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  1. #1
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    Europe Car Rentals - Ability to transport skis?

    Looking into renting a car for an upcoming multi-week trip and realized that these golf carts that pass for cars would have trouble holding a pair of snowblades, let alone 190+ skis inside....

    Obviously I could rent a somewhat larger estate/wagon but that shit gets expensive fast.

    Renault eurodrive does not offer ski racks and Peogeout charges close to a grand for bars & ski holders with no mention of buybacks......

    Any ideas? Thanks.

  2. #2
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    Feb 2006
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    Bavaria
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    239
    you have 3 options:
    1 - just roll down the back windows and leave em hangin out
    2 - rent a "cabrio"
    3 - rent from easycar.com they do very good deals on "bigger" sized cars and I believe you can rent racks from them as well.

    Good skiing
    that's not bad...
    www.nosiesta.com
    IFMGA Ski & Mountain Guide

  3. #3
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    Sep 2009
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    30mins from the bush
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    from experience the cars i have rented have a ski pass through in the back seat so you may be alright. other times i have just gotten into town early and rented skis.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by blondin View Post
    you have 3 options:
    1 - just roll down the back windows and leave em hangin out
    2 - rent a "cabrio"
    3 - rent from easycar.com they do very good deals on "bigger" sized cars and I believe you can rent racks from them as well.

    Good skiing
    1 & 2 not so appealing. Haven't come across easycar before, thanks. Looks like 50 GBP for racks for the duration of rental, not bad.

    The only thing I don't like is the "XYZ car or similar" I do not want any unknowns as to the type of car I'm getting....

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
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    Rent the cheapest snow worthy car you can. Roll the windows down and ratchet strap em to the roof. Just put the ratchet inside so it doesn't freeze up. Trust me, works great...just kinda ghetto.
    Custom hand made Monoskis in Washington. www.whiteknucklemonoskis.com
    All things related to Monoskiing www.monoski.net

  6. #6
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    Mar 2006
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    Chamonix/Franconia, NH
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    Quote Originally Posted by RXPXSkier View Post
    from experience the cars i have rented have a ski pass through in the back seat so you may be alright.
    like he said. No problem until you try carrying more than 4 pairs.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mastodon View Post
    Rent the cheapest snow worthy car you can. Roll the windows down and ratchet strap em to the roof. Just put the ratchet inside so it doesn't freeze up. Trust me, works great...just kinda ghetto.
    Shit, that is a really good idea, ghetto as hell but is chep, low profile and easy to remove.....

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
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    Eurozone
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    A Golf (or Compact) size car is big enough to carry longer skis, just flip the rear row over, roll back the right front seat and put the sticks diagonally in from rear left to front right. Always worked for me.

  9. #9
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    Apr 2005
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    HELLsinki, Finland
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    Small stationwagons (Focus, C-Max, Golf Variant, Kia Ceed stationwagon and so on) are not that expensive, often snowworthy and will carry skis without a hitch (unless there's 4 or 5 of ya with numerous skis each).

    Just ignore the "or similar" clause, but do specify stationwagon on the form. That way they need to give you a stationwagon, and if there isn't one in the class you booked, they will upgrade for free.
    Quote Originally Posted by RootSkier
    You should post naked pictures of this godless heathen.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
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    This Corolla easily gets two of us, all our bags and four pairs of skis inside (inc one pair 195cm Praxis Powder Boards). Just fold the rear seats down and put them in diagonally. Works fine. As Hicks says, go for an Astra, a Focus or a Golf sized vehicle and you should be fine as long as you don't want to transport a bunch of passengers around too.
    "Nothing is funnier than Hitler." - Smokey McPole

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
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    Nr the sea , on the other side of the pond..
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    one of these is an option ... allows you to get any kind of car .

    it will fit into a ski bag...



    http://www.handiworld.com/HandiRack
    Semper in Pulveris .... Only the depth varies

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
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    18
    Check with Hertz, they have an option (~60 chf) to add skiholders even for the smaler cars like the fiat panda.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mastodon View Post
    Rent the cheapest snow worthy car you can. Roll the windows down and ratchet strap em to the roof. Just put the ratchet inside so it doesn't freeze up. Trust me, works great...just kinda ghetto.
    Putting a twist in the straps between the bag and the window on each side keeps the straps from developing "airfoil flutter" which can, and eventually will, wear a hole in your ski bag and/or the paint off the roof of the car...
    "Those 1%ers are not an avaricious "them" but in reality the most entrepreneurial of "us". If we had more of them and fewer grandstanding politicians, we would all be better off."
    - Bradley Schiller, Prof. of Economics, Univ. Nevada - Reno.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by flatNshallow View Post
    Putting a twist in the straps between the bag and the window on each side keeps the straps from developing "airfoil flutter" which can, and eventually will, wear a hole in your ski bag and/or the paint off the roof of the car...
    Agreed, however, Fuck the paint...it's a rental.
    Custom hand made Monoskis in Washington. www.whiteknucklemonoskis.com
    All things related to Monoskiing www.monoski.net

  15. #15
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    Actually...rent something like one of these


    probably won't be able to rent one of these however
    Custom hand made Monoskis in Washington. www.whiteknucklemonoskis.com
    All things related to Monoskiing www.monoski.net

  16. #16
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    UK
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    Quote Originally Posted by Roo View Post
    This Corolla easily gets two of us, all our bags and four pairs of skis inside (inc one pair 195cm Praxis Powder Boards). Just fold the rear seats down and put them in diagonally. Works fine. As Hicks says, go for an Astra, a Focus or a Golf sized vehicle and you should be fine as long as you don't want to transport a bunch of passengers around too.
    This. I've never really had any problems.

  17. #17
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    Thanks gents, good advice all around. Didn't think a small hatchback would work as I haven't been near one of them in years but that looks like the way to go as it will just be me and the wife. Keeping the gear inside will be a huge plus.

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
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    46
    Actually, just rented (today) a 4 door VW Golf from Europecar at the Salzburg Hbf (pretty good deal $$). Have 2 pairs of 190 gotamas and all the assorted ski goodies. Plenty of room in the back. Skis go up to the armrest and have "plenty" of space to shift (about 2"-4" clearance from the shifter). Can't beat the price, plus its a diesel. Gas is "expensive" here, so diesel is a plus. Hope it helps...

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
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    newport limousine | baltimore limousines | baltimore limo | baltimore car service

    Good advice all round above. As with cars and limousine rentals in europe i guess booking a company is way much expensive isn't it.

    Any experience about that guys ?
    Last edited by Samshaks; 11-06-2015 at 03:28 AM.

  20. #20
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    Can't tell you about renting a ski car, but when we rented in Scotland someone told us to have a letter from our credit card company saying that the card covered insurance. This saved us some money when we got there. If we didn't have the letter they would have made us pay for extra insurance.

  21. #21
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    nice 4 yr old thread bump...
    "Those 1%ers are not an avaricious "them" but in reality the most entrepreneurial of "us". If we had more of them and fewer grandstanding politicians, we would all be better off."
    - Bradley Schiller, Prof. of Economics, Univ. Nevada - Reno.

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