Spain holiday tourist warning: Huge rental car shortage could cause issues

Easter travel: Expert warns of a 'big crisis' for airlines

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Data from Feneval (National Federation of Vehicles for Hire with or without a driver) shows that Spain ideally needs another 270,000 hire cars to cope with the summer season. The industry has been affected by global shortages of essential items.

Due to a lack of microchips, 59,967 cars were registered in Spain in March which is 30 percent fewer than the number registered the previous year.

President of Feneval, Juan Luis Barahona, said: “According to airline estimates, this year Spain will recover 75 percent of the tourism it had in 2019.

“However, we estimate that we have 40 percent fewer vehicles.”

The federation currently encompasses almost 700 companies and 95 percent of renters and is trying to speed up deliveries.

Othmam Ktiri, founder and director of Ok Mobility said that the return of British tourists had made a big difference.

British tourists are advised to book rental cars for summer as soon as possible if they don’t want to be disappointed.

Car rental prices are also rocketing across Europe with Which? Travel reporting prices of £600 for a week’s rental in Mallorca.

It also found a Skoda Octavia in Rome cost a whopping £734 for one week while a Ford Escape cost £764 a week in Florida.

It’s possible that some locations across Europe could completely run out of rental cars this year.

The highest price increases have been reported in Portugal and Spain while prices are extremely high in Cyprus.

Huge rises in the cost of fuel are also expected to hit tourists’ pockets this summer if they opt for a rental car.

The price of fuel has risen across Europe, sometimes at an extortionate rate.

Britons are also advised to take care when it comes to choosing a company to book a holiday car rental.

Fake companies could try to target tourists over social media and travellers should take care if a deal seems too good to be true.

Tourists can also be charged high prices for extra items, such as a child’s car seat by rental companies.

It’s often a better idea to bring a car seat or even purchase one there than pay the high rental price.

Customers should also book in advance if they want to secure the best price. Rental companies can sometimes charge very high prices for on the day bookings.

Tourists can also be charged a lot for minor damage by some rental companies, such as a stain on a car seat.

Britons should also check what their insurance includes to make sure they are getting the best deal.

Customers that need to refill at the rental car company could also have to pay a much higher price than at a regular petrol station.

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