Car Hire ... WorldRent
When I first started hiring a car on our early trips to Faro, I found it an incredibly stressful experience.
In the early days, we used to use the international car hire companies, but got incredibly frustrated by the long queues to do the initial paperwork (even though we had prebooked online).
Our frustration would then be heightened when, thinking we just going outside to find our car, we would then have to waste more time waiting for a bus to take us out of the airport and along the main road to Faro. On arrival there, we had to queue again to collect the keys.
Like most people, having got up at the crack of dawn to start our holiday, all we wanted to do was to get to where we were going as fast as possible, not waste time waiting to get the car to get us there.
We then started to use one of the many so called 'cheap' hire companies that hustle for your business outside of Arrivals. That worked well for a while, but when we had problems, the situations were so badly handled that our holidays were ruined. .
We were then recommended to try WorldRent and what a difference in approach.
First, their uniformed representative greets you as you come through Arrivals (for us in the past it's been a case of 'hunt the car hire representative' at Faro!). You sign the contract, which if you've elected to use WorldRent's fastrack booking process, you'll find is already prepared and printed out for you, and then you're on the way to get your car with the minimum of time, fuss and bother.
You're then escorted outside of Arrivals where your car will be waiting for you all prepared and ready for you and with a full tank of petrol (and yes, that is important, as we have heard of people with other companies running out of petrol within a few minutes of leaving the airport.) You'll even find a bottle of water in the car to ease your transition into the hot climate.
Nice touch, and just a small example of the care WorldRent takes with its customers - premium customer care, that, importantly, doesn't come at a premium price as their rental rates (and they are checked regularly) are highly competitive.
All prices quoted to you are inclusive of Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) insurance, unlimited mileage and one additional driver - so do check that other firms you are checking out offer exactly the same as standard. Even more importantly now, Worldrent guarantee no unexpected charges at the airport - with fluctuating exchange rates and fuel prices, this became the norm at Faro during 2009 with companies other than Worldrent.
All cars are under two years old, conform to current European Health and Safety standards and come with air conditioning and in-car entertainment as standard. For larger parties or groups of golfers, there's also a fleet option. Please enquire for details.
In addition, should guests not wish to hire a car - or don't fancy the idea of getting straight off the plane and driving on the 'wrong' side - WorldRent also offer a 'personal driver' service. If you choose this option, you will be met at arrivals by a representative from Worldrent, taken to your car and driven to your villa or apartment, with the return service provided when it is time to go home. Cost is about 75-90 Euros each way per car with the booking and meet and greet service to the same slick standard as that for their rental cars.
Finally, if you want the best of both worlds, Worldrent can organise a personal driver to take the stress of getting to and from the airport, and then deliver a car to your accommodation for all or part of your stay. Just ask for details.
As guests know who have booked their holidays with me, my aim is to make everything as stress free as possible. WorldRent share that philosophy, hence the reason I now recommend them to guests.
You can contact WorldRent via their website www.worldrent.co.uk
or by emailing angela@worldrent.co.uk
.
Some things to think about when booking your car hire from Faro:
Does the company you are considering only take cash? If so, beware. This indicates that they're not putting all their business 'through the books'. Does it matter? Only when the increasingly efficient Portuguese tax authorities catch up with them, and neither the car hire company - or your car - is not there when you arrive!
Are you told in advance how much fuel will be in the tank? If not, be doubly careful. There are instances where just a cursory check is made with no note made on the paperwork. If you return the car with less than a full tank (even if you drove away with only half a tank) you're going to end up paying for fuel you didn't have or use. Even further (as happened to us once) the dispute about the petrol usage made us miss our flight home!
Is your car located at the airport itself - or do you have to go off airport to collect it? If you do, prepare yourself for some lengthy waits to not just get on the bus to take you off airport, but also for another queue to collect the keys when you get there.
Are they offering unlimited drivers, but only asking for one driving licence? If so, be highly suspicious as it is illegal in Portugal not to produce a driving licence for every driver that will/may be driving the car.
Are you going to be fully insured? Check that your chosen car company is offering you a fully comprehensive/nill excess price - overlooking this small but important point could bring a nasty financial surprise at the airport (or indeed in the unfortunate case of an accident or other incident)
Finally, if you're organising a pick up from the airport check that they are fully insured - often real cheap quotes mean real cheap costs, including lack of insurance for paying passengers.
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