Car rental: prices will remain high this year

2023 should look remarkably like 2022 in terms of car rental with a shortage of vehicles mechanically affecting prices. For users, the only slogan to take into account for this year will be “anticipation” to avoid an astronomical bill.

According to the Carigami comparator, the average price in 2022 has skyrocketed by 38% in France, that is, 447 euros for a week of car rental. An amount that can reach 487 euros in Bordeaux (+80% in 2 years) or even in Figari in Corsica (+151%).

“The rise in prices has particularly penalized Corsica, where supply difficulties have further limited the available supply. For the first year, Carigami observes that there is no Corsican city on the podium of the most popular destinations”, explains the company.

The platform notes a slow improvement in the offer of new cars from rental companies “but we are going very far with a defective stock of 30%”, observes for BFM Business, Pierre Feisthauer, director of development of Carigami.

fewer options

“We are still very far from the mark and we do not expect a return to normality before 2024. This year we run the risk of starting with the same mole with stocks in low and medium season and blockages in high season and on the islands,” he continues. . .

The new consumption habits adopted last year should therefore increase this year. In 2022, rentals were contracted 39 days on average before departure, compared to 29 days in 2021.

“Customers book earlier due to scarcity and prices and this approach will continue, we will not go back. Now, we rent in the spring around April-May for the summer holidays when traditionally it was more like mid-June,” explains Pierre Feisthauer . .

At the same time, customers are making significant savings on options: in 2022, the share of rentals with additional insurance has fallen: 23% in 2022 compared to 27% in 2019.

Enough to cause significant changes among rental companies, “the entire chain is upset, especially in terms of advertising campaigns,” he adds.