Cheap car rental

A week of errands, airport runs and weekend escapes around Paris starts with the right car at the right price — cheap car rental in Paris from Rent-Trip means 24 cars on this page, from €29 per day, with the vehicle delivered to you and the booking agreed with a manager. Choose from Economy, Electric, Commercial and Crossover classes, weekly from €174 and monthly from €609.

What cheap car rental in Paris costs with Rent-Trip

Cheap car rental with Rent-Trip runs from €29 to €76 a day across 24 cars, and the price you pay is set by class and gearbox rather than by the calendar. Weekly bookings start at €174, monthly at €609.

Daily rates from €29 and what sets the floor

Our cheapest car is the Citroen Ami at €29 a day, and the page range runs to €76. The Ami is a two-seat microcar with an automatic gearbox and an electric motor, which is why it holds the bottom of the list — no fuel stop, no clutch, and it slots into the tightest space on a city street. Above it sit the Renault Twingo at €35, the Fiat Panda Hybrid, Kia Picanto and Toyota Aygo X at €39 each, then the Dacia Sandero at €42. The middle of the range is where most bookings land: Citroen C3 and Ford Fiesta at €45, Fiat 500 Hybrid, Opel Corsa and Seat Ibiza at €49, Volkswagen Polo at €52. The cheapest car is not automatically the cheapest week — an automatic or an electric moves you up a band, and a van or a crossover sits at the top.

Weekly and monthly rates for longer stays

A week starts at €174 and a month at €609, calculated as the daily rate × 6 and × 21. Those two multipliers are the whole of our longer-booking pricing: seven days at the Citroen Ami rate gives €174, thirty days gives €609, and the same arithmetic applies up the range — a €39 Kia Picanto works out at €234 for the week and €819 for the month. Longer bookings are the only lever that moves the per-day figure down; changing class moves it up. If your stay is eight days rather than seven, compare the month rate before you book — the difference between a week and a month is often smaller than a second week added on.

• What is included in the daily rate: the car itself, its class equipment and unlimited use within the terms set out in the rental agreement.
• What is agreed at booking: the exact car and the dates, all confirmed with a manager before the booking is fixed.
• What moves the price up: automatic gearbox, electric drivetrain, a larger body or more seats.
• What moves it down: a longer booking period, at daily rate × 6 for a week and × 21 for a month.

In our booking practice, the customers who pay the least per day are the ones who decide the length of the rental first and the model second — the class is easy to change afterwards, the dates usually are not.

The 24 cars behind our cheap car rental in Paris

Our cheap self-drive offering runs on 24 cars split across four classes: Economy, Electric, Commercial and Crossover. The fleet starts at a two-seat microcar and ends at a five-seat crossover, so the class you pick decides both the price band and how much luggage fits.

Economy cars from €29 to €52

• Citroen Ami: Economy microcar, 2 seats, electric, automatic, 8 hp, 5.5 kWh — €29 a day, the cheapest car on the page.
• Renault Twingo: Economy hatchback, 4 seats, gasoline, manual, 1.0 L, 65 hp — €35 a day.
• Fiat Panda Hybrid: Economy hatchback, 5 seats, hybrid, manual, 1.0 L, 70 hp — €39 a day.
• Kia Picanto: Economy hatchback, 5 seats, gasoline, manual, 1.0 L, 63 hp — €39 a day.
• Toyota Aygo X: Economy hatchback, 5 seats, gasoline, manual, 1.0 L, 72 hp — €39 a day.
• Dacia Sandero: Economy hatchback, 5 seats, gasoline, manual, 1.0 L, 90 hp — €42 a day.
• Citroen C3: Economy hatchback, 5 seats, gasoline, manual, 1.2 L, 83 hp — €45 a day.
• Ford Fiesta: Economy hatchback, 5 seats, gasoline, manual, 1.0 L, 100 hp — €45 a day.
• Fiat 500 Hybrid: Economy hatchback, 4 seats, hybrid, manual, 1.0 L, 70 hp — €49 a day.
• Opel Corsa: Economy hatchback, 5 seats, gasoline, manual, 1.2 L, 100 hp — €49 a day.
• Seat Ibiza: Economy hatchback, 5 seats, gasoline, manual, 1.0 L, 95 hp — €49 a day.
• Volkswagen Polo: Economy hatchback, 5 seats, gasoline, manual, 1.0 L, 95 hp — €52 a day.

Economy is our largest class with 15 cars, from the Citroen Ami at €29 to the Volkswagen Polo at €52. Most of them are manual and petrol; the Ami is the only automatic under €50, and its 2 seats and 5.5 kWh battery suit short hops rather than a full day out. Peugeot 208, Renault Clio and Renault Clio E-Tech Hybrid close the same class higher up, at €69, €69 and €75.

