Don't accept rental car with less than full fuel tank

Rental car companies in Europe charge about $15 per gallon if the car is returned without a full tank. One traveler recently was given a car with a half full tank. Not to worry, said the agent, just bring it back half full, there's a problem with the gauge. At that point the renter should have asked the agent to note the alleged gauge problem in writing on the paperwork. Sadly, he did not. When the car was returned half full in a different town to a different agent, the renter was charged for 10 gallons of gas, $157. He didn't discover the charge until he was back in the U.S. and received his credit card statement. Since he had nothing in writing, he was unable to successfully dispute the charge.

Lesson: When picking up a rental car anywhere, make sure all anomalies—scratches, less than full fuel tank, etc.— are noted in writing.

See also “What You Need to Know About Renting a Car in Europe.”

Lufthansa offers free rebooking for passengers affected by Iceland ash cloud

Lufthansa advises ticketed passengers to Europe during the period April 16-19 to check its website for flight status. For those whose flight has been canceled, Lufthansa will rebook free of charge provided these main conditions are met:

1. Tickets were issued on or before April 16, 2010

2. The new date of travel must be before May 31, 2010

3. Change of booking class and class of service (economy, business, first) is not permitted

Other restrictions apply.

Hertz Domestic One-Way Fee in Germany

Hertz is the first rental car company in Germany to charge a fee for domestic one-way car rentals. That means you'll pay extra to pick up a rental car in downtown Frankfurt and drop it at the Frankfurt Airport. More info.

Book day-trips, tours prior to departure from the U.S.

At the "Things to Do" link at our website you can book any of nearly 1,700 daytrips, tours, castle dinners, and local public transportation deals prior to your departure for Europe. You can, for example, book the "Sound of Muisc Tour" for $47, a Royal Castles day tour from Munich for $62, and a Dachau tour for $27.

Euro Rises: Book Rental Cars in Guaranteed Dollar Prices ASAP

Bulletin: the euro's more than 7-percent rise from 1.26 dollars to 1.35 in the last two weeks is almost sure to raise rates on dollar-guaranteed rental car rates. I suggest if you are headed for Europe this year that you book now to lock-in current rates. In addition, those holding as-yet-unpaid euro-guaranteed bookings should be aware that the price for their vehicle has increased 7 percent. A 300 euro booking to be paid upon arrival in Europe has gone from $378 to $390 in a very short period of time (plus it will likely incur a 2 to 3-percent foreign transaction charge by their credit card). No one knows what will happen to the dollar from here on, but the last few days demonstrate the wisdom of locking in a dollar-guaranteed price. If rental rates subsequently go down, you can always rebook at the lower price. But if they go up, you're locked-in at the originally-booked price. Get a quote now.

Spectacular Rebirth of Berlin's Neues Museum

There's a new "must see" in Berlin, the Neues Museum, a stunning confluence of old and modern. The art won't be installed for several months but that didn't stop some 35,000 Berliners from touring the building last weekend. Under the direction London architect, David Chipperfield, the museum, which was heavily damaged by Allied bombs during the war, has been revived after a painstaking $255 million reconstruction that involved reassembling all usable scraps and remnants of the original structure, even bullet holes.

Beware Multiple Car Rental Bookings

It's easy to book rental cars online. Payment is often not required to hold a reservation. Problem is you might get one too many. Let's say you book Avis online, then call Gemut.com for a quote and find they have a lower price, also with Avis. You book the car with Gemut but, because there was no payment involved with the first booking, you forget all about it. Now, at the rental counter the agent uses your name to call up your booking in his reservation system. Maybe he sees two bookings, maybe he just sees the first, higher-priced booking, and that is the one he uses to print your contract. In your jet-lagged state, you sign the documents that are put in front of you without giving them much scrutiny. When you return to the U.S. you get a nasty surprise, you paid the higher rate. Of course, Gemut.com will fully refund your second, unused, prepaid booking but you're stuck with a rental that cost more than you planned. Avoid this by canceling all bookings except the one you want, and make sure the rental agent is handed a copy of the voucher you were sent by Gemut.com. (Get an email quote on a European car rental at http://www.gemut.com/component/option,com_facileforms/Itemid,143/, or, if you prefer, phone Andy at 800-521-6722 x 3)

Follow Bob Bestor on Twitter

For the past couple of weeks Europe Traveler editor, Bob Bestor, has posted regular travel commentary on Twitter, an Internet messaging service. Twitter is a fast way of communicating very short messages to many people at once. The goal is to highlight special deals, point out new content on Gemut.com and this blog, and comment generally on travel to Europe. Follow his posts at http://twitter.com/bestor. His Twitter ID is bestor. If you're not using Twitter you can sign up free at http://twitter.com. After that you can reply to posts or ask a question.

