Many visitors to the Algarve in the summer of 2009 had their holiday planning disrupted by the rental car shortage crisis which hit both Spain and Portugal. This article looks at the prospect of a similar shortage in 2010.

If you were a visitor to the Algarve in the Summer of 2009 you were probably affected by the lack of rental vehicles available. Matt May from Blue Valley Car Hire who provide Faro Airport car hire explains "the recession hit Portugal just like the rest of Europe. The rental companies could not obtain the credit to rent in additional cars for the busy summer period. The result was a severe shortage of cars which meant that prices rocketed. Tourists were having to pay 400 to 500 Euros a week for a small rental car, which is double the normal summer price.

"The reason was that the local rental companies did not have the normal volume of cars available, and were having to pay high prices to acquire cars at the last minute. The poor English summer weather made the situation worse with a lot of last minute holidaymakers heading for the Spain and the Algarve.

The information that we have from our local suppliers in the Algarve is that the situation will be as bad if not worse in 2010.The best way of ensuring you get the best rental deal is to book as early as possible."