Electric, Commercial and Crossover options

• Volkswagen Caddy Cargo: Commercial panel van, 2 seats, diesel, manual, 2.0 L, 102 hp — €47 a day.
• Ford Transit Connect: Commercial panel van, 2 seats, diesel, manual, 1.5 L, 100 hp — €55 a day.
• Renault Zoe: Electric hatchback, 5 seats, automatic, 52 kWh, 136 hp — €55 a day.
• Fiat 500e: Electric hatchback, 4 seats, automatic, 42 kWh, 118 hp — €59 a day.
• Renault 5 E-Tech: Electric hatchback, 5 seats, automatic, 52 kWh, 150 hp — €69 a day.
• Jeep Avenger: Crossover, 5 seats, gasoline, automatic, 1.2 L, 100 hp — €75 a day.
• Opel Mokka Electric: Electric crossover, 5 seats, automatic, 54 kWh, 156 hp — €75 a day.
• Renault Master: Commercial panel van, 3 seats, diesel, manual, 2.3 L, 150 hp — €75 a day.
• Opel Crossland: Crossover, 5 seats, gasoline, manual, 1.2 L, 110 hp — €76 a day.

We have 4 electric cars from €55, 3 commercial vans from €47 and 2 crossovers from €75. Every electric model is automatic, while the vans are diesel and manual — so a van booking is a different driving experience from anything else on the page.

Prices by class at a glance

The cheapest class is not always the cheapest trip — one Renault Master at €75 carries more luggage than two Economy hatchbacks at €45 each, and it seats three. On a two-day booking that gap widens, because the price you pay is the daily rate multiplied by the days, not by the number of cars you would otherwise need.

Cheap car rental in Paris by class and by trip

Four classes cover the whole page, and the class you pick decides the price band, the seat count and the fuel. Matching a class to the shape of the trip is what keeps the bill actually low: a car that is too small for the luggage costs you a second booking, and one that is too large costs you every day of the hire.

Classes and prices at a glance

Matching a car to a city trip or a longer drive

A 2-seat Citroen Ami suits short city hops, while a 5-seat hatchback or crossover suits a full day out. The Ami is an Economy microcar with 8 hp and a 5.5 kWh battery — enough for the boulevard périphérique and the inner arrondissements, not for a motorway run to Reims. A Renault Twingo gives you 4 seats and 65 hp for €35 a day, and the 5-seat band from €39 to €52 covers the Fiat Panda Hybrid, Kia Picanto, Toyota Aygo X, Dacia Sandero, Citroen C3, Ford Fiesta, Opel Corsa, Seat Ibiza and Volkswagen Polo. Boot space and seats matter more than price once you leave the city limits: for Versailles or Giverny, take a hatchback with five seats and a full tank, and check the luggage before you agree the booking.

When a van or an electric car earns its price

Three Commercial vans from €47 carry what no hatchback will. The Volkswagen Caddy Cargo and Ford Transit Connect both seat 2 with a panel-van body, and the Renault Master seats 3 with a 2.3 L diesel and 150 hp — diesel and manual, so a van drives nothing like a small automatic. Four electric cars from €55 cover the other end: the Renault Zoe, Fiat 500e, Renault 5 E-Tech and Opel Mokka Electric, all automatic, all front-wheel, from 42 kWh to 54 kWh. In our experience, a van booking is the one people under-plan for: if you are moving luggage or equipment, book the Commercial class first and the dates second, because only three of them sit on this page.

Two crossovers and the top of the range

Two crossovers at €75 close the range — the Jeep Avenger with a 1.2 L automatic and the Opel Mokka Electric with a 54 kWh battery and 156 hp. Both seat 5 and both sit at the top of the page, which makes them the wrong pick for a single day in the centre and the right one for a week of mixed driving. The cheapest class is not always the cheapest trip: a van for the luggage beats two Economy cars, and one crossover for five people beats two hatchbacks. On longer bookings the class still sets the band, so choose it before you look at the weekly figure.

Booking cheap car rental in Paris with a manager

Booking cheap car rental in Paris with Rent-Trip runs through a manager rather than a checkout page: you send the dates and the car you want, and the terms are confirmed before anything is fixed.

How the booking is agreed

Every booking is agreed with a manager, who confirms the car, the dates and the terms before it is fixed. You tell us which of the 24 cars you want — the Citroen Ami at €29 a day, a Renault Clio at €69, or the Renault Master van at €75 — and we check it against the calendar. If that model is taken for your dates, the manager offers the nearest alternative in the same class rather than leaving you to rebook alone. Nothing is charged and nothing is reserved until you have seen the terms and said yes. The deposit, the insurance excess and any delivery fee are set out in the rental agreement, so ask about them at this stage — the manager can walk you through the figures before you commit, not after.

