Car Hire

Looking for any reccomendations on the car hire front for a week in october, we're flying into Alicante, I usually use doyouspain without any problems but I'm always looking for alternatives.

Dave

Dave,

We always use economycarhire.com. They are UK based and their customer service is excellent

hi

here a cheap one :

www.cheapholidaycar.com

No extra pay / No fuel policy / No charge for additional driver / free child seat / No Insurance Excess.

Hope it´s help.

JM

Used Economycarehire.com in May for Alicante, they were cheaper than Do You Spain if you need a 2nd driver as it was free. Only difference is you pay upfront rather than on arrival.

Very happy with the supplier as well (Centauro)

Generally use carhire3000, found them usually the cheapest broker who deal with the usual centauro,auriga crown, goldcar etc. If you also are signed up for quidco you'll get 7% cashback.

Had reason to change my bookings in the past and they have done this without hassle or charge, they even let me book a car then swap nearer the time for a cheaper model when prices were dropping.

Only issue is you don't know who you are with till your voucher comes through and it really annoyed me when I got the Goldcar cretins.

Thanks for those tips I'll try them for quotes over the weekend.

Dave

Hi all,

Has anyone used

www.cheapholidaycar.com and if so what were they like ?

Thanks, Denise.

Same with me, was going to try booking with them cheapholidaycar as I was not much pleased with our last booking with Advantage (Hertz) would never go with the again, pricey add on extras.

Do like to go on other peoples experience though.

Doyouspain are competative. However just had a weekend at CDA. Flew into Alicante on time, but then had a 1 1/4 hour wait at Record desk , whilst all other desks were almost empty, but wanted 100 euros plus for 2 days car hire, whilst Record were only 38 Euros.

Record only take an imprint of your credit card as a deposit. However beware of Auriga who actually make a transaction with your credit card company for a deposit, and the rates of exchange at deposit and refund time are extortianate, and will cost you £20.

F+C car hire can be a cheap alternative, but their cars are a bit older.

We always book through DoYouSpain but last time they allocated us with Record  Car Hire so I asked for another supplier (because they always have long queues) normally Auriga Crown at no extra costs and no queues. I wouldnt reccomend F & C as their cars are very tatty and not cheaper as they used to be we had a very run down ar last time loads of things wrong we went into their office in Camposol and asked for them to change the car but they didnt have any better ones available.

I have used F&C hire and had no complaints about the car we got.

Last time we used Economy Car Rentals and got a good rate.  Slighty better than DoYouSpain in quote and significantly better when it come to customer service replying to emails.  We ended up with Sixt car rental who were excellent.  Car only had a few hundred km on the clock...their service was friendly and efficient.  No queues when we arrived at Alicante (although we had a late flight).  When we pulled up in the carpark on our return a girl came out and gave the car a look over while we unpacked, said all was OK, and we were off to the check in desk.  We had a full/full petrol policy which is handy as there are stations within 5-10 minutes of Alicante so easy to fuel up on the way to the airport.

The other good thing is that they helped us out with the carseats.  We have used other companys in previous years (2 or 3 of the main ones at San Javier) and you have to search out where the car seats are kept and then figure out how to install them (as they r never like your own) as the person there doesn't know or can't be bothered.

Yes likewise re doyou spain. Always used them and back in april had an 1 hr 15 min wait at Record but was a nice car and they didnt charge for extra driver, in June again through doyou this time Advantage, 30 min wait in car park by van and although priced by Merc ended ypu with postman pat red Renault Kangoo van plus the hihest extra ins cove we have pain and for extra driver, so have started to look elsewhere which is why the question about cheapholidaycar rental.I take it that this isnt the same a s F&C ?

The others are still coming out more expensive than our Doyou quote which is a lot more than cheapholidaycar

Thanks

If you always buy excess insurance then consider buying an annual policy instead of a single trip at the Car Hire Desk (this in no way consitutes a recommendation !!)

An annual European excess policy is £49, if you buy from insurance4carhire.com via www.topcashback.co.uk/ref/shampers67 but you then you get 20.2% of that as cashback taking it down to c£39 for the year (type 'insurance4' in their search box).

If you don't know how sites such as TopCashBack work then you simply register your details, and then everytime you buy anything via topcashback you get cashback - simples .............. been using it for a couple of years and have had around £500 cashback on stuff that i needed to buy anyway, e.g. £60 on home insurance, £23 on gas/electricity, £10 on a new credit card etc, 50p every time i shop online at Sainsburys (every little helps as Tesco say ............)

Same when you do your carhire - check all the usual sites ((I've used Argus & Hertz (register for Hertz and get a membership No - extra discounts) this year, but used doyouspain and F&C last year)) but there are also providers via TopCashBack e.g. Budget, Car Hire Market and National Car Hire (just type 'car hire' or a providers name).

Finally the fuel empty/fuel full & extra driver charge/no charge can make a big difference to the headline price

Perhaps i should team up with Martyn Lewis ....................