Vehicle Hire queries

Sheedy234 · 28-01-2019 5:34pm

Lex Luthor wrote: »

any recommendations?

going in May for 10 days
We've been there about 6/7 yrs ago and think we used Europcar but just wondering of any other options out there

Just need something focus/astra size

thanks

I have used (rentauto )through zest car broker the last 2 years and I couldn't fault them .quick and easy pick up and they don't take any deposit at all as I just paid a little bit extra for no excess.extra driver is free

uck51js9zml2yt · 28-01-2019 5:52pm

leex wrote: »

Check out Drive4Fun. Used them in 2017. No issues. Many recommendations on here.

Used them myself. Very good to deal with.

abarkie · 28-01-2019 10:12pm

Gravelly wrote: »

I've been using Zitauto for years. Never a problem, and they don't get too excited about the odd scratch.

Same here

Get a Christmas card every year from them

return guide · 28-01-2019 10:19pm

leex wrote: »

Check out Drive4Fun. Used them in 2017. No issues. Many recommendations on here.

plus 1 on these, pretty painless got hit for extra tolls (€9) about a month later but in hindsight we had a lot of drops/pick ups from the airport.

pudzey101 · 04-02-2019 10:02pm

Hi I am heading to fuerteventura in 2 weeks and was wondering the laws on hiring a car/bikes, I am 28 hold a full Irish car and motorbike licence, is that sufficient ? Or do I need apply for an international/European licence?

Tia

Pudz

04-02-2019 10:03pm

pudzey101 wrote: »

Hi I am heading to fuerteventura in 2 weeks and was wondering the laws on hiring a car/bikes, I am 28 hold a full Irish car and motorbike licence, is that sufficient ? Or do I need apply for an international/European licence?

Tia

Pudz

That'll be sufficient.....just make sure you have enough on your credit card to cover the holding deposit.

pudzey101 · 04-02-2019 10:13pm

368100 wrote: »

That'll be sufficient.....just make sure you have enough on your credit card to cover the holding deposit.

Thanks so much , so my pink card licence and passport and obviously money on my card is all is needed correct ?

04-02-2019 10:19pm

pudzey101 wrote: »

Thanks so much , so my pink card licence and passport and obviously money on my card is all is needed correct ?

Yep.....I do it every year, that's what I bring. Just be sure you're comfortable driving on the other side of road!!

I still have old license but if you have new one I think theres two parts? So you'd need both

pudzey101 · 04-02-2019 10:20pm

368100 wrote: »

Yep.....I do it every year, that's what I bring. Just be sure you're comfortable driving on the other side of road!!

As sweet thanks that's alot off my shoulders, I will be it's just to get to my hotel and town iv been before know the route , just never had the guts to get into a car )

04-02-2019 10:22pm

pudzey101 wrote: »

As sweet thanks that's alot off my shoulders, I will be it's just to get to my hotel and town iv been before know the route , just never had the guts to get into a car )

Oh, and theyll try and sell you extra insurance for about €250 That you don't get refunded, but they dont hold the large deposit on your card. In my opinion it's a rip off, I never take it and let them hold the deposit which I get back....never had any issues.

elperello · 04-02-2019 10:23pm

You might consider taking out car hire excess insurance.
It can save you money over taking the car hire company extra insurance at the desk.

com1 · 04-02-2019 10:25pm

It might be an idea to get excess insurance before you go too. It tends to be a lot cheaper than going with the rental companies offerings

Elperello got there before me . Also check the car carefully and go back to the rental desk straight away if you find any damage not listed on the agreement it is a good idea to take pictures

pudzey101 · 04-02-2019 10:32pm

Thanks boardsies, I just checked my axa policy im covered to drive abroad if that makes any difference?

Pinch Flat · 04-02-2019 10:35pm

Take loads of photos inside, outside and underneath the car. Avoids any hassles with alledged damage when you’re home

893bet · 04-02-2019 10:38pm

Use cicar. Their price has insurance and excess included.

