Thursday, May 01, 2008

This didn't surprise me at all

and it really oughtn't to have either. Nonetheless, it was interesting comparing car rental prices. As you'll remember, I'm going to Australia in September (142 days fron now, not that I'm counting) and it's as well to have some of the more major details tied down ahead of time. Hence my checking for car rentals.

A frustrating business using the web but much more frustrating if you're hoofing it from rental company to rental company on the day. A most apposite article appeared on this very subject over at Upgrade Travel Better[^] today.

Long story short, it came down to National Car Rentals if a search was the guide. So I checked em out for a 12 day rental at A$641 for a 3 door automatic. I can drive manuals but the last time I had to was in 1980; I suspect I've lost the skill required for a 'heel toe' takeoff. So I made the booking and received the obligatory email confirmation. Buried in said confirmation was the news that the rental is actually from Europcar and they advise to look for those signs rather than the National signs. Uh huh, I already knew that; I rented a car from the same location last time I was in Australia.

So then I bethought to myself; let's see what the Europcar rate is. And of course it's less; A$550 for the same class car and the same pickup and drop off times at, of course, the same location.

So it really does pay to shop around; more, it pays to read the fine print. Of course, the proof of this particular pudding will be in the eating; when I front up at their office in September what do you wanna bet they'll have the car they claim to have at the price I booked?

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