Rob Day

iTrader: (78)

Good evening all.

I'm looking at booking car hire for this summer holiday in Spain, but having never driven or used a car hire company in the Canary Islands I don't who best to use?

I looked on Travel Supermarket, but I guess you lot who have done it before know better?

Cheers
Rob

ChrisB

What choice do you have at the airport? Some of the local Spanish operators are more like Rent-A-Wreck in my experience (at least on the mainland). We had a Focus with 15,000km on the clock from one of them in Malaga a few years. Every panel was dented (yes, including the roof) and the clutch slipped like a granny on ice.

Rob Day

iTrader: (78)

Oh dear, that's not good.

The airport is Arrecife, aka Lanzarote.

I've not really looked properly, and to be honest the idea of a car is not a MUST, just a nice to have. I'd sooner have a car so we can do what we like when we like, esp as my lad suffers with walking.

dpb

We've hired in Fuerta several times, maybe 15 years ago though can't really remember much.
At least the prices were cheap ( compared to France eg )

allthingscars

We used Do you Spain .com when we went to gran canaria early this year they find the best deal we had the car from Goldstar,the car was a VW Polo 1.4 went ok and in go condition
We picked it from the airport so saving the transfer fee to the hotel I think it was under £90 for 7days
After booking it Do you Spain e-mailed me offering gold cover ins which covers everything including door mirrors glass and tyres which even the total waver policy does not cover this was for an extra 20 euro which I thought was worth it, when we arrived to pick the car up the people in front of us were offered the same cover for 150 euro!! The only differance being if we had an issue we would have to claim the money back from our policy
They charge you for a full tank of petrol on your credit card you bring the car back with the tank empty if there is any left then they put the money back on the credit card
When you drop the car for your own piece of mind take a photo of the dash showing how much petrol is in the tank and the mileage, I had no problems and the money was refunded to my card
I have hired cars in lots of country's and never had any problems just make sure you get good insurance cover and ask where the doc's are in case you are stopped
Good luck hope this helps
Kev

Graz

Use the guide below and also buy your excess insurance separately, i.e. don't pay the hire car companies excess waiver premium as this is how they usually rip you off.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-car-hire

Ant

It's a minefield , stupidly high excesses, optional insurances, fuel supplements .

Good luck

scunnered

iTrader: (1)

When I hire a car on holiday, I always pay particular attention to the fuel policy.

Half tank/empty- Pay up front for half a tank at three times the actual cost. Use it or lose it. Usually done by the unscrupulous back street companies looking for extra profit. Avoid if possible.
Full tank/empty- Pay for a full tank, use what you need and be refunded for the remainder (yeah right!).
Full tank/full- This one's probably the best option. Don't pay up front for fuel. Bring it back with a full tank for no extra cost
Empty tank/empty- This is the one I'll go for. There's nearly always enough fuel to last a couple of days before needing to buy any. You could be on to a winner with this one. Once I even had almost a half tank, and had free fuel for most of the holiday.

Rob Day

iTrader: (78)

Great advice thanks all.

I see its a mine field, and that's why I could trust my question would get a good set of honest answers, cheers all.

Rob

PaulC72

Carjet is who I use when we go to Spain and as they are a broker you get a list to choose from.

Ant

I went with a local place recommended by the people we rent from. No fuel charge (just return what you got)and no cash deposit they have our passports , free additional driver and free booster seat.

It took me a while to shop around if you want full/full then charge you more too so you lose out either way

These are main land Spain so I couldn't help . Stay away from big companies they're the worse

BlkKnight

we use cicar all the time over there.

Don't need to pay up front.

Free child seats

Pick up & drop off @ the airport.

Fill up @ the airport on your return.

http://www.cicar.com/EN

Ant

Very similar to ours they pick us up and the car is where we are staying, perfect for is one a 10 night stay .we have the car for a week and they take us back to the airport

Rob Day

iTrader: (78)

These see to be the preferred option up to press.

£240/£260 extra ins for a Renault Scenic for 11 days, only draw back is the €6 per day for each child seat (€132 / £110)



CICAR
£490 for a Zafira for 11 days, no car seat cost.


I'll have a look at alternative options for car seats, maybe there are inflatable ones nowadays.

Edit- found these that look ok for the nippers http://www.ebay.ie/itm/121340834317
Rob

Ant

I wouldn't risk my child in a inflatable booster seat, that's just my opinion

PaulC72

Yes car seats can work out expensive, I know it's extra luggage but do you have an option to take one with you?

I agree re inflatable ones not sure how good they would be.

nik52wrx

I wouldn't have thought there was much risk as long as they were inflated properly.
Also, I doubt Halfords would be selling them if they didn't meet certain standards.

http://www.bubblebum.co/awards/

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Carjet is OK, we use them for mainland Spain.

Last time I was in Lanzerote, we stopped in Puerto Del Carmen, took a taxi from the airport and hired a car from there (from Avis IIRC)...Parking in Del Carmen is a bitch - if you get blocked in, well, a bit of "nudging" is the only way to get out . First time we had a new Polo. Nice. Second time we had a old Cordoba piece of shyte with a flat tyre (luckily air is free at the petrol station).


Fuel policy: Full-Full or Empty-Empty. You'll get stung otherwise.

r32

Europcar, most of the others will rip you off..............