Spain Money Saving Tips and Offers

Tips to save money on car rental from the Daily Mail:

• Use price-comparison websites. For a week's rental of an economy car from Nice at the end of October, the Avis website quoted me £212.05 and Hertz was £214.22. But by using www.carrentals.co.uk, which trawls through deals with lots of brokers as well as the main rental companies, I found a small car for £151.97. Other price-comparison websites worth checking include www.carhiresearch.co.uk.

• Beware of fuel charges. If you're given an option, the best arrangement is to pick up and return the car with a full tank. Remember to ask for the location of the petrol station nearest to the depot to fill up on your return.

• Shop around for excess waiver. While rental firms quote rates including insurance against damage and theft, the cover usually comes with an excess - what you're still liable to pay in the event of an accident - running into hundreds of pounds. Rental firms let you reduce the excess to zero for an additional hefty fee, but even then you often have to pay for any damage to the tyres, windscreen or roof. You are better off taking out an excess-waiver policy with a specialist insurer: it will be much cheaper and will cover damage to all parts of the car. See www.carhireexcess.com and www.worldwideinsure.com for cover from under £2 a day in Europe, while www.insurance4carhire.com is competitive with its annual policies.

• Avoid damage charges. This is particularly important if you decide not to take out excess waiver. Before you set off, inspect for scratches and dents, note them on the hire company's form and take digital photos as proof. Whenever possible, return the car when the depot is manned so you can have the car checked over and signed off.

• Watch out for other extras. Child seats, satnav and having a second driver on the rental policy normally incur significant additional costs. I was quoted £143 for these extras alone (with just one child seat) on a week's rental of a mid-sized car in Portugal. Compare rates with different companies as prices vary considerably, and sometimes a second driver is included in the basic rates (try www.economycarhire.com). It may be worth taking your own child seat, depending on what your airline charges for checked-in baggage. Note that anyone with travel insurance doesn't need the car-rental company's personal accident insurance (PAI).

Source: The Daily Mail