We’ve seen a 30% increase in car hire prices for August this summer in comparison to bookings made for the same month last year. Looking at ten of our most popular destinations for car hire, we saw that for bookings made between March and May for August, the average price of a vehicle rental had risen by 30% in 2010 in comparison to 2009.

The full list of destinations analysed comprised Spain, UK, France, Croatia, Italy, Turkey, Portugal and Madeira, Greece, USA and Ireland. Interestingly, those destinations outside the Eurozone saw the biggest price increases, with Turkey recording the biggest increase at 76% and an average daily rental price of £40.08 for August 2010, followed by the USA with a price increase of 48% (£37.14) and Croatia at 46% (£38.27).

The strength of the Euro has seen travellers looking to escape the Eurozone for better exchange rates, but this in turn has pushed car hire prices up, with there being higher demand for cars in destinations such as Croatia, USA and Turkey.

The best way to guarantee cheaper car rental is by booking as earlier as you can. From these figures we saw that customers who booked their August car hire in March often saved over £150 in comparison to those who waited until May to book. Not only are vehicles cheaper if you book early, but you also have a bigger choice from what’s available, so always try and book as soon as you can.