 from six major providers for a week last May varied from £192 through the broker Zest to £457 with Hertz and £449 with Europcar. However, when making comparisons beware: it is vital to compare like for like and make sure that all the extras you need are included in the price (see below). And make sure you check brokers (such as zestcarrental.com or holidayautos.com) which operate by negotiating with lots of different suppliers to find the most competitive price. Typically people tend to book hire cars only a couple of weeks before depar){kind=link}
Holiday car rentals are costlier than ever, with prices reaching historic highs this year – don’t add these rookie errors to your bill
This year, car hire prices reached historic highs. Telegraph Travel’s own snapshot survey – repeating and comparing research we did in 2019 – revealed that the cheapest rate for a basic model rented for an off-peak week from Malaga Airport in May had gone up from £77 to £192 in three years. In fact, since the end of the pandemic rental costs in virtually all holiday destinations have soared.
And there is no sign of them coming down in 2023. In order to survive the pandemic, car hire companies sold off many of their vehicles and have been unable to replace them fast enough. At peak times especially, there aren’t enough to go around – so prices have risen to reflect a shortage which is likely to continue through next year.
And while high prices are a new phenomenon, the long standing issues which have been plaguing customers for years continue. These include high pressure sales of over-priced extras at the pick up desk and unexpected and extortionate charges for damage which continue to be a minefield for consumers trying to find a decent deal.
Many get it wrong and end up paying a high price as a result – these are the most common mistakes to avoid.