Car rental in Montreal
FR

Translated into English.

Original post
CL
Hello, We’ll be arriving in Montreal on Sunday, September 21st for a Quebec road trip. Do you have any car rental agencies to recommend (or avoid)? A favorite search engine? Are all agencies open on Sundays? Should we book the car in advance? And finally, is there still a Voyage Forum discount code with Hertz, like there used to be? I know, that’s a lot of questions , thanks for answering them! 🙂 Claire
claireloise
VO VoyageForum Globetrotter ·
Hi there,

There’s no longer a discount code with Hertz, but we have a partnership and pre-negotiated rates with this site if you’re interested: https://www.bsp-auto.com/corp2/?agence_id=7981

Have a great day,
MyAtlas Group VoyageForum.com · MyAtlas.com
CA Caussat Globetrotter ·
Do you have any car rental agencies to recommend?

Personally, I only rent from "Major" companies (Avis, Hertz) because I’ve never had any issues with them—no hidden fees, no missing vehicles in the reserved category or being given a lower-category one, no billing for repairs after a disputed inspection, no forced insurance extensions (except once), no extra charges for additional drivers (including spouses at Avis—I don’t remember about Hertz), no exorbitant costs for the highway pass, etc. For me, that peace of mind is worth the extra cost.

Do you have a favorite search engine?

No, but I do check the different European sites of rental companies—there can be big price differences. The sites are all designed the same way, so even if you don’t know the language, it’s easy. Depending on the prices, I’ve booked on Belgian (!), Spanish, Irish, and German sites before, with the advantage that you pay in euros, so no extra fees. For this summer, the best rate I found was on the French site.

Is there still a Voyage Forum discount code for Hertz?

I replied to you in your other thread. The member @Arnaudbu had made a summary of all possible codes—try searching for it. One warning, though: I don’t think it’s wise to book with codes offering discounts you’re not eligible for. They’ll give you the car, sure—no one’s ever asked me for proof. But I’m convinced that if something major goes wrong, they won’t cover you if they find out you used a fraudulent code.

Should you book your car in advance?

I’d recommend it, so you’re not at the mercy of prices when you arrive. I’ve often noticed the best rates are around 4 months before. Plus, if you’ve prepaid, that’s less money that won’t be deducted from your card’s limit, which will be taking a hit during your vacation. For this summer, I booked 5 months in advance, and prices went up after that.

Are all agencies open on Sundays?

At major airports, usually yes. But you’ll know when you make your reservation—the agency’s hours are listed, and if you pick a time when it’s closed, you’ll get an error message.
CL Claireloise Veteran ·
Awesome, thanks so much!
claireloise
CL Claireloise Veteran ·
Thanks for all these tips. We’re exactly 4 months out from departure, so I’ll get started on this over the weekend 😊
claireloise
CL Claireloise Veteran ·
Hi, I booked a car with Hertz through BSP. The designated driver will be my husband, but I used my Mastercard number for payment. In the confirmation email, I see that a credit card in my husband’s name (the driver) must be presented at the counter, presumably for the deposit. He’ll show his Visa, but could the fact that we paid for the car with my card cause any issues? Or can the card used for payment and the one for the deposit be different? Claire
claireloise
LE Lescaribous Globetrotter ·
Hi, Normally, when you rent a car, the credit card holder used for the reservation is considered the main driver. On Hertz’s website, here’s what I found: Can I use someone else’s credit card to pay for my rental? No. The credit card used for payment and to hold the deposit must be in the first and last name of the vehicle’s main driver. We don’t accept spouses’ credit cards. So in your case, you’d be considered the main driver, but since you’ve chosen Hertz, there’s a way for your husband to take the wheel while you enjoy the scenery 😛. Sign up for the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards program (it’s free), and you’ll be entitled to one free additional driver. (Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Overview | Hertz) I did this a few years ago when my partner and I rented a car in France using her credit card. She signed up for the Gold program and added me as an additional driver. This was a few years back, but I think it still works the same way. Maybe Caussat can confirm for you.

Happy planning!
"Homme libre, toujours tu chériras la mer" (Baudelaire)
CA Caussat Globetrotter ·
Since you chose Hertz, there’s a way for your husband to take the wheel while you enjoy the scenery 😛. Sign up for the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Program.

Just one question: Does booking through an intermediary make this possible? I’m wondering because I did a simulation for myself on the BSP site vs. Avis. The rates are pretty much the same using the "right" Avis discount code, except BSP offers the additional driver option for 140 € (which isn’t huge for 3 weeks, I’ll admit), while at Avis, the spouse is free as an additional driver.

