Constrictions on Car Hire Availability To be Much the Same Next Year Warns Carrentals.co.uk

Online, December 22, 2009 (Newswire.com) - 14 December 2009 - Award-winning vehicle hire comparison resource www.Carrentals.co.uk is advising that the restrictions on car hires seen this year across most of Europe's evergreen holiday destinations will persist in 2010, with the continuing unavailability of cash flow to car rental companies for fleet expansion.

2009's frenetic car rental periods saw destinations such as Malaga, Alicante and Valencia selling out totally at the start of the season, forcing travellers to find less convenient means of exploring their location. Lack of availability is not the only thing influencing the shortage in cars though. www.Carrentals.co.uk has revealed that some of the vehicle hire places featured on its website increased prices by up to 96% for car rental in the 12 month period between summer 2008 and summer 2009.

Locations with big price jumps over the past year include Gibraltar Airport, which saw an increase of £8.16* a day (up 65%); Alicante Airport, which saw prices rise by £11.23* a day (up 87%); and Toulouse Airport, which saw an increase of £23.07* a day (up 96%).

Gareth Robinson, managing director of www.Carrentals.co.uk, says: "The recession has heavily impacted upon fleet sizes this year, with car hire companies having been unable to increase the number of vehicles due to lack of funding from banks. Without the banks' investments, companies have been forced to cope with a limited supply of vehicles, which has restricted availability in many locations and in turn seen prices increase across the board - a trend that is set to continue into 2010."

With the persistent stresses of the credit crunch, fewer car hire bookings were finalised throughout 2009, with car rental companies hoping constricted stock would suffice, but despite the cool economic conditions, bookings have remained buoyant through peak times - leading to regular complete sell outs.

Commenting on the situation Owen Coles of easyCar says: "General expectations are that the economy will improve in 2010 and as a result we are expecting an increase in the number of transactions. However, with the instability of the financial climate, it is not yet clear as to how easy it will be to obtain funding for fleet expansion.

"We are likely to see further examples of restricted vehicle availability as fleet sizes in 2010 will generally be the same as this year, so we are anticipating shortages, some of them acute, in the peak periods. Car rental companies will therefore be forced to focus on a shift from growth to margin protection and service improvement."

Consumers should reserve their car hire with lots of time to spare to guarantee a good deal, with www.Carrentals.co.uk presently offering vehicle hire for February half term at Faro Airport from just £14** a day, from £13** a day at Athens Airport, from £14** a day in Tenerife South Airport and from £12** a day at Palma Airport.

Gareth Robinson adds: "We would advise travellers to book as far in advance as possible in order to get the best deals and vehicle choice. Using a comparator site customers can gain an overview of the different options available, making sure they are securing the best available price."

www.Carrentals.co.uk compares car hire deals from up to 50 rental companies, including Alamo, Budget, easyCar, Holiday Autos and Sixt, in over 9,000 locations worldwide.

To compare the latest car hire deals visit www.carrentals.co.uk. *Price increases are based on individual examples from companies featured on Carrentals.co.uk. **Prices based on seven-day rental from 13 February 2010 and are subject to change

About Carrentals.co.uk

Carrentals.co.uk was launched in February 2003 and grew to become one of the UK's leading online car hire companies by 2006.

In 2007 the company re-launched its site to create the first major online price comparator in the travel industry. Using the latest technology the Carrentals.co.uk site now searches up to 50 different car hire websites, providing an impartial comparison of the best prices available in over 9,000 locations.

Websites searched include Alamo, Budget, easyCar, Ebookers, Hertz, Holiday Autos, Opodo, Sixt and Thrifty, with the Carrentals.co.uk site quickly comparing prices and allowing customers to refine their search by car type.

The Carrentals.co.uk site also features over 5,000 pages of travel information in a mini-guide format.

In 2008 Carrentals.co.uk was voted Best Car Hire Website in the Travolution Awards. To book or for further information visit www.carrentals.co.uk