Good company to deal with.

04-02-2019 10:41pm

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Take loads of photos inside, outside and underneath the car. Avoids any hassles with alledged damage when you’re home

I second that, take loads of pics, few companies tried to charge me for damage done previously and only I had the pics to prove it was already there id have to have paid it

rabwaygal · 04-02-2019 10:42pm

893bet wrote: »

Use cicar. Their price has insurance and excess included.

Good company to deal with.

Agreed. Used them. Excellent. Pluscar also do insurance and excess included.

pudzey101 · 04-02-2019 10:46pm

Jeez , thanks everyone never taught bout before and after pics will be sure to . Once my full Irish licence covers me and that's all I need im happy:)

whomitconcerns · 05-02-2019 7:47am

pudzey101 wrote: »

Thanks boardsies, I just checked my axa policy im covered to drive abroad if that makes any difference?

Makes no difference. That only applies to you driving the vehicle (s) mentioned in your policy abroad. Nothing to do with your op

naughtysmurf · 05-02-2019 8:57am

There is no need to worry re insurance, Cicar & others will have fully comp built into their price, others like Cabrera Medina, Autoreisen, Pluscar are the same, just avoid Orlando & Goldcar, Cicar is my go to in the canaries & you can pay cash on arrival, I've never needed to use any credit or debit card unless that's changed in the last while, also if you're staying in a hotel, they will deliver the car to you if you wish, driving in Fuerteventura is easy but if staying in Corralejo, parking can be a nightmare in the town
Cars usually have 1/4 tank of fuel, just return with same amount

Flipperdipper · 05-02-2019 5:42pm

I used Payless car hire in Fuerteventura two years ago and found them to be great. When I asked what their fuel policy was he said "there's about a quarter tank in it, bring it back with about the same". I got a Fiat Punto for €98 for the week. Speed limits are generally 60-80 km/hr. Just make sure there is a warning triangle in the car, compulsory in Spain.

Quazzie · 12-02-2019 5:47pm

pudzey101 wrote: »

Hi I am heading to fuerteventura in 2 weeks and was wondering the laws on hiring a car/bikes, I am 28 hold a full Irish car and motorbike licence, is that sufficient ? Or do I need apply for an international/European licence?

Tia

Pudz

There might (most probably will) be a requirement for minimum term the license is held, so you might need to have your full license a minimum of 2 years. Also (and this might not be obvious to everyone) your license must be in date for the full term of the rental, so check when your license needs to be renewed.

gandalf · 12-02-2019 7:52pm

Flying into Bilbao for a week to ten days in July any recommendations on who to use over there?

Tzardine · 13-02-2019 9:49pm

gandalf wrote: »

Flying into Bilbao for a week to ten days in July any recommendations on who to use over there?

100% Cicar.

https://www.cicar.com/EN/view/spain-car-hire

The rental will be with Enterprise, you pick up at their desk and it will be an Enterprise car. Price quoted includes full insurance with no excess.

Have used them in Bilbao and can not fault them. The car I got had 9 Kilometers on it.

Quazzie · 13-02-2019 11:35pm

Tzardine wrote: »

100% Cicar.

https://www.cicar.com/EN/view/spain-car-hire

The rental will be with Enterprise, you pick up at their desk and it will be an Enterprise car. Price quoted includes full insurance with no excess.

Have used them in Bilbao and can not fault them. The car I got had 9 Kilometers on it.

Work out approximatley 30% dearer than Alamo for my trip.

rushfan · 13-02-2019 11:53pm

Anyone have any experience with Goldcar in Majorca? Have provisionally reserved a car with them for July. They're a bit cheaper than the main operators so I'm just a bit wary.

raddo · 14-02-2019 3:22pm

Posted this in Bargain Alerts(Requests) also but think this may be more appropriate section.

Heading to France in a few weeks and need to rent a 7 Seater.
Has anyone got any recommendations for Car Rental in France?

