Typical models of the minivan/minibus class in La Rochelle are: Ford Galaxy 7 seater, Mercedes Viano 8 Seater, Mercedes Vito, Opel Zafira, Peugeot 807 7 seater, VW Touran and others.
Standard capacity of a minivan in France is up to 9 people (8+1 formula), traditionally providing seven or eight passenger seats. The capacity of a minibus may vary from 9 to 15 people.
Please note, that in order to rent in France a vehicle with capacity which exceeds 8 passengers, you would need a driving license of the corresponding category.
Minivan dimensions are quite unusual for an ordinary driver, which sometimes leads to appearance of scratches and dents during unsuccessful manoeuvring or parking. Therefore, we encourage you to order full coverage of insurance franchise during your booking, or directly at the rental office in La Rochelle.
Before leaving the parking garage in La Rochelle, inspect the minivan for exteriour defects and other signs of damage together with the office representative and mark the found defects found in your rental documents.
OrangeSmile.com wishes you a great driving experience on the roads of France!
Popular questions on rental process
Despite a huge number of cars, traffic jams are rather rare on local roads, even in large cities. As a rule, traffic is slow on weekdays from 7:30 to 9:00 and from 17:30 to 19:30. On Friday evening traffic jams can appear a little earlier.
When entering a paid section of a road, do not forget to pay a particular attention to the special scoreboard as it indicates the amount of the toll. Drivers should also keep in mind that in different parts of the country toll roads are managed by different companies.
Parking a car for more than a day can be done in special stalls only. All major cities have special “horodateurs” parking lots that are equipped with special payment machines. This type of parking can be paid only by a special card. These cards are sold only in specialized tobacco shops, which are marked with the “tabacs” sign.
