A new study of car hire costs in Europe this Easter reveals that the average price to hire a car has fallen to £283, down from £311 in 2024 and £373 in 2023, and £457 in 2022.
With costs now on average only 25% higher than in 2019, when the average was £226.
The study by iCarhireinsurance.com, a leading provider of stand-alone car hire excess insurance, looked at the cost of hiring a medium compact car (e.g., a VW Golf or Peugeot 308) for a week (19-26 April 2025) in five popular Easter destinations – Barcelona, Milan, Larnaca, Nice and Tenerife – from six rental companies: Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz & Sixt.
The findings were then compared (1) to the same week in 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2019.
Cheapest and most expensive destinations
• Tenerife offers the best deals (2), with weekly rates as low as £106.
• While some destinations have become cheaper—Barcelona (down 8%), Nice (down 23%), and Tenerife (down 37%)—others have risen in price. Milan (up 9%) from £339 to £369, and Larnaca up 34% from an average £165 to £221.
Beware of hidden extras
Car hire costs can quickly spiral, however, when extras are purchased from the rental desk. For example, a compact car in Tenerife costs around £156 for the week’s hire, however add-ons – including car hire excess protection (£148), tyre and windscreen excess protection (£54), an extra driver (£84), sat nav hire (£83) and a child’s car seat (£67) – can push the total to £592, over three times the original quote.
The most expensive purchase from the rental company is usually car hire excess protection which protects a hirer from having to pay the excess amount if the hire car is damaged or stolen, which can be as high as £1,500. The rental companies charge, on average, £167 for a week’s car hire excess protection and £39 for a tyre and windscreen excess policy – a total of £206.
Buying a standalone car hire excess reimbursement policy from a specialist provider like iCarhireinsurance.com, before you travel, costs from £33.15 (3) for a week’s protection (or from £41.99 (3) for an annual policy) and includes damage, theft, and tyre and windscreen cover.
Ben Wooltorton, iCarhireinsurance.com, said: “There are still good deals to be had this Easter—particularly in destinations like Tenerife, where you can rent a car for around £100. However, it’s easy to get caught out by expensive extras at the rental desk. Bringing your own sat nav and child car seat, and buying car hire excess protection from a specialist insurer, like iCarhireinsurance.com before you travel, can help you avoid paying over the odds.”
Car Hire Costs Study – Average costs shown for a week over Easter hiring a medium compact car, not including any extras. NB. No European data for 2020 and 2021.
2019 2022 2023 2024 2025 % change of 2025 price
compared to 2024 price
Barcelona £256 £530 £284 £312 £287 Down 8%
Nice £271 £470 £519 £494 £381 Down 23%
Tenerife £155 £345 £257 £247 £156 Down 37%
Larnaca £146 £362 £227 £165 £221 Up 34%
Milan £304 £571 £580 £339 £369 Up 9%
Average £226 £456 £373 £311 £283 Down 9%
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