I've got a good price from carrentals.com but it is in dollars and I'm not too sure if there is an issue with insurance etc when renting via an american website.

Anybody book with carrentals.com previously?

coylemj · 14-02-2019 6:02pm

There's very rarely a bargain to be had when it comes to car rental because what seems like a good online price usually has hidden extras that jump out and bite you when you're standing at the desk in the airport. And if you're looking for a 7 seater, I assume that means you will have a gaggle of kids that are impatient to get moving so you will be in no position to stand there arguing.

The worst way to start your holiday is by getting ripped off with car rental extras 10 minutes after your plane lands. If I was you, I'd go with Europcar or one of the other big firms and buy an excess policy before you travel for the duration of your trip or take out an annual policy for €49, then decline the insurance they offer you at the desk. If you go with one of the big firms, they will not give you the hard sell and the online price will be the real price.

coylemj · 14-02-2019 6:12pm

raddo wrote: »

Anybody book with carrentals.com previously?

I drove an Open Corsa last week in Lanzarote, total rental cost from Europcar for 7 days was €99, I declined their insurance as I have my own excess policy. I went to that website you're looking at and asked for a car in late Feb. in Lanzarote, same category as I boooked ('VW Polo or equivalent'). They claim the best price they can get is with Europcar for $191 (€169).

So not alone is their price way higher than dealing direct, you also run the risk that when you turn up, the rental company has no record of your booking.

k123456 · 15-02-2019 12:25pm

Ryanair car hire, usually has best prices

7 seaters are expensive, can sometimes be cheaper to rent 2 smaller cars

dohouch · 15-02-2019 4:20pm

rushfan wrote: »

Anyone have any experience with Goldcar in Majorca? Have provisionally reserved a car with them for July. They're a bit cheaper than the main operators so I'm just a bit wary.

Goldcar have a seriously bad reputation. Google them. I did rent once from them at Madrid airport. Didn't have a problem

ILikeBoats · 15-02-2019 4:41pm

rushfan wrote: »

Anyone have any experience with Goldcar in Majorca? Have provisionally reserved a car with them for July. They're a bit cheaper than the main operators so I'm just a bit wary.

We used them a fair bit in different places and they were fine until we tried to rent in Majorca.
Aside from the massive queue and the rude staff they were unwilling to make some changes to our policy. They wouldn't accept my AMEX, fair enough I should have checked if they accepted AMEX, they wouldn't accept my debit card without buying their insurance, they wouldn't take my wife's credit card because booking was in my name so we tried to change the booking to my wife and use her CC, they wouldn't allow that.

So pay insurance, even though I had my own excess with a 3rd party, or nothing. Entirely our fault but they were no help. And many others were having arguments at their desk at the same time.
We went to Avis and paid a bit more just because she was being such a cow about it.

I'm sure all would have been fine had my wife just booked it :pac:

coylemj · 15-02-2019 6:40pm

ILikeBoats wrote: »

So pay insurance, even though I had my own excess with a 3rd party, or nothing.

This is how the cowboys can give low rental quotes to snare the unsuspecting. They can then screw you when you arrive. The original quote is a total sham - it's a shady practice known in the US as 'bait and switch'.

Add up the cost of your hoilday - flights, hotel, spending money - is it really worth the hassle to save €30-40 on the car rental? Only to find when you arrive that you have to pay €200 for the rip-off insurance. Which the big companies will not insist on if you simply decline it and you have a credit card with a few hundred unused on the credit limit.

Savage_Henry · 15-02-2019 6:56pm

To be honest, thats the practice in most european rental places. Except not taking amex.

ILikeBoats wrote: »

They wouldn't accept my AMEX, fair enough I should have checked if they accepted AMEX, they wouldn't accept my debit card without buying their insurance, they wouldn't take my wife's credit card because booking was in my name so we tried to change the booking to my wife and use her CC, they wouldn't allow that.

elperello · 15-02-2019 10:29pm

coylemj wrote: »

This is how the cowboys can give low rental quotes to snare the unsuspecting. They can then screw you when you arrive. The original quote is a total sham - it's a shady practice known in the US as 'bait and switch'.

