DiscoverCars.com has conducted internal research to compare the cost of renting a car in the summer and winter months. They worked out the average cost to rent a car in different countries using their records of rentals from over 180 countries over the past year.
The average cost to rent a car in summer is £37.06 per day, compared to £24.68 in winter – a difference of one-third, at 33.4%.
DiscoverCars.com looked at their data regarding the average cost to rent a car in the months December, January and February compared to the months June, July and August. The prices in some of the most popular destinations were revealed to be as much as three-quarters cheaper in the winter months.
| Ten of the most popular destinations | Winter price | Summer price | Percentage price difference |
| Balearic Islands | £7.23 | £29.25 | -75% |
| Crete | £7.72 | £34.49 | -78% |
| Croatia | £14.53 | £33.31 | -56% |
| Italy | £15.73 | £39.89 | -61% |
| Morocco | £16.59 | £28.37 | -42% |
| Poland | £15.36 | £21.07 | -27% |
| Portugal | £12.15 | £30.51 | -60% |
| Sicily | £8.55 | £37.79 | -77% |
| Spain | £16.30 | £23.71 | -31% |
| Turkey | £14.82 | £35.90 | -59% |
In many cases, the price difference is staggering. The Balearic Islands, Crete and Sicily are all three quarters cheaper in winter. However, even locations with a much smaller seasonal price difference demonstrate that holidaymakers can save on their car rental costs by traveling in winter.
Cheapest places (winter months)
- Sardinia – £6.09
- Balearic Islands – £7.23
- Crete – £7.72
- Sicily – £8.55
- Montenegro – £8.67
The lowest average price of all to rent a car in the winter is a very affordable £6.09, on the Italian island of Sardinia. This beautiful island is home to picturesque villages and winding mountain roads for a scenic drive. Astonishingly, there are two other destinations where you can rent a car at a cost of less than £8.53 per day – the Balearic Islands of Spain, at £7.23, and the Greek island of Crete, at only £7.72.
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