Lanzarote Car Hire

euan

Never been to Lanzerote and need to sort out car hire, had a quick look on the various searching sites and they are worryingly cheap compared to the mainland European prices I’ve seen. 

Anyone with any experience an idea of who to avoid?

rolls1392

Used to use R and R car hire. Very good service

strumjoughlamps

Do you need a car for mobility issues?

We were there last year and everywhere is accessible for not much money. The most expensive taxi ride we took cost 20 euros and that was a 40 minute ride.

Jfingers

Might be best to spell it right and then look at the news stories about the locals being fed up with the tax positions of the tourist hotel owners.

euan

Jfingers said:

Might be best to spell it right and then look at the news stories about the locals being fed up with the tax positions of the tourist hotel owners.

Cheers for the most Fretboard reply as possible. Mad helpful. 

euan

strumjoughlamps said:

Do you need a car for mobility issues?

We were there last year and everywhere is accessible for not much money. The most expensive taxi ride we took cost 20 euros and that was a 40 minute ride.

Travelling with a one year old, so need the flexibility of carrying and storing associated shit, car seat as well. 

gusman2x

Quite a few years ago, but I remember Tenerife being very cheap for car hire compared to mainland Europe. The car was a little tatty and sun bleached, but perfect for the task. 

I always get insurance though, so that bumps it up a little bit. 

euan

gusman2x said:

Quite a few years ago, but I remember Tenerife being very cheap for car hire compared to mainland Europe. The car was a little tatty and sun bleached, but perfect for the task. 

I always get insurance though, so that bumps it up a little bit. 

Aye very much going down the Moneysavingexpert route on that 

Tone71

I used Autoreisen in Feb in Fuerteventura, they are in Lanzarote too, the car was great, a Citroen C4 which got me round the island exploring, weirdly sounded like a diesel but was a petrol, guessed it was the dusty landscape making the engine sound rough?

They were good, really efficient and the car was fine, picked it up full and returned it full, only thing I would say is book in advance as it makes it a lot easier at the airport to pick up...no long queues.

I did loads of research on the Trip Advisor forums first for recommendations and they were the top of the recommendations.

Nitefly

^^ and check the name on your credit card!

https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/265654/full-name-on-a-credit-card

euan

Fuck it. Just not going to bother

sev112

There is no risk and no problem for tourists, especially British .  The issues are real, they are about sustainability of the businesses on the island, and how much overall tourism is overbalanced in provision etc.  they aren’t anti-tourists (except bad ones), in fact they like the, very much.  they wan5 sufficient housing for workers, balance rather than limits of certain things. M

Dannic

In answer to the actual question asked, we always use Autoreisen. Never had a problem. We’ve always booked in advance. 

Whitecat

Autoreisen is fantastic. Always cheap and you can pay a couple extra euros a day for all-in everything cover like key loss, misfuelling and wheel damage. Extremely good company and never tries anything funny which some car hire firms are wont to do - ie, no scammy upsells at the counter, no mysterious charges after-the-fact. Last time I used them in Tenerife I got a free upgrade to a Merc. Didn’t like it much but it was a much more expensive car than the Seat I had booked!

Panama_Jack666

I'm here right now. I'd very much recommend CiCar. I'm actually returning our hire car Tomo. Car was clean, cheap, modern. I've hired cars in numerous countries over the last 5 years and the experience with CiCar has been great! Message me if I can help/guide!

I'll also add the roads are excellent!

ToneControl

was very cheap when I last went, in 2017.
I assume accidents and thefts are rare in Lanzarote

gubble

Another shout for Autoreisen here - used them five or six times between 2014-19 and just booked this this week for Lanzarote in July

No deposit on a card, no hidden fees etc - there's nothing worse than getting off a flight and having to wait in a long queue only to be on the wrong end of someone trying to upsell you insurance for 20 mins when all you want is to get on your way.

rlw

Had a SEAT Panda a few years - 24 - ago.  Rattly old thing with deckchairs for seats, bald tyres,windows didn't shut and the brakes were truly dreadful.  Also very little power so it meant you had to slow down as little as posssible.

Best car I'd driven in years.   (And there was a 911 tucked up in the garage at home).  Cost about £45 for the fortnight.

Emp_Fab

I always hire cars abroad.  Book it early rather than late as the prices will go up a lot the closer you get to the hire date.  Google "hire car excess insurance" and buy a policy.  Refuse any extras they try to sell you when you collect the car.  Make sure your pickup location is in the terminal building.  Video the car inside and out before you drive away and make sure that any damage on the car has been noted on the paperwork otherwise more unscrupulous companies might try to pin it on you. 

It sounds a ball ache but it's really not and the freedom and independence having a car gives you is well worth it.  One big advantage if you're going on a package holiday is that you drive straight to your hotel when you arrive and don't have to take part in the multi-hour multi-drop-off coach journey.  Likewise on the return.

Whitecat

Emp_Fab said:

I always hire cars abroad.  Book it early rather than late as the prices will go up a lot the closer you get to the hire date.  Google "hire car excess insurance" and buy a policy.  Refuse any extras they try to sell you when you collect the car.  Make sure your pickup location is in the terminal building.  Video the car inside and out before you drive away and make sure that any damage on the car has been noted on the paperwork otherwise more unscrupulous companies might try to pin it on you. 

It sounds a ball ache but it's really not and the freedom and independence having a car gives you is well worth it.  One big advantage if you're going on a package holiday is that you drive straight to your hotel when you arrive and don't have to take part in the multi-hour multi-drop-off coach journey.  Likewise on the return.

All this - but one thing I will add is that there seems to be a curve with advance hire prices in some countries, especially North America. Too far out and it costs a fortune. Too close to your travel date and it costs a fortune. There is a Goldilocks spot somewhere in the middle where the price comes down to something reasonable and that’s when you need to pounce. 

Of all the firms out there I’ve ever used, Avis is absolutely the worst for everything. I avoid them where possible and will only use them if there are literally no other choices or if the the basic rate is so cheap that it’s worth all the fights I have to have at collection and after drop off when they come up with some bullshit extra charge that I wasn’t notified of. 

gubble

I've found mainland Spain to be the worst for hire car hassle. Big on the pushy sell at the desk even when you point out you've bought separate insurance.

I try to use 'key and go' rates if I'm on mainland Spain or a Beleric now. Ok the price is higher but once you factor in buying a separate insurance policy it's not much more. The time saving and hassle free collection/pickup make it worth the extra. You walk up to a machine scan a QR code, choose your car and the keys magically appear along with the car's parking location. I've always been upgraded too - except in Mallorca where i ended up with a DR 5.0 which despite being brand now was a truly awful motor car and I longed for a beaten up fiat panda with no air con or clutch.....

Side Story - last time i didn't use key & go on mainland spain i dropped the car off and popped the keys in the box (usual 4am ryanair flight time). Took many pictures of the car inside out, mileage etc and it was immaculate. Hertz refunded my deposit back onto my card a day or so later.

A few weeks later I received a bill from them in the post claiming damage. The pictures they sent me were taken a few days after i'd dropped the car off and was clearly in a different location to where i'd left it. They sent a few chasers then it all went quiet when covid hit - not heard anything since but i was totally ready for them to try and pursue me for the debt through the courts as i was armed to the teeth with evidence plus they'd already refunded me the deposit back thus completing the agreement.