la voiture de location la vua-TÜR dö lo-ca-SION
the rental car
In France, “une location” means “a rental” (of a car, of a flat). The vast majority of cars have a manual gearbox (“boîte manuelle”) — if you want automatic you must ask specifically for “une boîte automatique”, which is rarer and pricier. You often pick the car up at the train station (“la gare”) or the airport.
le permis de conduire lö per-MI dö kon-DÜIR
the driver's license
At the counter they always ask for TWO documents: “le permis de conduire” and an ID — “la carte d'identité” or your passport. The French license is now a pink credit-card-sized card. Many agencies also require a minimum license age (often 1–2 years) and a minimum driver age.
l'assurance tous risques la-sü-RANS tu RISK
full insurance
You choose between “au tiers” (basic mandatory cover with a high excess) and “tous risques” (full cover with a low or zero excess). “La franchise” = the excess, the amount you still pay if you scratch the car. “Tous risques” costs more per day but lets you sleep easy.
faire le plein fer lö PLẼ
to fill up the tank
The usual policy in France is “plein à plein”: you get the car with a full tank and bring it back full. If you return it empty, the agency refills it at an inflated price. Diesel (“le gazole”) is still common; check the fuel type at the pump (“gazole” / “SP95-E10”), so be careful not to mix it up.
la caution la co-SION
the deposit
“La caution” (the deposit) is not actually charged — the agency holds the amount on your credit card (“la carte bancaire”) and releases it when you return the car with no issues. Note: you usually need a credit card (not debit) in the driver's name. Don't confuse it with the “caution” for a flat, which also means a security deposit.
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