So, I’m thinking the rules might not be exactly the same whether you rent directly or through an intermediary?
LE Lescaribous Globetrotter ·
Hey! I knew you’d chime in with the details—you’re way more "in the know" about car rentals than I am. 😛 So BSP would pocket 140 € for an additional driver, even though it’s free... Anyway, it’s possible BSP *imposes* its own rules, but I think it’s a bit shady to charge 140 € for something that’s free on the rental company’s website! In that case, there’s not much point in going through BSP (unless the discount is more than 140 €).

For our situation, I think signing up for Hertz Gold can’t *hurt*!
"Homme libre, toujours tu chériras la mer" (Baudelaire)
MA Madonantes Regular ·
Hi, There’s nothing irreversible, since you can cancel the BSP booking without any problem. The issue with them is that not everything is always specified upfront before booking, but the upside is that they’re very responsive. And it might not hurt to check directly on Hertz’s website for comparison.
Mado https://madovoyages.com
CL Claireloise Veteran ·
Hi, thanks for the tip (Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Overview). But in this case, I already listed my husband as the driver in the reservation, so if I add an additional driver, it would be me (the credit card holder used for the booking) who would need to be added. That said, since the reservation can be canceled or modified up to 48 hours before departure, we’ll see if we can simply change the credit card. I’m just waiting for my husband to get his international driver’s permit (he’s applying at the town hall) because it’s required to "manage his reservation," and I want to avoid listing his national license and risking more document discrepancies. Worst case, we’ll cancel the reservation and make a new one "properly."
claireloise
CL Claireloise Veteran ·
Hello, What’s the Avis discount code that actually works? Because when I run a live simulation on Avis’s site without a promo code, BSP is way cheaper. Booking directly with Hertz is more expensive too, even after factoring in the cost (160 €) of an additional driver when going through BSP. In our case, we don’t need an extra driver, unless we have to sign up for the "Hertz Gold" program to sort out the credit card issue. But honestly, that might not even be an option since we booked through BSP. Since the reservation is still changeable/cancelable, we’ll stick with this option as soon as my husband gets his international driver’s permit, which is required to "manage his booking."
claireloise
CA Caussat Globetrotter ·
I'm just waiting for my husband to get his international license

The international license is totally useless in the United States. To test it out, I’ve sometimes "played" by presenting it instead of my national license. They’ve always handed it back dismissively, asking for my national license. In fact, I didn’t even renew it, and I won’t be bringing the old one—no worries at all! After that, if BSP requires it for the request...

At Hertz and Avis, did you try simulating reservations with the codes I gave you, which work for "anyone" for bookings in the U.S.?
CA Caussat Globetrotter ·
Hello, What’s the Avis discount code that actually works?

It’s J046300
CL Claireloise Veteran ·
Hi, Yes, that’s right—the booking can be modified or canceled up to 48 hours before departure. So if we can’t update the credit card number, we’ll just cancel the reservation and make a new one, hoping the prices don’t change (we’ll have to wait about ten days until my husband gets his new international permit). But it’s really frustrating with this credit card issue. At no point during the booking process does it say the credit card has to be in the driver’s name. We’d avoid so many problems if it did! 😠 And even in the confirmation email, it just says you need to present a card in the driver’s name at the counter. You have to dig into the FAQs to find out the reservation must be made with the same card. 😕 Claire
claireloise
CA Caussat Globetrotter ·
C'est le J046300

I just did a simulation on the Avis Ireland site (avis.ie) for my booking this summer. With this code, I’m basically getting the same rate as when I booked 4 months ago on the France site, which is now more expensive. Hertz is still pricier even with the codes I gave you in your other thread.
CA Caussat Globetrotter ·
The Avis Spain site "avis.es" is slightly cheaper.
CL Claireloise Veteran ·
True, the BSP confirmation email doesn’t mention the international permit. And the Belgian diplomacy website says it’s not required in Quebec if your national license is in French. That whole card thing stupidly stressed me out... For Hertz, the discount codes mentioned in the other discussion don’t work. For Avis, I tried the different European sites with the code you shared, and the price differences are really significant—the most expensive being Ireland and the cheapest Spain. But there’s still a +/- 150 € difference between Avis Spain (with the discount) and BSP Hertz. Anyway, it’s good to know about these country differences 🙂
claireloise
LE Lescaribous Globetrotter ·
hi, Just to "clarify": the cardholder used for the reservation is considered the main driver. So if you want your husband to drive, you’ll need to make the reservation with his credit card. Anyway, just so you know, the Gold Rewards program lets you add an extra driver for free (in this case, the person paying with their credit card has to sign up for the Program!)

Happy final prep!
"Homme libre, toujours tu chériras la mer" (Baudelaire)
CL Claireloise Veteran ·
Thanks for the clarification 😉
claireloise

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