Buy Two Delta Sky Miles for the Price of One

Paying cash for frequent flyer miles is usually not a good idea. However, through March 31, Delta’s Sky Miles program will sell two miles for the price of one. At $.0275 per mile (plus 7.5 percent excise tax) you can, for example, purchase 10,000 miles but get 20,000 for $296. The miles can be used on Delta or its partners, which include Air France and Singapore Airlines. Enrollment in the program is free.

Fewer Business Class Seats on Lufthansa

On 10 daily 747-400 flights to Frankfurt from New York, Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Newark, and Washington, during the months of July and August, Lufthansa will reduce the number of business class seats from 80 to 66. At the same time it will add 36 economy class seats. What this tells us is that it's a lot easier in the current economy to sell seats for $1,000 to $1,400 than it is to sell them for $4,000 to $10,000. Get a quote on the best consolidator fares for Lufthansa, Swiss, and United at www.gemut.com or phone 800-521-6722 x 3.

More Incentive to Avoid Airport/Rail Station Car Rentals

The cost to pick up a rental car at a German airport or rail station rises in 2009 from 19 percent to 20 percent. That's 20 percent of the total rental, including taxes. A compact car picked up $233 off-airport will cost $280 at an airport or rail station. Please be aware that this fee applies only to rentals originating at airports and rail stations, meaning you can avoid the 20 percent fee by picking up off-airport/rail station and returning the car to an airport or rail station. Some countries charge a flat fee for these "premium station" pickups. In France, Spain and Great Britain, for example, these fees range from about $35 to $55. (Get an email quote on a European car rental at or, if you prefer, phone Andy at 800-521-6722 x 3)

Why You Should Book Your European Rental Car ASAP

The recent surge in the dollar has pushed guaranteed-in-U.S. dollars rental car prices down, making February/March a great time to book your 2009 rental car. If prices go up you are locked-in to the current low rate. In the unlikely event they drop, you can cancel and rebook at the better rate. This is made possible by www.gemut.com's policy of not charging for changes or cancellations. A one-week rental of a compact car in Germany is currently $233, including unlimited mileage, value added tax, and 3rd party insurance. Last summer that same car cost $256. (Get an email quote on a European car rental or, if you prefer, phone Andy at 800-521-6722 x 3)

Stylish Two-for-One Dinner in Baden-Baden

Here's a great deal in chic Baden-Baden. Former DER (Deutsches Reisebüro) CEO in the USA Heinz Niederhoff recently tipped me about the Monday two-for-one dinners at Baden-Baden's elegant Kurhaus. A three-course menu for two persons is 23.50 euros (11.75 euros each). Heinz said he paid 4.8 euros for a half-bottle of wine and the meal was accompanied by live piano music.

Finding Discounted Hotels In Europe

Wow. The hotel deals available through www.gemut.com are amazing. Just did a search for a hotel for three nights in Vienna and discovered that the city's on sale. For example: The three-star Carlton Opera (great location near the famed Naschmarkt and to my newest, favorite value restaurant, Gasthaus Ubl at Pressgasse 26) is reduced from 138 euro per night to 84 euros for a double room. The four-star Eurostars Vienna is marked down 159 euro to 69 euros. Perhaps the best deal is at the five-star SAS Palais (where in the late '80s I spotted Greta Garbo lunching alone in an empty ballroom). A "Classic" double has been reduced from 492 euros to 159 euros (about $200), an amazing deal. Find great prices on thousands of hotels throughout Europe here.

When to Buy Transatlantic Air Tickets

I still don't have the answer to the question, "should I wait for a sale to buy my airline tickets?" My instincts tell me that demand is way down, prices are bound to drop, and yet I see few signs of lower fares for the high season. Yesterday, however, Lufthansa sent an email blast touting fares to Europe from the U.S. starting at $180 each way for Miami-Milan plus taxes and fees. New York-Turin is $190, Washington to Frankfurt is $193, and Los Angeles-Manchester is $216. There are other gateways and destinations. Problem is you have only a few days to buy the tickets, plus travel, in most cases, must be completed by the end of April. This indicates, however, that there are seats to sell. It also shows us how the airlines get rid of their empty seats: brief sales, second level destinations; one or two stops; and many restrictions. Travel websites are splashed with banners advertising low transatlantic fares. But after five minutes of clicking you find out the fare is for the coming weekend, makes three plane changes each way, and the taxes and fees more than double the advertised price that caught your eye in the first place. Do I exaggerate? Only a little. So: to give you an idea of what air tickets to Europe are actually selling for these days, here's a handful of itineraries booked this week by Laura Riedel, our air ticket manager. The prices include all taxes and fees:

