For various reasons it may suit us to hire a car for our 10day 1300 mile holiday in Scotland soon. Haven't hired a car in decades so a bit out of what's what these days.
Seems locally we could use Avis, Hertz, National, Thrifty or Network. The prices seem to vary a great deal for very similar vehicles between different companies. We have modest needs and a Mondeo 1.8 would probably be fine and Avis have them at about £225 for our period. Jump up to a 2.0 estate and it soon rises to £350 which seems a daft uplift. Would have liked an estate ideally as we know a Mondeo hatch would be a little tight for luggage but I'm not paying an extra £150 for it.
Any thoughts at all much appreciated.
David
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BTW as an example of the huge variation between providers Avis want £310 for a Mondeo over the period we need compared with Hertz at £225.
David
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Why not use a car hire comparison website? See:
www.carhirecomparison.co.uk/
tinyurl.com/73eh5
www.carrentals.co.uk/
There are many others.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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PS
Small independent car hire firms often offer surprisingly good prices.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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Have a look for car hire in the 'Travel' section of www.travelsupermarket.com.
I always use them for my foreign car hire and find some keen prices from major firms. I do think UK car hire is expensive. I have just got a Golf for a weekend in Lancashire at £55 pre-paid which isn't bad but a larger car fo 10 days could come pricey! However, bear in mind that your own car would cost about 30p a mile to run and that might make hiring look quite good! Just have to buy the fuel!
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BTW as an example of the huge variation between providers Avis want £310 for a Mondeo over the period we need compared with Hertz at £225.
make sure that you are comparing like with like.
you may find that hire companies have very different cdw excesses. with some you can pay a little extra to waive the excess, with others they won't allow you to remove the excess.
the excess can be £300 or £500 or higher depending on the company you use and the car you hire.
and then you will find that a stone chip on the windscreen or bonnet or slight scuffing of the wheels will be charged to you at exorbitant rates. so watch out.
incidentally, insurance4carhire, who are usually recommended on this forum as a means to take away this worry for a small premium, will not do so if you hire a car locally.
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couldn't of put it better myself Dalglish. totally agree the cheaper it is the more hidden extras.
If you hire a car take close up photo's in the hire compound & the same when you return & if they watch you do it even better!
The independant advice was good & I would go that route.
Have a great hol
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Recently hired a car for the weekend using Enterprise - they were very good. Originally booked an Astra/Focus size but changed my mind onto a Vectra/Mondeo size. They didn't have the latter so I ended up with a range topping X-trail when I turned up, for which they charged me Astra money.
I always recall a good bit of advice given to me - book something slightly unusual (say a Meriva rather than a Corsa). They'll invariably not have a Meriva available when you turn up and will give you something a bigger for the same cash. Has worked many times for me, and this works even better if you collect the car somewhere small - ie not a airport
-- Biggedy biggedy bong
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"we know a Mondeo hatch would be a little tight for luggage"
Fewer clothes and rent a Focus - cash saved.
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Fewer clothes and rent a Focus - cash saved.
>>
Its scotland they are going to. Three tons of clothes required!
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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Some of the warmest, sunniest days I've experienced have been in Scotland - north, south, east or west.
Some of the wettest days I've experienced have been in.............:-)
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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exactly - 4 seasons in a day
EVERY day
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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Whatever the weather, it's a great place to explore (you've probably guessed I come from Scottish stock)....:-)
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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(you've probably guessed I come fromScottish stock)....:-)
>
what ? an oxo cube?
im off to scottyland next month and decided to take my own car,we were going to fly and then hire but reasoned that the money saved would be better spent stopping halfway up for the night,weve hired some big hall residence for the week and making it a large family gathering of the clans,should be good for a few fights on the lawns
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Well the cottage brochure says it never rains in Fife so we will leave all the coats at home... still not renting a smaller car though.
You guys are right about looking at the *whole* price not just the first one that comes up on the website. We will have the car for at least 11 days and some places want £9/day for an additional driver. So that's £100 straight away on top of the Hertz bargain price! Also they all include CDW these days but to protect the excess is going to be another £100 or so many places.
Some places have a higher initial charge but a *supercover* type thingy which is about £100 extra for the additional driver and excess insurance together.
I may well go with the Citroenian advice as Enterprise are just £20 over Hertz for the same car group but include a spouse withoutr extra charge. So all I have to consider if i self-insure the excess to save £100.
Oh and the other thing is that Enterprise seem to have a Mondeo/Passat group seperate to and above the Vectra/Laguna group. Think I'll go for their Mondeo group and see if I get the *or similar* vehicle as it might be more likely to be a slight upgrade. Wonder if anyones *or similar* could be a Citroen C5... perhaps the fleets would not be that brave!
