**Holidaymakers in parts of the UK and Europe are facing bigger bills for hire cars - or risk not getting one at all - due to a shortage of vehicles.**Hire firms have not replaced fleets due to forecasts of fewer tourists, as well as difficulty accessing finance, industry figures say.
A last-minute holiday bookings surge is adding to the pressure.
Industry sources say that Spain is the worst affected, with those who can get a car having to pay twice normal rates.
Production cuts
There are reports of bookings for holiday apartments and villas being cancelled because travellers have been unable to get a car, or have found the prices prohibitive.
“Small cars in particular are in very short supply, and its often cheaper to take a larger car rather than the small ones”
Bob Atkinson, Travelsupermarket.com
Car hire firm Hertz said that shortages were most prevalent in holiday locations in Spain, France and Italy - while there have also been reports of demand outstripping supplies in Scotland and the Lake District.
“There’s a seasonal shortage of rental cars every summer, but it seems to be more acute this year because carmakers have cut production due to the uncertain economy,” said president of Hertz Europe, Michel Taride.
“There has been a big increase in domestic and US inbound travel, and holidaymakers are deciding to go away at the last minute.”
Booking early was the best guarantee of getting a vehicle at a competitive price, he added.
Finance problems
John Lewis, chairman of Lease Europe - the industry’s umbrella body - said that firms were unable to get the finance needed to expand their fleets.
Various national government rules mean that companies cannot move vehicles across borders to meet demand, he added.
Prices on the Balearic islands are more than 100% what they usually are, said Bob Atkinson, business development manager at Travelsupermarket.com.
While in mainland Spain, prices are up to 70% higher at popular destinations such as Alicante, Malaga and Murcia.
“Small cars in particular are in very short supply, and its often cheaper to take a larger car rather than the small ones people go for because they presume they’ll be cheaper,” Mr Atkinson said.
Anecdotal evidence from car hire firms suggests that older vehicles are being hired out to try and cope with demand.
A weakness in demand for second hand cars means that companies are seeing little sense in selling older vehicles at a low in the market, and held onto such cars.
This meant many customers who did get cars, did not get the quality of vehicle that might be usually expected, with dents to bodywork and scratches more common with some companies.
Holiday firm woes
It is not just individual holiday makers who have had problems getting vehicles.
Direct Villa Holidays offers all customers a free hire car with their bookings - but have struggled to obtain the cars they have promised.
“It has been a very expensive and stressful affair,” said co-owner Sara Jones.
"Booking hire cars never has never been a problem before, though prices flickered a bit.
“But this year has just been a nightmare, we couldn’t get cars, or, when we could, they were five or 10 times more expensive.”