From BZ/dpa
Small fleets met with high demand last year. This caused the prices for rental cars to shoot up – things are looking better in 2023. Nevertheless, it is better not to book at the last minute.
According to information from providers, automobile clubs and comparison portals, rental car prices in popular holiday countries are significantly lower on average this summer than in the previous year.
At the rental car provider Sunny Cars, for example, the average price per booking for June 2023 is around 515 euros, while in June 2022 it was around 660 euros, the provider informed on request.
However, the price level at Sunny Cars is still well above the pre-Corona level: In June 2019, the average booking still cost around 350 euros.
Those who go on summer vacation can benefit from falling rental car prices (archive photo) Photo: jst fdt vge wok sab
The comparison portal Check24 recently published an analysis of all rental car bookings during the German summer vacation period from June 22 (start of vacation in North Rhine-Westphalia) to September 11 (end of vacation in Bavaria).
Result: Across all countries, prices fell by 18 percent compared to the 2022 summer holiday period.
The daily prices fell particularly significantly in Croatia (minus 47 percent), in Spain (minus 34 percent) and in Greece (minus 27 percent).
In Croatia, for example, a rental car booked via Check24 during the 2022 summer holidays cost an average of EUR 86.34 per day, compared to an average of EUR 45.42 in 2023. Bookings made up to May 23 were included in the analysis.
Growing fleets ease the situation on the rental car market
One reason for the high prices last year was that the rental car fleets had shrunk due to delivery problems in the automotive industry, but demand was high at the same time. The situation has calmed down a bit now. The availability of rental cars is better than in the past two years, reports the Automobile Club of Germany (AvD), among others.
If you still want to book a rental car for your summer vacation, you shouldn’t wait until the last moment before you leave, advises the head of ADAC car rental, Tobias Ruoff.
“Those who want to drive a small vehicle or a family-friendly van in Italy, Spain or Portugal in the summer should book immediately. Even off-road vehicles or convertibles on the Mediterranean or on holiday islands are quickly sold out.” Or they will probably be significantly more expensive with later bookings.
The provider Sunny Cars also reports that booking prices on average rise slightly as the high season approaches. However, this is an effect that is observed almost every year.