European car rental costs likely to rise

A car hire firm in the UK is warning that the cost of renting a car could rise by the summer.

It said that it could also be more difficult holidaymakers to find a rental car this summer, as the recession is forcing rental car companies to cut the size of their fleets.

Economy Car Hire has noted that rental car operators throughout Europe will be reducing their fleet size by as much as 30 per cent, which is likely to increase the cost of car hire to consumers during the busy summer holiday season.

The managing director of Economy Car Hire, Rory Sexton, commented that fleet reductions are related to decreased volumes in car manufacturing as well as significant declines in vehicle sales.

“Every year we have problems with availability at peak times, and this year it will be much worse – car hire prices will definitely increase,” added Sexton.

This will add more financial pressure on UK holidaymakers planning to visit the continent this summer, with the decline in the pound against the euro already making a eurozone holiday more costly.

A number of leading car hire firms have confirmed that the financial crisis was posing new challenges to the rental car industry.

Thanks to www.telegraph.co.uk for the above quotes, for more information on this article please visit their website.

www.economycarhire.com