Late night car rental

[Scuzi]

I’m flying into Palma (PMI) in the summer and my flight is scheduled to arrive at 23:55. I went to book a rental car through Rentalcars.com but discovered that the prices were almost double those I’d seen just a few hours earlier. Turns out that picking up a car at 00:30 limits options somewhat!

Anyway, if I set the collection time to 22:00, the prices are reasonable and there is a much greater selection. Has anyone experience of rocking up to the rental location late and if so, how did it work out? I’m guessing I could get lucky and it would work out, but alternatively they could shut up shop and I’d be without a car in the middle of the night 70km from the hotel.

I considered getting a transfer to the final destination and renting when we get there but the extra cost comes to about the same as the extra on the rental booking.

 

[dlockers]

Mallorca airport car hire is worse than most cities even during daylight, only trumped by Fuerteventura. Just get a cab and then pick-up a car from a hotel when it is required. IIRC I got one from Mallorca from Sixt that had an office in a 5 star hotel down the road from my povvo hotel.

 

[weringo]

Have you considered booking an airport hotel for the night and then picking up the car in the morning? That has the added benefit of the fact that the airport hotel is probably cheaper than the cost of where ever else you're staying

 

[poosemon]

My car hire in the USA got cancelled on me when I was a lot later then the pickup time - was a delightful discovery after 13 hours on the move and a delayed flight which meant I missed the connection and had to get the next plane. So be careful.

@weringo has a fair shout and seeing if a nearby hotel maybe a cheaper route.

Or/ do any of the other hire care company's at the airport who may have been more expensive initially work out cheaper if their out of hours provision is less of a penalty?

 

[SoliD]

Mallorca airport car hire is worse than most cities even during daylight, only trumped by Fuerteventura. Just get a cab and then pick-up a car from a hotel when it is required. IIRC I got one from Mallorca from Sixt that had an office in a 5 star hotel down the road from my povvo hotel.

never had a problem the 4 times i've hired there, but then it has been in Feb/March for cycling.

@Scuzi numerous times turned up late due to flight delays, just need to ensure the office is 24 hours and you shouldn't have an issue.

 

[CivilDrone]

Went Tenerife and on both occasions arrived past midnight. Out of hours charge will apply with most rentals, only one i have had so far LatRent didnt, but that was last year and they actually re-planned their strategy
As someone mentioned cheap hotel, in hour case family of four, extra 30 euro and off you go

 

[Martynt74]

never had a problem the 4 times i've hired there, but then it has been in Feb/March for cycling.

@Scuzi numerous times turned up late due to flight delays, just need to ensure the office is 24 hours and you shouldn't have an issue.

I reckon this is the factor, presumably it's not and the extra fee is to pay some poor schmuk to hang around outside of hours.

 

[chrismscotland]

I was very lucky one night and the staff had actually stayed on at Europcar to make sure that I and another couple of folk got their hire cars after a delayed flight into Bristol Airport but I can't imagine that's the norm; I'd make sure and look for a 24 hour office or maybe a drop off to the hotel the next morning? (Although I know that can be pricier too)