YourAndalucia

Once you've used our Cheap Flights and Cheap Hotel pages to get yourself cheap Andalucia accommodation and cheap flights to Spain, you will also want to shop around to get the best deal on car hire.

But first, ask yourself whether you actually need a car. If you are going to cities like Granada, Seville or Malaga and are content just seeing the sights of that particular city, then there is no need to hire a car. You will be able to use public transport and taxis to get around, and save yourself a significant amount of money. However, if you want to explore different parts of Andalucia and attractions that are dotted round, you will need your own transport. 

Some European travellers take their own car to Spain, checking first that their insurance and breakdown cover is valid in Spain and any countries that they travel through, but others like to fly and book a rental car.

Getting the Best Deal

The key to getting yourself a good deal on car hire is to know what you want and then to shop around, comparing like with like. 

Before you start searching, decide whether your car hire needs to cover two drivers, or just one, whether you need baby seats or booster seats, and what size car you will need. Two mistakes we have made in the past are not hiring car seats when we booked, and then having to pay an extortionate amount extra when we picked up the car, and hiring a car that just wasn't big enough for the five of us and all of our luggage! Small "economy class" cars are cheap and cheerful, but are they suitable for your needs?

You will also need to make sure that your chosen car has aircon - trust me, you'll need it in Southern Spain unless you are going to inland areas in the winter months.

Shopping Around

Comparison sites save you ringing around and going to a load of different websites. Three great comparison sites for car hire are:-

• Kayak - Kayak search dozens of car hire sites for you and allow you to filter out results according to your requirements. It's easy to use and will save you loads of time.
• CarRentals.co.uk - This site searches up to 50 of the top car hire sites to get you the best deal. It's worth looking at this one in addition to Kayak, just in case.
• Travelsupermarket - This site searches around 25 of the leading car hire companies.

If you've used those sites, but want to be sure that you have got the best price, you can also use a few other sites. Here is an example of some shopping around that I did for an economy class of car in August (peak holiday time) at Malaga Airport for 1 week:-

• Easycar – Ford Ka or similar (3 door) £84.07, Vauxhall Corsa or similar (4 door) £88.24
• Europcar – Kia Picanto £172.10, Seat ibiza £192.97
• Budget – Corsa or similar (2 door) £137.35, Clio (4 door) £147.55
• Aurigacrown – Ford Ka or similar €149 (around £132), Fiesta or similar €152 (£135)
• Goldcar – Ford Ka or similar €159 (£141), Toyota Yaris (4 door) €163 (£144)
• Thomsoncar – Ford Ka or similar £94.00, Clio or similar (4 door) £100.92
• Lastminute.com – Ford Ka or similar £94.00, Clio or similar (4 door) £105.00

You will notice that I searched Spanish car companies (Goldcar and Aurigacrown) too. Google Spanish car hire companies to compare them to the leading car hire companies.

You may be offered discounts on car hire when you book your flight, but make sure you really are getting a good deal.

Check out the rest of the website for more tips to help you have the perfect Andalucia holiday.