If you're going to find yourself in Spain on vacation any time soon, one of the things you should be considering aside from your lodging and plane ticket is how you'll get around. While many people visit one city and have taxi's and tour guides lead them around, the best way to get an experience for Spain is to drive in the country-side, viewing the country as if you lived there. In order to do this, you'll need a car. You can easily rent a car from one of the major car rental companies.
There are many car hire services available in Spain, with many cheap car hire at airports in Spain. In order to get the most for your money, you should shop around and compare car hire in Spain from Avis, Budget, Economy, and Hertz. Each of these companies is a major operator in Spain and is well qualified to take good care of you. Depending on the type of car you want to drive, or the amount of service you need, each company has its own benefits and perks.
Hertz offers to pick up drivers at the airport if they are flown into an airport that does not already have a Hertz dealer available at a counter. This pick up service is great because it allows you to have your transportation ready and waiting on you before you even land. In addition to this pick up service, they'll also have a driver take the vehicle from you once you are ready to leave, so you never have to visit the car hire service and waste valuable vacation time. Hertz's vehicles also contain main modern comforts such as DVD Players and a GPS navigation system, so you'll never be lost.
If you don't need pick up service but still wish to rent a vehicle, Economy or Budget might be the way for you to go. With several dealerships based across Spain, you can make your reservation for your vehicle online and save money. With Budget, if you book your vehicle up to six weeks in advance from the time you'll need it, you can save up to 10% when you prepay. This is quite the significant amount when you consider how much car hire services cost per day. If you can't find a match with any of these services, you should check for cheap car hire at airports in Spain. Depending on your travel destination, car hire at one location could be cheaper than another, even with the difference in distance you'd be driving.
All of these are viable options when it comes to choosing the right car hire service for your vacation. Just keep in mind the sooner your book your car, the better your car hire service will be able to accommodate you.
If you're going to be traveling to Portugal on your vacation, one of the things you'll need to consider before your trip is whether or not you'll be needing car hire services. There are many cheap car hire at airports in Portugal, but you could save a few dollars by venturing outside of what's available immediately at the airport. Many top name car hire services, like Hertz and Avis offer these services at airports for a raised price because they pay commission to the airport in order to have their booth there. This added convenience usually nets them more customers who would prefer not to have to seek car hire services outside of the airport, either due to language difficulties, or being unaware of the other available offers.
Because of the raised prices in airports, it's very important to shop around and make sure you're getting the best deal available. You can compare car hire in Portugal from Avis, Budget, Economy, and Hertz, all of who have locations situated close, or very close to all major airports in Portugal. Aside from the counters available in many airports, services like Budget offer the ability to have your car dropped off at the airport, ready and waiting on you, and then again when you're ready to leave, a driver will pick the car up. This minimizes the time you have to spend doing business related things on your vacation. Make sure when picking your car hire company, you have all the available features you need. Some services require you to pick the car up yourself, instead of bringing it to you. If you're unfamiliar with the city you're in, this can be a problem, especially if you do not speak fluent Portuguese . You should also check that your service provides the proper insurance, as car hire services with no insurance offerings should be avoided.
You should also keep in mind when booking that the earlier you book your car, the better of a chance you have of getting the car you want. Many car hire services only keep a few types of car on hand and if the type of car you wish to reserve is in high demand, you probably won't get it if you're fresh off of a plane and have no car reserved for you when you get to the counter at the airport. Therefore, it's always in your best interest to make sure you've booked your car in advance, just as you'd book your lodgings in advance. Package deals with travel companies like Orbitz and Travelocity are also available. You should check into these if you plan on making your travel accommodations with them anyway, as it can save you money by booking your transport, lodging, and flight together in one bundle.