Car hire in Spain

[adrianw]

We normally go to southern Spain three or four times a year, but didn't go last year, car hire prices seem to have doubled now, that's without the ridiculous insurance's, we've checked on all the big company sites and Holiday Autos, has anyone found this? Interestingly my niece is here next week and hired a car from Stansted airport it was 25% cheaper than we can find in Spain.

[Halitosis]

I've found timing is everything. Usually do a search on kayak, skyscanner and car rentals.com as soon as I know my travel dates - make a reservation that can be cancelled up until 2 days prior to pick up. Check again periodically and I often find something at as much as 50% cheaper so cancel the initial booking.
Separate annual excess insurance policy too - perhaps £50/annum and has paid out no quibbles when a rental firm has fleeced me for a tiny scratch (against expectation, I've only had supposed 'big reliable' firm Hertz do so).

But yes, on your original point, prices do appear to have leapt upward

[adrianw]

Thanks Kayak were much lower prices than the same car providers sites, all booked

[stowaJLCfan]

I've used Yellow Car when in Costa del Sol, all in insurance and decent range, will meet you in arrivals, sign and collect keys.

[Steve B]

Try https://www.doyouspain.com/index.htm always found them to have competitive deals, but as usual with all these hire cpompanies its the excess insurance you nee to watch out for.

Steve

We normally go to southern Spain three or four times a year, but didn't go last year, car hire prices seem to have doubled now, that's without the ridiculous insurance's, we've checked on all the big company sites and Holiday Autos, has anyone found this? Interestingly my niece is here next week and hired a car from Stansted airport it was 25% cheaper than we can find in Spain.

[T1ckT0ck]

Check the martin lewis website he often has links to providers with discount codes.

I just booked a car directly with Europcar for 13 days in rhodes airport to airport.

worked out at about £180, this included insurance with an excess deposit of £800. To up the insurance and reduce the excess to £300 they wanted double, and get it to zero pounds it was the same again, crazy. It seems insurance is now the new way car hire companies make money and not the headline daily rental charge.

I have taken out a separate policy for £33 that insures me against the £800 excess loss that I may incur. Again, I got a referral link through the Martin Lewis website for this excess insurance (annual policy). It does mean I would have to cover the initial excess with Europcar and then make a separate claim with the excess provider to get it back, but I’m happy to accept that.


I did notice that some of the broker car hire websites are selling their own insurance top up policies and not via the underlying car hire company!

Edit; whoops just noticed you’ve booked it already!

[gunner]

I've found timing is everything. Usually do a search on kayak, skyscanner and car rentals.com as soon as I know my travel dates - make a reservation that can be cancelled up until 2 days prior to pick up. Check again periodically and I often find something at as much as 50% cheaper so cancel the initial booking.
Separate annual excess insurance policy too - perhaps £50/annum and has paid out no quibbles when a rental firm has fleeced me for a tiny scratch (against expectation, I've only had supposed 'big reliable' firm Hertz do so).

But yes, on your original point, prices do appear to have leapt upward

Another vote for being willing to get a late deal. Despite pressure from management, we saved quite a lot by booking within a month of the trip, rather than 6 months in advance.

[Jega]

We've used these guys in the past ,no problems at all .
http://www.juniorcar.es/prices.html