ask before driving through!
Return check-in was uneventful. We had cleaned the van thoroughly and had no problems. Gregory was quite happy with the vehicle's condition, which was more or less immaculate, and we got our full refund in a couple of days. I presented him with a little German flag we got in a Toblerone as part of the UEFA soccer championship celebrations and he promised to display it in his office !
All in all, I would highly recommend Ideamerge, McRent Mulheim/Dusseldorf, and campervan vacations in Europe. An ideal way to travel, and it will save you a lot of packing/unpacking hassle, and money both from hotel costs as well as being able to eat 1-2 meals/day in the van. Only caveat....when it gets really hot (as in Italy) and muggy, with mosquitoes, it does get quite stifling in the van despite all the windows being open with the bugscreens active. We had enough after 5 days in Italy, so we headed back into the mountains without going to Rome.
We are planning another trip to Northern Germany and Scandinavia in a couple of years, and Ideamerge it will be!
Thanks Doug and Gregory for making it all so easy!

Anne-Marie and Miles Greenway, Victoria, Australia, anne_marie_davies@btinternet.com, 21 july 2008
Well, we left it a bit late to book a motorhome, but Ideamerge were great. The RV was booked whilst I was in the Cook Islands and Miles was in Australia, and he did the booking whilst I did the paying! No problem for them though...!

When we picked it up it looked HUGE, but we soon got on with it very well. We took it all over the USA in a month - LA to Utah, South Dakota and down to Miami, then back up to Pennsylvania. I think we did about 17 states in total. It was very good to us. The staff were excellent, especially in New York where we returned it, and our only qualms would be the hard matress (same as previous messages on here!), and the fact that the electrical appliances didn't reach the sockets! A kettle would have been cool too, but apparently they don't use them in the US that much.

Thanks, Ideamerge, for a G R E A T T R I P.

Anne-Marie

Patrick Eustace friends, 21 july 2008
Me and 4 friends booked a 5 seater RV near the end of May after finishing college and we toured Europe for 6 weeks taking in 9 countries along the way. Everything worked out great. The RV was a great way to travel as it allowed us to dictate the pace of our travels. I'd highly recommend this form of a holiday to anyone. It was a great experience and if anybody asks I'll point them in the direction of IdeaMerge!!

Thanks again!

Terry and Janet Davis, 19 july 2008
For our recent trip to Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland and Austria, we rented a 19 ft. Davis motorhome from IdeaMerge. The process was easy to do, no problems or hassles. Everything went as stated on pick up and return. The directions to the pick up was good and we had no issues getting there. The personnel were curteous and went to great lengths to show us how everything worked. We felt completely comfortable when we pulled out of the lot.

It was a perfect choice for 2 people with a bathroom, small kitchen and bed. We really enjoyed the smaller size of it, as it was easier to get around the small streets of Europe. We did still have a few issues with the height and parking spots, but nothing that hindered us from doing everything we wanted to do.

Camping through Europe was one of the best experiences of our lives and we definitely plan to do it again. We will also definitely rent a motorhome again!

Tim and Carla Yaworski, tyaworski@shaw.ca, 14 july 2008
We are a family of four, with 2 teenage girls, and just returned from a 3 week vacation of Germany, Austria, Italy and Switzerland. We rented the McRent Family Standard (Dethleffs 5831) flying into Munich and picking it up at Sulzmoos. McRent was excellent having the vehicle ready early and the drop off went smooth. The vehicle was practically new with under 4000 km and worked perfectly. We averaged about 11.5 liters/100 km going 4000 km on our trip. A note about taxi fares, I think they have gone up considerably compared to the rates mentioned on the Ideamerge site, as has everything. Expect to pay 80-90 euro each way.
Our observations about driving the motorhome are with the model we had was the height as this is something to be aware of when driving along tree lined streets due to potential trees scratching. Also the width could be a concern on some of the smaller roads in Italy and some city streets. All of these were mentioned by McRent at pickup.
Camping in Europe exceeded our expectations immensely. Compared to Canada and USA the campgrounds were like small resorts – extremely clean with very good and reasonable restaurants.
A suggestion we would offer that helped us immensely in selecting campgrounds that were convenient to both the driving and using public transportation, to get into the major cities to see the sights, was Mike and Terri Church’s book Traveler’s Guide to European Camping – it is excellent.
Overall we had a great experience, always comfortable, campgrounds were great, no security concerns and Ideamerge delivered with no surprises or problems. We highly recommend Ideamerge and McRent and plan to use them on the next trip.

Erik Robin Wilensky, ewilensky@gmail.com, 14 july 2008
We came to Europe for a tour of Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Northern Italy. If it wasn't for renting a camper, the declining US dollar would have put Europe out of our budget.
The renting process:
I received ample information regarding the terms and conditions of the rental and found the customer service to efficient and understanding through the process of the deposit and wire transfer of the remaining balance. We were to pick op the van in Regensburg since Munich was all out.
Arriving in Munich we used a transport service from the airport on the way to pick up and after drop off we took the train back to Munich which was cheaper.
Picking up the Camper:
The branch manager was very friendly and did give us thorough instructions regarding the camper and its use. He offered us all sorts of rental equipment however we decided before travelling to carry our own equipment in our luggage. Once converting the rental costs to dollars it just wasn’t as cost effective.
The van was almost new and had no issues except the air conditioner did not function. This was not a big deal and I looked at it as saving extra fuel. We were very pleased with the quality of the rental.
Drop off was much easier than expected and just like that we were heading back home.
Everything was up front, no surprises.
Everything was easy, no catches or hidden charges.
We had a great trip, no mechanical problems.

If I could come up with any suggestions, I would ask that English language camping guides be available with the camper or for purchase. I would also reduce the prices of the equipment rentals. I would also have liked the piece of mind of a second or backup propane tank. As it turns out we did not finish the original one but I would have hated to run out in the middle of a cold night in the Alps.

Thanks for the wonderful service and rental!

Anne-Cri and Didier, dbroers@fuse.net, 13 july 2008
We booked a RV with IdeaMerge for 12 days ( Las Vegas to Las Vegas )
we saw Bryce- Capitol Reef - Monument valley - Grand Canyon, we
had a 24 feets and were traveling with our 4 kids. It was PERFECT. It
is easy, convenient, the RV was nice ( Road Bear) I recommend to use
a RV to visit the big National Parks in the West, the campground are
fantastic ant the RV is adequate. We'll do it again ... with IdeaMerge
and we recommend your company to our friends. Thank you.

Curt Mathisen, 10 july 2008
We rented a Fiat Compact Cruiser Motorhome for our 30th Anniv.
trip to the Alps through DRM's Munich branch, The MH was brand
new and performed very nicely. Was good on fuel mileage, which
was good since fuel prices are way up there in Europe.

The unit was very comfortable for two. I would have preferred an
automatic transmission in the vehicle, but a manual was all that
was available. Handled the curvy roads in Austria and Switzerland
nicely.

DRM's branch managers were friendly and efficient. Spoke
reasonably good English.l

Overall very satisfied with our experience and would rent with them
again.

marty, atc_marty@yahoo.com.au, 10 july 2008
nothing but praise for idea merge.... we had no italian vocab and yet is was never an issue at the depot when picking up the van.... we had a very large camper..... may have been an error considering the type of skill needed to drive in italy ... anyway... the guys showed us eveything needed to enjoy our driving holiday in italy.... we did break a small thing in the van and this wasnt even a issue...... we loved it and would use these guys again with no hesitations..... from aussies on tour ...thanks

William Pulles, william@phd.co.za, 07 july 2008
We rented a camper from McRent and needed to collect it in Isny - a 2.5 - 3 hour train and bus ride from Munich. We arrived at around 17h00 on a Friday afternoon (late because of transport glitches) and our new 2008 model vehicle was there but with the following problems:

- empty gas cylinders
- no crockery or tables/chairs loaded despite confirming the need for this on booking
- cupboard door that would not stay closed and eventually broke during our trip

I was also dissappointed to discover that the Camping Guide was 3 years out of date and only available in German - nothing in English. The quality of crockery and cutlery provided is also very poor and even buttering a slice of bread runs the risk of bending the knife.

While the owner of the Isny depot does not speak any English at all, he was friendly and fortunately able to contact Lucas, a very helpful young man who took us through the vehicle, showed us how everything works and rectified the problems mentioned above. He also kindly arranged a free camping at a small site next to the enormous Dethleffs factory located in Isny and also offered a guided tour through the factory (which we declined for time reasons).

The van was great - handled very well and had great power on uphills. Diesel consumption was not too bad, provided there was limited open highway driving at 130 km/h when consumption climbs through the roof. It was definitely a challenge and test of nerves maneouvering the vehicle along the very narrow country roads of Croatia and its islands but we got through it without adding a single scrape to the vehicle.

We enjoyed the trip immensely, enjoyed the vehicle and would certainly recommend McRent, provided they can get hold of some English documentation for English customers.

Joanne McMillan, 07 july 2008
We booked our six berth motorhome with ideamerge as they were the most competitive on price for the Kea which we had choosen. We rang Kea from our hotel and they came and picked us up and took us to pick up the van. A very comprehensive van with everything that you would need and lots of room, also very economical on fuel. On our second night the bed broke but kea had someone there to fix it within an hour of getting the call. We dropped the van off and they took us to the airport. Excellent service throughout, from booking to collecting. Would certainly use again and have already priced up for Cananda next year.

Craig Palmer, craigepalmer@hotmail.com, 03 july 2008
We booked a 5-birth for a week, collected from Hamburg and travelled throughout Denmark. There was only two of us and our dog so we had plenty of room. Anyway, collection was no problem. Staff were friendly, helpful and spoke English which was a bonus. When we set off we didn't realise the radio aerial was missing at first, however when we informed them when we handed it back there wasn't an issue. Everything went smoothly. The van was surprisingly easy to drive and not too expensive to fuel. Denmark was expensive, but the idea of packing up every morning and going someplace new made the holiday great. One day we would stay on a site by the beach, then the following day stay on a site in the country. We soon got into our routine of emptying the waste and filling the water etc. Great week and we will definately do it again next year.

Patsie Otto Bletzer, patsie@bletzer.com, 03 july 2008
Just returned from a very successful motorhome trip through Germany,Austria,Switzerland and Italy. We hired a 6 berth Dethleffs Motorhome from the Offenbach/Frankfurt McRent office. The chap at McRent was extremely helpful, explained all the ins and outs of the vehicle, inspected it with us thoroughly and within 45 minutes we were on our way.We had prebooked all our stops and of these can thoroughly recommend Camping Bella Italia on Lake Garda , Il Pogetto outside Florence, and La Riva on Lake Como. We had no problems at all with the motorhome despite doing 4000 kms in it. We would certainly go through Idea Merge again but the next time would go for a larger version. Although we were only 3 adults in a 6 berth van you do have to be "friendly". Also the next time we would consider towing a SmartCar behind to avoid squeezing through narrow town roads. McRent refunded our 1000 euro deposit within a matter of days. Our only small complaint is that we arrived back at McRent to hand the vehicle in during a "staff meeting" and a very bumped up executive type told us very rudely not to interrupt him ! Keep clear of German staff meetings !!!

christian doeringer, 02 july 2008
We rented an RV in Stockholm for 1 week. Everything was well organized. However, we were disappointed in the end because the total bill far exceeded out expectations, as we were not made aware of some of the additional charges (for example, there is a charge of 0.4 Euro per excess kilometer driven. However, if you do not tell them the exact excess kilomters in advance, there is a "penalty" of 0.6 Euro per excess kilometer.
Note from IdeaMerge: We present all the information about the Scandinavia kilometer inclusion and extra-kilomter costs by way of our Accessories page(s) and during the online reservation process — as well as on the rental confirmation voucher which we e-mail to the client upon making the booking.

Karlene Dawson, 02 july 2008
My husband, 6 month old and I decided it would be a great experience to travel around Europe, visit family and experience life on the road with a little one. We thought that having a camper van would allow for us to create a stable environment for the little one, have flexibility and avoid the hassel of packing and unpacking every few days. Having the van definitely allowed for this however it was a little too restricting in other ways. We had orinally requested a VW California; however at time of contact their were none available in the location we had wanted to start in (or so we were told). So we got something a little bigger but definitely not more convenient for our purposes. I did find this a little frustrating as when I spoke to the representative at the dealership where we picked up the van apparently there were plenty VWs to be had. Irregardless we still had a fantastic time touring around Europe and camping along the way. A lot of people ask if I would do it again and I say yes but differently. Having the van proved to be more expensive in the long run as the size of it prohibited us from going into cities (parking) which meant that we pretty much just used it to travel from one location to the next, park at the campsite and then take transit in the various areas that we were staying at.
Working with Ideamerge was very helpful and they were quite helpful with most things, I just wished I had investigated the options around getting the VW van a little more. Hind sight is always 20/20 I suppose.
Note from IdeaMerge: We never steer clients away from available, less expensive models which they prefer to larger, more expensive models. At the time of booking we exhaust all possible avenues to locate the vehicle which best suits the client's needs and wants.

Stephen Tangney, stephen_tangney@mail.com, 02 july 2008
Steve, Darryl, Eoin & Gregg -Ireland
The original plan was for us to fly to austria to watch the European soccer championships - Euro 2008 - in Salzburg, Innsbruck and Klagenfurt. HOwever the lack of accommodation available and the price of flights proved too high an obstacle to overcome. a bit of lateral thought, and google searching and our new and improved plan rolled out with unexpected ease. We flew dublin-munich, spent 2nights in munich's beerhalls before making a short train ride from the hauptsbahnhof (central train station) to Markt-Schwaben, a 3euro 30min journey of german efficiency and engineering.
Within minutes of arriving, all the necessary paper work was signed and we loaded up for a trip of a lifetime. The ease at which this is done is a credit to IdeaMerge's thoroughness - especially the detailed e mails in simple english without the legal mumbo jumbo. The camper itself was again a hallmark of german efficiency. It was the VW "california" - a VW caravelle converted. less than 3,500kg's so we could drive it on our normal licences. We travelled 997km in week and it cost €140 in diesel, pretty good considering the fuel costs these days (and the fact that we were burning up the autobahns). An example of how cool this camper was would be that a table folded out and you could turn the front seats right around to face back into the camper, open the fridge and crack open a few cans and enjoy a wee game of cards before hitting the party mad Euro 2008 festival.
Our journey took us from Munich to Salzburg for the Greece Sweden game... nice swedish women abounding... then onto Germany Croatia in Klagenfurt... then thru the Alps (and i mean literally thru them, the longest tunnel we went thru was 6.8km... a long tunnel) to Innsbruck for Sweden Spain. The scenary was gorgeous everywhere and these small cities are hugely picturesque against the backdrop of the gargantuan mountains that surround you, always to the background of rushing icy waters that trundled through the hearts of these mainly pedestrianised cities.
We didn't have a hitch our entire holiday. we typically parked up our van in residential areas about ten minutes walk from the city centre, but i should add that everywhere we went there thousands of supporters so there were vans everywhere. I can't reccommend you to follow suit as these cities will never see their streets as vibrant ever again.
And we did it like true men, no map, didn't ask for directions and always landed on our feet.
Thank you IdeaMerge for making it possible, and with such ease of effort too.

"You are a product of your experiences".

Karin Fivaz, 29 june 2008
The service provided by Ideamerge was promt and good and I would use them again. I would however prefer to use a different Motorhome company and not Euromotorhome. The bedding provided was very bad and it consisted out of only one very old and worn sleeping bag per person with no extra blanket for colder nights. The crockery was also very sparse and did not include even basis items such as sharp knifes and coffee mugs. There was also not enough gas provided for our 2 week trip even though we were assured that the gas cylinder was full. The motorhome was in good condition and we had no mechanical problems and breakdowns. We also found it hard to find the campsites in spain and the guide provided does not give very good directions of the various campsites. But overall it was a good trip in Spain with minimal problems.

Lynne Griffiths, lynnegriff@talktalk.net, 27 june 2008
We picked up the RV in Vancouver and spent two weeks exploring Vancouver Island. The van was great, clean and with everything we needed, we especially loved going over the pass to Ucluelet.
We saw humpback whales and lots of bears and are looking forward to our next visit.

Noel and Mary Poe, 26 june 2008
We just returned from a 3 week vacation using a Compact Cruiser Fiat motorcaravan that was rented from Ideamerge and picked up at DRM Rental Office in Frankfurt. The van was perfect for the two of us as we traveled through southern Germany and most of Austria. The staff at the Frankfurt/Kelsterbach office was exceptional and gave us a good orientation taking the time that was necessary. The vehicle was ready when we arrived and within an hour we were out of the lot. Turning back in was also simple. We rented the kitchen set and it had everything that we needed. The van was basically new and we had no problems with the vehicle. We averaged a little over 26 miles per gallon, as advertised. One word of caution for the United States renters and maybe for people from other countries. In the United States the diesel pumps have green hoses and nozzles. In Europe the unleaded pumps have green hoses and nozzles. Be careful and get the right pumps for the vehicle. If the American government gets our act together and the value of the dollar increases aganist the Euro, I would not hesitate to rent from IdeaMerge and DRM again. Noel Poe, Utah.

Georgina Powell (UK), 25 june 2008
IdeaMerge were really helpful when we made the booking and were generally really efficient except that our flight details got mixed up with another family's so there was no-one to meet us at the airport when we arrived. It was resolved quickly though and we picked up the motorhome from the depot in Madrid with no problems although the whole pick up process does take a long time.

Never hired a motorhome before but the whole experience was great. Campsites in Spain are pretty hard to find (not very well signposted and the guide provided in the motorhome did not give very useful directions) so I would recommend doing a bit of research and printing out some maps before you leave home.

The motorhome itself was fine - pretty clean although I'm sure it was more than 6 months old (despite the rental details saying they were all younger than this!) The dashboard cigarette lighter didn't work - probably to stop people smoking in the motorhome - we don't smoke but it was a major problem because it meant we couldn't use our sat nav! Also, the household kit is more than basic and very expensive for what you are provided with - just sleeping bags and crockery. It didn't provide what I would call basics like a sharp knife and a chopping board etc...

We dropped the motorhome off in Malaga - it was impossible to find the depot and we were driving round for ages (although the manager assured us it was easy to find so maybe we were the only people who had that problem!)

Overall a good experience and I'd definitely recommend IdeaMerge if you're thinking of taking a motorhome round Spain.

Irene Schotman Jeroen and Tijmen Scheer, j.scheer@xs4all.nl, 25 june 2008
Half May we picked up our camper at Freedom in Rome, Italy. We
exchanged the generator for an extra bicycle. Since we travelled with
our son (2 1/2 yrs), Freedom came with the excellent idea of giving
us a child seat for one bike. That was really brilliant. Two bikes at the
back of the camper, we travelled around South Italy extensively,
enjoyed everything. The camper was excellent, although already more
than 90.000 kms on its counter. At return the people at Freedom
were very friendly again, as at pick up. We really enjoyed our trip.

Lucy and Alex, lucythompson1977@yahoo.com, 23 june 2008
We booked a 25ft RV from Ideamerge Motoris and had the best time travelling from the west coast to the east coast of the USA. We are british and thought this was the perfect way to see as much of America as possible.
The service we had in picking up from the San Francisco office and dropping off at the New York office was fantastic with the staff being really friendly and helpful. We also had a great deal by booking in advance.
We would highly recommend booking with them.

Rikus Tiny Terveer, r.terveer@kpnplanet.nl, 22 june 2008
May 12 - 27 2008
You’re always a bit uncertain about the outcome when booking a holiday yourself by internet. In the case of IdeaMerge there’s no need for that. Everything from the first contact up to the final delivery of your camper works just fine. Clear conditions, fast and kind responses (Doug Bredesen; does that man ever sleep?) to questions, kindly treatment whether it is by email or at pickup and delivery points and a very good camper! All that for a very reasonable (if not the best) price. We picked up a Winnebago Chalet in Las Vegas (sleeping capacity 4-6 persons, so certainly enough for the both of us) an drove it to Chicago. This camper is quite easy and comfortable to drive. It’s V10 engine supplies enough (and to spare) power to tame the more steeper roads we drove at, considered its measures , a reasonable fuel consumption rate . It is more than well equipped; everything you need is available and in good working condition. The camper certainly was not older as promised. For us a camper proved again to be the ideal way to explore foreign countries and the US is prepared for it; it’s easy to find campgrounds with specific facilities for them. We mostly used the KOA campgrounds and were very satisfied about them (a KOA coupon was included with the camper; good choice) . IdeaMerge offers more or less worldwide rentals and in case of future trips we certainly will use them again!

