Anyone here use Bordeaux airport, and have a recommendation for car hire?
Pretty much all of them get terrible reviews so I’m sure I’m going to get rinsed. If anyone can point me in the right direction that would be great.

Used Hertz I think last year. TBH they all had hideously long queues and took ages to get served. Usual must upgrade insurance etc. Did have the car seats we’d ordered and the car itself was clean, undamaged and had 4 legal tyres.

Returning it was pretty straightforward and the people returning the one with a large series of dents down 1 side didn’t seem too stressed.

Just add an hour to whatever time you think you might get away from the airport. However checking in for return flight was pretty hideous. Queued to check in, then queued to drop bags then rushed through security and straight onto plane. Main reason we are trying somewhere else this year.

Thanks Bruk.

Just been through in the last few weeks with Budget and they were ok. It’s not a big airport and we were travelling out and back on a Sunday, so didn’t experience huge queues.

Travelled to Bordeaux last month and rented with Alamo, which is a partnership with Enterprise at Bordeax, they don’t have their own desk.

Can’t fault them. Queue was the shortest of any and I walked straight to the desk, pickup and drop off process were both very quick and no hard sell on upgrades. Was given the option of 2 different cars, both of which were brand new.

I use Enterprise.

Oh that’s good, I guess the only people that review are the big complainers.

I’ve never had a problem, even banged a wheel into a kerb and they didn’t charge me, been using them for most trips unless I’m driving down.

I tend to find Autoeurope has the cheapest combos around (they are sort of a price comparison service) and offer their own top-up insurance too

Go there every year, AVOID GOLDENCAR like the plague, biggest scam merchants ever. I’ve used Enterprise and Europcar in the past, OK but the queues are ridiculously long. You queue at the desk to get the paperwork done, then queue at the cabin to get your car. If you are going as a family with hold luggage then leave one adult to get the baggage whilst the other goes straight through to get the car.

Yeah, but as the queues come out of the planes, it’s kinda expected…

I hire a car in France every couple of weeks. Often at Bordeaux. I use Holidayautos.com and Rentalcars.com for price comparison. Use both as sometimes the same deal is much cheaper on one of the sites.

I generally pick the cheapest but I buy an annual car hire excess insurance policy – £38 pa from icarhireinsurance. Otherwise they will try and charge you about £20 a day for the same cover at hire desk.

To avoid queues trick is to get off the plane first – sit near front or back doors and then peg it passport control and then to hire desk. Check the airport layout online before you go so you know which way you are heading.

If you fly in on a budget airline to Bordeaux you will fly into the basic terminal. Out the door and back into the main terminal for some of the hire companies but others are in the car park just outside arrivals.

Photograph the car before you take it and again when you return it – make sure the hire desk notes all marks on it.

Avoid Goldcar.

hth

Got fleeced last year.
Booked through rentalcars.com and whichever company they had booked me with were partnered with Hertz and sure enough they got me to sign for extra insurance despite me showing them I had some in place already.
Managed to slip it under the radar whilst trying to upgrade the car we booked..
Will be more alert this time round.