Rent a car or van in France for €1

CAR and van rental for just €1? It sounds too good to be true but this is a real offer available via a French company.

There is one snag: you must pick up the car at one location and leave it at another, although you can keep it for 24, 36 or 72 hours in between.

You are given a kilometrage allowance and comprehensive insurance but will have to pay petrol and motorway fees.

The service, called DriiveMe (driiveme.com), works because it helps hire companies get their cars to where they need them.

You enter your journey and dates on the website and sign up if there is one to suit you.

As with a standard car hire, when you pick up the car you must show your driving licence, give a security deposit, note the condition of the vehicle and sign a rental agreement.

DriiveMe was created in France by brothers Alexandre and Geoffroy Lambert, who were inspired by a scheme in Australia. It has since expanded to cover Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal and the UK.

Marketing director Jérémie Pilo said 600-700 people a day use the service.

“We have many different types of use: 30% of rentals are utility vans, so you can make real savings on moving house.

“You can also do this from country to country, so it could be useful for anyone who wants to bring items of furniture across from the UK to their home in France.

“Airport use is very common, as you can arrive at Beauvais airport by plane and hire one of our cars to get you into the centre of Paris 100km away, much cheaper than a taxi.

“Some people prefer not to use their car for a long journey and it can suit students and others who don’t have a car.

“You can sometimes get a return journey between two big cities if you plan in advance, but you will have to sign up for two different trips.”

Booking well in advance will give the best chance, particularly if you are looking for a route between smaller cities. You can also put out an alert for the journey you want to make.

The firm advises signing up for car-sharing, using a site such as BlaBlaCar to help cover petrol and motorway costs.

DriiveMe also works with garages and with members of the public who have bought a car at a distance and need it delivered.