• Lufthansa, April 14 - 29, New York-Hamburg, return from Nürnberg - $661
• Swiss, July 12 - Aug. 5, Los Angeles-Stuttgart - $1276
• Lufthansa, May 14 - 25, Charlotte-Munich - $974
• Lufthansa/United, June 18 - July 10, San Francisco-Vienna, return from London - $1370
• United, June 11 - July 1, Salt Lake City-Amsterdam, return from Paris - $1371

Get an email quote at or phone Laura at 800-521-6722x2)

Rail Travel Deals: Eurostar and Passes

Two years ago, I searched to find a cheap fare on the Eurostar from London to Paris. As I recall the best deal available was $95…but you had to be over 60 and also hold a rail pass that included France. Right now you can book a nonrefundable, non-changeable fare for $81 and no age or pass requirement. Do it before March 11.

Some of the passes have even been reduced in price. Last year at this time, the three-country Eurail Select Saver pass was $400 per person. This year it's $370. The 15-day Global Saver Pass was $630 per person. Right now it's $582. And here's good news, the Czech Republic is now part of the Eurail system. Last year it was not, which meant if you bought a three-country Select Saver pass it couldn't include the Czech Republic. You either had to buy a separate Czech Pass or a ticket to get you in and out of the country. Call 800-521-6722 x 3 to purchase rail passes or you can research them and buy online.

20 Percent Off at a Great Berlin Hotel

My favorite Berlin hotel—indeed, my favorite small city hotel in all of Germany—the Art Nouveau in the Savignyplatz district just off the Ku'damm, is offering Europe Traveler readers 20% off it's posted web rates, provided they stay three nights and one of them is a Sunday. Bookings for the 20% discount must be made by March 31. Included in the deal is free drinks (beer, wine, juice, brandy, etc.) from the honor bar, free WiFi, and free calls anywhere in Germany. But the hotel's star attractions are its owners, Christine and Gerd Schlenzka, cosmopolitan Berliners who really know their town; restaurants, shopping, the best sights and architecture, and especially the town's vibrant art scene. For a one or two-night stay, booked anytime, the discount is 10%. Just mention Bob Bestor. Read more about the Art Nouveau and the Savignyplatz neighborhood.

Demand Soft for 2009 Transatlantic Air Tickets

November numbers show airline bookings for overseas travel down 18% versus a year ago. This clearly indicates the lack of demand for 2009 European travel that I've been predicting for months. When coupled with much lower oil prices, this can only mean lower transatlantic airfares. It's time to be alert for discounts. The airlines prefer to be a surreptitious as possible about cutting their prices, thus they like to offer discounts quietly via consolidators, tours operators, and sometimes direct to the consumer via email rather than with full-page newspaper ads. You can expect the sales to be full of restrictions, and the window of opportunity to purchase brief, but they're bound to happen.

Paris Holiday Rental Car Prices Go Sky High

Hope you don't want a rental car in Paris around Christmas. When cars were still available last week, we quoted a woman $240 for a four-day rental in a compact. But now suppliers such as Europcar are running out of cars and the price has surged to $980 for a compact car for a mere four days, nearly $250 per day. I guess it's no different than hotels raising rates when there's a convention in town, but to raise them by a factor of four seems a blatant gouge. Consumers don't react well to the “take it or leave it” option. On the other hand the holidays may be the rental companies' last chance for a while to make a score. Based on advance bookings for European travel, there may not be many Americans to gouge in '09.

Dielmann Cruises Drops Fuel Surcharge

Peter Deilmann Cruises, generally recognized as being in the top eschelon of European river cruisers, has announced the immediate cancellation of fuel surcharges on its flagship, the MS Deutschland. The company also said it will refund any fuel surcharges paid for Deutschland sailings yet to depart. Deilmann also announced that fuel surcharges will not be charged on its fleet of eight luxury ships for cruises beginning in 2010. The surcharge is currently $10 per night per passenger.
The five-star MS Deutschland is reminiscent of Old World cruising in the grand European style with personalized service, multiple restaurants, gourmet meals, original works of art, top-flight staterooms and classic teak decks.
Deilmann’s eight four- and five-star river ships have a passenger-to-crew ratios of 2.5 to 1. Seven to 14 night cruises on the classic rivers of Europe are scheduled between March 22 and November 8, 2009. Visit our cruise pages for more details on Deilmann and other cruise lines, or call 800-521-6722 x 2.