A rare overcast day, so a few jottings.
My 4th consecutive year to the Costa Blanca with friends, same location, 6-8 weeks alternate years, although 10 weeks now booked for 2020. Normally early February >early April to escape the ravages of a Y Dales winter.
Bar one direct booking with Autoclick, all bookings, including shorter periods in May and October, have been with DoYouSpain as the broker. Normally Firefly, who allow both free cancellation and additional driver, but this year 4 bookings with OK Cars, including the 48 hour rental on Ibiza.
I can never understand why a single 8 week rental period would cost €800+, but three rental sectors over the same period only costs us €250, including extra fuel and autopista tolls on the two changeover days. We begin looking at rentals in December, and if a significant saving occurs, cancel the Firefly booking and rebook at the cheaper rate. Our first 3 OK Car rental collections went without any hard sell on their insurance. Yesterday the agent really went OTT persistently pushing their insurance, rather than leaving us with the €1200 excess ( which is covered by our annual U.K. CDW policies).
Cars have ranged from a 7 seat Zafira when we requested a Fiesta ( or similar) various Leons, Focus estate, Fiat 500Ls, Renault Kaptur, C3, 208 and our current 2018 model 308.
The 3cyl 125 bhp Focus estate was a nice driver, as was the 208 1.2 Allure model ( bhp unknown but reversing camera!) and both Leon’s. The current 308, a 6 speed Allure 130 shod with new Michelin Pilot Sport 3s on 225/40/R18 rubber is a vast improvement over the earlier 308. Quiet, no rattles, high quality interior with pale headlining so it doesn’t feel like the interior of a coal mine. Intuitive touchscreen although I prefer knobs, dials and switches for heater controls.
OK Cars at both depots, Ibiza and Alicante airports, had an extensive range of nice machinery...X3, X4, X5, Audi’s, BMW 2,3,5 series and convertibles, RREvoques by the dozen! No sign of any VWs at either depot.
I’ve just booked a Golf ‘or similar’ with Firefly for two weeks mid May, knowing full well it will be a Leon, which isn’t a problem at all.
|
Ramblings on rentals new