As news of global car hire shortages flood the media, Sixt rent a car is announcing increases in vehicle availability and guarantees on vehicle quality throughout the UK and Europe.

For holiday makers looking for the best rental deals, Sixt offers the following handy hints:

1. Book online – most rental companies save their best value offers for online customers
2. Book well in advance – car hire companies operate similar systems to many airlines so travellers are already booking for Christmas and the winter season to get the best advance rates
3. Go direct – check individual car hire operators and not only brokers who won’t always have the best deals
4. Choose your priority – Look for ‘pre-paid’ offers for the lowest prices or ‘pay-on arrival’ for flexibility (good operators will offer both choices)

Ian Lawrence, managing director of Sixt UK, comments: “Many car hire companies have struggled in the current climate, facing difficulties with funding and struggling to update their fleet. Unfortunately this has resulted in heavy price increases for the customer and, even worse, ageing and second hand cars being offered.

“Sixt UK has always made a commitment to operate the latest models and cars no older than eight months. Our vehicle availability has remained high over the summer months across Europe and our domestic prices for September are actually declining. Despite high demand we pride ourselves on still delivering quality service and quality vehicles to all our customers.”

Sixt rent a car offers a first-class service with over 26,000 vehicles from more than 150 rental locations in the UK and in 3,500 locations across 90 countries. For further information on Sixt visit www.sixt.co.uk or call 0844 499 33 99.