Faro car hire - 2011

dakar · Post by **dakar** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 11:41 pm

As a regular twice yearly visitor to Carvoeiro we have just returned home having had a very enjoyable break and super weather over last two weeks. Why would I have any issues but we have in terms of what we view as exorbitant car hire costs in Algarve. When we compare it to your nearest neighbour in Spain there is a big problem at a time when visitor
numbers are suffering with less British & German travellers up to start of July.

As I always find this website full of interesting comments I would be glad of advice to remove a "bitter taste" from a memorable time in Algarve. I booked A car as far back as January last to get the best deal knowing that the number of cars for hire will be less due to economic downturn which is still gathering pace .

For 14 Days car hire - Group c1 car
5 door Opel Corsa ( 2008) Diesel
Super CDW covering excess

COST € 334.00

When we arrived we were advised that we had Full insurance but upon checking further this did NOT cover Wheel
& Windscreen damage, punctures, windows, locks, wing mirrors, which we view as important while taking to roads
in Algarve. So much for Full Insurance, I can tell you - it is nothing of the sort. Eventually we decided that could not take the risk and opted for xtra insurance at a further daily cost of € 5 bringing in a further cost of € 70 for this
peace of mind cover as we would view it.

To pay A total € 404 for a very average car which had poor AC and had more scratches than I care to count seems
too pricey in this harsh economic climate with Fuel prices so very high this Year and threat of A22 tolls coming
down the track very shortly.

I am due to go back out in Sepetmber for 10 days but me thinks that car hire companies are jacking rates when
they should be protecting their business better through more competitive pricing. They will not have a future
if they are opting for short-term gain.

Hoping readers will give me some direction where I can find affordable pricing as I will be considering my
options to visit in 2012 if car hire companies dont get a grip/dose of reality .They will do further damage
to erode Portugal's No. 1 tourist industry which is so vital and critical to its future when prospects for growth
are sadly so limited at present.

lincdoc · Post by **lincdoc** » Sat Jul 02, 2011 12:01 am

I always use enonomyhirecar.com and usually use Drive4fun.I am in Carvoeiro at the moment and a 2 week hire of a 4 door Corsa cost £241 which I think is reasonable. I have an annual policy with insurance4carhire.com for £49 which I consider good value as I come out to Portugal 3 or 4 times a year but as far as I am aware no extra insurance is needed with Drive4fun. When I did need to make a claim a few years ago with insurance4carhire it was very straightforward. I don't use the insurance services offered by other hire companies as I consider them a rip-off.
The Corsa is almost new with only 1500km on the clock

dakar · Post by **dakar** » Sat Jul 02, 2011 12:28 am

Thanks Lindoc as this is kind of information that I need to find more affordable
alternatives. Enjoy your vacation and drive safely.....

joeysoap · Post by **joeysoap** » Sat Jul 02, 2011 1:04 am

agree with lindoc on this, though I use a different insurer. the insurance that hire companies peddle is daylight robbery. you are automatically insured for 3rd party. they offer two extra insurances one excluding tyres, windscreen, locks and theft. (jeeeezzzzzzz) and a super insurance which costs an absolute bomb. I have yearly insurance with atlas direct ( on the atlas choice site) for £39 pa and it covers tyres etc. rightly or wrongly I am assuming that car hire companies won't take the piss and 'invent' damage when you are insured with a very large intermediary. on another post I stated that I use best deal most of the time but their insurance costs are unreal, however whenever I rent from them I always inform them of my yearly atlas direct insurance and they appear to accept that and never push their insurance. to be fair to them, on the last 3 occasions I hired a car, I just 'posted' the keys in their office/van parked in P4 car park at Faro and never had a problem. (its actually cheaper to rent through atlas choice than directly with best deal but I am trying to 'establish' a relationship with them, so don't mind paying the extra few bob.

EMM · Post by **EMM** » Sat Jul 02, 2011 9:11 am

Your priority should be to ensure that you will have a car, so book with one of the more reputable companies.
Friends who returned to the Algarve for the summer went to their usual provider last week.
NO cars available. They ended up with Auto Jardim paying a considerable premium.

WE have stuck with the same company for the last 4 years, bit of a renta a wreck but always reliable, bonus ( free week ) etc. No problem extra charges when we have had punctures etc.

laserblazer · Post by **laserblazer** » Sat Jul 02, 2011 9:56 am

We have an annual policy with insurance4cars as well. The £49 is for European cover but you can get wordwide for around £65. Well worth it if you hire a car more than a week a year. We always use Algarvedriver. They will price match if necessary and it helps support this website and keep Steen in luxury

As EMM said, the main concer in the high season, is booking early with a company you can trust and may be not so much getting a rock bottom price.

joeysoap · Post by **joeysoap** » Sat Jul 02, 2011 2:08 pm

Friends who returned to the Algarve for the summer went to their usual provider last week.
NO cars available.

WE have stuck with the same company for the last 4 years, bit of a renta a wreck but always reliable, bonus ( free week ) etc. No problem extra charges when we have had punctures etc.

I had hoped to establish a relationship with another company last year (myalgarve cars aka local cars)but my daughter was let down by them in august last year so they are off my Christmas card list. I went back to an intermediary and was allocated best deal and have stuck with them this year. my daughter is again going out in august and fearing a repeat of last year I advised her to book through atlas choice (huge intermediary) on the grounds that it was more unlikely a hire company would let them down. her contract is with atlas choice - not the hire car company. I assume it will be their responsibility to ensure that a car is available, as it transpired she was allocated best deal (with an intermediary it can be any hire company).

I would have no problem switching to algarvedriver with a view to building up a relationship, but so far best deal have been fine to deal with. not the newest of cars but anytime they were at the airport when I returned a car it was a very cursory glance before handing back the credit card slip. most times I just post the keys and comfortable with that.

I had a bad experience with locauto in carvoeiro when they declared that a mark on the bonnet was caused by me. what really puzzled me was it january last year, it rained while we were in cvo and the bonnet was dusty, yet this person still managed to find a mark (not a scratch or bump- a mark that could be wiped over with a cloth and soap)with unerring pinpoint accuracy.
I disupted it, she rang her boss and after a very verbal phone call and she very reluctantly returned the slip. they too are off the Christmas card list.

CM · Post by CM » Sat Jul 02, 2011 4:49 pm

Well it will be my 50th visit in July (I know I dont look old enough) and it will be the first time without a car when the family are with me. I have decided that I will spend a few bob on cabs and see how we manage, I have seen pretty much all there is to see in Portugal and just want to park my considerable arse in O Barco for ten days with my Kindle.

pete-flint · Post by **pete-flint** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 1:01 pm

Just returned from Carvoeiro and had used Yor-car.com. Straight forward at point of pick-up, no hassle with insurance "extras" and no problems on return. Can't argue with that, fuel, return as found and a quick check over to get the credit card slip returned, excellent.

sam · Post by **sam** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 1:13 pm

We rent a car at least once a year. We shop around on the net for best current rates, and go for all inclusive/full CDW, although these days this does not usually cover everything. The last 3 times (all this year) we have used Economy car hire. The prices have been good, and reliable companies were used. Picked up & dropped off at airport. We did need top up insurance for tyres etc, but it was £12.74 for 9 days through them. They operate a points system, building up to a discount.