With the Easter break nearly upon us and schools having already broken up, many families will be planning a getaway of some kind. But if you’re not setting off on your break for another week, now is the time to secure your car hire deal.

Even if you are staying at home this Easter and going away over one of the two bank holidays in May, it’s still well worth booking your car rental deal now before prices rocket.
We compared the price of renting a car in seven popular destinations this spring. This is what we found…

Car hire this Easter
If you were taking the kids on a two-week break to Spain this Easter, you would probably have departed this weekend (April 5 and 6) on flights to Majorca, Malaga or Alicante. If you had also booked car rental for your two-week break in the sun, boy would you have booked a bargain.

Rent a Car – Best price Guaranteed

In comparison, when we checked prices for the following Saturday (April 12) for just one week, prices escalated considerably. The price of a mini economy car at Palma airport came to £14.36 per day, an economy car in the Costa del Sol came to £16.75 per day, and the cost of the same car in the Costa Blanca came to £14.64 per day.

Even so, these deals were still cheaper than those we found for the week beginning Easter Saturday (April 19), despite the fact that most families will be back in the UK and in school before your week’s holiday is over. For example, hiring a mini economy car at Palma airport would cost you £15.45 per day, while an economy car in the Costa del Sol would cost £17.07 a day.

It’s not often that families claim that travelling in the school holidays is giving them a fantastic deal; however, it’s clear that those travelling at the beginning of the Easter break have bagged the best deals.

This hiccup in pricing is a result of over-supply in the main destinations at what is still a relatively early part of the overall season. Of course, it’s too late now to benefit from the really cheap prices for this weekend, but even if you’re going away on April 12 or April 19, booking now will ensure you get the best price possible – don’t leave it until just before you go when prices may have escalated further. Booking early also means you’re more likely to get the car of your choice.
What’s more, it’s not all bargain deals for early travelling families as it does depend on where you’re heading to.

While rental prices in Pisa reflect the same as those in Spain, prices for Faro, Orlando and the Canary Islands are actually cheaper for those travelling next weekend (April 12 and 13) and the week after (April 19 and 20), so book now before prices rise.

Car hire for the May Bank Holidays
Where you can be certain of saving money is if you’re off on holiday during one of the two bank holiday weeks at the beginning or end of May. The latter holiday is one of the biggest getaway weeks of the year and while prices are beginning to increase, they are set well below the prices we are seeing for the Easter break.

With less leeway on actual travel dates, it is therefore imperative that you book now to get the very best deal. According to our search tool, one week’s rental in Malaga, Alicante, Majorca and Tenerife is still available for under £10 a day, as is the Algarve when picking up at Faro airport. Orlando and Pisa are more expensive, but they are still well below the current Easter peak price and rentals can be found for under £14 a day.

Five tops tips to cut your bank holiday car rental costs
Book early and use our price comparison service to compare the best deals online today.

Opt for airport pick-up and drop-off to get the very best deals.

Slash the cost of extras by taking your own child seats (most airlines won’t charge for bringing a child seat on board), saving you up to £70 per seat per week.

Read the terms and conditions carefully when you collect your car and stick to things like the fuel policy. Plus, don’t sign up for insurance and products you don’t need and return the car on time and in a clean condition to avoid penalties.

Take out car hire excess here in the UK and save up to 65% on reducing your excess to nil and with far better cover than that offered by the car rental companies.

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