CAR HIRE

Hi

 We are comeing out to murcia for 5weeks in November and are looking to hire a car (focus/astra}

simlair size car any advice on good fairly priced car hire companys.

Thanks

Rob/Jac

Plenty of car hire companies at Murcia.  Do a Google on car hire Murcia and you will come up with some agencies.  DoyouSpain and Carjet have been recommended by others on this site.

We ask for a quote from both agents and select the cheapest as they are pretty much the same and use the same hire care companies.  Auriga Crown is off airport at Murcia and you are collected and delivered by bus.  Not too much hassle as the buses run pretty frequently (never waited more than 10 minutes).  Try and avoid the big companies like Hertz and Avis because they are very expensive and check the fine print for excess payments on the insurance.  All the companies will ask for extra to insure tyres and windscreens so check how much each one charges.

Hi

Some car hire companies are also introducing the 'collect full return empty' system.  Don't know about Murcia but we hired a car from Malaga airport in September via Holiday Autos who contracted  Auriga Crown.  No problem with the car or price but definately didn't like the rip off paying for fuel that you can't use.  We met others when we returned the car who were equally annoyed.  Previously we'd only experienced this in Tangier with a local company.  Will stick with Europcar or Hertz from now on who confirmed that they don't operate this system.

Some of these cheaper companies also add lots of little extras that aren't included in the basic price. Depends on whether you're prepared to take the risk or not.

we use carjet, they always seem quite competitive and we took ours from and to murcia airport, no probs at all. Very easy to use.

THANKS

THATS HELPED

Rob/Jac

We've always been happy with Solmar but I notice no one else ever mentions them.

Laury

we use economy car hire as the broker and always seem to be offered very competative prices with a range of car hire companies.

Last month we opted for SolMar (for the first time) from Murcia airport and were very disappointed.  When we arrived they attempted to palm us off with a damaged car that was filthy inside and out.  We went back into the office and very politely told them that we were not willing to accept that car.  The chap who seemed to be in charge went out and inspected the car and said the damage was "minor" and what did we expect when we were being given such a cheap rate.  I said that i expected a car which was at least clean and in a good state of repair.  Anyway he reluctantly changed the car and the one we got was fine and no further problems.  We did notice there were a few on the lot which had various degrees of damage - this was the lot where they were ready for pick up NOT the return lot!

We informed ECH when we got home and they in turn contacted SolMar to complain.  We have been given a discount from our next hire (in Dec) from ECH - needless to say we are not planning to use SolMar.  I know this may just be a one off, but it was the attitude of the manager that annoyed me most.

We usually hire through ECH about 3 or 4 times a year and have never had any problems - even when my other half reversed into a bollard!

How odd. Our Solmar cars have always been very new and good condition.

On one occasion we were unlucky and the car overheated and spewed oil. They organised a tow truck for it and immediately supplied another car with no problems at all.

We've been using them for 3 years so perhaps returning customers get treated better?

Laury

I dont think it was anything personal, just the luck of the draw ... some cars were fine and others weren't.  The man in charge had to go out and look at the car, so i dont think he knew what condition it was in when he allocated it.  But as i say it was more his attitude when we asked for another car that upset me.   It was very busy as it always is when a couple of flights come in together and i dont think they have much time to turn the cars around between hires, so i think it depends on the previous people who hired them and how much care they take of the cars. 

But at the end of the day i tend to judge a service on how it deals with problems, and i was not impressed with this one.   Chap may have got out of wrong side of bed that morning.  But check out the parking lot when you are next over and see if you can see what i mean - i have to say i never paid any attention to whether there were damaged/dirty cars on the lot before this occasion, but you can guess that i will now!

If you are a regular car hirer you may be interested to hear about www.insurance4carhire.com.

For £52 (for a driver under 75 years old) you can have an annual policy against your car hire excess. I know in Ireland this costs 12euros per day - not sure in Spain. Basically, anyone on the car hire booking is covered for the excess.

You have to pay it to the car hire company (through the credit card that they take on pick-up) but then claim it back from insurance4carhire. You only have to have one claim to "make your money" and it's a small price to pay if you don't make a claim.

Noreen

On the subject of car hire can anyone recommend any of the hire companies at Almeria airport where it's quick to pick up the keys even if there's a queue? I ask since we've used Solmar twice (cars were fine, no problems there) but they seem to take ages printing out contracts and giving you the keys etc. I don't know why they just haven't got everything pre-prepared that just then needs a signature/proof of id. Any suggestions welcome.

Thanks

Justin

Guess you have to accept its the way of the culture to do things at last minute - in an ideal world we would all walk to the checkout at Sainsburys and immediately all our purchases would be scanned, billed and in the boot of the car. While that is perhaps an extreme example it is very much the Spanish way that they will move at their own pace and I suspect that nobody has a fast tracking system where you just show ID and get the keys. To be honest the same exists at UK airports whenever I go back. I am a regular user with Europcar - I always pre book, using the same credit card etc same local address, drivers etc so no variation - the number of times I have returned to find the car I have been quite specific about booking (being a fussy sod) is not available i.e. no TDI available, no 4 doors available, only automatic available, and even on one occasion was given a 4x4 petrol with open luggage area and would have been leaving cases on show - having booked a 4 door TDi saloon - it was the only vehicle available to me!!

Thye also take ages printing out contracts etc. 

We always use Centauro at Almeria airport and they are fast and efficient - a few weeks ago we were one of the last ones off the plane and still managed to be first in the (small) queue - while the other desks were 10 or more long.
Unfortunately they don't have any cars available for our next trip in 3 weeks - so we're having to go with one of the others ....

Dave & Ailsa

Hi everyone

Does Centauro allow you to still bring the car back full of petrol or not, or does it depend on length of stay? Also is there no insurance excess? Haven't used them for a while & can't find the answer on their website. Looking to sort out car hire for next few visits & from quotes there doesn't seem to be much difference price wise from going straight to Centauro or going through carjet.

Queues for cars were horrendous last week at Murcia airport (the joys of school hols & 3 planes in close together) for once was glad to be with Auriga - no queues for the mini bus!

At Almeria, it's full-full i.e. tank is provided full and you have to return it full (they take a credit-card payment for a full tank when you take the car but refund it when you return). That's our experience anyway (we've used them 6 times this year ranging from 2 to 7 days).

We book via easyautos.co.uk and have paid for an annual excess insurance (£49) with Insurance 4 Car Hire (again via easyautos site). We then refuse the offer of paying an excess at the desk.

Dave & Ailsa

Normally full full for longer stays. But last visit we stayed for 6 days and it was full/empty. Also i book the express booking with additional details that speeds up the pick up at the desk. When we bring it back there is usually someone collecting keys in loading bay who parks the car and then we just go straight in to check in. I suppose if it was full/full arrangement would have to go in and swipe credit card for refund of petrol. Perhaps they have changed the policy of full/full for speed. Will see when we stay longer next time.

Had a bad experience on the mini bus with auriga once, luckily we had already checked in but others hadn't so were panicking that they might miss their flight. No mini bus for ages to bring back to airport!!!!

Thanks guys - will have a look easyautos (thanks for that )

Normally Auriga let us bring the car back full & do a refund but not this time (new policy according to the girl on the desk) & it is a bit of a hassle getting the mini bus. We have also been recommended Dickmans who apparently pick you up at the airport (one of those card jobbies with your name on as you leave the airport as I understand it) - anyone been with them??

Haven't had your experience with the mini bus Gina - more the opposite actually (am sure one of the drivers thought he was Alonso at one point )