Jason Scarborough, NSW, Australia, Jason@renewableaustralia.com, 21 june 2008
My family of 5 had an absolute ball travelling around Europe for 9 weeks in the McRent motorhome we organised through IdeaMerge.

Doug is the man! We had several questions to assist in our planning (which for two adults and three children is compariable to a military logistics exercise!) Doug could even tell us if the CD player in the model we reserved could play MP3 files or not! Try asking Avis, Budget, etc this question and getting anything other than a shrug of the shoulders.

He also helped us resolve a SNAFU that our local motoring organisation made in issuing our International Driving Permit. All this made the pickup process at Frankfurt, quick, easy and uncomplicated.

The vehicle itself was clean, in good condition, mechanically A1 and surprisingly fuel efficient. Probably a little on the large side for some of the narrow european roads we encountered, however, we needed the internal size to stay sane.

On minor bone of contention - don't bank on getting your deposit back, and don't think that the 1,000 EUR is all you will have to pay if there is damage to the vehicle. We had 2 incidents on our trip:

1. where I mistakenly trusted a grease monkey at an Itallian filling station to direct us to an appropriate fuel pump. Minor damage to the rear of the vehicle resulted.

2. a car on the worng side of the road clipped our wing mirror in the UK and then failed to stop to exchange details.

Because there was 2 occurances, we lost the 1,000 Eur on the first and got hit for 400 on the second. Thankfully, our travel insurance should cover the shortfall (minus an excess).

This is the ONLY way to see Europe. We plan on writing a book about our experiences and can't praise Doug and Ideamerge enough for their efficiency, assistance and professionalism.

"Don't be jealeous - do it!"

Marybeth Finn, 17 june 2008
First I want to preface this review with the fact that we had a wonderful time travelling in Australia. A camper is the only way to go with a family of 6 (2 parents and 4 young adult children). Staying at mostly Big 4 parks was quite pleasant. It was a great way to keep this trip affordable for us all and to see as much as we could in 10 days! Upon arriving at the Brisbane Maui office on 21 May 2008 we were served within 10 minutes. Guess we got lucky for by the time we left there were 2 families that had been waiting for at least 30 min. The staff were all very pleasant, helpful and efficient. The instructional dvd was helpful, but a manual to take on the road would have been most appreciated as you don't retain much after travelling for 23 hrs! I was somewhat disappointed with the condition of the camper interior (Maui Spirit 6): refrigerator wasn't clean, broken air conditioner cover, broken bathroom door latch. We also had a broken camping chair. Those were all minor inconveniences compared to the blowout we had driving up to Port Douglas! We also had to have another tire replaced as it was losing air and had a wire protruding from the side of it. The Maui customer service line was helpful in giving us the name of a tire dealer to go to, but unfortunately they didn't have the tire in stock. It took us a 30 min drive to another dealer for the replacement only to find out that they could only replace the one tire as there was only 1 tire that size on the entire East coast!!! We also experienced a crack in the windshield and were very glad we took out the No Worries coverage as it covers 2 tires and 1 windshield!!! Driving on the left was a bit of a challenge in the cities, but not on the highways. NavWoman, as we came to lovingly call the GPS system, was helpful for the most part except for the 2 times she took us on a couple shortcuts not on the maps through a sugarcane field and on a gravel road in the dark! But she did get us to our destination both times. Returning the camper was simple and we were complimented on how clean we left it. Renting through Ideamerge online was easy and we would do it again without hesitation. Our main complaint was with the tire quality on the camper and this we addressed with the Maui personnel only to receive a shrug and "4000km is alot of driving!". The country of "No worries!" It's good to be back in the USA!

Lorne Logan, Nova Scotia, Canada, lorne.logan@ns.sympatico.ca, 11 june 2008
My wife and I rented a 22-foot Winnebago Chalet from Motoris, Las Vegas depot. We toured southern California and Arizona for 2 weeks. The Motoris staff were great to deal with and the price was very reasonable. I did damage the step pulling out of a service station and was prepared to pay about $200 for a replacement. I was delighted to hear the staff person say that it could be repaired for a cost of $50. I highly recommend Motoris and the Las Vegas staff.

Doug Bredesen at Ideamerge was also very professional, patient and helpful. All arrangements were made on the website and we were absolutely delighted with how smoothly everything went.

Pat Freeman and Erin Fleming, MD USA, 10 june 2008
We flew to Frankfurt, rode the S-bahn to Offenbach and then took a cab from there to the McRent terminal. Cabs were plentiful at the train stop. McRent in Frankfurt is in a garage but it has plenty of room to drop your bags. Klaus greeted us and asked to sit and watch the video while our paperwork was completed. The video was in English and made perfect sense to me. While waiting for them to finish prep on the RV (we were a few hours early), we took a nap on the couch. Then, Klaus showed us to our Globecar (Compact Standard) rental. It was practically brand new with about 7000km on the odometer. He showed us how to work everything and I had no questions. He asked me to follow him as he looked over the entire vehicle, including the roof, including up and down the ladder, to show the condition of the exterior. I'm glad for this as car rental places never do that and it leaves room for dispute. We had a perfect vehicle!

The rentals are parked behind the McRent building, and there was a narrow road that we needed to use to get out. Other businesses use this as well so we had to share the road. It helps to have some knowledge on operating an oversize vehicle to get in and out of this spot, in my opinion. But, it was no problem. GPS worked great to get everywhere from NW France to SE Germany. I highly recommend the "AA Caravan and Camping Europe" book as this gives excellent information about rates, facilities, locations and dates of operation. I found that just driving until we were tired, then showing up after camping reception was closed, someone was always willing to help and we could pay in the morning. The International Camping Card makes checking-in easy and is a great alternative to leaving a passport with the campsite reception overnight.

The RV engine was peppy and the 6 speed transmission was perfect for downshifting and getting enough power for a quick (as possible) pass for the autobahn/autoroute. They have many grades of Diesel in Europe and this RV took the most inexpensive grade, which was nice. The small size of this RV attracted a lot of attention from locals because it was small, blue (instead of the default white RV color) and had McRent's stickers on it. I loved how this attracted a lot of attention because it gave us a chance to try the language and meet the locals.

We had no problems with the vehicle except that the water level didn't like to go over 75% and I think that was a design issue. The cap for the water fill was not perfectly sealed and you'd get some leakage there when driving or parking on a hill. We got used to that as I'm sure it happens with most RVs. However, one day we ran the tank dry. After filling it, I ran some water later that day, which primed the system and also enabled the drain valve for the heater. I was a little embarrassed as the locals probably thought I was dumping waste on the street but the panic of me trying to find out how to get this stopped must have entertained them as I thumbed through the German manual. Good thing I could make out some words. The picture also help as I got a revelation moment and climbed into the back in time to save 50% of our water. My advice to others is to never run the water tank dry. Oh, there was also an intermittent buzzer that would sound when a door wasn't shut if you attempted to start the RV. It took a few minutes to realize what that meant as there were no warning lights on the dash. I say that's just the fun of experiencing a new culture.

This was the first time for me to be out of the country and I was impressed by the helpfulness of everyone. But, everywhere we went it was a relaxed atmosphere. US renters should understand that this culture is different. Customer service is not "the customer is always right," stores operate at strange hours and drivers are considerate.

Before returning the RV, dumped and washed out the toilet cartridge at our last campground, then we stayed in a local hotel a block away from McRent. We used the vacuum right down the street at a local car wash and some all-purpose cleaner from a grocery store to clean the entire inside. By cleaning everything so it looked like new, the McRent staff was extremely surprised. I think an hour of work detailing the inside is easy and makes your departure quite quick. We received an immediate refund of our deposit. I recommend this RV and McRent. I hope that others enjoy their European experience as much as we did!

Rex 2008, 09 june 2008
Hi Doug: McRent in Frankfurt is just marginal, may be it is only me, but I have a few things that I want to point out from my personal experience.
1. On pick-up day, customer can opt out viewing the McRent video, boring, especially if you have rented before. Besides, McRent won't let you off the hook with or without the video knowledge anyway.
2. The staff would climb up a ladder to inspect the roof, while the sides, front and back, and the interior of the vehicle are all ignored. This opens room for dispute when the vehicle is returned.
3. When a leak from the fresh water tank was pointed out to the staff, the reply was 'just over-filling', but we had to put up with a leaky tank all our way. At the best, we could only use half tank and the other half wasted.
4. There has never been enough water pressure in the piping systems. We needed to start the pump for a few minutes before we get a trickle of water coming out from the taps.
5. The bed cannot be held in place because of broken hardware underneath the dinning table. We end up with a wobbling bed and faced the possibility of a broken back from the thrill to sleep on bed.
6. The fresh water outlet valve was stuck closed making flushing the fresh water tank an impossible task.
7. When the staff accompanied us inside the vehicle for verbal instructions, we were told just to listen and don't even ask.
8. No tools were provided to change the propane bottles. In the ideal world, I think that can be done by bare hands, but obviously our world was not ideal.
9. The instruction books (manuel) were not English friendly, and obvious not for us.
10. When finished, we returned the vehicle reasonably clean, but we were forced laboured to do a detailed clean-up. The reply was "we are too busy to do this kind of work". My question was "What do you expect if we don't even have a vacumn cleaner and cleaning equipment? Is it just another way to squeeze more money out of their customers.Besides, where is that 125 Euro prep fee, how it was spent?
11. What is basically happened was poor maintenance and maintenance was only performed on complaints. But this can only create unhappy customers and loss of expected service.

Dave and Aileen Peel, 06 june 2008
Doug
Just wanted to let you know our two weeks with the Hamburg rental (Peels May 15-selected vehicle: McRent Family Plus, sleeps 5, e.g.
Dethleffs 5881 HG, to May 29) went very well and the unit and the manager at the rental location were EXCELLENT. NO problems Thanks, worked out well and would certainly book with you again.

Thanks again Dave and Aileen Peel

Eric McClure, emcclure69@yahoo.com, 06 june 2008
We went with IdeaMerge(IM) after quite a a bit of research into renting an RV in Brisbane, Australia. There were a number of companies over there to rent through, but IM seemed to have all of them. We were hooked on the Apollo Hitop camper based on it's size and features, but a number of companies offer similar vehicles. Having an IM customer rep in LA to talk to about our vehicle options and the insurance options in Australia was great, and really helped us feel confident in putting money down for a vehicle rental some 9000mi away. We ended up going with the Apollo Hitop (or so we thought), and got into Brisbane after a mere 24hrs of travel time. Needless to say, I was in no condition to get the runaround at the Apollo dealer, but it turned out to be simple and we were impressed in in their staff and service. Our only little snafu was that we had ordered the Hitop, but ended up with the Eurocamper. Not bad conisidering that it was a larger vehicle with a diesel engine instead of petro, but the interior layout was not as good as some similar campers out ther through other renters. The vehicle was nearly new, clean, full of fuel, and ready to go. We opted for the full coverage insurance after finding out that insurance is nom-compulsary in Australia, and we didn't feel like dealing with it if we wrecked the camper. $25 a day is totally worth it for the piece of mind. We were out on the open road in no time...but plan on some initial confusion with driving on the left, and I would definitely recommend an automatic transmission. The 6 spped manual (shift with your left hand) was a little too much to handle after a 24hr trip and learning the local traffic rules. The 10 day trip up the Sunshine Coast was amazing, and the caravan parks are clean and plentiful. We'd definitely go through IM again if we go back or head to Europe.

James & Celia Cliff, 29 may 2008
We hired a five berth campervan from the Frankfurt depot, for the period April 2nd to May 10th. This was a Detleffs vehicle on a Fiat chassis.
After getting used to six forward gears, it turned out to be easy to drive and performed faultlessly for 5500 km.
However I do not think that it was entirely suitable for an extended trip outside Germany / Austria so early in the season. The cabin heater would only run on gas, and we rapidly became very economical in its use. It had snowed in England and the nights and mornings were pretty chilly. We augmented the bedding with coats and anoraks, but the draught from the cab in the early morning was something to be treated with caution.
THe adaptors which we had bought in Germany, and which were claimed to make refilling the gas bottles easy in foreign parts,turned out to be of no use. The French just shrugged and pointed to their own, incompatible, brand of exchange bottles. In England they even offered to change the gas terminations on the vehicle so that we could use their bottles.

There is a version of this Truma heater that also runs on mains electicity 230vac, as well as gas.

Otherwise all went well.

colin and Julie Westgate UK, 29 may 2008
The collection and return of the Motorhome was seamless. Very quick, no fuss and no extra's to pay at all. The Motorhome itself was exactly how it was described, nearly new and performed perfectly throughout the 3000km trip. We would definately use Ideamerge again and would recommend them to anyone!

David and Doris Woolley, 29 may 2008
Picked our MotorHome up in Rome. Everythng worked well, and the staff were very helpful. I did not need any supplies(ie chairs, utensils etc) so I can not comment on that portion. Drove to Sorrento and back with no problems. Doug was very helpful at this end as well.

Rainer Menzel, rainer.menzel@huk-coburg.de, 29 may 2008
We toured around Kalifornia about 2000 Miles in March/April 08 - Roundtrip S.F. - L.A. - San Diego - Las Vegas & back. Everything includig the bookingprocess via internet worked very fine. Airporthotel pickup, Car pickup at Motúris and so on. Absolutly no Problems with the car Ford E22 - big enough for two Adults - maybe up to two children should be no problem. The Car took about 22 Litres for 100km - fuel 70US/c per Litre. Spring is a great time for Kalifornia! Placing the car at the best spots at the beach / desert - wonderful sunsets - from 20 days of our journey we had only about 8 nights on campinggrounds! We can only recommend doing it with IdeaMERGE/Moturis.
For further Questions your Mail is welcome

R. Menzel

Jacob Pot, 28 may 2008
Pick up and drop off in Nice. Not the most organised; but friendly and effective.

Van not as new as last time. Some minor defects. Intermittent problems with water heater and fridge. Cooking gear very minimal.

Cannot understand why a van that will sleep 6 only has four seats with seatbelts.

Otherwise would do it all again, as it is an ideal way around the area.

jim morgan, 25 may 2008
we picked up a motorhome in rome italy from freedom holiday. the unit was new we were the first to use it. the hot water heater and furnace did not work. we took it back and the renter thought he got it working, but it never worked for more than a minute. the motorhome ran great and got good mileage. overall the trip was great.

Mark Grimes, markgrimes@sky.com, 25 may 2008
Picked up our 6 berth motorhome from Apollo in Auckland, Apollo collected us from the Airport. Pick up was smooth, took about an hour to finalise paperwork from arrival to leaving the office.

Motorhome was 1 year old in excellent condition, clean and well presented. It made our touring holiday of New Zealand a pleasure.

Overall a positive experience from the initial booking with Ideamerge. Doug even returned a telephone call to me when I could not get through to his office in the states,and I live in the UK!

Drop off in Christchurch was also smooth, took approx 30 mins to complete paperwork upon drop off
Excellent from start to finish

I would definately recomend Ideamerge , Fantastic service and value for money.

Trish and Bob Gobeil, gobeil@uniserve.com, 22 may 2008
April 2008 Our family of 4 rented a motorhome and toured from Oslo through the telemark area and on to Bergen. We stopped when ever we choose and put on our skiis and enjoyed the beautiful scenery and of course the skiing. The motorhome handled the snowy and sometimes icey roads (and more often narrow) beautifully. We then traveled on to Lillehammer and returned to Oslo. We prepared all our meals in the vehicle and felt we had a lot of freedom pulling over when we choose. Our vehicle was very economical to operate and we made a comment that Canada should operate the same motorhomes.
Thank you very much.

Akira Hachiya, akira.hachiya@kaobrands.com, 22 may 2008
Dear Madam/Sir,

Our family actually enjoyed the trip from Las Vegas to Denver using a motorhome. We visited Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Monument Valley, Arches etc. That was a second opportunity to visit there for us except for my younger daughter. We visited there again because we wanted to share the good memories with her before we go back to Japan. That was more than I had expected. I felt a little bit scared when I stated to drive a motorhome but I got accustomed to the width and the size within the first day.

Unfortunately I had not understood the way to supply the water to a motorhome at the park. In addition, nobody took a call when I called the Denver office to ask a question. Before I lent a motorhome, I actually got an instruction by watching a DVD. But I think it was not enough for customers to understand. So I recommend that you had better instruct directly so that consumer understand very well.

Thanks,
Akira

Denise Cordeiro-Bennett, bennett_denise@yahoo.com, 22 may 2008
What a great experience!!! We were motorhome first timers and still found it amazingly easy to book the motorhome online through IdeaMerge. We flew to Frankfurt and took the short taxi ride to McRent to pick up our motorhome. The staff was great; very helpful and they took the time to explain everything about the motorhome. It was in perfect condition, easy to operate, and was equipped with everything we expected. We brought our GPS with us, so after a quick stop at a nearby grocery store we were on our way. We scheduled the trip for 18 days in late April and availability of motorhomes and campsites was no problem. We did find that some of the attractions/campsites/parks were not yet open for the season, but this was a minor inconvenience since we still got to see so much while travelling around. We ended up driving 6,000 kilometers, visiting 8 countries and 23 cities in 18 days. About 50% of the time we stayed in formal campsites. The rest of the time we took advantage of roadside stops. Both options worked out perfectly. The motorhome was ideal for our trip...unpacking only once, eating in the most beautiful locations, lots of relaxed together time, no planes, trains, or tours to worry about. The only disadvantage was any kind of travel in or through the biggest cities. Definitely should be avoided if possible. We saw so and experienced so much more than we would ever have been able to without the motorhome. This was a once in a lifetime vacation that we now know we can repeat over and over again!

Matthew Grant, matthew.grant@hotmail.com, 22 may 2008
Lets start with the positive side. We loved the camper van. Travelling with our 7 month old daughter in a 6 berth camper van that had only done 1000 miles was fantastic and great fun. It gave us to be as flexiable as we needed to be. On the down side, when we arrived at the Maui office I was told that I had an additional 200 £ (NZ) to pay. Due to the time differences I could not contact ideamerge so instead of getting worked up I paid the money and decided to sort the issue out on my return as I knew how good ideamerge had been in the booking process. Sure enough, just a simple email to ideamerge on my return resolved the issue. Thank you ideamerge for a pain free booking system and resolving my problem quickly.

David Killey, 21 may 2008
Picked up our ideamerge motorhome in Sidney (Jan 2008) and embarked on a 72 day adventure. The unit was not ready when we got there, but the staff quickly supplied us with a car to go shopping and upon our return we received cash back for that days rental. We left about 3pm that day. Our unit was great and we did not have any issues to speak of. We used the co-pilot GPS system with our laptop and stayed in mostly the Big 4 parks which were excellent and had good power to run the A/C during the hot nights. I would have like more instructions when we picked up unit. Did not see the cruise control feature till we were almost done trip. The auto/manual tranny has some issues that cause it to roll back on a hill when you start out. This caused us great grief and almost an accident until we figured out to use E brake to hold position till tranny engages. Roof a/c has features we did not know of until well into the trip. Driving on opposite side of road did not present any problems at all for me. RVers are the friendliest people on earth and this is a great way to see any country.

didier from France -, didier.breton12@orange.fr, 21 may 2008
We have token the 27" in Road Bear Los Angeles ( Malibu). All very good, the personal of Road Bear in very profesional and cool, it's a pleasure.
The RV was clean, just a little problem ( 35 liter gazoline in 100 km ).wahoo!!
L.A, Las Vegas, Monument Valley, Grand Canyon, no problem with a recent RV.
For the organisation, all ok from France with you, all was ready on our arrival. For all the French, go there without problem, Ideamerge is pro.