What we need from you before the car is released

• Driving licence: held for more than 1 year; digital licences are not accepted for rental.
• Licence from outside the EU/EEA: an official translation or an International Driving Permit, shown together with the national licence.
• IDP validity: the permit must be no older than 3 years.
• Minimum age and young-driver surcharge: no single national rule exists — we confirm the condition for your booking when you agree it.
• Card and passport: part of the same check, agreed with the manager at booking.

Delivery to you

Where exactly we hand the car over is agreed when booking — tell the manager your arrival point and the time, and the hand-over is arranged around it. This is what makes a cheap rental work on a short trip: you are not paying for a day you spend travelling to a depot. Our fleet is 24 cars on this page, from €29 to €76 a day, and the weekly rate is the daily rate × 6, the monthly rate the daily rate × 21. If your plans are still loose, book the class rather than the model and let the manager match the car closer to the date.

Driving a cheap rental car in Paris legally

The rules that decide whether a cheap rental car in Paris stays cheap are the same ones that decide whether you drive at all: an emissions sticker, a licence with the right history, and speed limits that drop the moment it rains. France enforces all three, and the fines are fixed.

The Crit'Air sticker and the ZFE perimeter

Since the ZFE de la Métropole du Grand Paris (Zone à Faibles Émissions) came into force, every car inside the A86 motorway ring needs a Crit'Air vignette on the windscreen — the A86 itself is excluded, but boulevard périphérique, the Bois de Boulogne and the Bois de Vincennes are inside. Crit'Air 5, 4, 3 and «Non classé» vehicles are banned, with Crit'Air 3 restrictions phasing in from 1 January 2025. Driving without the sticker is formally prohibited. Our cars are registered and classified, so the sticker question is settled before you collect the keys — but it is the first thing to check if you plan to drive a car you did not book with us.

Speed limits, rain and the périphérique

Urban limits are 50 km/h under Code de la route, art. R413-3, rising to 70 km/h on designated stretches; outside built-up areas it is 80 km/h under art. R413-2, or 90 km/h where a department has kept the higher figure on a two-lane road. Divided roads sit at 110 km/h and motorways at 130 km/h, both under art. R413-2. Rain cuts those to 110, 100 and 80 km/h respectively, and visibility under 50 m means 50 km/h everywhere under art. R413-4. Drivers within three years of passing hold a permis probatoire and are capped at 110, 100 and 80 km/h under art. R413-5. The boulevard périphérique runs at 50 km/h since 1 October 2024, a decision of the city hall rather than the Code, introduced in stages from porte des Lilas to porte d'Orléans by 10 October.

Licences, alcohol and children

• EU/EEA licences: valid in France with no time limit and no exchange required while they remain in force.
• Non-EU/EEA licences, visitors: national licences are accepted, but anything outside the Latin alphabet needs an official translation or an International Driving Permit presented alongside the original — an IDP alone is not a licence.
• Non-EU/EEA licences, residents: driving is permitted for 1 year from the entry date on the visa, after which an exchange is required.
• Licence history: the licence must have been issued more than 1 year ago, and digital licences are not accepted for rental.
• IDP validity: the permit must be no older than 3 years.
• Alcohol: 0.5 g/l of blood or 0.25 mg/l of breath, dropping to 0.2 g/l and 0.10 mg/l for permis probatoire holders since 1 July 2015; the young-driver penalty is €135, six points and possible suspension.
• Child seats: required for children under 10 or shorter than 135 cm, and both conditions must be met before a seat becomes unnecessary; the fine reaches €750.

Winter tyres are compulsory from 1 November to 31 March in roughly 34 mountain departments under loi Montagne II, with a €135 fine and immobilisation — the capital and Île-de-France are not covered, but a trip into the Alps is.

Insurance, deposit and what the rental agreement sets out

Every figure that matters here — the deposit, the excess, the cost of reducing it — is set out in the rental agreement for your specific booking. What we can state on this page is the French legal framework around it, because that part is the same for any cheap car hire in Paris.

