Seasonal Warning as Hiring a Car could be over £100 more expensive this Winter

The Car Hire Insurance specialist company - iCarhireinsurance.com posted an altert on their website last Thursday say in that  "Hiring a car could be over £100 more expensive this Winter"
Winter tyres and snow chains on hire cars, known as ‘winterisation charges’, are compulsory in some areas and can be up to £114.

iCarhireinsurance.com, the leading provider of stand-alone car hire excess insurance, researched the costs of five rental companies in seven European ski gateways (i.e., Geneva, Grenoble, Innsbruck, Barcelona, Turin, Sophia and Inverness) for a week's hire from 27 December 2014 to 3 January 2015.
It found the average 'winterisation' cost across the seven destinations was over £40, but could be up to £114 in Geneva with Avis, significantly increasing a customer's overall rental cost.

Paying the winterisation charge of almost £60 in Barcelona with Budget, for instance, represents an additional 30% on the original hire cost.
In Austria and Germany winter tyres are mandatory, yet despite this Avis levy a 'winterisation' charge of £25 in Innsbruck. Snow chains must also used, where instructed in mountainous areas, in France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Austria and Andorra.
 
The 'winterisation' cost is included in the rental price in some instances but this varies greatly, for example Budget did not charge extra in Geneva or Innsbruck but charged £57 in Barcelona, £40 in Turin and £24 in Grenoble. In Barcelona all five rental companies charged a 'winterisation' fee averaging £53.

"Car hire companies are well known for surprise snowballing costs at the rental desk," said Ernesto Suarez, CEO and founder of iCarhireinsurance.com. "Why each individual customer should be held to account for winter tyres that have been changed once for the winter season is ludicrous and is another example of hidden costs that can make the original rental price not such a good deal."

This has been picked up by The Mail on Sunday yesterday who said in the headline "Warning for winter holidaymakers as European car hire companies add extra charges for snow chains and all-season tyres (but you'll be OK in Inverness)"

iCahireinsurance has also produced some excellent driving tips for winter driving. These are extremely useful whether you are hiring a car or taking your own car to other European countries.

For example if you are going to Italy you should carry snow chains and use as directed by local signs. Winter tyres are recommended, but are not compulsory. Mind you at the moment seeing all the videos and photos of flooding in the north your car really needs swimming pool arm bands!

To find out more about iCarhireinsurance car and van hire excess insurance, follow this link.