Elvin Magri - MALTA, elvin1@onvol.net, 21 may 2008
I would like to thank the staff for their co-operation in booking process. Very Well Done!..What was to our surprise was that cutlery, pillows, kitchen ware for cooking and few other items were so called extras..This waste us some time prior to start up to settle!!..No other kitchen consumables were included such as cloths and washing liquid etc!..It's no big deal but if travelling in night it is hard to purchase from anywhere!!..However, on our return we had a light scratch along the side and were to be charged a 1,000 Euros for damages. We believed that by using some polish it would be gone and the staff and management refused to let us do it ourselves. Being in the spray painting industry, I insisted on not affecting such payment and then they handed us some polish and let us do it...IT SAVED US 1.000 Euros!!!...Against all, we will consider renting again as we do such adventures yearly, with the difference of hoping that management will be more fair and flexible!!..

Thks & Rgds

Nick Little, 21 may 2008
Overall good experience. Campervan was over 2 years old despite a specific enquiry and reply that it would be less than 2 years. The towel sets had only one bathtowel and about a thousand hand towels for 6 people. As others mention the microwave is close to useless because it would constantly trip the circuit breakers in the camping areas. Staff helpful and arranged transfers with no problems- returned deposit card receipt immediately on return. Chairs and tables not matching-half chairs effectively cloth stools. Engine started every time. Slow leak in one tyre required putting air in at least every second day. Very prompt response from ideamerge/freedom to enquiries pre-rental.

Freeda, linuxgirlis@netscape.net, 20 may 2008
We booked through McRent, Sulzemoos (Münich). Pick up and return was quick and easy. Plus, they spoke English. Everything was as promised. The result was a great vacation in Europe. GPS (now that we own one and know how useful they are) would have been handy. On the good side, the rv was extremely good on gas and compact enough to handle the city roads. Definitely recommend!

Robert Schwabenbauer, robseverest@hotmail.com, 24 february 2008
We picked up our RV just outside of Munich in a place called Sulzemoos. It was easy to get to and the place we rented from was called McREnt. The staff were very helpful and friendly and all the RV's are 1 year old or newer. We were given a brand new Fiat and were the first in this RV and it was awesome. It slept five and had a shower and toilett and the kitchen was great. We had a wonderful trip and managed to put on just shy of 3000 km's. I would recommend renting bikes and perhaps getting GPS for anyone doing this trip. Also make sure you budget for the Autobahn and Autostrasse. It was free in Germany, 8EU in Austria, and 32EU in Switzerland. Italy and France have tolls and we paid about 50EU for France and about 100EU for Italy and the roads in Italy are in bad condition!!! All the campsites were fantastic and I would recommend this trip to anyone. A real great way to see Europe!
"No one's interested in something you didn't do"

Happy travells.

Feel free to email me with any questions.

Derval O'Neill, derval.oneill@yahoo.it, 28 january 2008
Hi there, found dealing with IdeaMerge was a pleasure - no issues at all. We expected the same when we arrived at Roadbear, Agoura Hills, but we did not find the staff particularly friendly either at the pick up stage or the drop off. At drop off, we just knew they would deduct some of our deposit eventhough the RV was in top condition when we returned it. Like one of your other customers, we too were charged for damage to the awning ($175), which to be honest you would have needed a magnifying glass to see. During the trip, the RV was basic but functional and we had no technical issues, bar a leaking kitchen sink. It could have been cleaned better before we picked it up. The driving area had not been cleaned and the blinds in the bed room were stained. Next time, we would go for a slightly higher grade RV and a bit more friendly and welcoming customer service, even if it meant paying more.

Rob and Annie, 21 january 2008
Pick up and return from McRent in Frankfurt (Nov 07 - Compact Luxury) went smoothly and staff were very helpful. We suffered two breakdowns in the five week hire - one an injector problem (in a heavy snowstorm) and the other when we discovered we had no rear brakes. We had to pay for the brake repair ourselves and it was then reimbursed on return. The fuel economy in the van was around 11.6l/100km which I was told was high for the van, although it drove very well. The crockery/cutlery/pans were adequate however we did miss a kettle.

The van itself was clean and tidy and a good size for our family (2 adults and 2 kids under 4). We chose this van for its size (it was our first hire) although next time we will go a bit bigger. As first timers we were only concerned once and that was the drive between Pompeii and Sorrento (I would recommend staying in Pompeii and getting the train!). All in all a great trip and we cant wait to do it again!

Jon Lee, jon@jonnylee.co.uk, 08 january 2008
We picked up a 26ft Motorhome from the New Jersey office and drove 4200 miles over 3 weeks across the LA office. We were a little daunted by the size as it was only two of us, and we had been upgraded to the bigger size. However we quickly got used to it and once we did had a brilliant time. The insides were well furnished and very comfortable and I would definately recommend Roadbear and Ideamerge. The transactions were all very smooth. We had a few minor gripes however. We (accidentally) weren't given the key needed to get in the side door. This was the biggest problem as it meant we had to go in and out of the front cab when we first came back, we could then open it from the inside and use it until we next left the van. Our water/waste tank metres were both broken which meant they showed full all the time. Wasn't a huge issue but a bit annoying. Other than that everything was excellent and we had a great time! Staff were very friendly and we had no extras to pay!

Dale and Gerda Edmonton, Canada, 25 november 2007
This was our second rental through IdeaMerge and was also a positive experience. The people at Freedom Holiday did a good job and the campervan was in great shape (if a tad under clean). Everything worked very well and the performance from the two liter diesel was impressive. Unfortunately our holiday was cut short near the last minute and we were unable to get even a partial rebate. Our only complaints with campervan itself was that the kitchen supplies were extremely modest (with several essentials missing such as a dishpan, kettle, basic cooking utensils, cooking knives etc. all of which we purchased and left with the unit) and that the camping chairs and table were not usable at all. In fact the chairs were dangerous to use as they were unstable and subject to collapse. We did point this out to the folks at Freedom Holiday and they were somewhat sheepish about the chairs and advised they were going to replace them. On the bright side the people at Freedom Holiday were extremely friendly and helpful, they provided sleeping sets for no additional charge (we forgot to order them when we placed our reservation) and gave as a free lift to the train station when we returned the campervan. All in all a good experience which could have been made better if the small trifles had been looked after.

Linda - Bristol UK, 25 november 2007
We picked up the camper in Denver and dropped it off in San Francisco having covered 2500 miles in 4 weeks. RoadBear staff were extremely helpful at both locations and in particular their pick up and drop off service from local hotels contributed greatly to making the whole process easy and relaxed.
The camper was very clean and well appointed. We were particularly impressed with the quality of the appliances: shower, microwave, fridge/freezer. Staff at the San Francisco drop off location were very professional and efficient in checking the van back in and appreciative of our efforts in cleaning the van thoroughly. This contrasts with an experience in Germany where they were extremely aggressive and unpleasant.
If I had to find any complaints it would be that the bedding was inadequate for the time of the year that we had rented the camper - October. We had to buy a thicker duvet. Also the brakes were a bit unnerving on downward mountain roads. After a long period of downhill they overheated and started shuddering alarmingly. We learnt to stop every few miles and let them cool down - but would have appreciated a short instruction on how to deal with this as mountains are fairly common in Colarado and California.

We also agree with other travellers that the option of a CDW would have been much appreciated.

However, these were small points. We wouldn't hesitate to use RoadBear again and extend our thanks to their very professional staff for their contribution in making our holiday so enjoyable.

Geoffrey, 24 november 2007
The staff at the pickup (agoura hills) were very efficient and thorough, and the vehicle was in good shape, tho one folding chair was not functional. Check these carefully if you get them.

Also, I apparently crunched the rolled up awning into a tree and had a $175 ouch payment at the end for a new roller. Be careful. Or get the extra insurance.

Sean - London, ideamerge@seanandfiona.com, 15 november 2007
When we first picked up the RV we were all in shock at the size of it!
We had an 8 birth between the 4 of us (no kids) and had plenty of
room to splash around in! The comfort of the RV exceeded our
expectations and were all like kids on a new camping holliday! It
didn't take long to get used to the size when driving and found that it
could pretty much handle everything we had to offer it! The pick-up
and drop-off sites were easy to find and the staff at both centres were
more than helpful. As for the Californian countryside... wow... I think
we'll be seeing more of that in the coming years.

Ariel Lejtman, 31 october 2007
We had a great time all together in the camper. Your handling of our request was fast, polite and to the point. Freedom Holiday were excellent, very friendly and servicial to us. Everything they promised was done, and they also went the "extra mile".
We got the camper in the morning at no extra cost, the camper was in excellent conditions and everything worked as planned.

We hope to have a 2nd chance to rent a camper again and have a joyful experience as was our first one.

Best regards,
Ariel

Jiri SMRHA, aksmrha@centrum.cz, 24 october 2007
Jiøí Šmrha, Czech republic, 14 september 2007

We picked up the vehicle in Vancouver on 14.09.2007 and returned it again in Vancouver on 29.09.2007. The staff in Vancouver was kind and helpful.
The only problem at pick up was that we were not able to persuade the staff that the motoroil level was at the minimum level. We were told that it is at the maximum level and our opinion about the minim level should have been the result of our „bad meassuring“. After 500 km there was an indication the level is at the minimum which could not have been without doubt possible if there would had been enough of oil.
After seven days the cooler in the top part of the fridge served only as fridge, i.e. without producing temperature below zero.
Equipment of the vehicle was sufficient and in good quality.
I visited British Columbia for the second time an I surely will visit it again because of its fantastic nature, fish and friendly people.

Tom, 22 october 2007
Picked up the vehicle in Paris. Nice, clean and comfortable, however missing were the pots/pans, cutlery, dishes and information about campsites. (Double check for those.) Other than that, great holiday, nice way to see the country.

ronnie and seija middleton, 21 october 2007
we had a great trip we also had my wife sister with us the road star was great also no problems at all it took the large hill with ease the slideout was the best and so simple to do we hope to do it again some day, seija and me plan to do the camper thing for one year after i retire in2010, can you send info on your camper for sale,new and used thanks happy campers from finland

William Capshaw, 20 october 2007
Picked up the van in Amsterdam and recieved a very nice van along with complete operating instructions. Enjoyed my 15 days touring in Holland, Belgium, France and Germany. Only one small problem with the lights which I had repaired. The cost was promptly refunded upon my return.

anne goodman, anne-marie@ameg.org.uk, 20 october 2007

After a long gruelling journey we had to wait over an hour to get served in the Britz Brisbane office. The guy behind the counter said that people had to wait 3 hours sometimes. When I complained I was sort of ignored. After a long journey you just don't need that. They need more staff in the Brisbane office.

Ken Ackley and Karen Pope, 18 october 2007
We picked up our RV just outside Paris.
It was in very clean good condition.
We were not too happy with the maps and directions given us - ended up stopping to buy an atlas after hours on the wrong highway !!
No coffee pot was a surprise seems it would be an easy thing to provide. Yes the dishes rattle around.
Sheets were just barely OK - would make a big impression to have good ones.
These complaints aside -- we loved our time in the vehicle ---camped near Samois for 6 days for a Music Festival. Great to be able to fix our meals.
Our return was seamless ...the place is NOT easy to find or get to but -the folks there are great.

Humberto Costa, elisacosta@shaw.ca, 18 october 2007
Hilda & Humberto, May 16,2007
We rented your new motor-home in Frankfurt and travelled 10.000 km around 9 European countries without any problems.Fiat and McRent were very helpful would like the motor-homes to be equipped with GPS, TV, propane oven and air condition inside the motorhome.Also we think the deposit of 1.000 euros is too high and CDW insurance should be available.
Thank you, our best regards
Hilda and Humberto

David Bland, david@blandonline.plus.com, 14 october 2007
Picked up the van in Oslo for a two week tour of southern Norway. Everything great except for the seats in the rear of the van which, being foam, did not support the passengers whilst driving.

Wood Family, 08 october 2007
We picked up at Paris, France, and returned to Lyon, France. Great space in van and we had a good time but a few suggestions for improvement.
1. decent maps included, the camping books were no good for actually locating the camp sites.
2. specially moulded or cut out shelves to hold the crockery to save it crashing around in the
cupboards.
3. depots miles away from anywhere, closer to airports much better. Taxi driver in Paris had no idea hence a very expensive fare!!!
4. our linen was very threadbare and very stained and smelly pillows.we had cold weather in July and one blanket wasn't enough.

pat richter, 03 october 2007
We're a couple of months late with this but, better late than never! Picked up our motorhome in Paris for a 2 week trip through parts of France, the Swiss Alps & Italy in June.It was our first time in a motorhome. Loved it. Would do it again at the drop of a hat. We recommend getting a GPS---worth it's weight in gold!The staff at the Paris depot were excellent, very friendly and all spoke English. However, we feel it should be made very clear that the actual depot isn't in Paris but in a suburb. We had been picked up at the airport and taken to the depot but it was a nightmare trying to return it because we programmed the GPS for the road in Paris(rue du Colonel de Rochebrune) and ended up all over Paris---including going up the Champs Elysees and circling the Arc de Triomphe 3 times!!! We laugh about it now but didn't at the time!The depot is actually in the suburb of Rueil and both it and Paris have a road of the same name but we were unaware of this. We should have programmed Rueil into the GPS. We weren't impressed with the table & chairs that we rented--they were basically falling apart.Other than those 2 minor things, it was a fantastic experience.So easy to just pull off somewhere and eat etc. Doug at Ideamerge answered all our questions very promptly & we'd definitely rent through Ideamerge again. We agree with a previous review--------just doit!(but get a GPS!)We're already thinking about our next trip.

Pat Richter

Marc Family (Texas), 26 september 2007
We picked up our RV in Frankfurt in July. The only plans we had were the pick up and drop off dates. WE were scheduled to have the RV for 2 weeks. We purchased a map in Paris before arriving and started reading up on all the places to visit in Germany. The location was easy to find with a hotel just on the other side of the street which was convenient for our arrival the day before picking up the RV. The staff was very nice and all spoke good english. This was great because I didn't speak any German at all. The RV was great, less than 2 years old and hardly any miles on it. It was very easy to drive, I just wiush it would have had cruise control.

With our maps in hand and no plans at all we set out for our vacation and had the best two weeks of vacation we've ever had. Germany was a wonderful to see and tour. We wish we could have stayed longer and will definitely come back again, this time with bicycles as well.

Drop off was just as easy as pick up and we would strongly recommend IdeaMerge to anyone (and we already have).

Cheers, Marc

The Gypsy Sues , 24 september 2007
We are two ladies who hired a 5-6 berth motorhome from the Hamburg depot in May 2007. Most of our travel (3 weeks) was through Scandanavia -which was just wonderful to explore in the motorhome.

We had prior experience with a motorhome (5 months) which helped us get through the introduction session. The staff member did not speak English and one of us had limited German, however, we did take a german speaker with us and this helped immensely with the technical side of things. Suggest that if you do not speak German, make sure that there is someone who speaks your language when you go to collect/drop off the vehicle. They also have videos there which show you the main functions of the motorhome etc. I agree with some other comments re the deduction of the 1000 euro at the time of collection - it should be adequate enough to hold your details should a deduction be required at the time of return. This is usual practice for most vehicle hire arrangements that we have used in the past.

The service was great, the vehicle less than 2 years old and just as we ordered. We needed to complete all our transactions via the internet and there was no problems at all - we were expected and all deposit payments were OK. I would have no hesitation in using the service again.

Chris, chris@duchypaving.com, 18 september 2007
We did this having no experience at all and found the booking system via Doug in the states was seamless. Everything stated in the paperwork was spot on.
We flew to Frankfurt from Heathrow and collected our motorhome from McRent in Offenbach, Frankfurt and found the process fairly straightforward thanks to Suzanne and staff who were all most helpful. The handover was a bit rushed with a lot of info to take in, especially as first timers, but in the end you just have to put your head down and go.
The only initial problem we faced was that I didn't precisely check the electrical connections and on our first night discovered that we were missing one particular connection that we needed. This did lead to us having to drive around the following day trying to find a place to buy the missing item. We had informed McRent and they were fine about it promising to repay on return but imagine the hassle in a foreign country trying to find a particular item that is fairly specialist. So be warned and make sure you understand and try everything before you leave !
We were lucky that the van was very new and had no issues but I did see others that were well marked so a thorough inspection is well worth taking your time over as you will be liable for any damage. I felt that the insurance should offer a CDW option as driving in a different country and a vehicle that I wasn't used to was a recipe for at least one minor incident, especially as we intended to travel through a number of foreign countries. Even if you came back from a visit and found damage done to your parked vehicle you would still be liable. In the end I accepted that the 1000.00 euro deposit for excess should be part of your budget when first costing the whole holiday, then at least if you get it back it's a bonus !
The vehicle proved to be exactly what we'd hoped for, very comfortable and reliable and a dream to drive. We decided to do this as my eldest daughter was off to University and it really was the last time we would be a family of 4 together on holiday. Seeing parts of Europe, in this case, was far more enticing than lying on a beach for 2 weeks. That has it's place of course but I would recommend this as a way to see a lot of things at your own pace and spend some quality time together. We ended up going through Germany to Switzerland, Italy, France, back through Italy to Austria and back to Germany.
On our return we were again dealt with very quickly and 'luckily' had had no incidents to report or damage to show and we did get our full refund so personally I have no complaints. I've read some people had a bad deal when the vehicle was checked for cleanliness on return. True, there wasn't much in the way of cleaning stuff but we kept it fairly clean and tidy during the trip and on the last night gave it a good going over. All I can say is that the staff were very pleased with it and even gave us a voucher for discount on any future hire because it was so clean !!!
My only other beef is having to pay extra for things like the table and chairs - I feel things like that should be included. I understand for bedding as there is laundry required but not for items that you are obviously going to need.
Final advice - get a book on motorhome sites where you can park overnight as this saves a lot of money rather than payng for campsites and they have all the services you need. Some sites are basic but others are really lovely and well sited.
Sat Nav is a must !!
Last word - JUST DO IT !!!

Sara Stevens, 14 september 2007
We picked up the vechicle in july 07 the depo was easy to find and then very accessable for our onward journey. The service was friendly and effective and we were on the road in no time. The vechicle was great, very well maintained and cleaned throughout. We had a lovely adventure in our RV and would reccommend them to any one.

Sara

Marc (Australia), 13 september 2007
We rented our campervan from McRent in Frankfurt (via Ideamerge) in July -August 07. The booking process and pick up proved to be very easy and painless. Both comanies were easy to deal with. Our van provided us with no problems at all and I recomend dealing with Ideamerge and McRent.Additional recommendations : 1) On arrival take as much time as you need to list every possible fault or scratch (internal or external)do not assume anything, as the same will happen on return. 2)Make sure you buy or rent a GPS for your journey, 3) have fun and expect some minor hiccups along the way it's all part of the experience.

ESTHER BOWNESS, thepubgilcrux@btconnect.com, 13 september 2007
We picked up the 32 foot RV in Oakland a day later than we had planned. This was due to the previous person leaving the RV in LA as apposed to San Francisco. But the guys at Ideal Merge were very appologetic and helpful and sorted out accommodation for us back in SF for the night. When we finally got the RV the following day it was immaculate. Many thanks to all the people who worked hard to get the vehicle ready on time that following day.
We covered about 1000 miles in nine days and were very impressed woth the Californian area. The kids thought Yosemite National Park was fantastic and if we had had longer we could have stayed there for the week.
This was the first time we have done an RV holiday, but were very happy with the whole experience and will probably be doing it again in the future.
Doug Bredesen was the person who helped us book and enjoy my husbands 40th birthday in style, a great big thank you to you Doug!!!!! we have made a lot of memories.

P Ireland, 12 september 2007
We picked up a VW Californian in the middle of July in Frankfurt, Germany from DRM, and took it on a 3000 mile jaunt through England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and back to Frankfurt. We were impressed from the moment Claudia introduced us to the vehicle and its capabilities, and equally impressed with her attitude and helpfullness. One drawback, minor at best, we added an awning at the last minute and it just did not want to stay in its track.

The mileage was excellant, and at those prices we were gratefull. The vehicle ran beautifully, and was excellant for maneuvering in the city and on those narrow roads.