What is included by law and what is not

Third-party liability cover, responsabilité civile, is compulsory in France and comes with every booking automatically. It covers injury and property damage caused to other people within the legal limits of the country, but it does not cover injury to the driver. On top of that, the French market normally bundles CDW, collision damage protection, and TW, theft protection — the first limits your liability for repair and vehicle downtime, the second covers theft, attempted theft and vandalism in a car park, both up to an excess. The excess, franchise, is the fixed sum you pay yourself if the car is damaged or stolen. It is not reducible by arguing: it is set by the protection level you chose. Basic cover also excludes tyres damaged by abnormal use, glass (unless from a collision), sunroof and panoramic roof, the underside, misfuelling and the engine damage that follows, lost or stolen keys, and damage from negligence or intent. On models like the Renault Clio, an excess applies as standard; SUVs and larger sit higher. Note that some Visa Premier and Gold Mastercard products often cover the CDW/TW excess if the booking was paid with that card and the holder is the main driver on the agreement — that is industry practice, not an official French norm, so check with your bank before relying on it.

Reducing the excess and the deposit

• Rachat de franchise: a paid option; the Medium package reduces the excess, the Premium package removes it or lowers it substantially.
• Caution / dépôt de garantie: a deposit blocked on your card for the duration of the hire and released when the keys come back.
• Fuel policy: plein-plein — collected full, returned full.
• Kilométrage illimité: unlimited mileage; the opposite is franchise kilométrique, a capped number of kilometres.
• Conducteur supplémentaire: an additional driver, a paid option added at booking.
• Location aller simple: one-way hire, returning the car in a different city.
• Forfait post-stationnement: an unpaid-parking charge, not a driving penalty — €75 for light vehicles in Paris.

Paperwork and the code on your booking

Documents and driving rules on this page follow French law: EU/EEA licences are valid without a time limit and need no exchange while they remain valid. Drivers from outside the EU/EEA visiting as tourists may drive on their national licence, with an official translation or an International Driving Permit if the licence is not in Latin script — the IDP does not replace the licence, it is presented alongside it. Licences must have been issued more than a year ago, and digital licences are not accepted for hire. An IDP used for hire must be no older than 3 years. Your booking carries a SIPP code, four letters from the ACRISS system that encode size, body, transmission, fuel and air conditioning — for example ECMR. Read that code before you arrive: it tells you whether you are getting a manual or an automatic, and in France a manual is the ordinary case while an automatic is a separate, dearer category.

Parking, tolls and fuel on a cheap car rental in Paris

Parking is the one cost that can quietly outrun your daily rate, and fuel is the one you control. Both follow rules that are specific to this city, so they are worth knowing before you take the keys.

Street parking and the ZFE sticker

Street parking in central arrondissements is priced progressively, not by the hour. Zone 1 covers arrondissements 1 to 11: 1 hour is €6, 2 hours €12, 3 hours €24, 4 hours €39, 5 hours €57 and 6 hours €75, which is also the maximum stay in one spot. The visiteur tariff applies since 01.08.2021 and is split into 15-minute blocks, so a short stop costs less than the first full hour. An unpaid spot becomes a forfait post-stationnement rather than a driving fine — €75 or €50 for light vehicles here. Separately, the ZFE de la Métropole du Grand Paris (Zone à Faibles Émissions) covers the area inside the A86 motorway, which itself is excluded, and takes in the boulevard périphérique plus the Bois de Boulogne and Bois de Vincennes. Crit'Air 5, 4, 3 and «Non classé» vehicles are barred, and the windscreen sticker is what proves your class.

Tolls and the périphérique

• Duplex A86: the underground tunnel between Rueil-Malmaison, Vaucresson and Vélizy, roughly 10 km, run by Cofiroute/Vinci; class 1 from Rueil to Vélizy costs €8.30 to €13.70 depending on the hour Monday to Thursday, and up to €14.90 on Fridays and the eve of public holidays.
• boulevard périphérique: no toll, and the speed limit has been 50 km/h since 1 October 2024 under a city hall decision, even though the Code de la route permits up to 70 km/h.
• Carpool lane: the left lane between the Issy quay and Porte de Bercy, both directions, is reserved Monday to Friday 7:00–10:30 and 16:00–20:00 for cars with 2 or more occupants; the conditions of use are set out in the rental agreement.
• Crit'Air: without the vignette, entering the ZFE is formally prohibited.
• péage en flux libre: barrier-free tolling on the A13 and A14, where payment falls due within 72 hours.

Fuel prices and the fill-up rule

Diesel (Gazole) averages €2.414 a litre across France and €2.44 in the Paris department, measured from the API data.economie.gouv.fr instant feed across 9,803 French stations and 48 in the department. The main petrol, SP95-E10, sits at €2.183 a litre nationally. Most of our 24 cars run on petrol or diesel, with 4 electric models charged differently. Check the fuel type on your booking confirmation before the first stop: misfuelling is excluded from the base protection, and the resulting engine damage is on the driver.