The travel wave in 2021 is approaching its peak: the summer holidays have started in many federal states and the corona numbers are falling. The prices for rental cars are currently skyrocketing in many popular holiday regions.
Because the demand is great: A rental car not only promises mobility and flexibility at the holiday destination, but also makes it possible to minimize contacts with others. The supply is limited, however, as rental companies usually increase their fleets at the beginning of the year. At the beginning of 2021, however, traveling was hardly an option, which is why many of the providers, who were already crisis-ridden by the first Corona summer, held back.
A third fewer rental cars
According to a report by the “Frankfurter Rundschau”, experts estimate that the industry-wide rental fleets have been reduced by around a third as a result of the pandemic. And tons of new cars are currently not available in a hurry. Many automobile manufacturers suffer from production problems as a result of delivery bottlenecks in the Corona crisis. Transport to holiday islands like Mallorca is also difficult as the ferry capacities are limited. Holidaymakers are now feeling the consequences in many places: only a few rental cars are available, prices are skyrocketing. We show how you can still get a vehicle.
Tip 1: book as early as possible
The race for the limited rental car capacities has begun, so the motto is: book now! If you only book your trip now, you should definitely book the rental car at the same time.
Anyone who has already booked the trip should sit down straight away, look for a vehicle and strike, even if the price is higher than in previous years. Because the risk of getting stuck with the costs is zero: all rental car companies can currently cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before arrival.
Tip 2: Only take “immediately available” offers
If the rental car is actually to be at the station on the desired date, the filter function “immediately available” cars must be used when searching. This is often not immediately apparent, but it saves a lot of time and trouble. Because “immediately available” cars mean: These offers do not have to be requested when booking, but are guaranteed to be available.
Advantage: The search does not have to be started all over again.
Tip 3: look for alternative locations
Rental vehicles are particularly popular at airports and train stations. It is therefore worth looking for alternatives to the originally planned pick-up station in the vicinity. If a rental car is no longer available in the nearest city, simply extend the search to locations a little further away. There the prices are usually much lower, which can easily make up for the taxi costs to the more distant rental car station.
What applies on a small scale also applies on a large scale: If the rental car in Mallorca or Sardinia is more expensive than the hotel, it makes sense to switch to another destination. In some countries such as Austria or Turkey, rental cars are on average cheaper this year than in previous years.
Tip 4: check the quality of the provider
There are many offers from smaller and less well known rental car providers circulating on the Internet. To avoid nasty surprises, you should take a few minutes to research. Is the provider known, are there reviews, and if so, which ones? If the bad experiences outweigh the good ones, then it’s better to keep your hands off them and look for more quality.
Tip 5: refueling, insurance, unpunctuality
Pay attention to the options for refueling and insurance of the car: There are different options that also entail different costs. It is best to use the “full / full” tank control. Here, travelers are handed over the car with a full tank of fuel and have to refuel it themselves before handing it in – please keep your fuel receipt. What seems cumbersome, but avoids subsequent costs. Because it is not uncommon for landlords to charge higher prices for fuel and add service fees. Incidentally, extra costs can also arise if the car is returned very dirty or late.
The safest, albeit not the cheapest, option is to book fully comprehensive insurance with no excess. Experts recommend 1 million euros as coverage – regardless of the country of travel – in order to be optimally covered in the event of damage. Often, additional insurance is offered in the rental car station that you can refuse with a clear conscience. Speaking of on-site: It is always cheaper to rent at the same station where the car is returned. Delta deaths despite vaccination – Why there are more and more vaccinated people among the corona deaths in Great Britain