Car hire demand ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games is markedly up on this time last year, says award-winning car hire price comparison website Carrentals.co.uk. The online specialist has told attendees to book rentals well before arriving in the UK to get themselves the best value for money and choice of cars and extras.

The website - which helps people save money on rentals in over 15,000 places - reports that car hire bookings between 20 July and 12 August are up four times on what they were this time last year. The site also says that 40% of people will be picking their cars up at London’s Gatwick and Heathrow airports.

The most popular dates for collecting a car are July 20 and 21, as people head into the UK to enjoy the Olympics opening ceremony on July 27th. Carrentals.co.uk advises that the majority of bookings are for periods between 10 and 12 days - with half of these also being picked up at Gatwick or Heathrow.

Carrentals.co.uk Managing Director, Gareth Robinson, says: “Our site has seen a steep rise in bookings as people get ready for the 2012 Olympics - we are expecting to see this trend continue with more and more bookings being made ahead of the Games.”

“With UK train tickets being pretty expensive a rental car is the smartest way to get around the country and London to enjoy the Olympics fun this summer. We do though advise booking well in advance to be sure of getting the choice of car you want at a decent value price however.”

Carrentals.co.uk is the UK’s leading car rental comparison site, comparing deals from up to 50 rental companies including Alamo, Auto Europe, Budget, Holiday Autos and Sixt, in over 15,000 locations worldwide.