Cross-border car hire - from the Times Online
I am trying to book a hire car in September from Malaga airport for a week in Spain, then driving to Portugal for another week’s holiday. I have not yet managed to find a hire company that will let me return the car to Faro airport. Do you have any suggestions? Alan De-Rozario, via e-mail
Julia Brookes of Times Travel's Readers' Forum responds: It’s not possible to book this sort of trip online, but over the phone it posed no problem for Avis (0870 0100287), which would rent you a medium-sized car such as a Vauxhall Astra in September for £818.45, including unlimited mileage, collision damage waiver, theft protection, airport fee, tax and one-way fee.
Hertz quoted £832 for the same package. It’s far more expensive than an ordinary rental because of the hefty one-way fee (£365 in Avis’s case). Each Avis franchise has its own fleet and needs to return its cars to base.