I have been around many repair shops in my work with automobiles for many years and I can say…read moreOliver Martinaud is one of the most talented knowledgeable craftsman for all parts of car repair!

So while in France we thought it'd be nice to be able to carry us and some of the in-laws all in…read moreone car. So we reserved what the French consider an enormous car, a seven passenger van. We land in the freezing rain and I hustle out to get the car. A stick!! This is one of the richer nations of the world. It's also a nation where rain, and snow and ice are common. And this is a van! About the homeliest vehicle on the planet. But we're in France and I guess even homely drivin', slippin', slidin' renters want to shift their own gears. OK I can use the practice. We head out of our first long trek and it's time for gas. Hmmm. Nothing on the fuel gauge, nothing on the key fob, nothing on either side of the fuel door, no gas cap at all, no insignia on the rear that means anything. Guess it's unleaded. Wrong guess. An hour down the road we stop to pee and the car won't start. It's freezing cold, the wind is blowing and it's an hour before dark. Tow truck guy confirms nonchalantly, "It's Diesel". Wonderful! Now it's a tow truck to his shop, half a dozen frantic calls to the rental agency, nearby hotels, train stations and taxis. Then a taxi ride to the hotel, a quick night's sleep, inconvenience my nephew for a 45 minute drive the wrong direction to pick up a replacement car to drive another 4 hours to our original destination. We got it figured out and Sixt got us a new car but it would have saved them damage to their vehicle and would have saved us an extraordinary amount of time and aggravation if they had just put a "Diesel" sticker on the car.

Attention aux réclamations de dommages après restitution -- en particulier aux agences SIXT de…read moreParis. J'ai rendu mon véhicule à l'agence SIXT de l'aéroport d'Orly à l'heure, en bon état, et on m'avait assuré lors de la prise en charge que tout dommage serait évalué immédiatement au moment du retour. Pourtant, plusieurs jours plus tard, j'ai reçu une notification d'une "nouvelle" rayure sur la porte arrière, jamais mentionnée par un agent et prétendument détectée par un système automatisé -- après que le véhicule ait quitté ma responsabilité. Ce n'est malheureusement pas la première fois que cela m'arrive avec SIXT. Une situation similaire s'était déjà produite auparavant, et la réclamation avait été annulée après contestation. Cela commence à ressembler à une pratique commerciale douteuse visant à facturer des dommages inexistants à des voyageurs peu méfiants. Heureusement, je suis couvert par une assurance via Chase Sapphire, mais personne ne devrait avoir à gérer ce genre de désagrément pour un dommage qu'il n'a pas causé. Si vous louez chez SIXT, prenez des photos et vidéos détaillées à la prise en charge et au retour -- ou mieux, choisissez une agence plus transparente. Beware of post-return damage claims - especially at Paris locations. I returned my car to SIXT at Paris Orly Airport on time, in good condition, and was told at pickup that any damages would be handled immediately at drop-off. Days later, I received a notice of a "new" scratch on the rear door that wasn't mentioned by any staff and was supposedly caught by an automated system--after the car had already left my custody. This isn't the first time this has happened with SIXT. A similar issue occurred previously and was dropped after I pushed back. It's starting to feel like a pattern of manufactured damage claims used to charge unsuspecting travelers after the fact. Fortunately, I'm covered by Chase Sapphire insurance, but no one should have to go through this hassle for something that wasn't their fault. If you rent from SIXT, take thorough photos/video at pickup and drop-off--and consider going with a more transparent rental agency.

If you are a fan of the Citroen do not waste your time and money in traveling to the Conservatoire…read moreCitroen Musee in Aulnay-sous-Bois. Even though we had confirmed written reservations by the company we arrived to locked doors and dark lights. We wasted our taxi fares and half a day. The public relations person takes about 3 weeks to get back to your emails too in making reservations.