car Hire

The cheapest car hire in Spain is not always the best: some companies will block off a huge amount off your card and then sting you for hundreds of euros for minor blemishes or cleaning when you return the car. It can then take months of arguing to get it back, if you ever do.

David Baxter at Al Andalus Car Hire is very good and reasonable. The website is at http://alandaluscarhire.com/. They only accept cash so you need to have that with you when you pick up the car, and as a result they won't block anything off your card. The cars are a little bit older than with Avis, Centauro etc but we used them a couple of months ago and were very happy. He will deliver/pick up personally at Almeria airport and they have an agent at Murcia, Seguro Parking. They can also do pick up and delivery in Mojacar, Garrucha and surrounding areas.

Costa Coches also get regular good write-ups but I've not used them. They can do collection and drop off at at Almeria, Alicante and Murcia airports and are also in Mojacar. http://www.costacochesrentacar.biz/

Other than that we normally use Avis from Almeria Airport. They don't charge up-front for fuel but you need to return it full and they normally ask for the receipt for the last top-up. They don't block money off the card (a practice I've hated since being caught out 20 years ago in the US) but that might be because I am in their Avis Preferred program, I'm not sure. They are friendly and are just off the airport so do a shuttle run.

From Murcia San Javier airport we use Centauro but only their Premium Plan so it's not the cheapest. But with that you get: an extra driver at no cost so my wife Victoria can drive as well; full insurance (even though we have our own excess insurance) and; they don't block anything off the card. You just pay for a tank of fuel up front and return it full at the end of the rental. They then refund the amount you paid up-front  in about 24 hours. With their 2 other plans you do get money blocked off the card and are pressured slightly to take their insurance - we have our own excess insurance from insurance4carhire.com but don't worry about that when we are arriving at Murcia. We've always found Centauro very easy, friendly and quick. They are just off the airport so do a shuttle run in their yellow minibuses which takes about 2 minutes. They are not at Almeria Airport. https://www.centauro.net/en/

I've heard poor reviews of Goldcar but you see a lot of their hire cars driving around so many people clearly use them. A company that everyone seems to hate is Dickmanns. And there are others like Europcar at both airports that seem to elicit a range of opinions.

For best value start with David Baxter/Al Andalus and Costa Coches and see what they can offer.

Of course there will always be people who have managed to get a really cheap deal and had no problems at all. That's great but all I can others can do is to give our opinions. Hopefully whoever you go with will be fine.

One tip: always take photos around the car and of the mileage, fuel level etc when you pick up and drop off the car. Just in case..

Have a good holiday, I'll be out the week after you for 3 weeks and am already looking forward to the heat, the pool, the BBQs, the sea, the...

Rob
Los Gallardos/Palomares

Thanks Rob that’s really helpful I’ll get in touch with them. I hired from goldcar ln March and got ripped off a bit thanks for your help.

Regards steve

Thanks Graeme