Doug Bredesen, from IdeaMerge, was great to work with and had helpful suggestions and answers from the very beginning.

The 1000 EU deposit and paying the exchange rate on it coming and going is something that needs to be fixed. It seems pretty simple - run the card and hold the slip until the vehicle is returned and cleared.

We will be back, probably next year.

Sincerely,

Paul

D Appleford, dappleford@btinternet.com, 11 september 2007
Despite a slight hiccup when we went to collect the RV (gas leak at the depot so teh road was closed)the service was good. The RV served our purpose and we travelled with no problems at all. The RV was comfortable and spacious.
Thank you

Al Puskaric, 10 september 2007
We rented a 2-person motor home in Mannheim, Germany. It was beautiful. We named it Snoopy for its cool look and off we went on a trip through most of Western Europe. The machine performed flawlessly and was a pleasure to drive. The 6 speeds really came in handy in the small mountain roads of Italy. We own a motor home here in America and really appreciated the forward thinking German design. It got great gas mileage and the vehicle required no maintenance during our 5,000 Km trip. I found Simone to be an outstanding, friendly, and understanding person that truly worked hard to insure that we were comfortable with the operation of the vehicle. When we returned it in perfect condition, we were immediately given our deposit back. This is unlike our last experience with a different rental company. They did not return our deposit for several months even though it passed their inspection. I would rent from them again!

Michael Flanagan, mf@oemvendorsolutions.com, 10 september 2007
Picked up a 6 berth camper van at Stuggart, drove down to Bordeaux picked up the family and drove around spain over 14 days. The van was fine and pickup formalities fairly painless. The van was broken into in Seville and on return I lost some of my deposit. However they were fair about the whole process and I knew what I was letting myself in for, being my second year hiring. I would agree with some of the previous comments that super CDW insurnace should be available. Certainly the definition of an incident is not that clear in the T&C's. On balance an enjoyable holiday that I would repeat as you can get right into city centres. However its not cheap if you consider petrol etc and sensible people should assume that the deposit will be lost.

m brockenshire, 10 september 2007
picked up van at berlin very easily.was a bit different driving on the other side of the car and the road.spent 2 weeks in berlin and around hamburg.i would not do it any other way.i would recommend to anybody to spend time in germany in an rv.The only problem i have is the cleaning of the van should be included in the price.we had 4 people in the van an spend quite a bit of time cleaning floors,bathroom,kitchen etc....down on our hands an knees with a cloth and hot soapy water washing the floor and still they charged us the cleaning cost.i was not happy with that. all in all though van ran very well and it was very easy to drive place to place and set up. An A++ to doug at ideamerge for doing things very quickly and making it so easy. I just think the cleaning part of it is stupid. mcrent berlin expect such high quality cleaning with only a small brush and pan suplied.No vaccumn cleaner....no dishwashing liquid....no cleanig equiptment at all.makes it impossible. But an awsome time had....

Alan Stafford, astaffx@gmail.com, 10 september 2007
Picked up the Camper in Frankfurt, directions on Ideamegre paper work were great.After pick up when we stopped for the first night and got a good look at the camper we were un happy with the level of cleaning. We cleaned the camper fully, (bathroom, kitchen area, seats musty and dusty). Only a small brush and pan provided no other cleaning products supplied.

The trip itself was magnificent, the freedom it offers is excellent you can be in the Alps one day and at the Med the next, my two children 7 & 6 had a ball. In all we were on holiday for a month and I would recommend the experience.

The part IdeaMerge played was excellent, however I was un happy with McRent the actual rental company.

Unfortunately we scrapped the side of the camper van, I was told the repair would cost more than the 1000Euro deposit and it was all lost. Like another contributor on the review forum I questioned this, their explanation was their years of experience told them the cost, no break down of the actual cost would be provided. Again why such a high deposit, I can rent a brand new hire car of any value and have maybe 100 - 200 Euro deposit, why is full insurance not supplied.

The camper we rented had a number of scrapes and the awing body was damaged but worked fine. Again McRent stated they collect all the deposits for damage over the season and use that towards repair at the end of the season before sale, this van would be rented out again the next week.
This particular Van had 50K + on the closck and performed ok

After receiving the camper in a poor state we cleaned the camper before return, no portable hoover supplied, on return a different rep pulled the fridge apart opened every press and pulled up all the seats and said she didn't think the camper was cleaned to a high enough standard.

I complained and disagreed, I find it hard to understand how you clean a camper van to such a high level in a camp site, All cleaning products, have to be provided by the renter, If we rented and apartment or Hotel room no cleaning is expected at the end. Just a level of tidyness to live in for your stay.

In summary excellent holiday and Ideamerge were excellent to deal with but I would not rent again based on the Deposit and would not use McRent in Germany.

Anthony Cranny, acranny@compuserve.com, 09 september 2007
We, as a family, were very impressed with the simplicity of pick-up and return of the Motor Home. July and August traffic can be horrendous but it was easy to drive, even around the streets of Paris. It was fun and we were able to see more of France than we normally do. The vehicle was in good condition, and very clean and comfortable. We shall be doing this again in the future. thankyou for a great holiday.

John Brackenridge, johnbrackenridge@btinternet.com, 09 september 2007
Pick up at Falkensee - booking great and staff very helpful - Motohome was very good and we had a totally fabulous holiday. I had read the reviews prior to holiday and so requsted that my deposit was returned when we did the drop off ( less one breakage @7.50 euros!). This was done on the spot. Would book a bigger motohome next time. Sorting the '1000 euro ' issue would seriouly help build customer confidence.

ALEJANDRO DE LA VEGA, 09 september 2007
UNOS ESPAÑOLES DE ALICANTE HEMOS PASADO UNAS VACACIONES
DELICIOSAS EN NORUEGA CON UNA AUTOCARAVANA (IDEAMERGE)
QUE ALQUILAMOS Y DEVOLVIMOS EN OSLO. FUERON 8 DÍAS EN LOS
QUE RECCORRIMOS DE ESTE A OESTE NORUEGA PASANDO POR LOS
TRES PRINCIPALES PARQUES NACIONALES Y LUGARES COMO LOM,
STRYN, BRIKSDAL, FLAM, VOSS, BERGEN, EIDFJORD,
HANDARGENVIDDA, STAVN Y OSLO. NORUEGA ES UN PAÍS PRECIOSO,
BUENA GENTE U NATURALEZA CON MAYÚSCULAS MUY PERO QUE MUY
BIEN PREPARADO PARA CARAVANA Y AUTOCARAVANA. VIAJAR EN
AUTOCARAVANA POR NORUEGA ES UNA EXPERIENCIA INOLVIDABLE.
OS LO ACONSEJO A TODOS.

Peter Watts, pjw@sherborne.org, 09 september 2007
My wife, two young children (4 and 7) and I flew into Munich early in July and collected a Dethleffs 5881 conversion (6-berth) from the depot there.

Pick-up - this was easy - the camper was ready early and well-presented (although some niggles we had - a bathroom door that wouldn't shut for example - were brushed aside).

Driving - the power unit of the vehicle was excellent coping well with a range of speeds and gradients including some of the higher passes in the Alps. Visibility was good as was fuel economy

Interior - the seats for driving were very comfortable but those for passengers had a habit of slipping forward (the cushions) when adults sat on them but this is a minor detail. Very comfortable accomodation for four for the three weeks that we were on the road.

Route - Southern Germany - Austria - North Italy - South of France - Provence - Bernese Oberland -Southern Germany - all on four fill-ups
Highlights - Venice for the fireworks at the end of the Biennale (sp?) - the Schilthorn in Switzerland - Gorges de Verdon in Provence.

Drop-off - after a fantastic holiday only two things marred the trip. Poor signs and bad planning on our part meant we did not have a carnet for driving on Austrian motorways - we were fined 120Euros for this. On return a small scratch was detected on the side of the camper - probably caused by running along a tree at a campsite - I felt that I had no means of questioning the 300Euros we were charged for its repair. I would have more confidence in the company if I had subsequently received the repair invoice and any funds owing to me. Why do the company not offer CDW?

Still - a great adventure - a great holiday and we will certainly be exploring by camper again.

J.Rudolf, 09 september 2007
Rented VW California camper from DRM in Frankfurt in August for three weeks. Excellent service by Lars who had the vehicle readied ahead of schedule and sent me on my way early, including a thorough demonstration of the vehicle and its features. The van was immaculate (17k) and the TDI engine drove beautifully, taking 8 liters of diesel per 100 km (30 miles to a gallon), 1000 km on a tank. Speeds of 170 km/hr on the Autobahn felt comfortable. Did 2000 km through Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Czech Republic, and took gas once on the road. The camper conversion is not as good as the older Westfalias as it is now built more like a car than a boat, but it has many more features. Returning from the trip, I had a scratch on the front bumper, which DRM assessed at 50 euro, very reasonable. Overall, the experience was first class and I would highly recommend the IdeaMerge-DRM route for renting a camper in Germany.

Nancy Sullivan, 06 september 2007
Thanks for your help, Eric at IdeaMerge. You are one of the most AWESOME customer service people I have ever dealt with. THANKS and I look forward to talking again even though we ended up not booking an RV rental this time! – Nancy

Peter Wilson, pwilson@chariot.net.au, 03 september 2007
We hired a campervan for 3 weeks from Frankfurt, and had a great holiday, covering about 4000 km and 5 countries with comfort and 100% reliability. Doug and the Ideamerge booking went very smoothly, with excellent communication and attention to detail.

The pickup from McRent in Frankfurt was not so smooth however. We arrived with all of our luggage at about 3:30 (the allocated pickup time is from 3:00 onwards). After a long wait, there was a very slow check-in procedure where we just reiterated all of the info that had already been provided twice (including in the "fast pickup form" which didn't seem to make any difference).

After all of that, the camper was not ready and did not have the crockery and bedding that we had requested. The water tank wasn't even full...

We eventually got going at 7:00pm after a very frustrating three and a half hours.

The vehicle itself (a Fiat Ducato with Dethleffs fit-out) was very good. It was good to drive, comfortable for a family of 4 and gave good economy. It was about 2 years old and many of the small fittings were broken or showing their age, so hopefully it was about to be retired from service.

One suggestion for McRent is that they should put a big sign on the dashboard warning drivers of the height of the vehicle. This was nowhere to be found (not even in the manuals), and we ended up measuring it ourselves to avoid an incident with the many low bridges and tunnels in Europe.

Despite this, we did put a dent in the top of the van due to an overhanging tree branch. This was dealt with very pleasantly by the McRent people on return, and we forfeited our EU1000 deposit. Unfortunately, they have not been so helpful with providing an invoice for the repairs, which is required by our insurance company in Australia.

Overall, it was a fantastic holiday, and the campervan was an ideal way to tour Europe with great flexibility and independence.

Kerri Ackland, 18 august 2007
Ideamerge were the perfect answer for us, as we were looking to hire a vehicle from one location and drop at another, but further to that we were hiring at very short notice. Ideamerge were extremely helpful and prompt with getting us set up with exactly what we needed and when.

We found the people at the pick up location in Marseille freindly albeit a little disorganised and the people at the drop off depot in paris exceptionally helpful and totally well organised.

The camper was in prestine condition, dishes and pots etc below average, but completely functional.

We did have an accident, which is a very complicated proceedure to work through, especially if your French is only average as mine is. And we did have a mechanical problem, which used a whole day of normal touring time, but the help desk free phone was absolutely as helpful as they could be.

I would definitely hire through Ideamerge again and we have told friends to do the same.

Adrian Prince, 18 august 2007
We hired a Fiat campervan from McRent in Berlin. Ideamerge were excellent and the service from McRent was good but we did have a few issues.

The Berlin depot is actually in the Havel See area, far enough outside Berlin that it's not on the extensive suburban rail system. It's in an industrial area half way between two regional rail stations. With our luggage, we had to get a taxi from the station. Also, while it's in the same area as Tegel airport, it's difficult to get there from the airport by public transport. Some advice on getting there and, possibly, a shuttle to/from the local town would be useful. Actual pickup of the van was efficient.

A road map of the greater Berlin area would have been helpful, especially showing the location of camp sites.

The European camp site book that was included was just one American couple's description of the camp sites they had used. There were just two campsites included in the four countries we went to - neither anywhere near our route. There are good camp site directories available and one of these should be provided.

Like another reviewer, our credit card company hit us with considerable credit card charges for the deposit. Hotels put a claim on a deposit without actually charging it - why can't McRent do that?

George Ulicny, ulicnyp001@hawaii.rr.com, 16 august 2007
We rented an RV in Dusseldorf, May 15 to June 15. The vehicle was new, with many extras: bike rack, roof racks, awning, door deadbolts, & safe. Excellent fuel mileage w/ diesel engine at 2000 rpm. I hated to give it back, and wanted to keep it. If you are to rent an RV in Germany, I'd suggest Dusseldorf, even if it's a bit out of your way. The countryside just north of the vendor is pretty, also. Doug is wonderful, and hopefully is available for adoption.

Ruffolo Family, 14 august 2007
We had an excellent experience with both IdeaMerge Reservations and DRM Rental in Munich. Doug was very helpful at IdeaMerge and answered all our major and trivial questions as this was the first time we rented a campervan and wanted to be sure this would work well in Europe. His recommendations were right on and helpful.

DRM in Markt Schwaben just outside Munich worked very well. We took the train and walked to the rental place. They were waiting for us and were very laid back, yet thorough and helpful. The van itself was in great shape, clean and everything worked well including the raised roof, fridge, stove, etc. Although the 6 speed diesel took a little getting used to, the mileage was much better than a standard engine. The DRM staff was pretty clear on the expectations of the van upon the return, so we were prepared to do some cleaning in and out of the vehicle.

We had no issues during our 2 week travels, so I cannot comment on roadside assistance or any help during the trip.

Upon our return, the DRM center was very busy - however we were taken care of with very little delay and passed our inspection with little delay. I think all renters should consider the old adage - leave in better shape than you got it and you avoid alot of close scrutiny and hassle. We had brought some old beach towels for use during the trip and I was happy to rip up a couple and toss them after cleaning!

We have returned home and told many of our friends about the great experience and highly recommended this option for extended trips, particularly to Europe. We will definitely consider for future trips and other parts of the world.

One more tip, we used Mike & Terry Church's book European Camping as a guide and enjoyed every one of the places they recommended.

Ben, sirfloppy1000@yahoo.com.au, 14 august 2007
We booked our rental through Doug who was very thorough. I’d highly recommend IdeaMerge.

Unfortunately, McRent in Frankfurt were not so good - they were disorganized and many customers were exceedingly frustrated. Having faxed the paperwork to McRent a few days before arrival, we arrived at our scheduled slot (3pm) but had to wait an hour to be served. When we were finally shown our van, it didn’t have a bike rack – we’d booked one, and had mentioned the importance of the bike rack several times, even emailing a week before arrival to reemphasize its importance. It took McRent four hours to source then fit a bike rack and we didn’t leave until 7:45pm! What was more frustrating was that even if the van did have a bike rack, the van would not have been ready, as it didn’t have a radio / CD player fitted. We then had to redo the paperwork – not sure what happened to our fax. Having booked four months in advance and arrived after a 32 hours in transit, this was all very frustrating. Other points: the kitchen set was old and missing many important utensils and the table we were provided with had a broken leg. The cupboards didn’t have any no-slip matting – we had to buy some cheap rags to ‘wrap’ the plates and glasses in whenever we were in transit.

The van itself, however, was excellent. Almost new, and very clean it went well – a Possl Transit ~5.50m long. It was a bit tight inside, but really pinged along the autobahn at 140kph+ and was very easy to drive - Highly recommended for couples who don’t need much space – we’ve used a 6.5m in Europe before, but the for 3-4 weeks, having a smaller van gave us much more freedom and confidence in the small villages and alpine roads. The 5.5m doesn’t come with an awning, which is a shame.

I’d highly recommend IdeaMerge and Doug. But if you pick up from McRent in Frankfurt, be prepared for a long wait and check all the things they provide (tables / chairs / kitchen gear) as most of their stuff is old and broken. There’s a Lidl supermarket over the road which is great for picking up supplies and extra household items.

One other minor concern – the €1000 deposit. I understand the reason for it, but as we were from Australia, our bank charged us a foreign currency transfer fee for the deposit and again for the refund. We then lost more money on the exchange rate moving (just bad luck). So even though McRent gave us the full €1000 back, we lost ~A$150 on the transaction. It’s a problem for customers and their card companies / banks, rather than the rental company, but perhaps something for IdeaMerge (and renters) to keep in mind.

It would also be great if McRent were to provide simple A4 maps of the 2-3 main ways to get to and from the depot. This would be a great to help get you on the road and then to help find your way back to the depot at the end of the trip.

Conan Doyle, 14 august 2007
We picked up our 23-foot motor home in LA in early June, and kept it for six weeks. During that time we clocked up 7,600 miles before handing back the vehicle in new Jersey in late July.

Overall I would rate the experience very highly. Our holiday was marvellous, and we would not hesitate to use Road Bear again. I have a few minor complaints that I'll list here: 1) The shower really was not viable, the pressure was so low as to be non-existent, whether using mains or tank. We didn't mind and used the campsite facilities, but it's worth pointing out. 2) The side door of the vehicle didn't have a good seal, with the result that travelling was extremely noisy (those in the driver's cab had to raise their voices significantly to converse with those in the seating area). At the beginning we kept thinking the door couldn't be closed properly, but it was. 3)Though the introductory session when we picked up the RV was useful with regard to knowledge of the vehicle itself, it would be even more helpful if it included tips on what to look out for when driving such a large and tall vehicle - overhanging trees, use of the wing mirrors, backing up, etc. This is especially true given that many of the customers are from overseas, used to driving small cars, and not familiar with the US highway and roads system. 4) there was a problem with the service lights - they went on for no reason - and we had to make phone calls to RoadBear to ascertain what was going on. Apparently this was a known problem with the fleet of vehicles, so it would have been good to be told about it in advance.

All that being said, we found the van well equipped, very clean, comfortable to travel in, pleasant to drive, and quite spacious enough for our family of four. [Note: thought it theoretically sleeps six, I would not recommend having six people in that van!]

It was a great holiday and I wish it was still ahead of me instead of in the past. We have nothing but praise for our dealings with the people in IdeaMerge.

Kind regards, Conan Doyle and Mary Kate Halpin

Dirk, dvos@tiscali.nl, 12 august 2007
We rented a RV for 3 weeks via Ideamerge at Fraserway in Vancouver. The handling of the booking by Ideamerge was exelent. The only thing that went wrong was the additional ensurance. I think I have missed it in the long list of questions when booking online. Fortunately we could arrange this when we picked up the RV.
We rented a 10-foot truck camper and the sleeping cabin was new. We found this type of RV a perfect solution when traveling with only 2 persons. The service by Fraserway in Vancoucer was very good. We were helped by a dutch speaking lady. On request we got extra bed linnen and a toaster and afterwards we were not charged for the few glases we broke.
The only problem we had during our trip was that after changeing the gas bottle we could not get things working again. With the help of some very friendly people on the campsite we finally (after 2,5 hours) found the way how to regain gas supply. Afterwards we understood that this was a known problem and that it has to do with a leak protection. Opening the new bottle very, very slowly solved the problem.
I would recommend the use of a GPS navigation system. That makes traveling so much more relaxed.

Thanks to Ideamerge and Fraserway for the exelent service they provided.

Dirk

Razia H., trhusain@sbcglobal.net, 10 august 2007
After posting the review the other day, I realized I could mention a few things to prepare the 'first timers' a bit more.
1) Take a GPS system ..life is much better with GPS if you are driving off the beaten path.
2) Do your research, look for campsites in advance the campsite book given at the depot is ok but not comprehensive. It does list star rating and 4 star is recommended for families.
3) Always purchase 'unlimited day tickets' for any city transportation. This takes the hassle of finding fares and purchasing them and gives you freedom to choose your destinations within the city more often.
4) Listen to "Rush-Hour" series of Berlitz for the language of the country you are visiting. It is very rude to not even know how to say hello, thanks and sorry to a person on the street. If you expect others to know enough English to explain the way to you, they probably expect you to know how to say 'thanks' in their language.
5) Do not bother taking travellers check or cash with you. Most credit cards will work and my VISA cash card charges only 1% fees overseas. Also ATM machines are available. However remember to call your credit card and cash card and cell phone companies to expect your transactions from the countries you are visiting.
6) Most economical way to keep in touch with your family back home is to take your current GPS enable cell phone (unlocked) and text message back home. You can also take a phone card from your local service company (MCI for example) and use the plenty of available phone booths to call home.
7) Do not throw away any subway, or local transportation ticket until you are back to your RV. We had thrown our one way subway tickets after using it on the turnstile, and were 'caught' at the exit station and were fined for not having the ticket to travel on the subway!!

We had a very ENJOYABLE trip in Europe and hope to make another one in near future.

The Wheating family, rwheating@telus.net, 09 august 2007
This was our second RV rental in Europe and the first time that we used Ideamerge. We chose them because of good reviews, an informative website(motoeuropa)and because their cancellation fees were most favourable. We also appreciated that they did not charge extra for a kitchen set, though this proved to be less valuable than we anticipated (see comments below.)

Our month-long trip in June 2007 was outstanding, though certain aspects of our moterhome disappointed. We arrived at the depot in Frankfurt after a very long (delayed) flight from Vancouver but fortunately still in our agreed pick-up slot. The depot was busy. We were ignored for an hour. Once they turned their attention to us, there were still repeated delays and interruptions. The vehicle they had prepared for us had been gored by tree branches both fore and aft, with large dark putty patches crudely applied to plug the holes. There were also numerous small dings and scratches. An identical unit in much better condition was stored near by, but as my kids, aged 10 and 12, were exhausted, I felt I hesitated to delay further hours by insisting McRent prepare a better condition vehicle for us.

The vehicle also showed wear inside: veneer was peeling from some of the cabinets, chunks of double backed tape remained on the walls where hooks had been removed. Over time we discovered a glove, a gameboy and game, dvds and pencil drawings in our vehicle, leading me to question the quality of McRents cleaning. Clearly the previous renter lost all of his deposit and didn't much care how he left it. The grey water tank was not fully drained and was noxious when we did it a few days later.

My other complaint is that the kitchen set was next to useless: No colander, no spatula; bowls were flat glass soup plates. The frying pan was not non-stick and the pots shared one handle which let go if you tried to tip the pot to drain it. We ended up buying all of these items and more. The table and two of the four chairs we rented collapsed frequently. Just go buy some when you arrive.

So thats all the bad stuff. On the good side, the RV was mechanically reliable and a very economical way for a family of four to have a great month in Europe. The diesel engine got great mileage.We always had a fridge full of good food and cold drinks and a familiar place to sleep. We free-camped a few times with no problems.

The campground book supplied by McRent was very limited, profiling one campground in each of a few dozen major centres. No maps were available at McRent for the countries we planned to visit (Germany, Switz. Italy, France) We did a lot of internet research in advance and it really paid off. We didn't pre-book anything and were never turned away. Our kids liked the 4 star campgrounds with pools, slides and pizzerias, and we generally indulged their preferences, to the tune of 30 or 40 Euros/night. If it was just the two of us, we would have free camped and used municipal campsites more often.

My husband found the driving and parking quite manageable, with the exception of one hairy section between Lugano and Mennagio on Lake Como. We didn't get the GPS system but probably would another time though we managed with only minor navigational errors over 4000km. Another time I would also buy bikes for everyone on the first day. Once you get your vehicle parked in a campsite -- leveled and awning out, laundry flapping - you are loath to move it for local trips. We rented bikes often and for the money spent on rental, could have bought bikes for both kids, and probably sold them quite easily in the end - or found a way to donate them where they could do some good.

Return of the vehicle at Frankfurt was much smoother. My husband and I spent a few hours the night prior cleaning the RV from top to bottom and had no difficulty getting our full deposit back without cleaning charges. Just opposite the McRent depot in Offenbach (Frankfurt) there is a McDonalds, two budget hotels, a gas station, and car detailing center with coin-op vaccums that you can access round the clock. We got a room for the kids, then cleaned the RV in the parking lot. We all profited from showers at the hotel in the morning before driving the clean RV across the road and heading for the airport. Doing it this way was well worth the 60E hotel fee, as it alleviated the complexities of sleeping in the RV while simultaneously packing and cleaning.

Doug gave us prompt and courteous assistance and for that reason I wouldn't hesitate to use Ideamerge again. I am disappointed that we ended up with a vehicle in need of significant cosmetic repair -m our reservation was made 8 months ahead - not last minute. We always felt like people were looking at our patched vehicle in wonder at our poor driving skills. Another time, I would insist that McRent prep a better vehicle and very quickly too.

If you are thinking of taking your family on an RV tour of Europe, just do it. We had a wonderful time and only hope we can do it once more before our kids are too old.

Tomas Petersen, sunny@sunnyworld.org, 09 august 2007
We decided with relatively short notice to go on a two week campervan holiday. After a search of the internet, it quickly became clear that IDEAMERGE was offering what was amongst the best prices. So we booked a compact. Within 8 hours, Doug from IDEAMERGE wrote back that there was no vans of this category available for our dates, but offered us the next best option. We picked that and ideamerge arranged all the booking and payment swiftly and efficiently.

The van was ready when we got to Hamburg. It was in excellent condition, and we had two wonderful weeks touring in it.

The German company had problems with their IT systems so offered to email us the final paperwork instead of us having to wait around. We gladly accepted. The email didn't arrive. A quick note to IDEAMERGE got this resolved within 8 hours as well. It is particularly this after-the-event service, long after the money has changed hand that impressed us. Doug could have ignored our note, but he got right onto the case and got it resolved.

I have been very impressed by the service received and have no hesitation in recommending IDEAMERGE to anyone looking for a trouble free campervan holiday.

George Psaroudakis Anna Oikonomou, 08 august 2007
We picked our camper from Barcelona. It was clean and not too old. We traveled around Spain and France for 3200 Km and we had no problems at all. The staff at Barcelona depot was very nice and helpful. The same is true for IdeaMerge as well. It was a great experience. In the future we are thinking of traveling in Spain and Portugal and IdeaMerge is our first choice.

Duncan Quigley, , 08 august 2007
Malaga to Barcelona and back again.
Motorhome was fit for purpose, clean and not too old. Pleasant and helpful depot staff.
Would I book through IdealMerge again…in an instant.

Ian and Kate Britt, , 08 august 2007
We're two older West Coast (Vancouver) people who rented a camper-van to see some of the East Coast of Canada. We flew to Halifax and picked up the camper from Fraserway there. Found it as clean as if it had never been used. The rental company staff was very helpful and courteous. Free pickup shuttle to their site and they stored our luggage for us after we unpacked into the van. Our tour was 14 days and 2300 km around the coastal roads of Nova Scotia. The province is beautiful. Holidaying next to the ocean for the whole trip was a unique pleasure, and having a camper guaranteed we could make the most of the experience -- not having to close up in some hotel each night, instead enjoying the oceanside landscapes full time. The people of Nova Scotia are open and friendly, and they had much history and artistry for us to explore and learn about. If you do go to the maritimes, this camper idea is THE way to go. The communities are small. Unlike rural BC, where every town has a few motels situated on the highway route through them, Nova Scotia towns have fewer of such places to stay, other than B&B's. However, nice campgrounds are available everywhere, most of them very clean and with full facilities. We highly recommend what we did -- booked all our campsites in advance, finding them using the provincial 'Doers & Dreamers Guide' plus the internet. The result was that we had a lovely spot almost every night, never had to spend touring and travel time searching for a campsite, could instead just enjoy the driving from one place to the next, making sidetrips and stops along the way without worrying about each night's accommodation. We have never rented or used an RV for a trip before, and we REALLY loved it. The best part was the complete independence, being able to stop for bathroom breaks whenever and wherever, and being able to have our meals at any roadside viewpoint or picnic site or beach along the way. Even though the camper cost more per day than motels, we felt that being able to make our own meals rather than using restaurants easily made up the difference. We are thinking we'll do the same kind of tour of PEI, maybe even next year.

Lynley Ellis, 08 august 2007
We picked up our RV Motorhome in Barcelona and dropped it off in Malaga travelling for 10 nights along the southern Costa del Sol. We struck a really busy day in Barcelona. Camper was to be ready at 10am, we arrived at 4pm to collect and were told we would have to wait until 5pm for the English speaking staff member to return from lunch. It was very hot and the building had no air conditioning. The vehicle was not ready and they started cleaning and preparing it at 4pm when we arrived. Subsequently it was a pretty hurried job of cleaning! It took 2 hours to complete all paperwork and get on the road. RV performed well. The fridge did not work 100% and we informed them of this on returning the vehicle. Was a nice change to have an automatic RV as we have had manual ones in the past. Only way to travel around. Campgrounds are quite hard to find in Spain - especially when the only Camping Ground Guide they give you with the motorhome is in SPANISH! Quite a few of the campgrounds did not exist any longer that we tried to find. Malaga drop off depot is quite hard to find, so make sure you get exact directions on how to get to it if you are dropping off the RV to that depot. We have pretty much RV'd the whole of Europe, and we found Spain although pretty, it was not as nice or easy camping as the rest of Europe. Was lovely to see and Marbella was our favourite part that we visited. Alot of the southern coast of spain is really built up with alot of high rise buildings, which sort of spoils the landscape. Never the less we really enjoyed our whole r.v. experience and found Doug and the team at Ideal Merge great to deal with.

Ronald Tania Jackson, ronald@fab-k.com, 07 august 2007
We picked up the Camper in Amsterdam and found Idea merges camper to be well equipped and in good order. We drove all of 7200km in the two weeks that we rented the camper and found no problems. There were a few small things inside of the vehicle that needed some attention, but as with any rented vehicle some wear and tear is to be expected. Thank you for enhancing our experience with great service and good prices.

Kees en Leoniek Roks, Guus en Marga van Gool, 07 august 2007
Hei,
We picked up the camper in Oslo. Everything went very smooth from the beginning, from booking untill deliver the camper back. It is an very well organized company. We had one "bad" issue, the camper was not clean...and we payed for the cleaning at the end. So that was a waist of our money.

Razia H., trhusain@sbcglobal.net, 07 august 2007
Our European vacation started with airline reservation and IdeaMerge. we really appreciated the details on the website and after careful thought went with ideamerge as opposed to other options. Our rental was in Frankfurt. Everything was exactly as the website had prepared us for. No surprises except that we expected to get a VW but the six sleepers were all FIAT. Since our van had EXCELLENT fuel economy and did not give us any problems it was alright in the end.
The construction of the bed and tables inside the vehicle was a bit flimsy but bearable for two weeks! The plumbing and heating system worked great and all the guages for water and fuel for the living area worked as they should. The space was tight but we were expecting that. Bed sizes were not bad but walk around space was minimum. The stove and refrigerator were efficient and adequate for normal use.
We relied heavily on our Tom-Tom and had a great time. Without the Tom-Tom, it would have been impossible to find the depot in Frankfurt, as it is well hidden.
We did not purchase any extras because I didn't think they were worth the cost.
The checkout process was smooth, there were no "hidden" costs, no unreasonable penalties (we had minor fender benders and were charged around Eruo 500 more).
Overall it was an extremely painless process to rent and return and we will definitely do it again in the near future. Specially now that we know there is a train from Frankfurt airport to the depot and to the Frankfut Hauptbahnhof etc.
THANK YOU IDEA MERGE!

Kathi Ralph Battles, broncobetty1950@sbcglobal.net, 07 august 2007
Thoroughly enjoyed our rental experience with Ideamerge/DRM in Frankfurt, Germany. This was our 5th European vacation and we've always either purchased or rented a VW camper van. This was our van's only second trip out, so it was like brand new and worked great, was very comfortable and easy to maneuver on those skinny European city streets. We visited 7 countries in five weeks and camped every night and met all kinds of friedly people. We really appreciated having the huge German map and camping book--they came in very handy. Also, having the bike rack included was a plus--we formed an international partnership with our German friends and purchased mountain bikes which we rode in three different alps and then left with our friends when we departed Germany. Too much fun!

Our recommendation is to have at least a sheet of van operation instructions in English which would have helped with blood pressure when trying to figure out the electronics. Also, there shouldn't be an extra charge for the table and chairs which were already part of the van.

What we want to know is how Mike (in Frankfurt) did with his extreme mountain bike race? We were rooting for him and his partner!

Laaksonen Family, 07 august 2007
We booked our vehicle from Mr. Doug Bredesen and picked it up at Sulzemoos (Münich). The service was excellent, vehicle was practically brand new and we had fantastic three weeks in Germany, Switzerland and France.

We recommend!

Laaksonen Family (Finland)

Ole Jepsen, 06 august 2007
We had a wonderful trip in Italy - going on the west coast from Rome to Napoli/ Amalfi and Capri. Ideamerge did all well - Doug Bredesen answered all our questions fast and nothing failed. Only "bad" thing was, that the wquipment in the motorhome was no luxury - 5 person/ 5 spoons, bad chairs, nothing for opening a bottle of wine (in Italy!!!!) - take 50 euro more and make this much better!!. The motorhome itself was just fine and the firm in Rome very kind and helpfull - and we hope to make another trip to Greece next year - and will contact IdeaMerge again!

marie brice, mbrice@ssafara.net, 03 august 2007
Ideamerge was a great company to work with - I emailed several as we live in India so hiring a campervan in Spain was no easy task! Ideamerge was the only one who consistently maintained contact and answered all my queries. It was so nice to be met and helped at the airport too.
My only suggestion is that the campervan hirers themselves put a basic household kit in the van like they do ein sveral other countries - 100Euro is too much to pay for a few sheets and crockery for 1 week!
Thanks Ideamerge and Doug

Brian Templeton, 28 july 2007
We collected our Fiat Dethtleffs RV from McRent in Mannheim. Our 7 week holiday was trouble free and highly enjoyable in part due to the excellent quality of the vehicle which was both economical and very well presented.
I would recommend this kind of holiday to anyone.
The only matter which did bother us was that they did not supply a spare wheel in case of punctures - fortunately it was not needed!
My wife are looking towards doing this again in a few years time so we will no doubt be in touch with you again.

Lon Abbott, terrilon@yahoo.com, 27 july 2007
Overall, we had a good experience with renting a VW California camper van this summer, and we certainly would do it again. The original interface with IdeaMerge was seamless, though they had a software glitch so our price went up the next day because we were originally not charged for the one-way drop off fee.

We picked up the van in Barcelona, where the people were friendly, but did not speak sufficient English for us to fully understand the 'training'. The vehicle was in good condition, but the 'kit' was not -- the table was unusable (warped and peeling), and the chairs were barely. When we requested a different table, they said they didn't have one -- hard to believe, as it was a large camper-supply store. We had to purchase our own elsewhere. The water tank and gas tanks were not full as promised. In addition, we doubt the RV operator inspected the van when it was previously returned, as in the middle of the first night we awoke to an extremely strong gas smell. We drove back to the RV the next morning, and after some hassle, they inspected it and discovered that the valve on the propane hadn't been properly closed.

After this rough start, however, things worked out well, and we had a great 3 weeks. Dropping it off in Malaga was a breeze, super efficient and helpful. I would recommend picking up here instead of in Barcelona if possible.

Jay Crystal Merz, 25 july 2007
We picked up our motorhome at Paris South. Drove it through France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland.
Plusses.
Ideamerge personnel were helpful and responsive.
The RV was clean, new, easy to drive and quite spacious for a family of four. We saved a lot of money preparing most of our own meals. Our teenage son loved the flexibility of eating when he wanted to. The bed even fit our 6'4" son. We would do this again in a heart beat. Finding campgrounds in Europe is relatively easy, easier than finding a room every night. There were no hidden fees. The dishes were nice.
Checkout was quick and easy.
Cons
Getting to Avis for pickup was a nightmare. More assistance than "take a cab" would have made it so much easier. We took the train from Gare du Nord. We thought we were walking distance from the Bretigny train station but that was a different station. We walked for 45 minutes. Upon arriving we quickly got our orientation and left.
The promised camping book and map didn't match so they were worthless.
The pans were in poor condition with no lids.
Even though the instructions emphasized keeping the RV level, ramps or jacks were not included.
The instruction manual was incomplete. We were surprised as was everyone else in the campground to find out we had an alarm system.
Again more assistance on getting to the Paris south location would have made the beginning of our trip so much more enjoyable. A taxi from central Paris would definitely have been more than Euro70. The train to Bretigny then a taxi was very affordable.
If you can drive a manual transmission this is a great way to go.

Bruce, 25 july 2007
Ideamerge and McRent in Hamburg provided excellent service. Check in and checkout were very quick and trouble free. We were surprise at the very good fuel economy with the Fiat van. We enjoyed our five week trip through Scandinavia driving almost 5000 miles.
We are ready to do it again.

Tommie Kenny, 25 july 2007
Having settled back after completing a wonderful holiday in Europe I would like to complement Doug Bredesen for his help and courtsey at all times during our communications to each other while I tried to organise our holiday to suit our family situation .Thankfully everything worked out perfectly.I would like to extend my thanks also to McRent in Mannheim who provided the vehicle in excellent condition and it's facilities were demonstrated by Simeone in a corteous and knowledgeble manner and in perfect English,the pick up and return were without problems..many thanks to all concerned .We were very happy with the vehicle choice, well equipped,comfortable,economical,safe and with low mileage .Also the A/C was appreciated when the weather got very warm. Just one little minor quibble, it would help if the manuals provided with vehicle could be in English covering basic information on warning lights in vehicle/eqpt operation etc. Verdict overall...very satisfied...would use IDEAMerge/McRent again and would also recommend to others

Anthony Willis, twil9899@bigpond.net.au, 24 july 2007
Ideamerge were efficient and wonderful.
We collected our motorhome from Nice, unfortunately arriving from the airport to find the place closed for siesta and nowhere for us to even sit while they ignored us outside the gate. The depot was a filthy shambles and obviously a very distant cousin of Avis. We explained that the main door of the van didn't seem to work properly, for which they gave little attention, but failed to understand that it wouldn't open from the inside. In the end after days of frustration I 'fixed' it with a bit of wire. The back seats were torn and shabby. They provided us with one empty LPG gas bottle and a quarter full one. The fuel tank was provided on a quarter full, which eventually meant we had to turn back from our intended route because we couldn't find any open gas stations. There are only seat belts in forward facing seats. They were unable to provide a camping table and seats as booked, so we brought our own.
However Avis at the Paris end, reimbursed us and COULDN'T have been more helpful, courteous and professional.
Having glass and china crockery is a constant annoyance (on every corner). Surely melamine is a cheaper, quieter and better option. Otherwise the vehicle was pleasant to drive, economical and comfortable. It would have been helpful to have electrical converters provided for each country, as we had trouble in Switzerland. It took some getting used to the width of the vehicle, especially when our GPS took us into ever narrowing streets. In all a wonderful way to see Europe.

Nancy Nemeth, nnemeth1@yahoo.com, 24 july 2007
Big Thank You to all at IdeaMerge. We had a WONDERFUL holiday in the Southwestern US visiting 9 National Park and Monuments. We logged in 2000 miles and were pleasantly surprised at our gas mileage. The motorhome was in PRISTINE condition when we picked it up and we feel we got an excellent value. Family members rented a similar RV and paid more for one week than we paid for 15 days! We will use Road Bear again in the future. Thank you to everyone for a vacation to remember.

ronnie lucas, ronnie@rnrglaztek.co.uk, 24 july 2007
rv was as ordered clean tidy and ready to roll, and roll we did 1800 mile in 14 days what a fantastic place, a slight problem with a leak in the roof but was quickly sorted and back on the road. the price we were told was what we paid no add ons when we got their apart from the extra miles but that was our choice. thanks. nice doing business, regards ronnie

Paul Rousseau, prousseau@tsmc.com, 24 july 2007
I was very happy with reservation process, detail of website and information, no surprises. As a whole we had a great time and the campervan was high quality and as advertised. My only minor negative was regarding airport pick up. Grant it, we had a particular situation with midnight pick up but I explicitely checked on this beforehand and was assured everything was okay. RV company was not expecting us till next day (because midnight pickup) but quickly recovered and we did not lose more than 30 minutes.