Add up the cost of your hoilday - flights, hotel, spending money - is it really worth the hassle to save €30-40 on the car rental? Only to find when you arrive that you have to pay €200 for the rip-off insurance. Which the big companies will not insist on if you simply decline it and you have a credit card with a few hundred unused on the credit limit.

Agreed, it's not worth the hassle booking with problematic rip-off companies.
After all we go away to relax not run a gauntlet just to get wheels.
Bear in mind though that the excess can be up to 2k depending on class of rental.

coylemj · 16-02-2019 11:38am

Savage_Henry wrote: »

To be honest, thats the practice in most european rental places. Except not taking amex.

It's not. Some places will accept a debit card but if you decline their insurance, they will debit your card with the amount of the excess and refund it when you bring the car back undamaged. The problem with the cowboys is that even if they were prepared to accept a debit card, their policy probably has a massive excess which most people would not have enough cash to cover with a debt card.

But if you make an online booking using a debit card, they should tell you their policy there and then and not spring it on you at the desk in the airport that you must buy their insurance.

If you rent from Hertz or Europcar and use a credit card, there is virtually no
presure at all to buy their insurance. They ask, I politely decline, that's it. Those are the firms I have used in Europe in the past few years.

uck51js9zml2yt · 16-02-2019 9:28pm

Are there any recommendations for hire in Lanzarote?

Tia

naughtysmurf · 16-02-2019 11:01pm

Cicar or Cabrera Medina, they are the same company really, if staying in a hotel, they will deliver the car, just leave the keys at reception at the end of the rental period, pay in cash on collection of car, no cards needed

coylemj · 17-02-2019 1:11am

Makai Incalculable Mushroom wrote: »

Are there any recommendations for hire in Lanzarote?

I booked a 'VW Polo or equivalent' with Europcar for pickup at Lanzarote airport for a week in early Feb., prepaid €99 for 7 days. Car was an Opel Corsa 5 door and the transaction was very smooth with a professional service. No hard sell on the insurance (I declined, they said no problem), walked to the parking area in a large building (shared with other rental companies) next to terminal 1. Signed for the car and was away in no time.

Dropped the car back a week later with a full tank, the same lady was at the Europcar desk in the parking area, she verified that I returned with a full tank, did a quick visual inspection, invited me to take a photo of the contract document where she certified there was no damage and the tank was full which I did and I was sorted. Two days later, the €300 hold on my credit card was released even though the excess was €870.

No hidden charges, no BS, highly recommended.

loki7777 · 19-02-2019 6:26pm

So I have a question about carhireexcess.ie with EU cover: if I understand will if I would strach a car I would have to pay for it as it wouldn't cover that? Only worldwide would?

Savage_Henry · 19-02-2019 6:29pm

Which country you would rent at?
In any way - if you scratch it - you pay first out of your money. Then you go with the bill to carhireexcess.ie and they refund you

loki7777 · 19-02-2019 6:36pm

Savage_Henry wrote: »

Which country you would rent at?
In any way - if you scratch it - you pay first out of your money. Then you go with the bill to carhireexcess.ie and they refund you

Latvia. Collision damage waver and you have to ** that it is only apply to worldwide as my friend scratched a car in parking with EU excess and he thinks that he will have to pay for all. We are waiting now for invoice from car company: Prime.

Savage_Henry · 19-02-2019 6:41pm

He scratched his rental car?
In this case carhireexcess will pay as i understand

coylemj · 19-02-2019 6:59pm

loki7777 wrote: »

Latvia. Collision damage waver and you have to ** that it is only apply to worldwide as my friend scratched a car in parking with EU excess and he thinks that he will have to pay for all. We are waiting now for invoice from car company: Prime.

