"The rental car has become a rare commodity, just like sunflower oil or mustard"
, compares Frédéric Pilloud of MisterFly.
The joke sums up a truth: if you haven't done it yet, renting a car this summer 2022 risks being an obstacle course, will cost you dearly, probably both.
In France, Biarritz tops the ranking of cities where you have to pay the most, 505 euros per week, according to the comparator Carigami, i.e. a doubling of the price in two years.
But inflation is widespread with a 41.3% jump in prices on average compared to 2019, i.e. a week at 369 euros, again according to Carigami, and this without counting fuel, which has also increased.
Read alsoCar rental: these destinations where prices will soar this summer
The phenomenon is not limited to France, far from it.
MisterFly, which compares prices between 170 rental companies in 145 countries, assesses the increase in two years in the average price of a rental in May at 493 euros at 117%.
A colossal jump, underlines the holiday booking site, compared to that of the prices of plane tickets and the hotel, which for their part swelled by 11% during the same period.
Why this increase in rental car prices?
The imbalance between supply and demand, always.
As for individuals, the waiting times for car rental companies from manufacturers, due to a lack of parts, are long, while demand remains strong due to the desire or choice of holidaymakers to stay in France again this summer.
To find the rare pearl, here are our three tips.
Compare prices at the point of departure and at destination
Among the service providers, we must distinguish the so-called route and local rental companies, even if the boundaries have tended to become blurred in recent years.
The former, such as Europcar, Hertz, Sixt or Budget, are located in traffic areas, stations, airports and major cities.
The latter like Rent A Car, ADA but also the rental services of large food stores such as Leclerc, Carrefour and Intermarché, have agencies all over France.
The latter have, overall, always offered lower prices than the former because their structural costs are lower.
And this is all the more true at the moment as the former are more affected by the shortage, because they have drastically reduced their fleets in 2020 and, even if
Read alsoHoliday rentals between individuals: 3 tips to avoid scams
“The world of car rental has completely changed since 2019, as growth was until then driven by the increase in the number of tourists and the number of vehicles,
explains Cédric Douls, commercial director of Europcar.
The situation varies greatly from one country to another, with markets geared more towards rentals to professionals or individuals, holidaymakers or not.
However, we found our customers as soon as they were able to travel again.
In France, the customers, who are mostly foreign to us, are therefore there again, but the vehicles are not.
Europcar, a heavyweight in rental (presence in 140 countries with 248,000 vehicles), is extending the period of use of cars to continue to serve its customers, while waiting to receive new copies.
This duration was certainly only eight to nine months before the health crisis, but the maintenance is also reflected in the prices.
“Our customers are mainly looking at practicality, but they have become more hesitant overall and many are booking less than ten days before taking charge, i.e. a period three or four shorter than before the Covid”
, points out Cédric Douls.
Read alsoTravel insurance: Covid-19, Visa and MasterCard cards… The answers to your main questions
Those who have chosen to fulfill their orders in 2020 and 2021, such as Rent A Car (25,000 vehicles), are reaping the benefits of this strategy.
“We certainly have the problem of renewing the stock, but not of increasing it.
We were thus able to be present during the summer of 2020, when activity had been at a very good level, like this year.
Our reservations, in agencies as well as on the internet, have doubled in one year”
, assures Cyrille Dufour, director of the brand's fleet (488 agencies).
He nevertheless observes a wait-and-see attitude,
“mainly because of the price, but be careful because the prices should only increase, our expenses, such as spare parts, also increasing.
The best advice is to book straight away, especially for families who won't be able to fall back on a Twingo.
»
2. Consider consulting supermarkets and hypermarkets
With more than 500 stores offering vehicle rental at Leclerc, 800 at Super U (i.e. one in two stores), 900 at Carrefour and the possibility of renting at Intermarché as well as at its two other brands, Roady and Bricomarché (utilities only for the last), mass distribution has established itself in recent years in short-term rental.
But among holidaymakers, the reflex to consult them to travel the roads in summer may not yet be there.
"Above all, we rent vans, used by sports clubs, for removals which also mainly take place in the summer, such as when going on vacation with friends or family"
, says Thierry Desouches, spokesperson for Système U. The network of large retailers makes it easier to find a vehicle, both in the region of departure and destination.
If their ranges are not as wide as with traditional rental companies, their prices are generally more accessible.
“We have 6,500 vehicles in France. One in six is a utility, whose usage rate has skyrocketed since January. For passenger vehicles, we offer eight to ten models, each corresponding to a need, the Renault Scenic and Clio as well as the Fiat 500 being the most popular”
, explains Cyrille Bouleau, director of Carrefour Location.
This distributor offers uniform prices on the territory, which is not always the case, and
“we have chosen not to modify them, since 2008 at least and to include mileage in our packages.
The most popular for both summer and winter holidays is that of seven days with 1500 kilometers included »
, adds the manager, who warns: for the months of July and August 2022, many vehicles have already been reserved, because his customers reserve two to three months in advance.
“In Ile-de-France and in the coastal areas, the dynamic is naturally sustained.
In addition, more and more customers are using our vehicles for long-term rental.”
And therefore go on vacation with.
3. Rent a car from a private individual
"Many factors carry us",
recognizes Benoit Sineau, CEO of OuiCar, listing the attractiveness of the destination France, the inflation of plane and train ticket prices and, of course, rental cars.
Their shortage combined with the general increase in labels stimulates rental between individuals.
"
Our customers spend less, between 30% and 50%, than in traditional rental and the owners can ensure additional income of 300 to 600 euros per month"
, pleads the manager of the platform to the 2.7 million members. , whose activity has jumped 70% since the start of the year.
Read alsoSNCF: have the price of train tickets really increased in recent months?
“The demand is greater than the number of cars, 35,000 today everywhere in France, and our main objective is to encourage other owners to join us. Especially since they will be able to rent not only during the holidays, but increasingly all year round due to teleworking, which has created new travel needs, and the fact that car sharing is becoming more commonplace, everywhere in France, including where there was no car rental offer
,” continues Benoit Sineau.
The competitor Getaround, offering more than 30,000 vehicles, also observes that the French are more inclined to share their cars year-round or for the summer.
“With Getaround Connect, our box installed free of charge, you can order a car when you want and where you want, without queuing.
In the city, in the countryside and even in 19 stations because we won a call for tenders from the SNCF at the end of 2021, where we have reserved parking spaces, as in our cities and partner parking operators facilitating mobility for our customers “
, describes Matthieu Bouchaud, communication manager.
The company recognizes that as warmer weather approaches, prices set by homeowners increase.
“But they are not exploding and we are already expecting very high occupancy rates of over 80% in
Corsica
,
, he notes.
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