Goldcar Car Hire - Avoid at all costs

Will do...:smile:
Taking the 848 bitsa thingy.

 

Get petrol and find a way to use the fuel for the bike...saves hassle and cash ;-)

 

Any wonder no one goes to the f'ing country!
Well suppose I am...

 

I was skanked by firefly Alicante last year. Booked the car a week before I flew, car was 250 euros and a deposit of 450 euros which I was told would be refunded upon safe return of the car. As stated on their website. I asked the girl at the desk about alternative arrangements, as I had a 7.am return flight... as they did not open until 8am was curious how the deposit would be returned. " Nothing we can do. you will have to take out insurance instead.

I had been in spain less than an hour drove out the airport 550 euros lighter, (robbing bastardos!)

 

If you have three or four people, frankly you are better off driving to Spain than flying. Expect the journey to cost about £350 each way.

You won't get three airline tickets and a rental car for that.

 

When i go to visit my folks in Spain it is almost the same cost to fly/hire as it is to drive down!

The only difference is the time you spend at your destination as you can do it all in a day by plane or 2/3 days each way if you drive.

I too had some fun with a hire car company at Alicante airport, booked on line paid and when i collected my card was refused so had to use several different ones to find a E1500 deposit from the airport cash machine!
And when i took it back they argued the toss on the missing spare wheel, when a pump and can of stuff was all that was in the boot! They where going to try and keep the deposit as they did not believe that a new car would not come with a spare wheel.

Clowns i dislike hire car companies as they can charge you without you knowing anything about it!

 

This is very true. I'm planning on driving down at some point in 2014, but to shake it up a bit I'm going to take two weeks, we will leave Torrevieja after a week (dad will leave his car at Alicante airport) and spend a week meandering around southern France (and possibly Corsica) dropping them at Charles de Gaulle airport on the final day. They then fly back up Alicante and I go back to the UK.

I hear Corsica is a great location for diving and snorkelling too, so at least one day I can spend a day in the water and they can go sightseeing.

I've found the key to having a really great relationship with your parents is to spend time with them, but spend a little time partaking in separate activities. They are approaching their 70's and gave different levels of energy and interest to me. If i try and get them to keep up with me they get worn out, but i get frustrated taking life at their pace.

The other advantage of taking the car is that while a shorty wetsuit, fins and a snorkel don't take up much luggage space, when you fly hand luggage only it pretty much takes up half the space and weight you have, so it leaves you a little tight for luggage for two weeks.

 

If 4 of you are going just get ferry to Santander, at least a day travelling is then more comfortable

 

I had a similar experiance with Goldcar, theiving bastards, will never use them again. Also, another to watch out for is Green Motion here in London, the worst hire company in the world, never experienced anything like it. Stay well clear

 

Any hire company with a colour in its name! :wink: