France is a destination most people dream to travel to once, if not more than once, in their lives. It is not a coincidence that this beautiful country in Western Europe has been the most visited country by foreign tourists for many years, and its capital Paris is always in the top 10.
There are so many good reasons to visit France, as there seems to be something for everyone: great food, an outstanding artistic and cultural scene, inspiring architecture, beautiful nature and beaches, even great roads to drive a rented car on.
Whether you have decided to stay in Paris, or you and your friends or family want to visit some of the many great cities in France, renting a car is probably going to be your best option to make this the trip of your life.
Of course, when renting a car in France, you have to decide between several popular car rental companies, so it is important for you to know what are your options, in order to make the best decision.
Whether you want to visit Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Nice, Toulouse, Mulhouse, Bordeaux, Nantes, Lille, Montpellier or Biarritz, we have made a Ranking of the Best Car Rental companies in France in 2024 to help you choose your next car rental booking, which, by the way, you can do easily and at the best price on this website.
#1 – Sixt Rent a Car (8.8/10) 🏆
Along with Hertz and Avis, the German car rental company Sixt rent a car is one of the most popular car rentals in France, so you should expect to have several options from this brand when booking, as well as several offices all over France.
One of the main reasons for people to choose Sixt over other more famous companies to rent a car during their time in France is the lower rates they often offer, making them one of the cheapest car rentals compared to the quality of their services.
Do be aware that many renters have been told that there are no cars available even though they had already booked a car. If this happened to you, you should expect to get a free upgrade, or in the worst case, to receive a refund.
If the price is a priority for you when renting a car in France, and you find a great deal with Sixt, you should definitely take it. Just make sure to contact the company a few days before your trip to confirm availability, and be informed about car rentals in France, so that you avoid unexpected charges.
Sixt customer ratings:
- ⭐ Excellent cleanliness of the car
- ✔️ Very good service at the rental desk
- ⭐ Very Quick pick-up process
- ⭐ Very Quick drop-off process
- ✔️ Very good overall value for money
#2 – Renault Eurodrive (8.5/10)🥈
If you are planning to stay in France for more than 3 weeks, and up to 6 months, but you do not want to buy a new car, then Renault, the French multinational car manufacturer, has a great alternative for car rentals.
Renault Eurodrive is Renault’s Temporary Transit service. With this service, you will get a brand new Renault car with unlimited mileage, insurance, and you will be able to drive all over Europe.
For those of you planning a longer than usual trip starting in France, and especially if considering to also cross the borders to explore much more of the European geography, Renault Eurodrive is a great alternative that gives you the best of getting a new car, while giving you the flexibility of renting a car with one of the most popular car manufacturers in France.
Renault Eurodrive customer ratings:
- ⭐ Excellent cleanliness of the car
- ✔️ Very good service at the rental desk
- ⭐ Very Quick pick-up process
- ⭐ Very Quick drop-off process
- ✔️ Very good overall value for money
#3 – National (8.3/10) 🥉
National Car Rental is an American car rental company with a good presence in Europe, and for people wanting to rent a car for their trip to France, this could be a good alternative to the most popular car rental brands in the country.
When looking for options to rent a car in France, National might not appear as often as some of the more popular companies in the country. However, you might be surprised with a quite good rate from National, especially if looking for a manual car, though you can also rent an automatic with them.
One thing to be aware of is that if renting directly with National through their website, you won’t see the minimum dame coverage added automatically, and you will have to include it when booking, which is a bit of an inconvenience.
Overall, National Car Rental is a good option for you to consider when planning your trip to France, especially if you find a very good rate with them. Make sure to learn about insurance in France, so that you don’t encounter any surprises once your trip has ended.
National customer ratings:
- ✔️ Very good cleanliness of the car
- ✔️ Very good service at the rental desk
- ✔️ Quick pick-up process
- ✔️ Quick drop-off process
- ✔️ Very good overall value for money
#4 – Enterprise (8.0/10) 🔝
One of the favorite car rental companies in the United States, Enterprise rent-a-car is not as popular in France, but it is still another company to take into account when deciding what car rental to chose in France.
If renting with Enterprise France, you should expect average rates, though you might find better prices the more in advance you book your car with them.
Reviews and experiences from users in forums regarding using Enterprise in forums are rather scarce, especially if compared with other major car rental brands in the country, making it harder to find aspects to be aware.
Renting with Enterprise in France might be a good option if, for instance, you have decided to use a consolidator, and you find the best rates for your dates and location to be from Enterprise. Otherwise, they are a well-reputed brand in America, so you might want to contact them directly to learn more about their service in France.
Enterprise customer ratings:
- ✔️ Very good cleanliness of the car
- ✔️ Very good service at the rental desk
- ✔️ Quick pick-up process
- ✔️ Quick drop-off process
- ✔️ Very good overall value for money
#5 – Europcar (7.9/10) 🔝
There is a good reason for Europcar to have Europe in its name, but not only this is one of the favourite car rental companies in Europe, Australia, and other parts of the world. Europcar is a French car rental company, and as such, it has a very strong presence all over the country.
