Going Away for the Summer? How to Get a Bargain at the Airport as Car Rental Prices Plummet

The good news is that car rental prices are starting to rise back to pre-pandemic levels, after rising sharply shortly after the lockdown.

This was because many rental companies sold their vehicles, creating a worldwide shortage.

As travel picks up again, demand is outstripping supply, but now costs are stabilising. Rental prices have fallen by a whopping 47 per cent this year compared to last year, according to consumer experts Which?

Follow these tips to get the best deals – and potentially save a small fortune when you return the car.

Go for a broker

This is key to getting the best deal, says Which? – but be aware of the difference between ‘broker’ and ‘car hire comparison’ sites. The latter, such as kayak.co.uk and skyscanner.net, simply list prices by comparing websites, while brokers vet and hand-pick each company, often negotiating better rates and providing a point of contact in case of a problem.

Which?’s best broker is zestcarrental.comWhen we checked, this easy-to-follow website had a week from Malaga airport starting at £59.88 in August for an economy car. A comparable vehicle from Hertz was £157.05.

It’s good news for car renters as prices start to return to pre-pandemic levels after a prolonged period of high prices.

Are there any others worth trying?

Attempt autoeurope.co.uk, doyouspain.com (as the name suggests, a Spanish specialist that promises to be ‘always cheaper, guaranteed’) and holidaycars.com, holidayextras.com And discovercars.com also have high Trustpilot ratings.

Choose the right moment

Book four months in advance for the cheapest deals. This is the ‘hotspot’ for savings, according to a study conducted by travel

supermarket.com compares car rental offers from over 20 leading car rental companies, including Sixt, Avis and Europcar.

Location is key

Before booking, check if the car rental company office is in the terminal or requires a shuttle bus. Much better if it is only a short walk in the terminal. A quick internet check should determine the exact location.

Insurance Tips

In Europe, car hire insurance is usually included in the price, with one caveat: ‘excess charges’ are excluded. Excess charges are the amount you have to pay, regardless of who is at fault, for damage to a car, which can be up to £2,500.

Car hire desk staff may try to sell you ‘excess cover’, but this will be higher than if you book yourself before your holiday. cover4rentals.com, worldwideinsurance.com or reducemyexcess.co.ukFor example, the price for a week in Spain starts from £16 at cover4rentals.com.

Take photos and videos of the vehicle when you pick it up and email them to yourself so they are time stamped, as people often get charged for damage they didn’t cause.

The power of photos

Take photos and videos of the car when you pick it up and email them to yourself immediately so they are time-stamped.

People are regularly charged for damage they are not responsible for. Photographic evidence will resolve the matter and avoid a large repair bill. Also, take a photo of the odometer reading when you pick it up and email it to yourself.

Check the cancellation policy

Most companies allow cancellations without penalty up to 48 hours before pick-up. This allows savvy customers to book ahead, search for cheaper rentals closer to the departure time, and cancel if necessary and pocket the difference.

For your peace of mind, autoeurope.co.uk also offers a fully flexible cancellation, which allows you to cancel up until pick-up time, for an additional 9 percent. If you wish, you will receive a full refund.

Avoid ‘extra day’ charges

When hiring a car, a ‘day’ is considered 24 hours from your pick-up time. It’s worth bearing this in mind when booking flights. For example, if you arrive at 11am and pick up your hire car at 12pm, it will be cheaper to return the car by 12pm.

Please allow enough time to get off the plane and collect your luggage before your official pick-up so that another customer cannot take the car if you are late.

Perfect pick-up

Make sure you have plenty of time to get off the plane and collect your luggage before your official pick-up: don’t set it to the landing time of your plane. Not only will you pay more, there is also a risk that the rental company will give your car to someone else if you are ‘late’.

Most companies only guarantee to hold your car for 30 to 60 minutes after your scheduled pick-up time, sometimes even up to two hours.

What if the flight is delayed?

Try to notify the renter as soon as possible, either by phone (ideally) or email. However, be aware that they may still not hold the vehicle for you, which could mean paying for a more expensive car.

Remember a credit card

Debit cards are not sufficient to ‘guarantee’ a booking on arrival. A credit card is required as they have higher limits. It must be the main driver’s card.

Just say ‘no’

SAY NO to any extras – not just ‘excess cover’ – when you collect the vehicle.

Use your own GPS (available on your smartphone) and bring a child seat from home (most airlines allow you to bring a child seat for free). If that is not possible, book a seat in advance through your agent.

Make sure you have enough fuel

Go for the ‘full-to-full’ petrol option – if you don’t you’ll pay a lot more than you would at a local station. Make sure you take your receipt with you in case it’s contested.

Driving age limits

Normally there is no maximum age, but for persons over 75 years of age, surcharges may apply. sixt.nl says: ‘Germany, France, Spain and the UK all have car hire companies that are over 80 years old. In parts of Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia there are restrictions or surcharges for older drivers. It’s worth checking the rental information in advance.’

There are many rules regarding your age when it comes to renting cars, for both young and old

Rules for young people

The minimum age to rent a car varies by country. In Greece, Italy, Spain and the US it is 21 years, in the UK it is 23 years.

If you are under 25, there is almost always a young driver surcharge to cover the higher risk of such rentals.

Rental companies limit the number of cars that young people can rent. For example, at Hertz you must be 30 or older to rent a Jaguar F-Type and 35 or older to rent a Ford Transit.

Sixt.co.uk offers a 15 percent student discount to those who can verify their status.

‘Drop-off’ fees in the US

When you rent a car in America, it is common practice to pick up the car at one point and return it at another.

If you do this, you may be charged a ‘drop-off fee’, which can be astronomical.

The Avis drop-off fee for a two-week trip from Chicago to San Francisco in September was £932 (avis.co.uk), while for Budget (budget.com) there was none. So the advice is to look around.

Additional reporting by Gabriel Whitwam