Car Hire at Faro Airport

[Satsuma]

Having just read another depressing news article regrading ripoffs by the big name car rental firms, does anyone have an personal recs for hire cars at Faro Airport, Portugal?

(Our perfect car would be a smart car or other 2 seater job, which is harder to find than you'd think, as everyone wants to play up how spacious their vehicles are!)

MTIA
Sats

[redsturgeon]

I doubt you will easily find a Smart car or any other two seater cheaply but just go for the cheapest group and you will get one of the small Aygo type variants or similar and depending on the time of year it should not be that expensive.

I usually look through AutoEurope which is a good comparison site IME. I have been renting cars in Europe through them for over ten years and never been "ripped off". As usual you just need to keep an eye on local scams re insurance and other add ons. At Faro some of the smaller companies do not have desks or offices in the airport and may just meet you at the cafe to sign the documents etc. I have never let that worry me but it may put some off.

FWIW The situation with hire cars changes all the time so a recommendation from a few years ago or even last year may not actually be worth much.

John

[Satsuma]

Without identifying the whole thing, in essence we want as little space as possible for anyone else to be able to get in our car! Perfectly happy with an Aygo/similar mini model - we could put the rear seats down and claim we needed the luggage space, then never upright them again

Thanks for the AutoEurope tip, I'll take a look. Don't mind signing at cafes, and good to know you have done this at Faro. We have our own excess insurance and sat nav sorted, so we can easily decline those "extras" - any thing else we need to worry about?
We need to book asap as we are unfortunately travelling in peak summer holidays (not our choice!)

(Our last hire car (SE Asia) we were met at an airport and driven off to someone's shop-house for the paperwork! We then left the car with them at a train station a few days later. All very casual and non-corporate!)

Cheers
Sats

[Gaggsy]

Hi Sats,

It's been 5 years since I hired a car at Faro but I did extensive research at the time being mindful of trying to avoid the ripoff merchants. A good source of info, if I remember correctly, was some of the ex-pat forums. Watch out for fuel policies, extra CDW charges etc.

I ended up using Luzcar through economycarhire.com (ECH now renamed as Zest Car Rental), although I think you can book direct.

As RS said earlier, the situation with car hire companies changes all the time, so DYOR.

Best of luck

[Paultry]

I'm just planning to go to Faro in May.

Went in May 2015, used Firefly for six day hire from and to airport.

Total cost was £121.15 derived from: Paid up front in UK £43.42, rental charge in Portugal Euro 98.61 (ca. £70) this included all charges, fuel for 660km and taxes, toll charges were paid a little later and were equivalent to £7.72.

Of the £121 around £54 would have been for fuel.

I did not purchase additional insurance, the maximum charged for a write-off was about £600.

I can no longer see Firefly available in Portugal, so we'll go with the cheapest available at the time.

We had a car in Lisbon in October 2015, from memory it was even cheaper than Faro.

I would like to purchase an annual indemnity policy. Anyone any pointers? Paul

[Satsuma]

I would like to purchase an annual indemnity policy. Anyone any pointers? Paul

We got an annual policy with LeisureGuard, using the 20% discount code on MSE (also checked the other suggestions on there and this was best for us). Have not had to claim though, so no idea if it stacks up on service!

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-car-hire

Thanks for the other comments too.
Sats

[Slarti]

Having just read another depressing news article regrading ripoffs by the big name car rental firms, does anyone have an personal recs for hire cars at Faro Airport, Portugal?

(Our perfect car would be a smart car or other 2 seater job, which is harder to find than you'd think, as everyone wants to play up how spacious their vehicles are!)

MTIA
Sats

Hi Sats,

We were there in may last year and on a recommendation hired from https://www.travelrent.pt/ on a recommendation at Motley Fool
You have to email them for a quote, but their prices were competitive and the pickup and dropoff were truly "on airport" which is often not the case, both ways at Faro.

Service was good, car fine, other than stupid design flaws, would recommend them.

The smallest they advertise is a "Chevrolet Spark or similar" but it would do no harm to ask about a Smart, they might think it a good idea.

Cheers
Slarti

[Satsuma]

Obrigado Slarti!

[Slarti]

De nada


Though I think you should have said obrigada, as a lady.

Or just obrigad if being casual.


Slarti

[Satsuma]

Show off

I haven't been to Portugal since I was a kid and they used escudos!

[Slarti]

Show off

I haven't been to Portugal since I was a kid and they used escudos!

Right up until last year I always thought it depended on who you were talking to, not who you were, but Mrs S was reading the phrase book - which we've had for over 10 years - and corrected me.

Which area are you heading for?

Our trip last year was based in Sagres and we could see Cabo de São Vicente out of the kitchen window. Looked great with the sun setting behind it.

If you are heading that way, happy to recommend restaurants, beaches, etc.

Cheers
Slarti

[Satsuma]

Which area are you heading for?

Our trip last year was based in Sagres and we could see Cabo de São Vicente out of the kitchen window. Looked great with the sun setting behind it.

If you are heading that way, happy to recommend restaurants, beaches, etc.

Cheers
Slarti

We're much closer to Faro than that I'm afraid. East of Vilamoura. But if you have any recs for between there and the airport, happy to have them, thanks!

Sats

[Slarti]

We're much closer to Faro than that I'm afraid. East of Vilamoura. But if you have any recs for between there and the airport, happy to have them, thanks!

Sats

Although we have looked at the areas between Vilamoura and the airport we only ate anywhere round there once and that was many years ago at the hotel just over the bridge to Pria de Faro, behind the airport. The meal was good, meat and veg hanging on skewers on wooden frames so that you could draw pieces off, but it doesn't seem to be on their menu any more. How dare they make changes in the last 20 years?

Otherwise we've nearly always gone west of Albufeira, where it is less developed.
Would certainly recommend trips to Silves, Monchique and Loule if you want away from the beaches.

Slarti

[Regdragon]

Sats,

A few thoughts ...

Tavira is a pretty little coastal town with plenty of eateries and it's not overly touristy. It's east of Faro - in fact it's the last place you get to before the Guadiana river which is pretty much the Spanish border. Tavira's beach is on an island just off the coast which you get to on a cheap ferry. That's quite fun.

Wherever you go in the Algarve it's worth asking around for the best Chicken Piri Piri locally if you're not vegetarian. My all-time favourite is in Guia but maybe that's further than you want to go and, other than PiriPiri, the town doesn't have much else to recommend it really. The Piri Piri there is consistently great though, year after year. I think they invented it!

We've often used the unfortunately named Zitautos for car hire. They operate out of Faro airport car park and have always treated us fairly - they advertise "no hidden extras." I can't remember exactly what the cost was now but it seemed competitive. Worth checking it out. Gold Car rental is one to avoid from memory.

For a longer day trip to a nice place, Seville is around two hours away in a car from where you are.

Regards

RD

[Paultry]

"For a longer day trip to a nice place, Seville is around two hours away in a car from where you are."

Bear in mind you will pay an extra 25 Euro for car rental that includes a border crossing. Paul

[malkymoo]

I second Zit Autos, have used them a couple of times, no problems.

[swill453]

Bear in mind you will pay an extra 25 Euro for car rental that includes a border crossing. Paul

That's not universal, I've certainly hired and crossed borders and not paid extra. Legitimately.

Scott.