As a well-reputed car rental company, Europcar’s rates are not the lowest, but they do offer fair rates, especially when considering the good quality of their service, and their fleet of cars and SUVs, appropriate for the French roads and streets.
There have been complaints and negative reviews by users in forums regarding their experience with Europcar in France, and while one can learn from them, many of them were originated due to a lack of knowledge on the French car rental processes and the particularities of driving in France.
Another good thing about renting a car in France with Europcar is their availability of automatic cars which are not the most popular in France. You should expect to pay more for an automatic, but it is good to have the option if you are not used to driving a manual transmission car.
Europcar is a solid car rental company when traveling to France. If renting with them, do make sure to get informed about other user’s experiences, and take photos of your car during pick-up and drop-off, so that your experience driving in France is as best as possible.
Europcar customer ratings:
- ✔️ Very good cleanliness of the car
- ✔️ Good service at the rental desk
- ✔️ Quick pick-up process
- ✔️ Quick drop-off process
- ✔️ Good overall value for money
#6 – Avis (7.7/10) 🔝
Yet another international car rental company that you will often see on your trip to France is Avis, a well-known brand you might want to consider for renting a car.
One advantage of renting a car with Avis in France is that you will be working with an international company with several locations all over the country, which is especially convenient if you are thinking about travelling to several cities.
However, it is worth being aware that many renters have reported bad experiences on forums regarding Avis France, especially in cases when the car failed and had to be towed after 18 pm. In these cases, if you have rented with a consolidator, it’d be better to contact them directly.
Another common complaint has been unexpected charges due to Avis receiving a ticket of a fine exceeding French speed limits. Do be aware that administrative fees are common all across car rentals in France, making it very important to make sure to drive within the speed limits to avoid any fine and thus, to avoid extra charges.
Even though Avis has not received the best reviews for their services in France, you might still want to consider them if their rates are the lowest. Just make sure to learn about the French car rental process, and take photos of your car rented with Avis.
Avis customer ratings:
- ✔️ Good cleanliness of the car
- ✔️ Good service at the rental desk
- ✔️ Quick pick-up process
- ✔️ Quick drop-off process
- ✔️ Good overall value for money
#7 – Alamo (7.5/10) 🔝
For nearly 30 years, Alamo Rent A Car has been the industry leader and one of the most important players in the car rental business and has been doing everything possible to make car rental the starting point for a successful vacation.
Alamo’s international network is dedicated to providing high-quality, all-inclusive service with prices that fit everyone’s wallet. Alamo Service simplifies car rental and eliminates hassles so vacationers can better enjoy their vacation.
Currently, Alamo has more than 180,000 vehicles serving 15 million travellers each year in 1,248 locations in 43 countries. Alamo has 293 locations in the United States and Canada and 955 locations in Europe and also in France.
Alamo customer ratings:
- ✔️ Good cleanliness of the car
- ✔️ Good service at the rental desk
- ✔️ Quick pick-up process
- ✔️ Quick drop-off process
- ✔️ Good overall value for money
#8 – Hertz (7.3/10) 🔝
The yellow signs of Hertz will also be very common in Paris and the rest of France, though you will hear locals pronouncing the name of this car rental in a different, charming way, the quality of this brand and their cars will most likely be the same.
One thing to be aware of right away when renting with Hertz in France is that you will find many negative experiences with the company in forums, and while many of these problems are more related to a lack of understanding of the French car rental industry, it is a good idea to be prepared and to learn more about the car rental process.
Overall, Hertz is one of the most popular car rentals all over the world, and in France, you might find your ideal car with them, as they have a good fleet of new cars, with many locations all over France, making them very convenient.
Make sure to get informed about the car rental process, and take photos of your car during pick-up and drop-off, so that you can make sure you have the best experience with Hertz in France.
Hertz customer ratings:
- ✔️ Good cleanliness of the car
- ✔️ Good service at the rental desk
- ✔️ Quick pick-up process
- ✔️ Quick drop-off process
- ✔️ Good overall value for money
#9 – Firefly (7.1/10) 🔝
Firefly Car Rental is a low-cost car rental brand owned by Hertz.
Firefly customer ratings:
- ✔️ Good cleanliness of the car
- ✔️ Good service at the rental desk
- ✔️ Quick pick-up process
- ✔️ Quick drop-off process
- ✔️ Good overall value for money
#10 – Budget (7.0/10) 🔝
Budget Car Rental is a low-cost car rental brand owned by AVIS.
Budget customer ratings:
- ✔️ Good cleanliness of the car
- ✔️ Good service at the rental desk
- ✔️ Quick pick-up process
- ✔️ Quick drop-off process
- ✔️ Good overall value for money
We hope you liked this article. Now you can continue reading our article about the differences between Avis, Budget, Hertz, Europcar, Payless, Sixt, Thrifty, Dollar, Alamo, National and more, or use our search engine below to book your car.