Home Rent a car Looking to rent a car for the Jubilee bank holiday weekend? You might be too late

Looking to rent a car for the Jubilee bank holiday weekend? You might be too late

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Industry figures said the car shortage was due to a combination of high demand – as people started traveling again after several years of lockdown – and low supply.

Many car rental companies sold cars as demand slumped during the pandemic, but were unable to restock due to a global chip shortage that is slowing the manufacture of new cars. Automakers are prioritizing sales to customers rather than car rental companies.

This has driven the cost of car hire up to 400% in some popular holiday destinations. Comparison site Zest Car Rental said a driver hiring a Volkswagen Golf at Palma airport in Mallorca for a mid-term break would have to pay £231, down from £57 during the same holiday period in 2019.

Book in advance “whenever possible”

The price of a Ford Focus in Crete has risen from £142 to £357, while the same car in Malaga has fallen from £136 to £300. A Volkswagen Golf from Faro Airport in Portugal more than doubled from £103 to £238.

Rory Sexton, managing director of comparison site Zest Car Rental, said: “The increase in prices is directly related to the lack of cars on the market and the increase in demand. Fleet sizes are around 30% smaller than in 2019. Car rental demand is higher than in 2019, up to 30% at times.

“I would advise customers to book as early as possible to get the best price and guarantee availability. We are seeing peak hour prices increase as the fleet books up. “

Kayak, the car rental search website, said car rental searches were up almost 80% from pre-pandemic levels, while travelers appear to be paying around 85% more for car rental compared to summer 2019.