Christopher Young, 24 july 2007
We picked up a 23' motor home at Road Bear in Las Vegas. Everything was ready for us when we arrived and we were on the road in under an hour. The unit had only about 6000 miles on it and was clean inside and out.

During the next week we travelled 1000 miles, mainly in Arizona and Utah where the temperatures were in the 105F to 120F degree range (sort of mid '40s celcius). Everything worked well apart from a couple of minor equipment glitches which had no bearing on our enjoyment of the vehicle.

We returned the vehicle in late afternoon and found the check-in procedure quick and efficient. Had we returned it the following morning, as we had originally planned to do, the process would have probably taken considerably longer since most RVs are returned at that time. The afternoon return meant that we paid for a night that we didn't use but our schedule was such that we were content to do that.

All in all we were very pleased with our rental experience and would not hesitate to make a similar trip in the future.

I would recommend Idea Merge and Road Bear to anyone.

Ross McClelland, 24 july 2007
Good quality, new [07] RV, good service from Road Bear. Great holiday.

Deon Roe, 24 july 2007
For the most part, our experience was great even though we started out a little shaky. We were to be picked up at the FCO airport and taken to the depot. We waited almost an hour and nobody showed and made numerous phone calls and nobody answered. Needless to say we were stressed. Ended up taking a taxi. It turned out that a couple days before our arrival they realized our flight came in during siesta and they emailed us and Doug Bredesen that they would pick us up after siesta at 5 p.m. Shame on you Doug. You should have insisted that someone meet us as you knew we had left home over two weeks earlier and wouldn't get the message. Now being tired and frustrated that got us off on a bad footing and some of the motorhome explanations were either interrupted by their phone ringing constantly and our being stressed so some important things were missed. Like the steering wheel self locking mechanism preventing the vehicle from starting. Just a little important fact. Also, we had glass cups and ceramic dishes that drove us crazy when driving. We were able to soften the noise with towels but I was sure I was going to open a cupboard full of broken glass. With the exception of the above, Italy was wonderful. And other than not being picked up at the airport, the service from IdeaMerge was great.

Jon Yusko, jyusko@bellsouth.net, 24 july 2007
We picked up the RV in Oakland CA. The RV was nearly new (2007, 12k miles) and well prepared when we got there. The service attendants were very friendly, prompt and the vehicle was clean and ready to go. We arrived at the agent (they picked us up at the BART station) and in about a 1/2 hour we were on the road. We had a great vacation and would definitely rent from Ideamerge/Road Bear RV again, and plan on it. A great experience.

Giles Middleton, midi78@gmail.com, 24 july 2007
The campervan was great and it was a very easy process from booking to returning the van. I highly recommend using this company!

Duncan MacLachlan, 24 july 2007
Excellant service and attention to detail from all concerned in the Canadian section. Special thanks to Doug Bredesen who worked hard to get us on the road, when we'd booked late and fixed us up with another RV provider.

A great experience all round and no hesitation in recommending it to others considering this type of recreational adventure.

We found everyone in Canada went out their way to make our experience a very pleasant vacation.

Whilst our RV experience was with another hire company, it was a highly commendable and reputable organisation who were very proferssional in all their dealings with us. Their van and services were exemplary, which presumably was understood by Doug in contracting us with them.

Cheers all - we'll be back.

Daniel Curley, 20 july 2007
Thoroughly professional service and totally delighted with our "brand new" camper van vehicle. If you decide to user a camper van in Italy you MUST use this company. Felt totaly at ease knowing this companybwas behind me if I had any isses whilst driving through Italy (thankfully no issues did arise). 10/10 for service.

brian furio, 10 july 2007
I found the entire process of renting an RV through IdeaMerge to be painless, straightforward, and relatively easy. I rented an RV from the Las Vegas location but live in Pa. I did all the payment and reservations online with ease. The cost of the RV was considerably less than "name" RV rental agencies, which attracted me initially. Upon arriving in LV, the only snag was a slow process of checking out the RV (too many others at the same time). Otherwise, the RV was a great family vacation through Southern Utah and Northern Arizona. All the comforts of home, particularly the full-sized refrigerator, made this trip memorable and relaxing. They even provided a free shuttle service to local hotels upon our return and dropoff. All in all, a pleasant and relatively simple process throughout.

Ricky Hammock/June Tuttle, rikslik222@yahoo.com, 09 july 2007
We rented a 31' RV. The pickup locationb was 10 miles from our home. We drove 4,700 in 14 days. The rental unit was an '07 with 4,000 miles on it. It was imacculately clean and very easy to drive. We had no mechanical problems at all during entire trip. RV was easy to setup and teardown. Gas mileage was better than expected. The RV handled well and we even had to outrun a tornado at 95 MPH! We drove through high winds and flash flooding, but the rental vehicle took it all in stride. IdeaMerge was very easy to deal with and very accommodating to our needs. Thanks to IM for a wonderful trip and an experience that myself nor my family will ever forget. We are already planning our next years adventure and will be contacting your company again.

Lisa Letarte, 09 july 2007
My story is a little different. We had air reservations that created a conflict. The airlines had assured us that we would be able to change our reservations at no cost. When push came to shove, we were going to be required to pay cancellation fees and rebook out tickets at the current price! Yikes! Ideamerge worked with us to explore our options but we were ultimately not able to coordinate our flight and motor home rentals. Ideamerge took care of the cancellation immediately to make sure we avoided any additional fees. The responsiveness was amazing as was their help in looking for alternatives. My thought is that customer service is always helpful when you are making the reservation. Ideamerge was just as helpful when we needed to cancel our rental and acted immediately so we would avoid an additional fee from the motor home provider. I would highly recommend them.

David Stafki, 08 july 2007
Picked up the RV in Dusseldorf in early April. Met or exceeded all expectations. Staff was friendly and knowledgable and we were on the road quickly. We had a great time touring several countries and had no real problems with the RV. Euorpeans are great campers and the campgrounds were wonderful. We loved our experiences there. We originally reserved the unit for almost 3 months but had to cut it short by about 3 weeks. It would have been nice if they would have even some small measure of refund for unused days. Also, when renting for that long it would also have been good to have a couple of chairs thrown in for nothing.
Overall though, no regrets and would do it again.
Dave

sam Robbins, sam.robbins@gmail.com, 07 july 2007
We picked up our RV at the Paris Avis location and apart from a
brief downpour as we did our outside inspection of the vehicle
everything went well. We had some logistical issues both picking
up and dropping off the RV at the Avis Paris location. It couldn't be
more distant from CDG airport if they tried! Our real problem was
that we had too much luggage (we are musicians and along with
our regular bags we were carrying three musical instruments). It
really is our only quibble with the Avis situation - the staff were
very competent and helpful but the location for most international
travellers is not great - a location at Roissy en France would be
much better.
We had booked one of the smaller RVs but I could see that look of
fear and apprehension in the eyes of others who were waiting to
take possession of larger units knowing that they would have to
navigate the 'beast' out of a very cramped yard and down some
fairly narrow streets.
Anyay back to us. The RV was fine and just as described. We drove
south through the Loire, Dordogne, Provence and down to the Med
and then crossed into Italy and eventually Slovakia and Croatia
(which is very beautiful). The gas (diesel) mileage was fine and the
vehicle (Citroen) performed flawlessly for the whole trip.
I am used to driving in Europe and so didn't have too much trouble
adapting to the road conditions and despite what others may say, if
you know what to look for, campsites are very easy to find -
especially in France.
I would highly recommend the experience to anyone - but I would
also suggest that they get themslves a GPS (or rent one rom AVIS)
Bon voyge

Laura from Florida , 07 july 2007
Our family had camped before in the States, but the campgrounds in Germany & Italy were better in some respects. Most had small markets, bars, and the restrooms were clean, and we never had to wait for a shower like you do in the States in the mornings. Great locations...but finding some of them! Yuk. The campground book given to us by McRent had terrible directions in it. I'd get the GPS next time.

Driving an RV on the autobahn was not a problem (of course I drive in South Fla), and the gas mileage was great.

We did not get the motorhome we had reserved in November. We were supposed to get a Group D6B vehicle, like the Dethleffs 7871-2. When we got to the pick-up they would not rent it to us because our US licenses (all 3 said something different) gave our weight class as less than sufficient to drive the motorhome. This was news to us because our reservation had said "though standard US domestic licenses suffice with respect to the Group D6 and Group D7 motorhomes, which have a gross weight greater than 3500 kg, standard European licenses limit their holders to vehicles less than this weight." We figured we had no problem. But someone at the AAA office where we got our Int'l driver licenses had incorrectly market we couldn't drive more than 5,000 lb vehicle. We had already rented and driven a larger motorhome in Alaska years earlier. Also my 15-yr old son's driver's permit said his license was sufficient to drive the motorhome. Too bad he was too young. We went to a website to show we had the correct licenses, they wouldn't budge. It's not like we were going to have obtained CDL licenses in the states just for driving a vacation vehicle! The Frankfurt staff had a smaller motorhome that they quickly cleaned and outfitted for us (over 3 hr check=in), but it was not as new or large and we were a party of six. I was dissappointed that we did not get the vehicle we had reserved so many months earlier.

But if you get the GPS, people from the US should not be hesitant at all about camping in Europe or using McRent. It was much more of an experience than staying in hotel rooms.

Godleman family, frankmaree54@netspace.net.au, 06 july 2007
We have just recently returned from a 4 week holiday in Europe. This was to (most likely) be our last family holiday with our 17yo son before he heads off to Uni & holidays with friends rather than parents. It was particularly important to me that it be a memorable holiday for all the right reasons rather than because it was the holiday from hell! It was all I had hoped for & more!!!! This was in no small part due to the excellent motorhome (Fiat Globebus from McRent in Munich) we had for our 3 week stint on the continent. We picked up from Sulzemoos (about 45 mins out of Munich)& did a loop through Austria (Salzburg), Slovenia (Bled,Ljubljiana & Potorosa), briefly into Croatia (Umag), Italy (Venice & Cinque Terre)across the Mediterranean coast to Nice, up through Frances Provence region (Orange) to Lyon, to Switzerland (Geneva, Rolle, Visp,Lauterbrunnen), Austria (Bregenz, Germany (Fussen, St.Alban on Amersee, and returning to Munich. I had travelled Europe as a single back in the 80's using Eurail which was great but this trip was absolutely awesome. My husband adapted really quickly to the left-hand drive & we did some 4500 Kms without feeling pushed or rushed.
The Munich McRent depot staff (Peter & Michael - who both spoke English thankfully as our German was non-existant) were extremely helpful & the vehicle check-in was both quick & thorough. Our motorhome only had about 1500Kms on the clock so was virtually brand new! Its economy was great fuel-wise. It came map-less though & we hadn't been expecting that so I'd advise that you organise a GPS before you go & take away the need for chasing up maps. I'd also agree with others that some of the Tolls are highway robbery - literally!! We found it to be worst across the Cote D'Azure region so would in hindsight suggest more minor roads if time permits. We could have spent much more time exploring & we would highly recommend both Ideamerge & McRent as very professional teams to deal with. I have read that some folks were not sure what standard of cleanliness was needed to receive their deposit - we had absolutely no problem in this regard. I suggest that as a guide, you return the vehicle in the same clean state in which it was when you picked it up - no hassles!!
If like us you are hesitating about going....DON'T hesitate....JUST GO!!!! Thanks McRent & Ideamerge, we have made incredible memories we will all carry with us forever!

Daniel Fraser, 03 july 2007
I found the IdeaMerge site very helpful and had all the information we needed. Factoring in the discounts the prices it was better than going to McRent direct. One negative point is that we thought we were geting A/C in the cab for our model - but in reality it didn't come with that.

We had a great holiday and traveled 4500km. Some advice is not to be too complacent with your valubles we had our cameras and bags stolen from within the main campervan (out of sight behind curtain, behind passenger seat) during the night while we were in the campervan sleeping! We were parked in a small Motorest just inside the eastern Czech boarder. The lock was forced and we heard nothing. We would now keep our valubles in a cupboard or up on the bed... Don't be put off though, we had a great time, just be careful with passports, cash and cameras, it will save you a lot of trouble.
Dan

Eve Meyer, ekm@frontiernet.net, 25 june 2007
From the start, the service we recieved from Doug Bredesen booking the motorhome, was amazing. Very quick to respond to any question, regardless of how trivial. We, a party of 4 women, rented a 21 1/2' Fiat motorhome to tour Norway for 21 days. This was the best idea I've ever had. None of us had ever driven a motorhome and I was a little apprehensive considering the roads in Norway, but it couldn't have been easier. Timo, in the Oslo rental center, was very helpful and accomodating. I would highly recommend them. The motorhome was a very economical way to tour a very expensive country. Just being able to have our luggage in one place, makes this the way to go...The convenience of being able to go anywhere, anytime, stopping whenever we wanted, was fantastic. We picked up in Oslo, drove over the Hardanager mountain range to Bergen, where we stayed 3 nights. Then through the fjords, over mountains again, seeing wild herds of rain-deer, lots of sheep, beautiful waterfalls, fjords, and headed up to Trondhiem, where we had family. They all wanted us to stay with them, but we were all more comfortable going back to "our home" each night. I highly recommend this way of travel, and would do it again, and plan on it in the future. The only recommendation I would make is for a percolator coffee pot,a bristle broom and for better side mirrors or beepers when backing up. Other than that, It was a great experience in a beautiful country. Will book with Ideamerge again with no hesitation. A very pleasant experience.

Jeff Kauk, jeffkauk@rogers.com, 25 june 2007
WOW...what can we say. Before I go any further if you are planning on renting book the motorhome first then find a flight.
We are from Canada and rented a motorhome for the month of May out of Stuttgart, Germany. Since we had booked our flight into Frankfurt already and couldn't get a motorhome rental in Frankfurt we had to take the train to Stuttgart...not a big deal. The rental place was great, our motorhome (Jerry..we gave it a nickname) was perfect for us. A bed, a kitchen, a toilet...what else do you need. If you are thinking of renting a motorhome....DO IT! We loved it...way better then a tent and much better then a hostel...for us atleast. To see pictures go here http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog/canadianmade/awayin07/tpod.html
We can't wait to do it again. Some tips to make the trip easier.
1. Don't worry about getting lost...you will...just keep driving in one direction and you will find your way out of the city!
2. Get the ACSI guide on DVD and take a laptop..the book in the motorhome isn't very good. The ACSI guide it much more detailed. They have a online map here. http://www.eurocampings.co.uk/en/europe/
3. Our motorhome had a safe so we were not worried about valuables..anyways all the parks were VERY safe. It's all older people except Amsterdam!
4. If you are from Canada then trust me when I say everything is MUCH closer to each other than it is in Canada or the States for that matter.
5. If you like to drive you will LOVE to drive in Europe. Some of the roads in Italy I thought were one lane were actually 2! It was great!
6. Campgrounds are amazing...bars, restaurants, no toilet paper or seats in France...it's a learning experience.
If you are on the fence about going.......just please go! It will be the experience of a life time!

Bob McLaren, 25 june 2007

My wife and I recently returned from 5 weeks in Europe. This was the 2nd time we have used Ideamerge to rent a VW California from DRM in Germany. Using Ideamerge is a no brainer; their website, the booking process and customer service is seamless. (Even easier than 2003) We picked up our VW in Frankfurt. Our plane arrived at 11am, by 1:30pm we were driving away in a brand new (1600km) camper. We drove 5200km to southern Italy and returned to Germany via Paris. The current VW camper is very refined and easy to drive and setup. It's perfect for 2 people, gets about 9l/100km fuel economy and is very comfortable. This time we slept upstairs in the "penthouse". which was very comfy and the views out the little windows were great. We brought our own lightweight cooking gear and sleeping bags etc. which simplified things for us. We particularly like the freedom the VW provides, in terms of size and convenience, to go anywhere we like. For instance, we drove the Amalfi coast road on a busy Sunday without any problems. Also, the switchbacks in and out of the Gargano peninsula (Vieste, Italy) are not to be missed. Also, this time we brought along a Garmin NUVI GPS unit which was very helpful.

The return of the vehicle was easy and we our deposit was returned promptly.

Some suggestions: Bring a tire gauge and check your pressure regularly. One of our tires was quite underinflated upon pick-up and it can affect your handling. Also, the VW manuals are all written in German, so any problems you might have can be hard to decipher.

Another great experience and highly recommended. Happy travelling.

Steve, 20 june 2007
We rented a Motorhome for a 4 week trip around Europe in April/May 2007. We picked up our motorhome from McRent in Frankfurt and had a bit of a slow start as there were some delays in getting our motorhome ready. Once on the road we had an excellent family adventure (5 of us). We traveled almost 7000 Km and toured 7 countries. I was very impressed with the motorhome and the fuel consumption was a pleasant surprise compared to the big North American units. We found the camping guide book, provided with the motorhome, to be an excellent resource (But bring a GPS or really good maps !). Never once had a problem finding a nice camp site (pays to go in the off season !) Ideamerge, especially Doug was excellent for answering our questions and getting our booking established. If you are reading these reviews trying to decide if a motorhome is the way to visit Europe, I can certainly recommend it as a fantastic way to travel!(and I would not hesitate to recommend you book through Ideamerge). Our family had a wonderful time. Thanks

Tim, tim@missionsafari.net, 20 june 2007
We had the trip of a lifetime thanks to Ideamerge. After living in Africa the past 3 years we decided to tour Europe on our way back to the U.S. I had never rented a RV camper before so had no idea how to get started. So, I just "googled" "RV Camper Rentals in Europe" and fortunately came across Ideamerge. It had the best information and the best rates.

The camper was awesome and we traveled throughout Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, and France. The only surprise we had were the toll road costs in Europe. More information on the website would have been helpful for budgeting.

Also, understanding the insurance would have been better. Unbeknownst to us, a tree limb made a small dent on top. When we turned in our camper after our trip, the guys at McRent went crazy with everything. Not only did they keep our deposit, they charged us 150 Euros for not "cleaning" the inside (we had washed all dishes, swept the floors, and wiped down the counters, but apparently forgot to wipe out the burners). Not knowing what was expected on cleaning cost a lot.

All in all, we would do it all over again. We will soon forget the dent, the loss of deposit, and the cleaning fee, and remember all the great things that happened during our trip!

Peter Schulte, 19 june 2007
Dear Mr. Bredesen,

First of all i like to thank you for the handling of my questions.
Second, i want to make a compliment for your company and its workers for how we've been treated and helped all along the way. This have helped us getting to a jumpstart for a good and relaxing vacation as we needed, and i'm pretty sure we'll come back soon to enjoy the lovely people and counties of Nova Scotia.

With warm greetings,

Peter Schulte

Alan Morris, 18 june 2007
We have just returned from Europe and a 7 week hire from DRM. Whilst we were in Germany (Berlin) a large branch fell off a tree (we were in a camp site) and wrecked the camper, it happened around 10am, before the end of the day we were "back on the road" with a new vehicle.
Fortunately no one was hurt but I think DRM should be commended for the excellent way they handled the situation, unlike the campsite who had insisted we park where we had and then charged us for our overnight stay and the tea and coffee (offered to calm us down, two people were in the van at the time but escaped unhurt). We were unable to shower as most of our towels were wet due to the large hole in the roof.
We were also delighted to be told that due to the circumstances we would receive our deposit back, so all in all DRM were delightful and the campers were on the whole "first class"

Regards

Alan Morris
AustraliaAlan

Thor Larsen and Jeanne Rucker, 13 june 2007
During the October planning of a May 2007 trip for 5 adults to visit family in Norway, I reserved a motorhome through Doug Bredesen / IdeaMerge. Doug's service, from the initial booking through to the followup after the trip, has been little short of amazing.

The Oslo representative met us at the airport and took us to the motorhome lot where we were given a thorough briefing on the motorhome and all related equipment.

The motorhome was spotless. It was far above what I had envisioned waiting for us. Timo's service was also impeccable and did his very best to ensure a positive experience for us.

