Holiday car hire

[rico]

We will be going to Milan Malpensa in the near future and wish to hire a car, however the prices on the more well-known sites (Avis et al) are frankly ludicrous. £600 odd for their smallest car for six days??

Any advice/recommendations will be great.

[Christian]

I guess someone with local car hire knowledge is your best bet.

I can only chip in that after a recent experience at Europcar, I'd never use the company again. I had the car through easyjet's booking site and paid for the full insurance. Turns out that easycar use their own AXA policy and not Europcar...no problem. But when I went to get the car, the employee was trying to hard sell their insurance. When I said no, he said he wouldn't release the car without me buying it (at some extortionate rate). Took a proper argument until he eventually folded and said ok - this wasn't just a hard sell, I felt like they were genuinely trying to scam me.

Picking the car up, there are now no employees to check the car out. You just take it and must send photos to an email address within 12 hours. I checked the car, but on return the guy went underneath the car to point out a scuff on the underside of the bumper! I had definitely not touched the car against anything but, again, had to argue my case to avoid a costly bill. In the end I got lucky and a low photo of the bumper I'd taken had just captured an area where the scuff was. Would never have thought of checking underneath a hire car until now!

All in all, felt like a major international company was out-and-out trying to trick the customer.

[hogthrob]

It seems that car hire, like everything else, has massively increased in price over the last year.


Look for a hire car with a comparison site such as Skyscanner https://www.skyscanner.net/carhire

Get excess insurance instead of paying the £25-a-day supplement: https://www.moneymaxim.co.uk/car-hir...ce?affid=46775

Watch out for the fuel policiy - "full to empty" will probably be eye watering now.


https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/tr...heap-car-hire/

[Beanie]

My understanding is that it's the same everywhere; they sold off all their stock during Covid as there was no demand, and now can't replace them at any sensible prices due to the global chip shortage.
Other than the odd impromptu day's car hire whilst during a holiday, I have always booked in advance and taken out the fully comprehensive CDW insurance so I don't have to worry about any real or imagined damage.
Re the full fuel tank issue, the last time i went to Florida the car hire company tried to relieve my CC of something like $50 claiming they had to fill it up. Fortunately I had a photo of the fuel gauge and had kept the petrol station receipt so they didn't get too far with that. A clerical error apparently, and this was one of the big players. I do wonder how many holiday makers are had over with this.

[shoppy]

I have used a few recently all abroad; I have paid for everything so that I can simply hand the car back and board the plane. This includes the fuel; they just fill and bill. I can't be bothered to drive around and looking for one at random hours in the morning.

It is more expensive as they all sold cars during Cv19 and struggling to replace.

[thegoat]

Try QEEQ
They’ve been the cheapest for me for Pisa by quite a bit .
Also note that Italian hire companies regularly get poor reviews .

[leo1790]

I guess someone with local car hire knowledge is your best bet.

I can only chip in that after a recent experience at Europcar, I'd never use the company again. I had the car through easyjet's booking site and paid for the full insurance. Turns out that easycar use their own AXA policy and not Europcar...no problem. But when I went to get the car, the employee was trying to hard sell their insurance. When I said no, he said he wouldn't release the car without me buying it (at some extortionate rate). Took a proper argument until he eventually folded and said ok - this wasn't just a hard sell, I felt like they were genuinely trying to scam me.

Picking the car up, there are now no employees to check the car out. You just take it and must send photos to an email address within 12 hours. I checked the car, but on return the guy went underneath the car to point out a scuff on the underside of the bumper! I had definitely not touched the car against anything but, again, had to argue my case to avoid a costly bill. In the end I got lucky and a low photo of the bumper I'd taken had just captured an area where the scuff was. Would never have thought of checking underneath a hire car until now!

All in all, felt like a major international company was out-and-out trying to trick the customer.

