British tourists heading to some popular hotspots including Spain are being advised to cancel and rebook a key part of their holiday after research shows summer holiday rates for car hires have fallen by 44 percent.
Which? found prices have dropped by an average £56 a week compared with March rates. The consumer magazine’s experts crunched data from its recommended provider, Zest Car Rental, and thousands of airport bookings at 13 airports.
According to Which?, the biggest price drops are available at flight hubs in Spain, citing prices down by £122 at Alicante airport and £104 at Malaga airport.
An average saving of £95 was recorded for a last minute booking at Pisa, Italy, with a drop from £303 in March to £208 in July.
The country was recently named as the most family-friendly destination, hailed as the best place to take the kids for a summer holiday getaway.
Other airports where average savings were found are: £77 at Palma (Mallorca), £74 at Malta, £68 at Corfu, £34 at Funchal (Madeira), £27 at Faro (Portugal), £27 at Lanzarote, £4 at Rhodes, £3 at Larnaca (Cyprus) and £2 at Nice (France).
A £90 saving was also available at Orlando airport, with a drop from £399 to £309, according to Which?’s research.
The consumer magazine says many car hire brokers and operators will allow you to cancel your booking up to 48 hours before your pick-up date without incurring a penalty.
Its advice is to check prices with your provider and elsewhere before deciding whether or not to cancel.
Which? warns that while car hire rental prices have dropped on average, it is vital that you check this is true for your booking and that there is still availability for the type of car you want.
Zest car rental, AutoReisen and Cicar offer free cancellation, with all three being Which? recommended providers.
A glut of available cars and the sheer number of car hire companies account for the fall in prices, according to Which?.
Car hire company numbers rocketed in 2022 when the cost of renting was high. Existing brands expanded at that time too.
Supply issues stemming from a manufacturing shortage have now largely been addressed so car hire firms have restocked their fleets after selling off vehicles during the Covid pandemic.
Demand for second-hand cars has also dropped so car hire firms are holding onto vehicles instead of selling them off.