The moho was comfortable although we in Canada are used to a little more room inside. All the equipment worked well and it saved us a huge amount of money, if you're familiar with Norwegian prices.

I would not hesitate to rent from IdeaMerge again.

Jennifer Brian from Oregon, U.S., 10 june 2007
We booked a VW van for two for just over one month. We found the
service and information provided from the time of our initial inquiry,
to reservation, to actually picking up and returning the vehicle to be
superb. The van had very few miles on it, lots of great features and
they even lent us several detailed map books and a europe-wide
campground directory. When we picked up the vehicle we had a great
lesson on how to work everything, where the grocery store was, the
nearest fuel station and a small map of the area which was of great
use for the return.
We plan to travel in europe again next year and will definitely rent a
VW again from this company. We had a great experience.

David Steele, 04 june 2007
We picked up and dropped off an MC Rent motorhome in Dusseldorf, Germany, with an 11 day rental. We had selected the "Standard" sized motorhome with carseats for our 4yo and 9mo old children. When we arrived we found things all ready for us, with the exception that they had two forward facing childs seats instead of a rear facing infant seat for the baby. We showed them the IdeaMerge paperwork clearly showing the ages and weights of our children. After a few minutes of consultation, they sent a technician out and purchased a new seat for our use. It was a little difficult getting the seats installed but they obviously were interested in doing what it took to keep us happy. The motorhome was 6 months old with 24,000km and in excellent condition. It even came with a backup camera to help us parallel park in the crowded German cities, which we very much appreciated. We'd definitely do it again, although I'm not sure whether we'd bring the kids...

Lindsey and Keven Grogan, lin-kev@bigpond.net.au, 28 may 2007
We would like to post a complimentary review of booking our motorhome to travel Europe... although this will not take place until March 2008 - we have booked early for various reasons and we have found that Doug Bredesen has been unbelievable with his help... seems that nothing was too much trouble and here we are downunder in Australia and he has made the booking of our Motorhome so easy... I wondered if he ever slept - as I would email with a request and would awake to find his reply... nothing was to hard and he made it all so simple for us and so generous... We can highly recommend him to make your bookings so simple... I cant wait to be able to post yet another review after we come back.. We will be making this motor home - "our Home " for 134 days and we just cant wait... thanks again Doug... your the best..Lindsey and Keven Grogan -Beerwah - Australia.

Garduño Fam, mxgm49@hotmail.com, 24 may 2007
thks to IDEAMERGE specially to Mr. Doug Bredesen because he always show special interst to solve the little problems that we have.

William Anderson, wbacurb@yahoo.com, 22 may 2007
We were met at the Malaga airport and taken to the motor home. It was a great unit with plenty of pep and good fuel economy. It worked out very well. We dropped it in Madrid. At the drop point, we arrived ahead of time but were treated very well. The entire experience was great. This is the third time we have rented in Europe.

Debbie Longman, 22 may 2007
We rented a Roadbear RV for 30 days with pickup from Los Angeles. During this time we drove 3,000 miles. Doug from IdeaMerge provided a great service, particularly as we only organized the rental a few days before we left Australia. Nothing was too much trouble even extending our rental for us. The staff at Roadbear (Tracey in particular) were very helpful giving us the option of an early pickup and making sure we had sufficient warm bedding for the cold areas we were heading to. The RV was very new and well equipped – the only thing missing was a kettle. We noticed that some other reviewers have mentioned that the mattress was not comfortable – we had a very comfortable bed. We have rented RVs previously from other companies and have found their vehicles to be shabby, poorly equipped and the staff nowhere near as helpful. Overall a 10 out of 10 for both Roadbear and Doug from IdeaMerge.

Regards

Debbie

Paula Rich Beckwith, pbeckw1044@aol.com, 31 march 2007
We picked up and dropped off the RV in Paris in March 2007. Picking up and dropping off was considerably easy and very pleasant. We booked the first and last night at the Camping du Bois de Boulogne, which is only about 15 minutes from the RV place, I would recommend it. Great location to catch the bus to the metro. The RV was like new with no problems. We ordered the pickup and drop off at the airport option, the drop off went wonderful, the pick up was very confusing especially considering it was 6 AM, we had to call 2 times and then had to walk to an outside car rental area. Overall the whole trip went off without a hitch. This is our second RV rental from this company, last year we picked up in Frankfurt, Germany. We would surely rent from them again in a different part of the country. They were very helpful and informative. Thanks again

Linda Lawrence, lit2lulu@aol.com, 26 march 2007
Planned on doing the California Coast - weather was not so good...but we went anyway. Had spectacular views and an awesome adventure.
The Road Bear staff in Los Angels were friendly and efficient. We were given an upgrade because the rental unit we wanted was not available, and the 31ft RV was well equipped, spacious, easy to drive and loads of fun. We traveled approx. 450 miles from L.A. to drop off in Hayward, Ca.
A few suggestions;
The mattress in the 31 foot Freelanders needs to be replaced with a regular sleeping mattress for a better sleep. Also, if you are planing any side trips a car rental is helpful. It was a little hard maneuvering a 31ft motor home through city streets, such as down town L.A. and the Bay area to go sight seeing.
We will definitely be renting RV's from Road Bear in the future - what a fabulous way to see the country.

Paul and Patti, ritchied@sympatico.ca, 20 february 2007
Planned on doing the California Coast - weather was not so good...so we headed in a different direction - you can't do that if you stay at a hotel.....

The Road Bear staff at the Las Vegas depot (pick up and drop off) were friendly and efficient, the pick up service from the airport was a tremendous assistance to us as we were not familiar to the Las Vegas area. The 31ft RV was well equiped, spacious, easy to drive and loads of fun. We travelled approx. 1100 miles at a fuel cost of just under $300.00 for a house on wheels. Suggest if you are planning to RV in the USA you purchase a membership to "Passport America" 50% off discounts and/or "Good Sam Club" - 10-20% off per night max 3 night stay.

A few suggestions;
The mattress in the 31 foot Freelanders needs to be replaced with a regular sleeping mattress for a better sleep. Also providing a nicer comforter in the convenience package would be helpful. Less usage on the generator for cooler evenings in January/February.

We will definitely be renting RV's from Road Bear in the future - what a fabulous way to see the country.

LEE, OKKYOUNG, 22 january 2007
I had enjoyed a wonderful journey with a wonderful motorhome of Avis-Caraway(Paris Depot of Ideamerge). I can't forget their kindness and hospitality. We had no trouble during our journey as long as 40 days. It gave us a lot of interesting and beautiful memories. Also, I strongly recommend the motorhome if you have a baby. My 18-month baby can manage 40 days journey with motorhome, otherwise she couldn't do it.

Sherry, sdb0123@hotmail.com, 14 december 2006
We picked up our RV in Rome. The vehical was in great shape and easy to drive. The staff was very friendly and helpful, when we dropped off our RV they drove us to the train station and also gave us directions so we would safely arrive at our next destination. How nice is that! Very happy with the service and would recommend it to anyone renting an RV in Italy.

Brad Brioux, 25 october 2006
The unit we got was brand new a Citroen Pilote model D2, their were three guys and it was perfect. Very easy to drive with an excellent turning radius, and super fuel efficiency, excellent interior layout very efficient use of space and comfortable sleeping arrangements. We went from Paris to the 24 hours of LeMans and stayed at the camping area they provide. After that we went to the Loire valley and camped in various areas near the river. On the way home prior to having to return the RV we stayed at the Boise de Bolgne camping area and it was super. In fact after we returned the RV we went back their and stayed in one of their mobile homes they have for rent which was very reasonable. All in all the trip was fantastic and thanks for helping us out with the superb RV rental.

Regards Brad Brioux

David Rosalyn Hampson, Surrey, UK, david.hampson@henrybutcher.com, 20 october 2006
The Road Bear crew at both San Francisco (pick up) and Los Angeles (drop off)were friendly, efficient, and quick. The 28ft RV was well equiped, spacious, easy to drive and fun. We were impressed with the slide out section, the air conditioning, generator and warm air heating; we used all these in our trip. RV's in the US seem so much bigger and better than those in Europe, however the fuel cost was significant, at about 7 mpg.

A few suggestions;
1.the main double bed was incredibly hard and uncomfortable. Can you get the supplier to fit thick sprung mattresses, not thin sponge. It makes a huge difference to have a good nights sleep.
2.The comfort pack gave only one pillow per person. Be more generous and supply two per person.

We had a great vacation and would definitely use Road Bear again. Thanks

Danny Julie Giesbrecht, wngntt@shaw.ca, 18 october 2006
Thanks very much for the follow up! We picked up our motorhome in Frankfurt on Sept 18th. The staff (Claudia) was extremely helpful and kind. They offered us maps and useful hints which made our vacation trouble free. Speaking of trouble free, the motorhome ran like a clock and was easy to drive, especially in the busy cities. We travelled through Germany, Holland, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria and back through Germany to Frankfurt. With 4600 km of driving, I can say that i did not feel tired once. The vehicle was very comfortable to drive, eat in, and sleep in. Even when i got stuck going in circles in the roundabout at the "arc de triumph", i felt comfortable driving.
Ideamerge made our honeymoon a trip of a lifetime. Thankyou very much, and thanks again to Claudia in Frankfurt for her assistance and her big smile.
We are already planning for our next trip, 2 years from now. Ideamerge will be our first reservation.

Danny & Julie

Park, Insung, bakis@catholic.ac.kr, 16 october 2006
The motorhome added to our Europe travel usefully. I was very happy and reduce the travel cost. But I appeal you to change two conditions.

1) The insurance system need to be changed. The consumer's resposiblity is 1,000 Euros. Under 500 Euros, customer will feel safe.

2) The time of picking up and replacing should be changed. I wasted my time for travel to wait the motorhome. Without any extra charge customer can hire it, it would be very comfortable and useful.

Thank you for your kindness and help.

Ian Andrina, 16 october 2006
Great way to see Europe with kids (as long as you stop for a few days in one spot to give them some space)...van pick in Frankfurt was friendly and easy with all paper work in order (except take time to watch the video...we didn't realise you could extend the beds even further!)...drop off was also very easy with a no fuss check of the van and the deposit was put credited back into our account there and then at the office!!!...including cost of some minor repairs to the table that we had to undertake enroute...certainly recommend the ideamerge/mcrent frankfurt team

polly schonfeld hermann platschka, polly8@earthlink.net, 09 october 2006
We picked up our van after a long flight from new york city. The staff was helpful, personable and friendly and even offered additional brochures for the trip. The van was a great car and performed beyond our expectations. We drove over 7500 kil. and gas milage was unbelievable. We fell in love with the westphalia and the camping experience. We are already planning our trip next summer and plan to rent another vw from Ideal. Polly & Hermann

FRANK SHERI KOENIG, FRANKKOEN7@AOL.COM, 09 october 2006
WE JUST RECEIVED YOUR EMAIL. THANK YOU FOR WELCOMING US BACK TO THE USA. OUR WHOLE EXPERIENCE WAS "FIRST RATE". WE PUT OVER 2000Km on our RV and we didn't have one bit of trouble. Everything was fantastic with the camper. We got to celebrate our 40th Wedding Anniversary in style! Everyone we know thinks we were crazy to go in a RV, but we put them STRAIGHT! As far as we are concerned this was the only way to see the country's. Our camper was small but compact for us. We loved the bed. You couldn't go to bed mad that was for sure. It was especially nice to have a bathroom. As one gets older we seem to have to make late evening visits and its nice to have that convenience. Driving on the Autobahn was a blast. We never got a ticket, (or got caught). The people at McRent in Munich were very knowledgable and helpful. The RV came fully equipped. We so enjoyed being able to eat outside with our awning and table and chairs. We felt very secure in the RV with all the safety equipment. The only criticism we would like to convey is that they need to make a bigger refrigerator to accommodate all the beer and wurst! Thank you again. We had a WONDERFUL TIME.

Sincerely,

Frank & Sheri Koenig
40+ years

Nigel Dick, nigel@nigeldick.com, 09 october 2006
With 30,000km on the clock the RV was still in very good condition with a external few bumps and grazes we had to agree on before I left the yard. Though the truck (based on a Renault chassis) was the smallest on offer it was still the biggest vehicle I've ever driven but quite sprightly and I soon got used to driving down tiny lanes and narrow streets. It also sported much more storage than I expected.

On returning the vehicle I got a heavy reprimand for parking outside the gates while waiting for the operators to get back from lunch (there was no place else to go!) and that leisurely 2 hour lunch-break effectively added another day's rental onto my bill.

Apart from that it was a great experience and my only other advice is: The campsites in Florence and San Gimignano are wonderful but the one in Siena was closed and, with the closest alternative 40 km away, there was a long line of RV's outside cursing the owner of the place. I expect his karma balloon will be badly deflated when he returns next summer!

Royce Moncur, moncur@latrobe.net.au, 08 october 2006
A great experience! Driving on the right hand side was a challenge at first [us Aussies drive on the correct side!].
We toured for two weeks through six countries.... that much driving would just about get you across Ausralia. Magnificent.
Great service from a company found 'pot luck' in a web search. Also pretty good service from the rental company... BUT!! Surely Europe can catch up with our part of the world. You basically have to wait for 'business hours' to pick up and drop off these motorhomes. Why aren't they set up like hire cars? We had to hire a car for a couple of days before we could get our motor home. The other problem is that they are set up in an industrial estate well away from anything. In Australia I fly into an airport and the van meets me at the airport. Small gripe in the scheme of things though. On the first day I reversed into a small post. Crack through the lightweight rear bumper. $460au cost. Blast! To finish.. great service from Ideamerge and pretty good from Duetsh Riesmobile

Steven Horne, steven.horne@skynet.be, 08 october 2006
Ideamerge were great and the vacation excellent - shame about McRent RV rental of Dusseldorf. Pick-up was shambolic, no guide in english to wagon, no english speaking staff at that time and the chaop we did get didn't really know basics like what the battery indicators meant. very swift look around van - huge mistake!! Took nearly 3 hours to get out of there. Taking back similar pain - this time they really wanted to look at wagon and found a 2-3cm scratch on side - scrape of paint proabably caused by car door or shopping cart. might have even been there when we picked up. Huge fuss and later a 200 euro reduction in deposit supposedly for re-spray. never seen the invoice for this and it took them a month to put rest of deposit back onto card.
Great organisation by ideamerge, great way to see germany, Denmark etc but lousy local rental company.

Damien Byrne, 06 september 2006
just a quick note to thank you for your excellent service through your website. My friends and I used ideamerge last year for our trip around Germany and were so impressed with how smooth everything went there was only one vendor we were going to use when we arranged this year's trip to the USA. - Many Thanks.

Margo Furbert, 06 september 2006
My husband and I returned from our vacation last week and I must tell you that we truly had an enjoyable time driving around the Yukon and Alaska. We had an Okanagan van camper and it was the perfect size for the two of us and we had no problems handling it at all. Thanks for all you did to assist us in the rental arrangements.

Philippe BIZOT, 01 september 2006
We got fantastic vacation with our RV.
We were renting an RV for the first time in our life and the vehicle was 32 feet long...meaning enormous.
Everything went extremelly well, the value chain is well organized and very professional. The team with Doug for administrative topics, the local team for showing all the informations on the vehicle and finally the RV itself. This is going to be vacations that we will not forget.
Thanks for all your support
Philippe

Shane and Fiona, 28 august 2006
What can i say except our Motorhome experience in Germany was well.....interesting...
Let me start by saying the company in Germany (Deutsch Riesemobile)were not the most organised lot which is unusual for German people.(This was no fault of Ideamerge) Our pick up time for the MH was 3pm, we did not leave the place till 7pm. They had no capming guides in English, which made finding a place to camp very hard at times.(We hired the MH for 21 nights taking in 9 countries) They had no english speaking staff to show us the motorhome functions on the day of arrival. Once again, made things a bit hard to figure out.
On the day of return to Deutsch Riesemobile things seemed a lot more functional and we had no trouble with the language barrier as there was an English speaking staff member there.
But all that said, the staff at Ideamerge were fantastic in organising our MH given the high demand during the World Cup.
Doug Bredesen in particular was very professional and punctual in all his dealings with us and should be commended for his good work.

Karen le Roux, kleroux@comcast.net, 24 august 2006
This was my e-mail to the motor home company we used in Italy. We will highly recommend them and it is worth it to tour Italy in a motor home if you have young children.

Dear Valentina,

At the middle of July we rented a motor home for 9 days from Freedom Holiday. I just want to take this opportunity to really thank you for a very pleasant experience. You and Ugo were very helpful and friendly, you even helped us called the airline that lost our luggage. Good quality bedding that was clean and smelled so fresh. It was a pleasure to sleep on them at night. Thank you for all the camping information and the use of your roads maps/books. It was all the little details that made us really enjoy renting a motor home from Freedom Holiday. The motor home was also in a good condition and very clean when we got it from you. Your English was very good so it was easy to communicate with you. Overall we had a very good and pleasant experience and we will definitely recommend your company to anyone who wants to see Italy via motor home. According to us, of course, it’s the very best way to see an amazing beautiful country.

Thank you again.

Dirk and Dixie Havlak, HavlakRD@comcast.net, 24 august 2006
We rented in France. The motor home was easy to drive for a big vehicle and was a fun way to travel. Considering that we had 6-7 adults in it, it was well designed and although crowded, fun. There was enough storage space. Although almost new, it was in need of better repair and maintanance. One of the bench seats collapsed when two people sat on it at once, a problem since we needed it for our big group. One of the big drawers had a latch that didn't work and flew open on turns. The refrigerator latch didn't always work, and we couldn't get the refrig to run for the first two days until we met some Germans with a similar rig. It never did work on one of the electrical options. The dishes and glasses provided were glass, a terribly impractical option as they rattled around the entire time. The blankets were wool, also a terrible option as it was very hot and they were hot and scratchy. There was AC in the cab but not in the back of the vehicle and it was very hot inside, so we slept with mostly no covers.

The training video in English was good, but did not show us where the electrical outlets were and we could not find them so were unable to charge batteries, cameras, etc., which was aggravating.

Driving near Paris is scarey and difficult, especially if you are inexperienced, and better instructions and maps for driving and for taking public transportation would have been useful.

In summary, I would recommend motor home travel and the arrangements made through IdeaMerge worked well, but I would seek a better rental agency (than Avis Car-Away) if there were other options in the Paris area.

Markus and Family, 24 august 2006
I was very happy how smoothly our Germany RV rental went. The vehicle was clean, new and the staff at the pickup depot were very helpful. I would be delighted to recommend using IdeaMerge for renting an RV to anybody travelling in Europe.

Diane, 24 august 2006
We had a great holiday in our motorhome. We were picked up from our Paris hotel and taken to the depo to collect our vehicle which whilst daunting at first sight proved a doddle to drive. We headed south west to Bordeaux and to the coast. It provided a comfortable wasp free retreat after long days of surfing and sunbathing. The down side: the state of pre booked picnic table and chairs was shoddy to say the least, broken and rusty. I would recommend checking that sort of thing over carefully before taking posession. Sadly finding the depo on the way back into Paris was a nightmare and took an hour and a half longer than expected leaving us without our pre-booked taxi! He'd left without us. So there you are. I would definitely do it again though. Thanks.

Michele Kettle, 24 august 2006
We rented a van conversion in Canada. In general the vehicle was fine, although in hindsight a little cramped. However, it served its purpose and we found it very convenient, including the impressive shower, although small, the power to the shower was better than any of the campsite facilities. Only one moan though, we ordered a TV so that my husband could watch some of the World Cup whilst we were away. Unfortunately the enormous TV, unsuitable for a camper, and the fact that no reception could be obtained, as there was no aerial (we had asked for one from the agent), we were told by the agent that the TV would not work! Well that was a waste of money and totally unsuitable, as it was so big and had to be jammed up with bedding evertime we moved the van. So although the RV was great, the TV was lousy, also the fridge kept opening itself as we went round corners, bad news for the beer!!