We had the exact same in Mallorca, after refusing the 'compulsory' insurance the bloke behind the counter was insisting on us taking out, he then told us as we were 15 mins early there would be an additional €20 charge to release the car. Went through the bs of explaining by the time we've sorted all details out then the car will be released on the time allocated, he wasn't having it, I left the counter, stood 10ft away with my family for 15mins and then went back to the counter. He then insisted that we had to pay extra for a spare wheel because if we got a flat tyre then we'd be responsible for recovery to come out and take us to get a new tyre. No thanks.
Finally got the keys, located the car, nobody there to walk round it so I took photos of everything before we left.
When we dropped the car off a bloke came running over with a clip board and started pointing out all the scuffs on the car and we'll have to pay extra. Showed him all the photos and he sighed and signed it off.
Absolute shower of sh*t. It takes a lot to pee me off but Europcar managed it.

Fast forward to 2 weeks ago and we flew to Carcassonne in France, only car available when I booked the holiday a month before was a Fiat 500 from Europcar. Expecting to go through the same crap again I was all ready for an argument at check in. Compete opposite to the Mallorca experience, she upgraded us to a Toyota hybrid estate when I said we had 5 passengers and quite a bit of luggage. She tried to sell us extra insurance but when I showed her the insurance we already had in place she was happy with that and didn't do any hard sell. Took us round the car, made a note of all the scuffs with me and waved us off.

I hate hiring cars with a passion but that restored my faith a little bit.

[Maysie]

I am not sure if this would work for your situation, but if you are staying in/around the city area, do they have a 'car share' scheme you could sign up for and use when you need the car rather than hiring a car for the full holiday?

It is possibly more agro than it is worth, but could be a potential solution (maybe).

[Xantiagib]

looking to hire a car for friday to monday in middle of july for UK and I cannot find cheaper than £350 (and that's before extra's) for a decent car for 4 people with luggage - just need it to get to nottingham and back from london.

as its four days only seems it will be cheaper getting train - but with the strikes going on not so sure now

[Montello]

Currently looking to hire for 10 days out of Venice … prices are over double last years … not a lot of choice I’m afraid.

[Rodder]

Currently looking to hire for 10 days out of Venice … prices are over double last years … not a lot of choice I’m afraid.

My in laws live close to Venice and I’m driving over this year. Euro tunnel was 120 quid and 500 quids diesel and I’m saving thousands on car rental and flights. Also, I get to miss the airport chaos and stay in some lovely places in Germany and France

[Bowen]

Prices are bonkers this summer. We need a people carrier for two weeks in Mallorca in August and it was more than the flights.

[Montello]

My in laws live close to Venice and I’m driving over this year. Euro tunnel was 120 quid and 500 quids diesel and I’m saving thousands on car rental and flights. Also, I get to miss the airport chaos and stay in some lovely places in Germany and France

Yeah, I’ve driven there previously and you are probably right that this would be a better option.

[Yeti]

Prices are bonkers this summer. We need a people carrier for two weeks in Mallorca in August and it was more than the flights.

Not long been back had the worst fiat tipo known to man made sure I photographed everything. They still tried it on when I returned I was having none of it. Ended up arguing for at least an hour. Had to point out the damage was really old by all the crap inside the scratches etc and no fresh paint etc etc…
I was sweating for a while if I’m being honest. Just ruins a otherwise pleasant trip.

[Montello]

My in laws live close to Venice and I’m driving over this year. Euro tunnel was 120 quid and 500 quids diesel and I’m saving thousands on car rental and flights. Also, I get to miss the airport chaos and stay in some lovely places in Germany and France

You have got me thinking now, I may cancel my flights and drive. Do you go past Milan or is there a route in round the north of Garda?

[EBB21]

I do this trip 2/3 times a year. £80 or so on the ferry to Calais, not P&O anymore, about 120e diesel, 40e for Swiss pass, valid for a year, and about 20e for motorways if you go via Belgium, Luxembourg (cheapest fuel in Europe, fill up) and a bit of France, then into Switzerland and Italy. Be aware of sudden increase in speed of cars when you hit Italy, madness after the calm and often annoying speed limits in Switzerland. Possible in one go, 12 hrs to Italy, advise a kip or two, or stop the night in a cheapo hotel. Extra 3 hrs coming in north of Garda. These times are to Brescia.