Liberator

Feb 18, 2020

Good value and no problems

Reserved a VW Polo or similar and got an almost new Dacia Sandero Stepway in excellent condition which is perhaps not as refined as a VW Polo but very roomy and well suited to the rugged La Palma terrain. At La Palma airport the staff were very helpful, polite and spoke good English. They provided 2 free child seats as promised which not all car hire companies offer. It was not difficult to find their counter in the car park under the airport terminal. If you have bought your own annual excess insurance cover (as I have) then you may decide not to opt for the Topcar full excess cover, however this also means as per their terms and conditions that you are actually charged 500 euros deposit on your credit card (can be more on more expensive car models) which should be refunded promptly upon return of the undamaged car, so you may gain or lose a little on any currency exchange changes. I used a Halifax Clarity credit card so I don't expect any additional international transaction charges. Fuel policy is same to same. Car still on hire so see how things go... Update 2/3/20 After 1 week I returned the car which performed faultlessly and it was accepted all smiles without any problems. There is a small "Disa" petrol station at the airport with fair prices - it can get quite busy with several cars queuing so arrive in good time. My credit card had the 500 euro deposit appear as refunded within 2 working days of returning the car to Topcar and I gained the equivalent of 2 UK pounds as the pound had slightly weakened during the week of hire. The way I look at the deposit requirement is that the hire car company was very competitive on price and trusting me with 10,000 euros worth of car with no credit history checks, so asking for a refundable 500 euro credit card payment was not unreasonable. A 500 euro excess amount when using your own excess insurance is not too bad - I've had to put up with a 1500 euro excess with another well known international car hire company. Also, the child seats provided were of high quality and baggage trolleys were readily available upon return of the car which not all airports/hire car companies think about. Thanks Topcar for allowing me to visit so much of the beautiful La Palma. Will use again.