Car hire Spain now very expensive. Why?

P

pcatterall

Well-Known Member
Joined
2 Aug 2004
Messages
5,510
Location
Home East Lancashire boat Spain
Visit site
Over several years in Spain we have always got good deals with car hire. We have usually been able to get 3 weeks hire for as little as 3 euros per day ( not in the peak season!)
During covid and now post covid it has got very expensive whether we try to book far ahead or just prior to our holiday ( which was usually cheapest).
I know that the new and used car markets have been in turmoil is that at the heart of the matter? will prices ever get back to where they were?
Our boat is in group ownership, is there value in buying a cheap car out in Spain and what complications are there in doing that?
 
The prices have gone up by around 500% everywhere. The rental companies sold off their fleets during Covid and now they can't replace them due to the chip shortage. We regularly hire cars from Girona Airport and, on the last couple of trips, the rental parking was half empty. However, I have been monitoring the rates for our next trip in August and they seem to be going down slowly. Nowhere near what we have paid in the past though! doyouspain seems to be the best deal at the moment. As for buying a car and leaving it there, I've looked at it many times over the years and it still doesn't stack up for us when you consider maintenance, insurance etc.
 
Also from where we are, it sure looks like peak season came early. It's hot, it's crowded, charter companies are busy, everyone is keen to get out somewhere after two years of lockdowns and the school holidays in Europe have begun.

Buying and registering a car in foreign lands without residency is usually.... difficult.
 
colind3782 said:
The prices have gone up by around 500% everywhere. The rental companies sold off their fleets during Covid and now they can't replace them due to the chip shortage. We regularly hire cars from Girona Airport and, on the last couple of trips, the rental parking was half empty. However, I have been monitoring the rates for our next trip in August and they seem to be going down slowly. Nowhere near what we have paid in the past though! doyouspain seems to be the best deal at the moment. As for buying a car and leaving it there, I've looked at it many times over the years and it still doesn't stack up for us when you consider maintenance, insurance etc.
Click to expand...
Yes,' do you Spain ' usually gave us the best deal. We were a bit surprised recently that Ryanairs package was competitive.
 
Yngmar said:
Also from where we are, it sure looks like peak season came early. It's hot, it's crowded, charter companies are busy, everyone is keen to get out somewhere after two years of lockdowns and the school holidays in Europe have begun.

Buying and registering a car in foreign lands without residency is usually.... difficult.
Click to expand...
Even with residency, it's either complicated or expensive. Apparently, at the moment car prices in France (and therefore, I guess, the rest of the EU) are very high; my brother is re-registering his UK car rather than buying a French car; even with the hassle and expense of re-registering his car it's still worth his while.
 
Slight Fred Drift, but perhaps indicative of new car supply issues. A friend of mine ordered a new VW ID3 last August (as a replacement for a 7 year old £8k new Toyota Aygo, which WeBuyAnyCar offered them £5k for!). They were told delivery would be October. October came, delivery put back to January. January came, delivery put back to March. March came, delivery put back to August but now the car had a build slot so the date was guaranteed and the build could be tracked online. A week later a ship carrying 5000 cars sank, which scuppered (pun intended) the August delivery and at that time a date couldn't even be offered. As the icing on the cake the wiring looms are (or perhaps were) made in Ukraine.
 
pcatterall said:
Over several years in Spain we have always got good deals with car hire. We have usually been able to get 3 weeks hire for as little as 3 euros per day ( not in the peak season!)
During covid and now post covid it has got very expensive whether we try to book far ahead or just prior to our holiday ( which was usually cheapest).
I know that the new and used car markets have been in turmoil is that at the heart of the matter? will prices ever get back to where they were?
Our boat is in group ownership, is there value in buying a cheap car out in Spain and what complications are there in doing that?
Click to expand...
Move boat to Alicante Peter ..no need for car hire airport bus stops outside marina ..every 20 minutes .. and 98cents fare if your a pensioner??
 
Still okay deals if you shop around - we just returned a car at Toulouse on Sunday that had been booked for a wedding. We paid the same for 3 days (VW Golf with Budget) as another member of our party was paying per day (Mazda 3 with Europcar). £130.
 
pcatterall said:
Ahh!! good idea!! and finger pontoons which would please some of our group!! Any idea of cost/availability for a 10m yacht ( cant find it online but I have emailed them)
Click to expand...
Judging on what I was paying around €3300 on annual contract ..but things change ..but it includes water and electricity
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

cyberkryten
We finally bought a boat - Merry Fisher 895s2
2 3
Replies
41
Views
2K
Cathy*
C

Share this page

Top