A lack of availability as well as rocketing prices is likely to continue to affect car hire customers in 2010 just as it did in 2009 according to industry experts. The recession has meant that car rental firms have been unable to secure the required loans to expand their fleets. This in turn has meant that car hire companies have been forced to push prices up for rental of their remaining limited number of vehicles.

This year some airport car rental prices featured on car hire comparison site Carrentals.co.uk almost doubled compared to a year previously. At Gibraltar Airport prices were up by as much as sixty-five percent; at Alicante Airport they were up by as much as eighty-seven percent and in Toulouse the price of renting a vehicle in some cases was up by ninety-six percent.

Spokesman for easyCar, Gareth Coles said that the expectation was that the effects of the recession would begin to ease throughout next year. He said that the demand for vehicles would probably rise but that car rental firms were still uncertain as to whether they would be able to secure the necessary loans to start expanding their fleets. This is likely to put pressure on companies as they struggle to cope with demand.

The advice from the industry is for those wishing to book car hire to do so as far ahead of their journey as possible, especially if they intend to travel during peak periods. This will mean that customers have more chance of securing the cheapest deals as well as the type of vehicle they require.