Car hire vehicles
A lot of people have left their holiday arrangements to the last minute this year, due to the credit crunch and related problems. One of the main reasons that people then decided to arrange vacations car rentals late was the bad weather in northern Europe late in July. After the heat wave earlier in that month, the weather went downhill and the schools broke up and there was a rush on bookings. An agent for self catering rentals in the Algarve in Portugal told us that she was rushed off her feet and could not satisfy the demand for last minute villa bookings.
Harriet Meyer’s article also followed along the lines we have been suggesting this summer, if prices go up, book early and try and save costs. Do you really need a roof rack or baby seat? Purchase your car hire excess insurance in advance. It is most important to watch out for the extra you pay to reduce your liability in the case of an accident, known as collision damage waiver or super collision damage waiver (CDW). CDW and theft protection insurance is normally included in quotes, but the “excess” you must car hire pay can vary widely – you could pay for the first £700 of repair costs for any damage caused while you are in possession of the car, more than the cost of hiring the car in the first place.