Picking the wrong car hire firm can cost you hundreds

Holidaymakers who do not shop around before booking their car hire could find themselves paying hundreds of pounds more than they need, new data shows.

A family heading to Crete in Greece this summer between July 27 and August 4 could pay more than £200 more by picking certain firms.

The research compares the cost of hiring a compact family car in the same week, excluding any added extras, such as a satellite navigation system, car seat or insurance add-ons.

For a family heading to Nice, France, car hire firm Enterprise quoted £469 for the week, compared with Budget’s £276 – a £193 difference. In Crete, Europcar quoted £588, compared with Hertz’s price of £376. In Barcelona, Spain, Avis quoted £460, compared with £293 from Sixt.

In Barcelona the difference between the most expensive and cheapest is £167, between Avis’ quote of £460 and Sixt’s of £293.

Added extras can significantly inflate the cost of car hire. For instance, adding damage excess cover, an extra driver, a sat nav system and a car seat to the Hertz booking in Crete would add £197 to the bill, taking it to £573.

Adding the same items to the Europcar booking in Crete would add £218 to the bill, taking the overall price to £806. Damage excess cover was the most expensive add-on in both cases.

However, there was not one rental company that was cheaper in all locations. For instance, of six major providers checked, Europcar was the most expensive in Crete at £588, but the cheapest in Milan, Italy, at £297. Similarly, Enterprise was the most expensive in Milan, but the cheapest in Faro, Portugal.

Ernesto Suarez, the chief executive of iCarhireinsurance.com, which conducted the research, said: “Rental desk extras can dramatically increase the price, so make sure you check the prices of the extras you will need, and take items like a sat nav with you if possible.”