Unless they have travelled to Europe, the name Peugeot will probably draw a blank stare from many of my fellow Americans if I mentioned it as one of the common picks when renting a car in France.
As I continue planning my visit to Europe (a bit less than 6 weeks from today), I have spent time looking at car rentals options that do not break the bank from my base in Toulouse.
Complicating the search (and raising the price) is fact that I am looking for a vehicle with an automatic transmission.
I only plan to rent a vehicle on 2 or 3 separate days for specific excursions and this might complicate my search as vehicles with automatic transmission might not be available on these dates.
Best rates I found so far for a Toulouse intra-muros pickup and drop off (rather than airport location) were from Budget and National at around $140 per day.
Some sites speed up search for an automatic vehicle by offering it as an additional search option, others don't which means you have to scroll through the list.
I was a bit puzzled to see mostly midsize cars (including Mercedes) offered as 'automatic' options rather than compact models.
In my quest, I also discovered Peugeot Open Europe represented in the USA by Auto France which happens to be based in New Jersey.
I will not qualify for their program as it is more like a lease and it requires a 21 days minimum and up to 175 days. Alongside their tourist program, they also have a student option.
They offer the 308 SELECT DIESEL 2.0L AUTOMATIC (with GPS & CIELO ROOF) seating 5 that runs on Diesel for example.
There is a Peugeot Open Europe pick up and drop off point at Toulouse Airport.
Besides 20 something locations in France, service is also available in London, Brussels, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Milan, Rome, San Sebastian, Barcelona and Madrid.
(* Peugeot Open Europe image from their Facebook page)