Posted on August 06, 2009 by Fiona Hilliard

A customer contacted us recently with a great question regarding the cost of hiring a car in Spain.  We thought we’d share our advice to him with you:

Customer says:

I’m looking to rent a car in Alicante.  I booked with you in April and found that you offered excellent value for money.  However, when I tried booking this week, I was unable to get a good price.  Why is this?
Patrick, Finland.

Editor says:

Hi Patrick,

Thanks for getting in touch.  The shortage of cars this year (due mainly to the recent downturn in the manufacturing industry) has meant that summer prices have inevitably soared to reflect supply and demand especially on the Continent.

The current economic situation has also meant that popular Spanish tourist resorts such as Alicante and Malaga have been experiencing severe shortages as a result of suppliers downsizing their fleets in a bid to cut the costs of servicing unused vehicles during the winter months. For this reason, you’ll see that our rates are that bit higher than what you may have paid in April.
For now, the only advice I can give you for getting a cheaper holiday deal in Spain is to wait (if you can) until late September and October.  The weather should still be pleasant and summery and you’ll pay maybe 50% less for your rental car. Alternatively, if you really want to get away now and your travel plans are flexible, you might try having a look at Portugal, Greece and France, where prices have remained reasonably cheap.

Hope this helps!

Editor

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