Thanks,
David
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David
Check out HolidayAutos. Hired a car via them last year in Italy and actually supplied via Hertz. They were cheaper and their additional CDW was £2.50 per day which is a lot less than the hire company. This removed all personal liability and I proved it.
We had a major accident with the hire car written off near the airport - an HGV would do that. Had to repay excess to Hertz but that was ?600 (?200 less than usual because of Holiday Autos booking) but I claimed the excess back and got it within a few weeks from HolidayAutos.
Rob
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Rob,
Thanks for the HolidayAutos link. Their base price for a Mondeo class is £6 over the min I have found but, as you say, their extras are low. Their excess waiver and extra driver combined are just £55 so a very good deal all in.
From the location they give for collection in our area they seem to be offering a car from National car Rental.
Only thing I have to find out now is if they are OK with the good lady's 6 points!! Mine's clean, hope that helps.
Thanks,
David
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David
I'd use them again as I had the ultimate test of their service. Crash within 30 minutes of hiring. Milan roads are mad/lethal IMHO.
I got even cheaper than the website booking via the Motivano discount site my company must pay something for. Dropped another 20%. Could phone up and try blagging :-)
Have a good trip.
Rob
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It was a holidayautos booking that resulted in a upgrade from a Laguna they didn't have to the Avantime in Corsica. Best car hire deal. Ever. I'd recommend them wholeheartedly if for nothing else than that. My French isn't great, so SWMBO was translating.
"He says they've not got the Laguna but you can have a Scenic 4x4 or something called an Avantime, he says its very modern?"
"Tell him we'll have the Avantime before he changes his mind, quick!!"
That said, a new C5 wouldn't be half bad either. Good luck :-)
-- Biggedy biggedy bong
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"That said, a new C5 wouldn't be half bad either. Good luck :-)"
Unless you want a hatchback.... assume you meant the new C5. Nice looking.
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"Enterprise are just £20 over Hertz for the same car group but include a spouse without extra charge."
Presumably you're startng your holiday at Gretna Green. Make sure you get one with a clean licence and your problems are solved. :)
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Ha... my worry is that I'd end up with the *or similar* rather than the upgrade!
Just phoning the places now to see if they fear an additional driver with 6 points.
Cheers,
David
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My last experience with Hertz was very good about 12 months ago, 407 broke down and needed gearbox, they supplied 206 covered in logos, work said no chance and sent me to hire a car.
I ordered a Focus and that afternoon arrived a top spec titanium x mondeo, quite impressed, got charged the same too!!
Jon
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Last time I hired a car (with Enterprise actually), they gave me a price then I confessed that I have points 'haven't we all, sir' replied the guy and there was no extra charge.
Good luck with the trip David I hope you have a good and relaxing break.
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Hello Paul, thanks for the good wishes. After this year we need this holiday more than any before! Hope you have settled to your new location. Mary will be whooshing past you in a week or so to deliver her Mum to a Cotswold nursing home while we go away.
Anyway I did book with HolidayAutos. They were quick to answer their phone hepline and gave useful advice. The good value excess waiver and extra driver rates were the big thing to swing it. Online booking was easy. We'll just see what the car/service is like on collection day. Yes I will have the digicam with me and give things a good look over. My main fear is getting a Vectra as I find the ride joggly after years of using Citroens.
Cheers,
David
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Well we collected the hire car yesterday. Through Holiday Autos we were booked with Alamo/National Car Rental. The only confusing bit was that the Alamo computer wasn't 100% linked to the Holiday Autos one so I had to point out that I'd already paid the extra driver and waiver fees.
Car was in immaculate condition with the single tiny blemish already recorded.
From my perspective we got lucky. I asked if we had a choice, they laughed that they were almost out of cars and ours was that one outside the window....
A gleaming met blue C4 Picasso 2.0 HDI SX. Quite a perfect family holiday choice for long term Citroen drivers!
But will I be used to the electronic automatic handbrake by the time we return?
David
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I'm not a big fan of those handbrakes, got stuck in the middle of a junction in a new passatt, only gor a few seconds but felt forever!
Enjoy your break
Jno
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Feedback:
Faultless car hire in all respects from the Holiday Autos online booking (Alamo/NCR supplied vehicle). No attempt to try it on with any damage claims at the end either.
No I didn't get used to the electronic handbrake in 1000 miles of use. I've been too long with a conventional lever between the seats/under the dash/wherever.
C4 Picasso was a great family holiday vehicle... but boy did the sand take some getting out from the all black carpets/seats/trim! Turned out it was a 1.6HDi not a 2.0. Went well for the small engine but fuel consumption bit disapointing at around 45mpg overall. Both our old-tech Citroen 1.9TDs will make that with ease on a run.
David
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