Short-Term Car Leasing in Europe

Do you live outside the European Union and need a car for several weeks or months? Short-term auto leasing  from Peugeot, Citroën, or Renault (our affiliate partners, and three of Europe's major automakers), can help you save money and avoid insurance hassles.

The concept behind short-term leasing, or "purchase-repurchase," is simple:

In France, the purchase tax on a slightly used car is much less than on a new vehicle. By leasing new venicles to tourists at cheap rates, French car companies create a supply of almost-new, reduced-VAT cars that can be sold to European citizens and rental firms at highly competitive prices. The result is a win-win-win situation for everyone involved--including you, the foreign visitor.

The benefits of short-term leasing are considerable:

• You get a new Peugeot, Citroën, or Renault vehicle straight from the factory.

• You save money because short-term leases aren't subject to VAT (value-added tax), which typically ranges from 16 to 21 percent for car rentals.

• You get full comprehensive insurance, with no deductible and no extra charges for CDW or LDW. (See our rental-car insurance article, and you'll understand why this is a real plus).

• You can pick up your car at one location and drop it off at another if you wish.

• Age limits are minimal. Peugeot, Citroën, and Renault will lease to licensed drivers over the age of 18, with no maximum age. (In contrast, many rental firms won't do business with young drivers or adults over 70.)

The downside? There are just three:

• The minimum lease period is 21 days.

• You can be a citizen of any country, but your domicile or permanent address must be outside the European Union. Also, if you're a business traveler and your company is paying for the lease, the firm must be headquartered outside the EU.

• Car-leasing programs have fewer pick-up and drop-off points outside France than traditional car-rental firms do, and you'll pay a surcharge to collect or return your car at some locations.

Related Web sites:

Peugeot our partner
Peugeot is represented by our affiliate partner, Auto Europe. (If you click on the link, you'll be taken to the Peugeot Car-2-Europe "Buy Back" page at Auto Europe's Web site.) Peugeot's car models range from econocars to luxury sedans and the Peugeot Rifter, which squeezes a lot of interior space into a boxy SUV-like body.

Citroën our partner
Auto Europe also handles leasing for Citroën, one of Europe's top car brands. Vehicles include sedans, hatchbacks, crossovers, SUVs, and vans.

Renault our partner
France's largest carmaker is also represented by Auto Europe. The company has nearly 30 European pick-up and drop-off points. Available models range from economy cars to SUVs and minivans.

• Tip: When you search for a car on Auto Europe's Peugeot, Citroën, or Renault page, you're presented with a table of side-by-side rates for all three brands. This makes it easy to find the cheapest price at a glance. (You can then click on a rate for vehicle details.)

Also see:

Car Rentals: When to rent, when to lease europeforvisitors.com
Use our comparison chart to determine whether you can--or should--choose a short-term tourist lease over a traditonal car rental.

Driving in Europe europeforvisitors.com
This Europe for Visitors article has links to articles on driving in Europe, rental-car insurance, how to obtain an International Driving Permit, information on European traffic laws, and more.