My working life has nothing to do with car rental in Spain but because I contribute to this web site naturally I need to have an idea of what is going on within the industry. I have just Googled car hire in Spain and found advertised rates at £4 per day. I then did the same for Alicante and found a rate of £1.71 per day! The last Café Latte I had was £2.25!

What these advertisers do not tell you of course is that when you collect your car you will need to pay (it is compulsory) a hefty fee for fuel. These cheap headline prices are always based on a full-to-empty fuel policy. When faced with these charges the renter will shout “rip off” because their final bill is so much more than the £1.71 per day that they were expecting. In reality can you really expect to drive away a vehicle worth thousands of British Pounds (or Euros) for less than the cost of a cup of coffee?

The answer is of course “no” or at least you shouldn´t, otherwise you will indeed be disappointed.

Drivalia, like most car rental companies, does offer a basic full-to-empty rate but what sets them apart from the rest is that they indicate on their website just what you can expect to pay as extras.

They were also one of the first companies to offer a full-to-full fuel policy for those not expecting to drive long distances or for those who simply prefer to be in control of how much they pay for fuel. On this policy the renter simply pays for fuel at pump prices, as they go. Provided the vehicle is returned full there is nothing more to pay.

In spite of such improvements the car rental customer has become more and more frustrated with the car rental industry as it has become more and more difficult to work out in advance just what the car hire bill will be.

Even though Drivalia sets out all their charges on the website the company directors recognised that frustration and even confusion persisted. With that in mind, they recently launched their Ultimate package which includes absolutely everything you need in a car rental package, and a little bit more beside.

With Drivalia’s Ultimate package you pay the company nothing for fuel, just take it full and return it full. You get an additional driver free and you get fully inclusive insurance cover so there is no need to leave a deposit; and you can even use a debit card to pay.

Naturally the final bill will be a lot more than a cup of coffee but then so too would it be if you went the supposed cheap car hire route.

I have been a customer of Drivalia for around 4 years now. Obviously since I am writing on their blog I am biased but I like the people behind the company: they care about delivering an honest service at an honest price. Personally I respect these values and I will always support companies that truly live them. Any potential renter who takes the time to read the “What’s Included” page can be clear about what they can expect to pay for their car rental in Alicante or Mallorca; and for complete peace of mind they now have the option of the Ultimate package. Use the online booking form to find the cost of your “Ultimate” car rental in Alicante or Mallorca.