Europcar

Hire car hell? 10 ways to avoid it this summer

Car hire

Ensure your holiday hire car is all smiles by following our top tips

Hire car problems are one of the biggest bothers for holiday makers going abroad. But it should be one of the easiest parts of the trip. After all, it’s not as if it’s a new industry. And the modern automobile is a fairly bullet-proof piece of kit.

However, with a lack of transparency over pricing, exorbitant insurance to cover excesses, punitive charges for fuel, and occasional blatant overcharging, some hire car companies can make a holiday memorable for all the wrong reasons.

Things are improving slowly. The industry has been ordered to clean up its act by the Competition and Markets Authority and its European counterparts. But although the key five players – Avis-Budget, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz and Sixt – have all made changes, there is plenty drivers can do to protect themselves. Here are 10 ways you can save money and ensure you have a trouble-free holiday – at least when it comes to the hire car. Continue reading

Car hire costs: How they catch drivers out

Car hire costs

Hiring a car means freedom but watch the costs. (Picture © Europcar)

Car hire costs can more than double at this time of year thanks to extras tacked on at the rental desk, new research suggests. The study found the average £214 basic cost could be inflated to £379 by extras sold to unsuspecting drivers as they collect their cars.

The study by iCarhireinsurance.com looked at car hire costs for the half term week during February, comparing five mainstream rental companies (Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Sixt) at seven European airports. Here are how car hire costs can be inflated and, importantly, tips for negotiating them down.  Continue reading