One way car hire - anyone done it???

prb007

In the early stages of planning E2E Italy next May (2015)...planning to do it in 9 days, flying into Nice with Easyjet from Bristol then 90/100 miles or so per day down to Bari, then fly back to Gatwick.
Done a few E2E's over the last couple of years (JoGLE and France) and we've always used a sagwagon/support van, which is, logistically, a headache for Italy (although a mate is willing to take his Vauxhall Vivaro and drive it back solo from Bari!)
So my question is, does anyone have any experience of one way car hire (i.e hiring an estate car/MPV and taking it back to a DIFFERENT airport? Is this feasible with the major players in the car rental market (Avis/Hertz/Sixt/Europcar etc?).

Barbarossa

Quite standard, done it lots of times, they usually add a small surcharge. BUT I think it may be difficult to do if the pickup and drop-off are in different countries.

lesfirth

I have done it in Spain. Murcia to near Gibraltar. There was a big difference in quotes. Some want to charge you for a driver to take the car back. I can not remember which company I used, it was one of the big ones,but the cost was quite reasonable.

hdow

Stick your details in the search engines for each of the companies you list & see what happens

Have often done one way hires but always in the same country. Don't know if we can call Glasgow to Leeds one country anymore though

harry D

e17blade

I have done it quite a few times with most of the major companies - it hasn't ever been a problem at all.


Dave

prb007

Shopped around and was coming in close to £1500 - the picking up in France and dropping off in Italy wasn't helping! Changed the airport to Bergamo and it came down a cpl hundred quid, then mentioned it to a mate in work and he's offered to drive his Vivaro van down and back, provided we cover his Chunnel costs, fuel and room & board - so all sorted...personally I think he's slightly unhinged, but one volunteer is better than ten pressed men!!
We've more or less settled on flying into Bergamo (ME of Milan) and home from Bari (by the heel!), rather than cycling on to Sicily, so not strictly speaking, E2E, but nevertheless 800+ miles in Nine days is not to be sniffed at...can't wait!
Planning to take in Tuscany (Florence/Siena), then via Rome and Naples (up Vesuvius) and the Amalfi coast before heading East to Bari - wish us luck!