UK hire car reccomendations?

Five_Star

Five_Star

Five_Star

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I need to hire the a family car in June for the wife to use for the week as I'm taking our ST to Le Mans.

Does anyone have recommendations with regards to car hire companies in the UK?

Is there anything to watch out for particularly? There are some expensive insurance extras you can sign up for, they seem to pray on thinking you will be left with a big bill when the car is returned.

Is price the only think I should really worry about as there is quite a price difference between some of the major hire companies I have searched on.

She is quite keen to get a Focus as it's the same car effectively. Most companies list a Focus as a mid size hatch with the carrier of "Focus, Octavia, Astra or similar" It's the 'or similar' part I'm worried about, can I specify I only want a Focus?
 
i tend to find the local indy ones slightly less of a pain, usually worse vehicles but but they are all much of a muchness.

Watch out for fuel charges, don't pay in advance and make sure you return in the same state.

Do the excess insurance companies work in the uk? if so buy excess insurance separately through them, much cheaper than through the hire company.
 
Careful what you wish for!

My old man recently had a hire car from enterprise when his Focus estate went in to the garage, he does lots of miles so requested a diesel, they gave him a 7 seater VW Sharan! Said it was the only diesel they had that was similar spec to his!
 
Five_Star said:
There is a woman involved...
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Lets generalise an entire gender and assume they are not capable of rational thought...

Book a Focus or similar. Ask nicely when you get there if they have a Focus. If they do, they'll let you have it. If they don't, it's no big deal.
 
I've used Avis twice, both times they were good and cheap too. First time at Heathrow they gave me a choice of vehicle within the class I'd booked, second time at Gatwick back in March I got upgraded from a Fiesta to a Focus.

I got car hire excess insurance from elsewhere, think it was around £7 both times.
 
The excess charge for Enterprise is about £4 a day! so to cover the 6-7 days for £7 is great.

I was going to hire something large and comfortable for the journey to avoid the wife issue. It turns out the a) you can't guarantee the car you'd get and b) per driver, per day surcharges for hire when in Europe make it rather expensive sadly

As for driving when at le Mans, good point about the Friday madness!
 
Yeah you'd probably be better flying and getting the TGV (or flying then hiring in country I guess) than hiring from within the UK to take there. Good for me as I'm 8 hours from even getting close to a ferry but you miss an enjoyable drive down
 
bastic said:
Rent via broker and use pages like www.carrentals.co.uk
Or www.holidayautos.co.uk
Avoid Sixt directly as they have silly cancellation policy...
Usually brokers let you cancel up to 24 before rental without any fees.
As for insurance get an excess insurance instead of paying loads to rental company.
I always use https://www.questor-insurance.co.uk/car-hire-insurance.aspx had to claim once and went smoothly with no problems.
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just wondering if you borrow a car from a friend will the car rental insurance be an appropriate insurance cover?
 
We did consider flights, but the road trip makes it part of the fun, not looking forward to the long day driving home on Monday though!

I never considered a broker, they look useful, thanks for the links :)
 
I went with "VW Passat or similar" from Europcar in the end thinking that we'd be given a Skoda Octavia, or at a push a Astra.

Not happy at all to receive a Vauxhall Mokka

They had nothing else

Very dissapointing
 
Five_Star said:
I went with "VW Passat or similar" from Europcar in the end thinking that we'd be given a Skoda Octavia, or at a push a Astra.

Not happy at all to receive a Vauxhall Mokka

They had nothing else

Very dissapointing
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Similar experience with Enterprise a couple of years back while my Mondeo was in the shop and my son was due in hospital for a big operation 80 miles away. Asked for a diesel Insignia and they gave me a petrol Qashqai, really did not like it at al - ride was bumpy as hell and no good for moving a kid who'd just had major spinal work done.

Next time I asked for a Focus or similar and got a brand new Astra which wasn't bad, not as comfy a ride as my Mondeo was though. Guess its luck of the draw and what they have in that the contracted clients haven't nabbed first.
 
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