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Help! Car hire - Alicante Airport

Posted: Thu Jun 29, 2023 12:34pm
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It's been years since I hired a car, but now I need to. Can anyone recommend a car hire company with good service and good value, for a 5 day hire from Alicante Airport, please? They all seem to have terrible reviews, with either very long queues, or charges for damage that was already there. Also, where can you fill up with petrol at or near the airport, for "full to full". Thanks for any help.

Posted: Thu Jun 29, 2023 12:45pm

Sligogent

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Posted: Thu Jun 29, 2023 12:45pm

Try Daya Nueva car hire. Com   modern reliable cars  no  big  rates. I use  them regularly.  Pick up and Drop off  at Airport not a problem. Very  helpful  English  couple 💑 

Posted: Thu Jun 29, 2023 2:12pm

Martyn1986

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Posted: Thu Jun 29, 2023 2:12pm

Centauro are the best, no insurance scams or charging for knocks and bumps. I use them anytime I need a car or van. Same with enterprise. The ones with bad reviews are people who try and save money by renting cheap and get conned or mislead into insurance or damages. Stick with the big well known companies like the two that I stated and you will benfine

Posted: Thu Jun 29, 2023 2:24pm

marcliff

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Posted: Thu Jun 29, 2023 2:24pm

My daughter is coming out in July/August and has a Toyota Yaris for 11 pound a day. Full insurance is 3.50 a day so I thought that very good. That's booking with EasyJet.

Hire company is just off airport so no queues and a shuttle about 5 minutes both ways. I looked at some of the local car companies but couldn't get it for cheaper than that so told her to go for it. I think she said the company was We Go but I can't find them although there is a Key Go.

£189 for two weeks including fully comp insurance.  Almost half the price of parking at Gatwick for that period. 

Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2023 10:44am

GordonH605

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Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2023 10:44am

Martyn1986 wrote on Thu Jun 29, 2023 2:12pm:

Centauro are the best, no insurance scams or charging for knocks and bumps. I use them anytime I need a car or van. Same with enterprise. The ones with bad reviews are people who try and save money by renting cheap and get conned or mislead into insurance or damages. Stick with the big well known...

 

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... companies like the two that I stated and you will benfine

I agree with Martyn about Centauro. Best place to fill up near the airport is on the main road through Torrellano. Not cheap but personal service and you can easily continue directly to the back road where all the off airport car rental companies are located.

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Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2023 11:11am

Kenbo

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Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2023 11:11am

Afraid I can't agree with 2 of the posts above, Centauro charged me for trumped up damage.

Marcliff's suggestion will take some beating.

Alternatively try these two off airport Companies who meet you at the airport with the car, Lara cars or Magnum.

Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2023 11:45am

Martyn1986

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Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2023 11:45am

Kenbo wrote on Fri Jun 30, 2023 11:11am:

Afraid I can't agree with 2 of the posts above, Centauro charged me for trumped up damage.

Marcliff's suggestion will take some beating.

 

Read more...

Alternatively try these two off airport Companies who meet you at the airport with the car, Lara cars or Magnum.

I also suggested Enterprise. I never had a problem with Centauro you pay alittle extra for full insurance and if it damaged you don't pay a thing, there might be more to your situation can you give more details. Usually the "really cheap" companies require a massive deposit on a credit card and they will find damage, goldcar for example have a notorious reputation for this. 

Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2023 12:16pm

Kenbo

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Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2023 12:16pm

Martyn1986 wrote on Fri Jun 30, 2023 11:45am:

I also suggested Enterprise. I never had a problem with Centauro you pay alittle extra for full insurance and if it damaged you don't pay a thing, there might be more to your situation can you give more details. Usually the "really cheap" companies require a massive deposit on a credit card and t...

 

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...hey will find damage, goldcar for example have a notorious reputation for this. 

Yes I understand what you are saying as I have rented from them all over the past 20yrs.

Centauro shocked me tbh as I didn't previously have them down as one of the bad guys.

This was a brand new car which I inspected on collection, on return the guy who was checking the car off seemed to be doing a very slack inspection until he reached the front offside and dropped to his knees and looked upwards to find the smallest of scratches, quite simply, he knew it was there.

I fully recovered the €220 from my uk annual excess policy but this is where the difference kicks in, buy their expensive insurance and they leave you alone, decline it and you are free game, it should never be like this, they are an unregulated business.

Nowadays I only recommend off airport Companies who meet you at the airport with your car and what they quote was what you paid such as Lara cars or Magnum.

Since the pandemic car hire is very expensive, originally due to car shortage but that doesn't wash with me now, the econonomics now say it is definitely worth considering buying your own car, I have.

Ken

Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2023 12:34pm

Martyn1986

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Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2023 12:34pm

Kenbo wrote on Fri Jun 30, 2023 12:16pm:

Yes I understand what you are saying as I have rented from them all over the past 20yrs.

Centauro shocked me tbh as I didn't previously have them down as one of the bad guys.

 

Read more...

This was a brand new car which I inspected on collection, on return the guy who was checking the car off seemed to be doing a very slack inspection until he reached the front offside and dropped to his knees and looked upwards to find the smallest of scratches, quite simply, he knew it was there.

I fully recovered the €220 from my uk annual excess policy but this is where the difference kicks in, buy their expensive insurance and they leave you alone, decline it and you are free game, it should never be like this, they are an unregulated business.

Nowadays I only recommend off airport Companies who meet you at the airport with your car and what they quote was what you paid such as Lara cars or Magnum.

Since the pandemic car hire is very expensive, originally due to car shortage but that doesn't wash with me now, the econonomics now say it is definitely worth considering buying your own car, I have.

Ken

The guy was probably just an arsehole, the ones in Benidorm point out all the scratches and when I noticed a few on drop off they werent bothered because they knew about them and give me back my €100 deposit which covers fuel and minor scratches. Sometimes companies make mistakes and employ idiots it's unfortunate because the customer suffers.l, I think thats probably what happened with you if you have used them alot and it's a first time thats happened. 

Posted: Sat Jul 1, 2023 12:07pm

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Posted: Sat Jul 1, 2023 12:07pm

Kenbo wrote on Fri Jun 30, 2023 11:11am:

Afraid I can't agree with 2 of the posts above, Centauro charged me for trumped up damage.

Marcliff's suggestion will take some beating.

 

Read more...

Alternatively try these two off airport Companies who meet you at the airport with the car, Lara cars or Magnum.

If you book with “do you spain” I guarantee the price will be cheaper than any suggestions on this forum,they are a broker and have used them for nearly 2 years now, you can also get insurance with them, I had a dent in a panel which unfortunately wasn’t there when I picked the car up and they paid out in 9 days, just keep paperwork etc in case of a claim.I’ve tried 3 rental companies but Drivalia is the one we have stuck with, just make sure to video every bit of the car for your own piece of mind,start with the dash board which shows the date etc then continue with the rest of the car,3 minutes of your time but hey ho!!

Good luck.

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