Many visitors to traditional resorts such as the Algarve and the Costa del Sol, Spain in the summer of 2009 had their holidays disrupted by the massive shortage of rental cars caused by the recession in Europe. This article examines the likelihood that the situation will be repeated in summer 2010.

If you were a visitor to Spain or Portugal last summer you were likely to have been affected by the shortage of rental cars available at the major resorts. The lack of available credit throughout Europe forced rental companies to cut back the size of their fleets, and demand simply outweighed supply. Many people turning up at the airports in the Costa del Sol and the Algarve discovered that there were no rental cars available.

Matt May from Blue Valley Car Hire who provide car hire in Faro Portugal explains “last summer during the holiday period it was a nightmare for many tourists trying to book a rental car in the Algarve. People who left booking until the last minute were lucky if they got a car, and if they did the prices were at least double the normal rates. The local rental companies simply did not have the cars available, and were having to pay astronomical prices to hire in cars at the last minute. The poor English summer weather made the situation worse with a lot of last minute holidaymakers heading for the sun”.

Matt continues “we are anticipating a similar car shortage in 2010, so we recommend that people book early. The situation in Spain was very frustrating for tourists hoping to rent a car at Malaga Airport at the last minute, prices had as much as trebled in some cases. We anticipate a similar situation this summer. By booking early you will guarantee that a car is reserved in your name, and avoid having to pay the higher prices at the airport”