This problem is affecting all traditional tourist markets - and the Algarve is no exception - to the point that it is already common for tour operators to advise travelers to first guarantee the reservation of their rental car before booking their flight. In other words, book your vacation according to the availability of the rental car.
In recent months, vaccinations have sparked a travel boom as more people take to the skies to restart touristic holidays abroad.
But this comes at a time that rental fleets have shrunk.
When demand dropped last year during the pandemic, some companies, already weakened, could not stand it and went bankrupt. The example is that of a large American company that, due to its closure, withdrew about 1 million cars from the market.
Other companies sold off a large proportion of their rental fleets to raise cash to get through the desert crossing.
The uncertainty regarding the resumption of travel and tourism and the consequent difficulty in deciding on the purchase of new cars to renew the rent-a-car fleets, makes the rental car companies prepare to face the high season of tourism with less cars in their fleets.
Even for those companies that were looking for cars to buy a new difficulty arose: A shortage of semiconductor chips used in high-tech automotive systems, as well as a scarcity of rubber and steel, has slowed auto plants and the production of new cars.
In some markets, the closing of reserves for the summer has already been reached.
So do not make it easy, if you intend to go to the Algarve on this summer vacation start making reservations for your rental car now because if you leave too late you may well be faced with the unavailability of rental cars for your holidays .
At You Drive we are looking forward to receiving your Faro airport car hire reservation for this summer and we wish you a great vacation back to the Algarve.