Rental Car Supplies Running Dry
June 22, 2010
If you require a holiday rental car this Summer for the Algarve, Malaga or Alicante regions, the advice is to book as early as possible. Larger vehicles such as minibuses and people carriers are particularly difficult to obtain at short notice for the busy Summer period, and some larger cars such as estates are also in short supply. Please don't leave your booking until the last minute, or you may be unable to obtain a vehicle.
Buying Property in the Costa Blanca
May 27, 2010
If you are visiting the Costa Blanca (served by both Alicante/Murcia Airport) and are considering purchasing a property in the area, you may be interested in reading this article on buying property in Torrevieja which is situated midway between the 2 airports. Property prices have fallen considerably over the last couple of years, with 2 bedroom houses available for less than 100,000 euros.
Volcanic Ash Causes Holiday Chaos
April 17, 2010
The clouds of volcanic ash spreading from the Icelandic volcano which have settled over Northern Europe are not only disrupting airlines and passengers. Service industries relying on the revenue from tourism such as hotels, restaurants and holiday resorts have also been hit.
The economic situation in Spain is very delicate with high unemployment and many Spanish businesses relying on tourism for revenue. With the possibility of further disruptions and planes being grounded for lengthy perods, the Spanish tourism industry will be hoping that the ash clouds disperse before the busy summer months. More details
Blue Valley Car Hire Warns of Rental Car Shortages in Malaga Spain
January 24, 2010
The unfavourable economic climate in Europe led to a widespread shortage of rental cars at Malaga Airport in Spain last Summer. With the economic downturn continuing to bite in Spain, more shortages are inevitable this Summer.
The European financial crisis has impacted many areas of the tourist industry. One unexpected side-effect was the widespread shortage of rental cars in Spain in the Summer of 2009. The situation is likely to be repeated in the Summer of 2010. Matt May from UK company Blue Valley Car Hire who provide car hire at Malaga Airport in the Costa del Sol explains.
"In Spain, many of the rental car companies rely on hiring in additional cars during the busy periods such as Easter and Summer to boost the size of their rental car fleets. The credit crunch in Europe has made it much more difficult for these companies to temporarily obtain additional cars for the busy periods, and the result is spiralling prices and a general car hire shortage. Many people turning up at the Spanish airports without a pre-booked car last Summer discovered that there were no rental cars available."
Read the full article here: http://www.pr.com/press-release/207352
2009 Summer Car Rental Shortages Drive Holidaymakers to Book Early for 2010
December 27, 2009
Summer 2009 was a frustrating time for many holidaymakers who left booking a rental car until the last minute. Due to the poor economic conditions in Portugal, Spain and other popular tourist destinations, there were widespread shortages of rental cars. This resulted in prices increasing dramatically in the summer months, with customers paying 2 or 3 times the normal rates. In some cases there were simply no hire cars available.
One of the most confusing parts of booking a holiday hire car is the issue of whether to purchase one or more of the car rental insurance products that are on offer. There are a variety of flavours on offer depending on the rental company and the country.
Before looking at the insurance products, it is important to understand what is meant by the insurance "excess" figure. This is an amount of money which you will be liable for in the event of any damage occurring to your vehicle. The excess amount may range from a few hundred to thousands of Euros, with the excess figure increasing as the value of the car increases (the excess on a small car will generally be lower than for a minibus for example). The excess figure will be available from the rental company.
Third Party Insurance
Third party insurance covers damage to passengers and the other vehicles involved in the case of accident. Most rental companies will include a basic third party insurance in the rental agreement as it will be required by law.
Third party insurance may not include fire and theft, meaning that if the car is stolen you will be liable for the full insurance excess amount.
To supplement the third party insurance, any or all of the following insurances may be offered by the rental company:
CDW (Collision Damage Waiver Insurance)
CDW Insurance waivers your liability to pay the insurance excess figure. CDW Insurance covers damage to your hire vehicle, and usually also covers excess figure if the vehicle if it is stolen (in some cases theft insurance may be sold separately). It will usually be charged at a daily rate and may include a small excess (the excess will be a much lower amount than if you had only the basic third party cover). There are items which may be excluded such as tyres, windows, upholstery, etc.
Full Insurance/Super Insurance/Premier Insurance
Sometimes companies offer an additional insurance which is a combination of CDW/PAE and may also reduce the CDW excess figure. The insurance may insure items not covered by CDW insurance such as tyres, wheels, undercarriage, etc.
PAE (Personal Accident Insurance)
Some hire companies offer personal injury insurance in the event of accident. You may already have this cover if you have purchased holiday insurance. It may also cover items stolen from the vehicle.
Blue Valley Car Hire Now Operating at Alicante Airport in Spain
September 28, 2009
"Blue Valley Car Hire have been operating successfully from Faro and Malaga for over a year, and the company wanted to expand its European car hire portal."
Blue Valley Car Hire forms partnerships with local car rental companies in Spain and Portugal, and offer an onlne booking service with English speaking representatives.
Rute Oliveira company operations manager continues "we design all of our own websites, which allow the user to get an online car rental quote, then proceed to book the car. No payment is taken until the car is collected at the airport, and if the client cancels there is no payment taken. We are also available to help the client make the correct choice of car, and deal with questions on insurance, additional drivers, child seats, etc".
Blue Valley Car Hire also provide a booking service for car hire at Faro Airport in the Algarve Portugal and car hire at Malaga Airport in Spain
Credit Crunch Fuels Rental Car Shortages in Spain
July 25, 2009
An article discussing how the 2009 credit crunch has lead to a shortage of cars for hire at Malaga Airport in Spain
Many UK holiday makers travelling abroad this summer will leave hiring a car until the last minute. Unfortunately, due to the poor economic condiitions in traditional holiday destinations such as Spain and Portugal, there are simply no cars available.
Rute Oliveira from UK company Blue Valley Car Hire explains: "the credit crunch has meant it has been difficult for the car hire companies in Spain to raise the finances to lease the high volume of cars for the busy summer period. They have cut-back the size of their fleets accordingly. Demand far outweighs supply and the rental prices have doubled or even trebled. Companies that own their vehicles are able to charge what they like. People who booked their cars early got reasonable prices as the extent of the shortage was not foreseable."
UK operations manager Matthew May predicts "the situation will become easier from the middle of August in Malaga, but our advice is to always book a couple of months in advance for busy periods to ensure that you get the best deals."