Car hire bookings for the October school half term holidays are up by 17% year-on-year despite a “significant” rise in the cost of rentals.
Comparison site Carrentals.co.uk reported the rise with some of the most popular destinations including Nice, Faro, Pisa, Vancouver and Barbados.
Findings from the company reveal that the average daily rental price for half term rentals has risen by 9% over the past 12 months.
With car hire providers unable to obtain bank funding, fleet sizes have been restricted – resulting in prices being pushed up across the board.
Carrentals.co.uk managing director Gareth Robinson said: “If travellers are looking to book a car for the half term break but are finding that prices are significantly higher than this time last year, they should try looking a little further afield – for example at a downtown location, rather than the airport – it may be less convenient for pick up, but the price could be significantly less.
“It’s also important to book as far in advance as you can as this can have a considerable effect on the price and choice of vehicles available.”
He added: “It has been an eventful summer for the travel industry, but it is encouraging to see how important holidays still are to British travellers.
“Money may remain tight for many people, but there are some good deals available, especially through shopping around and taking the time to compare prices.”
A week’s half term car hire in Malaga starts at £10 a day, with prices from £12 a day in Faro, £13 a day in Crete and £16 a day in Rome, according to the company which compares car hire deals from up to 50 rental companies, including Alamo, Auto Europe, Budget, easyCar, Holiday Autos and Sixt, in more than 9,000 locations worldwide.