Is this a good price for car rental in Andalucia?
 

Our travel agent says if we pay by end of March she can get us an economy car (Peugeot 106 or similar) for 180 Euros for a week. Does this seem reasonable or should I be doing my own checking and booking? After end of March it goes up slightly. Thanks.

That sounds about right. I am sure somebody will post that they got a $10/week deal, but I have rented cars in Spain and that is about right for an economy, unlimited miles.

I can get from a consolidator a week in July an economy car at 146 euro, with nil deductible, picking up at Malaga airport. I think you can do better. See what Autoeurope and Carjet are offering.

bashful,
Given my pretty thorough research, that's about right. Not a bad rate.

I'd compare it with AutoEurope's rate. but it looks good to me!

bashful
Your rate looks fine to me, just one thing is that "Peugeot 106 or similar".
While the Peugeot 106, a small car , is fine, there are other models which are not.
In a recent trip to Italy I rented a "Volkswagen polo o similar" and I got a "Daewoo Matiz" which was fine for the city but I felt very unsafe in the Highway.

Thanks everyone. How do I know what economy cars are "safe" on highway - what determines that? When they tell you they will give you a specific car "or similar" what are your options to ensure you get a "safe" car? Can you insist on a specific car and if so, which economy car(s) is the best?

bashful,

No, you can't request a specific car. I always book a "compact" car - the smallest size I feel safe and comfortable in. The most common models for this category in Spain are:
Peugeot 307
Renault Megane
Citroen Xsara
Seat Cordoba
Volkswagen Golf
Opel Astra
Ford Focus

Hope this helps,
Andre

Yes thanks Andre - is there little difference between economy and compact - I am not so concerned with price but managing in the tiny hilltowns of Spain! Will a compact be small enough to maneouver them? Thanks.

You should have no problem with a compact, bashful! We were actually upgraded to a full size Peugeot 406 and didn't have any trouble - just park in the designated lots and don't drive into the very centre of the small hilltowns. Also, get the Super-CDW with no deductible - that way, scratches and scrapes are not your problem anyway :-)

Andre

bashful,
We had no problems with our Renault Megane except in Gaucin, where it barely made it through the extremely narrow streets (I think artlover almost got stuck there too). We shouldn't have gone in with it. As Andre says, just park in the designated parking lots outside of the tiny hill towns before entering the inner core. There's a handy designated parking lot for visitors in Grazalema, for example, that is easy to reach. If you find yourself in really quaint and cute Gaucin, just park before entering the maze, as the town is totally walkable, and don't forget to see the church and castle at the top. (Casablanca does really nice lunches too!)
We've also had a Ford Focus and Opel Astra (the Corsa is smaller) in the white towns, which we managed o.k. , but I will never, ever again accept a Renault Scenic ("mini mini-van"), category D. For me at the wheel, it was a nightmare!

You might do better with Carjet we are booked with them for April at Malaga airport. Prices are 120 to 133 euros for compact with a/c. You do not have to pay until you arrive just have to make the reservation by end of March. Marge

Once again, Fodors readers come through! I'm in the process of booking a compact car rental for the 1st 2 weeks of April picking up from Malaga airport. Nova gave me a $425 price and Autoeurope quoted more than $600 for the same car/same time. I read the recent threads that included www.carjet.com as a source of cheap rentals, so I checked out the site and within a couple of minutes had a quote back for $279. I'm interested in any feedback from anyone who's used carjet but I think I'll go with them, barring any scathing reports.
Thanks, Fodorites!

Who did you end up renting your car from?

We found our best deal with kasbah.com, about $158 euros for 6 days. They were a little cheaper than carjet.

lexusb:
In the past I've always used Auto Europe who say they will meet or beat any price but they've apparently been unable to meet or beat the carjet price of $279 (or at least haven't gotten back to me despite several reassuring emails that they're "working on it.") So I'll probably take a chance and go with carjet, see how it works out. BTW, their website is the most user-friendly site I've ever encountered and the quote took mere seconds, so that's all the more reason for me to stick with them. I'll post after we get back if I have any strong pro or con opinions but they've been very responsive to date and assure me that the $279 is totally inclusive except for fuel.