Depends on where you are, but local stores should offer renting cameras. Here in Munich, both major stores offer renting cameras. At least one of them offers to give you a discount of 50% of the renting cost if you decide to buy (however, you have to decide the day you bring the camera back). Prices are around 75 Euros/day (including 24-105mm lens).
i have asked at local stores specialized in camera gear and to be honest, they all suck.
first, they have no cameras in their stores, beside cheap P&S cameras.
but they can order them (well i can order them myself and have it a day later delivered to my doorstep). :
second, even when they had... they would not rent it to possible customers.
i don´t know how they manage to survive with all the competition from media markt, saturn and co. but i guess they will not last much longer.
they are more expensive and they don´t offer support that´s worth paying a bit more.
I wonder if there is that much of a competition going on.
The small stores mostly just develop/print. And as they get it done by the same big labs, I don't think there's too much of a difference.
As you pointed out, they do not primarily sell cameras, hence it's not too likely that you can rent them.
i don´t know how they manage to survive with all the competition from media markt, saturn and co. but i guess they will not last much longer.
they are more expensive and they don´t offer support that´s worth paying a bit more.
My preferred shop around the corner (http://www.fotomeyer.de/) has actually great deals and pricewise they can compete with the majority of the online dealers. A year ago I payed for my 70-200 about 50 Euros more then the best online deal available at that time.
They do also rent some gear. But still I'm missing something bigger here in Germany, something comparable to lensrentals.com or such.