Latvia is in the EU, his excess cover will apply. carhireexcess.ie says there is no excess on their policies so he should be able to claim the full amount.

Edit: that company covers 'Europe' which they define as follows...

What countries are covered on a European Policy?

European Policy covers Europe - The countries of the continent of Europe plus Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey and Israel but excluding any trip in, to, or through Belarus.

Which means you would also be covered for Norway, Switzerland, Albania, Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro etc. And (soon), the UK

argentum · 22-02-2019 3:10pm

A friend just returned from a break in Spain and he flies into Alicante every few months for 2 weeks at a time.
He just got caught by Goldcar for €700.00 on his card and they wont reply to his emails telling him why.
There were scratches on the car when he collected but he took photos and got the woman to write them on the form.
Can anyone offer advice as to how to chase the refund as the CC company don't want to know .
He also booked it through the Ryanair portal when booking his flights if that helps
Last question can anyone recommend a good car hire company in Alicante

Padraig Mor · 22-02-2019 4:26pm

naughtysmurf wrote: »

Cicar or Cabrera Medina, they are the same company really, if staying in a hotel, they will deliver the car, just leave the keys at reception at the end of the rental period, pay in cash on collection of car, no cards needed

+1. Wouldn't go beyond them, or Autoreisen. No bull about insurance, hold on cards etc - just pay and drive.

k123456 · 24-02-2019 10:50am

argentum wrote: »

A friend just returned from a break in Spain and he flies into Alicante every few months for 2 weeks at a time.
He just got caught by Goldcar for €700.00 on his card and they wont reply to his emails telling him why.
There were scratches on the car when he collected but he took photos and got the woman to write them on the form.
Can anyone offer advice as to how to chase the refund as the CC company don't want to know .
He also booked it through the Ryanair portal when booking his flights if that helps
Last question can anyone recommend a good car hire company in Alicante

Legally not sure if they can debit a card without telling you why. However this is Goldcar

Can anyone offer advice as to how to chase the refund as the CC company don't want to know ;
https://www.google.com/search?ei=lWhyXL7HCcLexgOMmaPICg&q=credit+card+chargeback+ireland&oq=credit+card+chargeback+ire&gs_l=psy-ab.1.0.0i22i30l2.10306.12782..14011...0.0..0.92.264.4......0....1..gws-wiz.......0i71j0i67j0.0W74L9WPKQ8

tony glenn · 24-02-2019 11:32am

coylemj wrote: »

I booked a 'VW Polo or equivalent' with Europcar for pickup at Lanzarote airport for a week in early Feb., prepaid €99 for 7 days. Car was an Opel Corsa 5 door and the transaction was very smooth with a professional service. Desk in the arrivals area, dealt with straight away and no hard sell on the insurance (I declined, they said no problem), walked to the parking area in a large building (shared with other rental companies) next to terminal 1. Signed for the car and was away in no time.

Dropped the car back a week later with a full tank, the same lady was at the Europcar desk in the parking area, she verified that I returned with a full tank, did a quick visual inspection, invited me to take a photo of the contract document where she certified there was no damage and the tank was full which I did and I was sorted. Two days later, the €300 hold on my credit card was released even though the excess was €870.

No hidden charges, no BS, highly recommended.

We rented through AV car rental at Faro. No hassle, no problems on collection or return. Highly recommended!
Our original choice (through a comparison site) was Goldcar...but the overwhelming amount of negative reviews quickly changed our minds!

LillySV · 24-02-2019 11:35am

Hi folks I’d love to visit the war sites in France and Belgium and use that trip as a booze cruise too, bringing bottles of wine home... so would need car from Ireland...
I don’t particularly fancy driving my own over so was just wondering if it’s possible to hire car here which I can then bring over to France , Belgium and back here then?

If so would it cost me a fortune ?

badker · 25-02-2019 11:26pm

any company recommendations for hiring a car in Italy?

** Vehicle Hire queries **

Comments

Vehicle Hire queries