Arturo , Arturom@charter.net, 23 august 2006
My life time dream was to go to a World Cup in Germany; Ideamerge helped me to make it true. Since I put my application Ideamerge immediately started looking for a motor home for me, They even stay late at night, continuously email me with the latest news related to my reservation, even call me to give me the good news that I had my motorhome reserved. The motorhome was a class D. Small but very comfortable. It looks brand new. I was able to drive and park very close to the city centers (downtown). My wife even cook two blocks from the train's main station at Düsseldorf, because I was very hungry and couldn’t wait to get to the RV parking. I did not see a reason to wait we had beer in the refrigerator (and vegetables) and food on the shelves of the motorhome. Those three and half weeks of traveling, eating, sleeping,.........etc in the motorhome in Germany and during a World Cup, was better than our Honeymoon!!! Thank You Ideamerge. By January I will start planning my next summer vacations. I do not know where I am going, but I know that Ideamerge is going to help me. Thank you again.
Arturo and Nazira

Simon Cox (Hong Kong), coxs@netvigator.com, 21 august 2006
We hired a 6 berth van (for a family of 5) out of Paris, and headed west to the Loire Valley, up to Brittany and Normandy and back to Paris. Probably the best family holiday we have had. Will certainly do again. IdeaMerge were efficient. The van was new'ish and very comfortable. Avis staff in Paris were helpful. No vehicle problems. Although if our kids were a bit bigger we would take a bigger van next time, to avoid having to convert the dining table into a bed. I also recommend buying your own bedding on arrival rather than renting. We took an iPod travel kit with us to plug into the vehicle, so the kids could listen to their music - recommend that. Out of all the campsites we visited, the only one we didn't like was the most expensive, being the crammed Bois de Boloigne in Paris, just near the Avis van depot - avoid it.

Bruce and Raewyn Bartley, New Zealand, 19 august 2006
We collected our campervan in Rome. We mistakenly arrived during the siesta, but only had to wait a short while before a staff member arrived and made us welcome. We were able to sit in the airconditioned van until all the paperwork was complete. The van was newish and in good condition. We had a fabulous time camping in central and northern Italy for 17 days. Wouldn't recommend hiring the microwave as the camping grounds electricity supply wasn't up to it. The campervan suppliers were very friendly and helpful and organised a private taxi for us when there was a taxi strike. Would certainly recommend them.

Christina Peak, 02 august 2006
I was very impressed with the service from this company when I was trying to find a campervan for our time in Germany during the World Cup. I felt like a valued customer and all of my queries and problems were sorted out promptly and efficiently via email. The vendor company were also very helpful and our van was top quality and in top condition. I would use this company again without a second thought.

Kalie and Miranda Kirsten (South Africa), miranda@wo.co.za, 26 july 2006
Our family toured for three weeks through Norway and Finland and drove 5000 km in a Fiat Camper. What a pleasure. We found the service we recieved from Idea Merge fantastic - before, during and afterwards. I think it is the only way to tour expensive Norway with a family. The camper was really good and the campingsites too. We had two mechanical problems with the camper but sorted that out with the vendor. Our next holiday will be organised through Idea Merge - thanks Doug!!

Peter Brun Madsen, 26 july 2006
Amazing what you can get on the internet theese days. Anyway sitting in front of the computer in Denmark, we found Ideamerge - and good for that - since we had the best vacation ever on wheels in God's own country. We rented the 31ft motorhome with plenty of space for 2 kids and their parents, only problem: the DVD didn't like our own discs from abroad. Anyway the kids enjoyed their new home for almost 2 weeks, and we will definately come back - sooner or later.

YH Lee, 26 july 2006
I had a good time with camping car. I rented it in France. Staffs were kind. Thank you.

Ruth Haggerty, ruthhaggerty@hotmail.com, 16 july 2006
We picked up our Campervan for two at Karlsruhe in Germany and have to say that it was immaculate, almost new. The staff gave us a video to watch initially to help us manage the various aspects of running the vehicle, which was valuable as we had never rented one before. We found it to be very good on fuel and totally reliable, as we followed our team in the World Cup 2006 to Frankfurt, Nuremburg and then Cologne. We found it to be a very convenient and comfortable way of seeing the beautiful country of Germany and thank you for your good service and the service of the staff at Karlsruhe. I would recommend your company to my friends with confidence.

Francisco Iván Herrera González, 14 july 2006
Just one word: perfect. We collected two caravans (5 people vehicles) in Berlin and Hamburg. They were almost brand new and ready to use. We move all over Germany during the Football World Cup, including Berlin, Hamburg, Dortmund, Kaisserlautten, Koln and Hannover. We can't say anything but good things about all the stuff related with the caravans. Super recommendable!!!

Jim Betker, 10 july 2006
Great experience in renting and driving through Germany, Switzerland & Italy. The Fiat was a tough and frugal vehicle that was comfortable and convenient. I expected the size of even a small motorhome would be a problem to drive and maneuvre in Europe, but it wasn't. The small diesel engine was slow on pick-up but cruised easily on the Autobahn and the gas mileage was great. The staff in Frankfurt were also great; very helpful with detailing the vehicle's features and even with some trip planning hints and directions.
The only problem we had was a flat tire. The spare tire release mechanism was unfamiliar to us and, because it had not be used in a year, it was stuck to the bottom of the vehicle and required us to get underneath and pry it from the frame (stuck there by corrosion). Suggest rotating these full size spares every few months to avoid that problem. Otherwise everything went well.
Traveling by motorhome was a delight. With jet lag and tourist overload it was great, early in our trip, just to be able to pull over and have a light lunch and a snooze whenever we felt weary. The facililites and people we encountered everywhere were first class. Highly recommend this method of touring expecially if unfamiliar accomodation in areas you visiting. Cost was not more than if we'd traveled by rail and stayed in modest pensions without the hassle of spending hours looking for accomodation etc. If travelling with a party of 3 to 5, especially with children this would be particularly ideal. (bring a portable dvd player and a power convertor cord for European plug ins - the cigarette/12V plugins do not fit North American power cords)
Would definitely do this again.

Chris and Elize Dreyer, elized@absa.co.za, 07 july 2006
We collected our camper (an 8-berth Fiat) at your Frankfurt depot in Nov 2006 and drove 2800 kilometres through Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Switzerland in 8 days. What a pleasure! We were 5 adults and there was ample room for all of us and the bedding was wonderfully warm and comfortable. Being from South Africa we thought we would be cold, but the heating system kept us warm all the way. We will definitely make use of your services again, thank you!!

Alessandro Blasi, Sydney, Australia, 07 july 2006
We had a great trip, travelling through Germany, Switzerland and the Czech Republic. The campervan (a Fiat Trigano) was almost new, in very good condition and was just the right size for two of us. Overall, we were very happy with our choice and would recommend it to others.

The only points for improvement were:
* At the pick-up point, there was a rush of people trying to get their campers at the start of the afternoon pick-up window. This overwhelmed the staff and as a result it took us about 90 min to get away.
* Due to flight times, we made the decision to return the camper the afternoon before the last day of our rental. We found the depot had closed early and that noone was able to deal with us till the next day.
* The deposit took almost 2 weeks to get refunded which was a bit slack. Also, the currency conversion charges and interest on the deposit probably added up to an additional A$100 even though the 1000 Euros were eventually refunded.

Otherwise, it was great fun and I would do it again if I had any holidays left. Thanks!

Neil Wilkinson, 28 june 2006
Just a quick notre to say that we had a fantastic time with the Motorhome which was our first time. The Motorhome was almost brand new which was a great start and the staff were friendly on arrival. The only negative is that the pick up point in Paris was very very hard to find!!

Daryl Blank, 22 june 2006
We knew the success of our trip "out West" rest largely in our motorhome experience with the rental company. The trip was fantastic! The motorhome as nearly brand new with only a few thousand miles on it. We had never driven a motorhome that big and were a little intimidated but the staff put us at ease and we had no issue with it at all. We will use you again! Thank you!

kang namil, 11 june 2006
It has really been a unforgettable journey in our lives, driving thru 8 countries such as France, Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherland, Germany, Czeko, Austria in Europe for 29 days. The campervan had been in good condition and the joys and funs were always with us. We miss the beautiful sceneries thru the windows of campervan and we are already looking forward to next journey with the campervan as soon as possible. Many thanks for kind hospitalities rendered to us by
your staff in Paris.

Delle, Mal and Takoda Ritchie, Delle@ritchie.com, 07 june 2006
We had a fantastic time touring around Italy in one of your motorhomes. The Italian agents were very helpful, even though we made a mistake and turned up a day early they got the motorhome ready for us.

The motorhome was brand new and had everything we needed for a great holiday.

We will definatly do this again - we are looking at booking one for Australia in a few weeks.

Matthew Hunt, 05 june 2006
We had a great 12 days in Alsaka and the Yukon in our van. The range to choose from was really helpful and the presentation on the website helped us to make what we felt as the right choice - a balance between comfort and manouvrability over some 'interesting' Yukon roads. The staff at the vehicle pick-up were friendly and helpful and the vehicle was very clean and comfortable. We only has one issue which they attended to and they listene to feedback. We'd use I-M for our next hire.

Josh Ours and Beth Schuster, Washington, D.C., 04 june 2006
A wonderful experience from start to finish. Excellent customer service from both Ideamerge and the vendor. The brand new VW California was a great way to travel (flexible, fun, fast, and good gas mileage) and camping was convenient, inexpensive, peaceful, and a good way to meet fellow travelers. For added fun and convenience – use those bike racks to bring along the bicycles! We would do this again and recommend it to anyone who enjoys camping.

Matthew and Melissa Johnson, passportstamp@sbcglobal.net, 31 may 2006
We found the German rental company extremely professional and the camper was like new. We appreciated the flexibility of being able to move on whenever we wanted, saved a lot of money not eating in restaurants, and were very comfortable. The pick up and drop off process was efficient and the staff made a real effort to resolve an issue we had. We loved traveling via camper, the camping guidebook was a godsend, and we enjoyed the state of the art sound system for our language CDs. Idea Merge communicated with us and with the vendor and we knew all the information we needed. Top notch, would definitely use Idea Merge again and do a camper trip again- great fun!

patrick moriarty, 19 may 2006
Collected the motorhome near Rome. It was in perfect condition. Good backup from the office and very helpful.

Judy Julian, judyning@yahoo.com, 18 may 2006
Fun, exciting adventure. Our brand new camper van with our TomTom navigation took us through winding narrow alleys and picturesque countrysides in Germany and Switzerland for over two weeks. We had a great time. The camper has good gas mileage, very easy to maneuver, ample storage space, and cozy at night. Bike racks are easy to use (We will rent bikes/scooters all the way for our next trip.)

One advice-don't even think of driving into the cities.

Adolf Annemarie Joubert, South Africa, joubach@hermanus.co.za, 15 may 2006
Wow. wonderfull and exiting! We enjoyed a week of wonderfull travelling through the German and Austrian countryside.

The only suggestion I would have, is that the camping site reference books and maps offered be more up to date (camp sites) and in detail (maps).

We will be doing it again.

Ms. Helen Cocks, 10 may 2006
An out of this world journey experienced to the max due to the fact that we hired a camper van from IdeaMerge. The rental company hooked us up with a brand new, fully furnished, and just like home, camper in which we travelled from Stockholm across Sweden to Oslo and across Norway to Bergen, in the Fjord region. The scenery was breathtaking and in places reminded me of the Land of Narnia. Although the roads were often a little scary compared to the flat, straight motorways of the UK, the camper was our knight in shining armour and we never had any problems. I would recommend this road trip to anyone out there looking for a taste of the wilderness, as Scandinavia is a beautiful part of the World and not to be missed by any traveller seeking the tranquillity of the mountains and lakes (although please don't attempt to drive for too long over there in mid-winter!!). We would love to go back during the summer to see all the sights in green rather than in white!

Line Lafantaisie, spockjim@videotron.ca, 01 may 2006
Hi! We rented a 23.5' Lexington motorhome (B+) in Las Vegas and headed right away to Moab, Utah just stopping on the way for the groceries. The motorhome was a surprise: almost brand new with VCR, DVD and cable TV! In 8 days, we drove 1100 miles effortlessly. In the area we visited (Arches, Canyonland, Dead Horse Point, Bryce and Zyon), the motorhome was greatly appreciated as there are little services in those parks. We came back home with great memories and at least a 1000 pictures! Everything was just perfect except for one small detail: the powercords of the coffee maker and the toaster would not reach the outlets (a 1.50$ extention cord solved the problem!) We would recommend Ideamerge to anybody who would want renting a motorhome.

Line and Claude

WOJCIAK Christelle, 28 april 2006
We rented a 30' motorhome in SF in april and we had a wonderful trip in California. We were 7 in the motorhome and never felt a lack of space. The motorhome was brand new (we were the firt customers to use it) and very well equiped. The team in SF was wonderful and take their time to give us advises. We will do it again. thanks for having participated in the success of these holidays !

Cormac McGrane, mcgrane@thgireland.ie, 26 april 2006
Hi Guys, many thanks for a great holiday. We flew into Munich and arrived at the rental agency about 4 hours early. I suppose it was low season and they weren't too busy, they got us on the road well before lunch. It was snowing, so we flew south and 36 hours later were in sunny Lake Garda, Italy. The wonders of a mobile holiday home. The van was great, heated for our overnight in the snow and roomy enough for the two of us and two young children. The roads were great and the other users were polite and patient, we had no problems. Venice was the downside of the trip, old crumbling buildings with lots of water in the streets, couldn't get the van under the bridges ;o) waste of time when its crowded, might fly in some winter for a look. Slovenia was the discovery. A beautiful country still unspoiled by commercialism, hopefully they will manage to keep it so, at least 'till we get back there a few more times. Many thanks and best wishes to Ulle in Munich, we'll see you again next year.

Val R Paraiso, valdo38@hotmail.com, 14 april 2006
I can't say enough how grateful I am to you and your company. We rented a Dethleffs RV in Frankfurt in the DEAD of winter. The RV was roomy for the four of us and not once did we complain about the cold. The RV was winterized and the propane tanks lasted us the entire two week trip. The only time we encountered traffic was during our return to Frankfurt from Prague. We got stuck in a snow storm, along with thousands of other drivers. Since we were in a complete stop for several hours as the cleared the road, we simply turned off the engine, prepared some supper, and played some music....alot more comfortable than other motorist trapped in a sedan. I will do another vacation in an RV. It was economical, adventurous, flexible, and allowed for us to spend quality time with one another. The staff in Frankfurt, especially Herr Lehmann, were both entertaining, as well as helpful. I need to also thank Eric and Doug in the USA for all their help. I can't say how many dozens of calls I made to them, freaking out about one thing or another...they built my confidence, helping me to garner enough courage to drive this HUGE RV through foreign lands....I Survived guys!!!!!and I'm ready for another round!

Paula, pbeckw1044@aol.com, 25 march 2006
We rented from the Frankfurt Depot. The staff there were very friendly and helpful. They spoke good English also. We had a slight problem with a water leak from the bathroom, but they were extremely helpful in correcting it. The RV was clean and just as described on the website. We traveled all of the southern part of Germany ending up in Munich to drop off. The Munich depot is easy to get to and extremely large. We had a bad fuse in Kongisee which with a phone call to the Frankfurt depot was handled was lighting speed. We were refered to a Fiat dealer in town who sent a tow truck to bring us to the Fiat garage. It took about an hour total to repair before we were back on the road. The drop off was just as easy as the pickup. We would definately rent from them again and plan on traveling all over Europe with their RV's.

Strath Brown, 01 march 2005
Dawn and I thoroughly enjoyed our trip to France in your Campervan last year. The service that we received was excellent and, although not this year, probably next year we will make a booking for another van. Next time we will go for the slightly smaller one which has the bed at standard height and the large separate shower.

What a pleasure it was dealing with you. How very helpful your staff were in Frankfurt. The campervan was in immaculate condition and gave us no trouble. It was much better than most that we came across during our tour. The price was competitive. And IdealMerge will be our first choice next time.

Because we were following the Tour de France, it was important that we should have a TV. This was the only area that we had a spot of bother with as neither of us can speak German. It took us a day to find a 12volt/220volt TV, a decoder, a satellite dish, a transformer and the correct cable. Some we hired, some we bought. The other problem was to find a cell phone card and put money on it. Communications in Europe seem to be far behind those in Zimbabwe!.

As I mentioned, next time we will request Group E4 EM612 where the bed is a better height and there is more room in the shower. As this was our first time and I am very tall, we were worried about length of bed. We also felt that the compartment at the bach would be useful for the bicycles and for security. As it was, security was no problem and it is just as easy to put the bikes on a rack.

Bob McLaren, mclaren_bob@telus.net, 27 february 2005
Booked VW California camper (Sept-Oct). It was ready for PU early on day of arrival in Frankfurt. We toured 4000K over 3 weeks thru Italy, France, Switzerland and Germany. Just loved the trouble free experience and the flexibility this camper provided. Diesel milage was amazing 8L/100K. Driving in any situation was never a problem. We would certainly do it again. One small criticism: the vehicle's manual was in German only (which made it a challenge to decipher some of the operating instructions. eg fridge, gas heater digital symbols.)

Lea Medhurst, 27 february 2005
We had a great time in our motorhome, Drove it form Barcelona to Venice and back again via Switzerland in 3 days. The vehicle was excellent and never gave a hint of trouble. A truely memorable trip.

We had a slight problem getting our deposit back but as soon as ideamerge heard about the issue it was sorted out within 24hrs. I would highly recommend this as an excellent way to book your rental vehicle.

Denton Pearson, dentonp@ptialaska.net, 27 february 2005
Overall the experience my family had with the Pilote motorhome rented through Ideamerge was excellent. The vehicle had about 35,000 KM on the clock when we picked it up. We toured the entire country, from Paris to Normandy to Nice and back. We did encounter one problem with our motorhome, however. The clutch pedal stuck in the halfway down position and the transmission could not be put into first gear without stopping the engine. The symptom was much like what would be experienced when a clutch master cylinder fails. I took the vehicle to a Fiat dealer in Carrcassone (the chassis was Fiat) and they, apparently concluding that the clutch master cylinder was the problem, said it would be two weeks before they could get the parts and schedule the work. It was Good Friday afternoon at that point. I phoned the Paris area rental agency and was informed that I needed to call back the next day to talk with an English speaker, but thank goodness they were open on the Saturday before Easter. When I did call back I was informed that the vehicle should be taken to the agency affiliate in Nice. I nursed the thing the 200 miles or so to Nice where (the following Tuesday) the local motorhome rental agent merely reached into the cab and pulled the clutch pedal back up to full height with his hand. Everything worked perfectly after that. Other than that one problem, everything on the motorhome worked as expectd. All in all, however, our use of the motorhome was a wonderful experience. Would we do it again? You bet.

Drew Ratcliffe, drewratcliffe@aol.com, 26 february 2005
The Dusseldorf depot has brand spanking new machines. From the suede seat covers to the ice cold beer from the fridge, those boys supply a quality product. My wife and i rented a Fiat chassis six berth machine in June 2004 and enjoyed every minute of the experience.

CHAPOUTOT Elisabeth, Johelan@AOL.com, 26 february 2005
Bonjour Eric !
As you know we are french. But I'll continue my e-mail in english, despite I can make some mistakes...
It was at Spring 2003 and we've rent a motorhome for 6 people in Amsterdam via...Oregon !
But we weren't disappointed at all ! You were very very very helpful and for that we are still grateful to you. The Vendor, René, in Amsterdam was, as we say in french "un sacré personnage" ; he looked like a mediterranean native, very helpful too and always smiling and making jokes !
The motorhome was perfect, clean and not ...old.
René took the time to explain a lot of important things to us for driving, making manoeuvres (I guess you use that word in english..) and so on.

We were very pleased to meet him and our regret is not having met you in Portland last year when we came, my husband and me.

We have been given here the opportunity to thank you once more for your kindness.
Please tell a great HELLO from us to René.

Elisabeth

David Helder, dehelder@earthlink.net, 25 february 2005
We had a wonderful experience. The van was in great condition, clean and comfortable. It gave us no trouble what so ever. The people were very helpful and our deposit was returned promptly upon our return. This is great way to go.