There are some car hire bargains to be had this winter, but new research from iCarhireinsurance.com, the leading provider of stand-alone excess insurance, has found that the cost of the extras at the rental desk is consistently high, and can triple the cost of hiring a car.
iCarhireinsurance.com researched the costs of five rental companies in seven European winter break destinations (i.e., Barcelona, Tenerife, Faro, Nice, Milan, Cyprus and Ibiza) for a week's hire from 27 December 2014 to 3 January 2015.
The research found that when it comes to renting a car, in the league table of destinations Cyprus was the best value charging on average £91 for a week’s car hire. Next comes Tenerife at £188, Faro with £254, Barcelona £273, Ibiza £310, Milan £326 and Nice £407. The average price across all destinations was £264, with the most expensive location Nice, where Europcar charge £538 for the week.
When it come to the league table of rental desk extras Cyprus is again the best value with an average price of £219, however this still more than triples the cost of the rental car. This includes £82 for car hire excess insurance, £26 for tyre and windscreen excess cover, £24 for an extra driver, £27 for a child’s car seat and £61 for a sat nav.
Milan is the most expensive for rental desk extras with an average price of £389, doubling the cost of the hire car. This includes £156 for excess insurance, £53 for an extra driver, £96 for a child’s car seat and £84 for a sat nav.
The average cost of extras across all destinations is £313 (£50 for an extra driver, £55 for a child’s car seat, £72 for a sat nav and £119 for excess or waiver insurance, plus £17 for tyre and windscreen cover).
iCarhireinsurance.com is urging motorists to save money on their Winter Breaks this year by taking their rental desk extras with them. Car hire excess insurance, sometimes known as an excess waiver, is available from iCarhireinsurance.com from only £2.99 a day, or £39.99 a year. With rental desks charging on average £119 for a week's excess insurance this winter, drivers can save over £98. iCarhireinsurance.com excess policies also include vulnerable parts of the vehicle, like the tyres and windscreen, which are sometimes excluded from rental company policies.
"Ernesto Suarez, founder and CEO of iCarhireinsurance.com. Christmas and New Year is an expensive time of year for most people. We are urging everyone planning to hire a car this winter to make sure they don’t get stung with the added extras at the rental desk. Make sure you bring your own sat nav, car seat and excess insurance, to be sure that you don’t get caught out by the Scrooge car hire companies.
