help need to hire a car

[EMM]

Something very odd going on...
Just tried AUTO_EUROPE, who have been brilliant in 6 years of coming to the Algarve, and they haven't a small car for next tues for 5 days

Looks like it's the slow train for me (and probably many of you!)

Its been going on for weeks now but I don,t think that it was believed how serious the situation is.

[andymurray]

Hi, new to the forum, was going to post to see if anyone knew of car rental places in CVO. Family have been going for 22 years, have a villa up in ADM. This year I am coming out without parents, but having trouble finding car hire, usualy use Auto Jardim. Going to not bother this year because everywhere seems so expensive for a 23 to driver. Any suggestions for a young driver? tried a few of the palces posted already.

[Gambrinus]

Reading all this dispair over the hire car availability, I have been trying to find available cars. This is the last minute deal available for forum users, it is a "take-it-or-leave-it" offer, and it is not cheap!

However, if you waited till now to hire a car, you deserve to have your pulse checked anyway.

So here it is:

Reference: Gambrinus
Groups C/D Ibiza/Clio/Micra/Fiesta with Aircon
€ 315 plus VAT per week.
Offer valid untill stock runs out.

contact Luis: carvoeiro@budgetportugal.com

[dodger]

Is that not SPAM?.......at that price it must be!!

[Gambrinus]

No, that is actually the best I could do, I got offered quotes up to 400€ and spanish cars.

[Bruce Wallis]

Reading all this dispair over the hire car availability, I have been trying to find available cars. This is the last minute deal available for forum users, it is a "take-it-or-leave-it" offer, and it is not cheap!

However, if you waited till now to hire a car, you deserve to have your pulse checked anyway.

So here it is:

Reference: Gambrinus
Groups C/D Ibiza/Clio/Micra/Fiesta with Aircon
€ 315 plus VAT per week.
Offer valid untill stock runs out.

contact Luis: carvoeiro@budgetportugal.com

THAT does not sound cheap

[Gambrinus]

I was speaking to someone last night and he told me that one of his friends was stranded in the Algarve because his car broke down and the garage was unable to provide him with a replacement car.
He had to get a cab back to Lisbon, luckily this was paid for by the insurance.

The problem is, that when they relocate the cars from far away, the transport costs to get these cars down to Faro are high making the cars all the more expensive.

[EMM]

Headline in this weeks Algarve Resident about the shortage of cars.

lets hope that readers of this forum took note of the many comments forcasting this and managed to get theirs.

This is a very good example of the value of forums and the risks of leaving everything to the last minute.

note, Resident can now be read on line without any problems.

[tricky]

Hi got a quote from Algarve Driver(Yor) about three months ago and was warned about the shortage of cars for summer.
We booked 8 weeks prior to arriving and paid a similar price to last year, around 220 euros a week
the car is not great, has a lot of miles on the clock but thank god it works and does the job
(its not like me to be so efficient)

It was very apparent when we picked up the car at Faro the empty hire car spaces, that there was a problem.
The worry is what happens if your car breaks down, will it get replaced?, seems highly unlikely.

[sandyfalkirk]

Hi,

we've been to Carvoeiro before and loved it so managed to get last minute booking this year.

Of course, problem is, it appears cars are impossible to locate!

Tried 9 different companies and counting. No go,

I wonder. Did the orginal poster actually get a car?

So it looks like taxis and foot for us. Oh well! At least the weather is nice....

[ceh]

Having booked a flight for tomorrow earlier this evening - yes I know it's a bit late but leave being taken at short notice and rain forcast for the south east - I then tried to hire a car for 3 days. Impossible - I wish I'd read this thread earlier. Looks like it's going to be the train from Faro to Silves but 3 days in Caramujeira without a car will be slightly tricky.

[fmm]

According to the report, even those of us who booked cars months in advance are not actually guaranteed a car when we arrive!

I am wondering whether to get a taxi from the airport and "sell" my hire car to the highest bidder!

[snowytheboy]

I couldn't get a car when I was out recently so I used 'Resorthoppa' to get from the airport and back - first time I have used transfers but it worked really well and it was quite nice, for once, not to have to drive during our holiday.

[Karen Ann]

Auto Guerin have cars available - Peugeot 107 with A/C - € 405 inclusive for 15 days is not bad for high season.

I can't believe how expensive that is for such a teeny tiny car with no boot space. We have just got back and used economy car rentals, we had a peugeot 107 with A/C for 15 days - €247 with a child seat. We had problems as there wasn't enough space for the luggage even though it states a large case and a small case, when we complained they said that they didn't have anything else for us so we had to stuggle.

I do think that these tiny cars would be ideal if there was another system to get luggage to accommodation, other than that I really think that they shouldn't be hiring them to parties of four.

[fmm]

When I booked with Economy Car Rentals it does state quite clearly the number of people and amount of luggage you could get in a small car. I think it says two adults and two cases for the basic car.

When I went over in July, they upgraded me to an estate car from a little car - so more expensive on petrol and a bloody nightmare to fit into the parking spaces at the top of Restaurant Hill! Nice car though ...