mikec44

Hi
I need advice on car hire from Alicante Airport.

The problem i have is most car hire places charge for a fuel tank and you have to bring it back full, i am only there for 4 days and will use 1/4 tank but get charged for a full tank.

Is there any car hire firms that will only charge for fuel used?

Thanks

Mike

Sherlock Holmes

Forgive me if I don't get this but if you return it full, they won't charge you anything will they??

louie

The majority charge you for a full tank when you pick up the car and you are then expected to return it empty. So they make money from the majority that don't use a full tank.

Can't recommend any specific companies, but when I was looking at comparision websites, generally they stated what the policy was. Not all of them work on that basis, but as we were doing plenty of miles, it wasn't a big issue for us.

Sherlock Holmes

My apologies then. I've hired cars in Spain (ages ago), the UK and Oz and the norm is to return it full.

louie

It has changed in Spain fairly recently. They need all the money they can get.

agoreira

The norm in Spain is to pick up full, for which you pay an inflated price, and return it empty. Obviously not everyone will use a full tank, and most will always return it with at least some fuel in it, so it's a win win situation for the hire company. Fortunately, not everyone operates this scam, there are a few decent hire companies still out there. Can't help with Alicante, but I've been using the same company from Málaga for years, pick it up about half full, bring it back the same.

noelrosie

If you use www.carjet.com they list all the suppliers who have a car available for the dates you need, and there is an info button next to each quote - click that and you can find the fuel policy for that supplier, e.g. full/full or full/empty

Michael74

Hertz operate a full to full policy and state that their charge for the full tank is competitive with local prices. Get an idea of local prices per litre if poss and also the size of the tank on the car you want to hire, then you can check their prices are in fact competitive.

johnnyone

This has made me look at my options. I have just logged on to carjet and there was a filter for full to full options.Marked as fuel policy
Solmar and atesa now give that option (from Valencia airport at least)

http://www.carjet.com/search/

MikeJ

Either they are saying that if you don't bring it back full then they will charge a reasonable price for the top up or they are going to charge you for a full tank at the start and then expect you to fill it up when you return it - which means you have paid twice

Nigeljay

The norm from Alicante is pick up car with full tank return it empty (or lose the cost of any remaining petrol). We don't mind this as we do a lot of miles and don't usually want the hassle of finding a garage at a strange airport when you are going to catch a flight ( although Alicante airport is not that strange to us any more)

Saxy

Hi there,
EDI rent a car are a very well run (English) family business. I can't recommend them highly enough. I very much doubt that you will get a better deal!!!
Have a look at their web sight, and contact them.

John

MikeJ

It must be nice to be so rich that money is no object Viz:

• A full tank of fuel at 'local' prices costs €80,00
• A full tank at Rentco prices costs €120,00 - (typical markup is between 50% and 60%)
• You leave,say, 1/4 tank of fuel on return - cost €20,00
• Difference between a F-to-F policy and a F-to-E policy = €60,00

I have used simplified but typical figures to make the math easier

Nigeljay

I only wish it were true. However I normally can arrange to leave less than a quarter of a tank and given all the other costs the residual petrol loss ends up a minor contributor, particularly if the rental company doesn't rip you off quite as much on petrol prices. However I'm not advising you to do what I do. If you wish to seek out a car rental company that provides a full tank and requires a full tank on return then that is your prerogative. By the way having twice turned the wrong way out of Alicante airport ( in about 80 visits) I must have spent a tenner in petrol trying to turn around to get back to where I wanted to be.

Anyway good luck in your search

Saxy

Again I refer you to EDI. You can talk to them, and will find them extremely helpful. They have an excellent reputation among the Brits for flexibility, not only for rentals, but car sales as well.
I must state that I have nothing to do with the company, other than being a very satisfied customer!!!!

John