Hi. Planning on a trip from UK to Los Alcazares next winter, and staying around 11 weeks. Considering flying, so would need to hire a car from Alicante airport. We have a small dog so must allow dog in car. Grateful for any recommendations.
Posted: Sun Feb 4, 2024 8:47am
Super helpful member
Dont think theres any airlines that allow dogs any more…most people either get the ferry or drive through France…
Posted: Sun Feb 4, 2024 9:38am
Give Clarity Cars a try +34 711 00 26 00 . They are based in Los Alcázares, but would meet you at the airport.
Posted: Sun Feb 4, 2024 10:06am
Iain05 wrote on Sun Feb 4, 2024 9:38am:
Give Clarity Cars a try +34 711 00 26 00 . They are based in Los Alcázares, but would meet you at the airport.
Thank you very much for your reply.
Posted: Sun Feb 4, 2024 10:09am
crissywissy wrote on Sun Feb 4, 2024 8:47am:
Dont think theres any airlines that allow dogs any more…most people either get the ferry or drive through France…
Hi crissywissy. Thanks for your reply. We could fly with Tui with our doggy. Looking at ferry option as well though.
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Avoid Gold car - bandits.
We always hire from Centauro. Full insurance cover so no worries. You have to make sure insurance covers everything otherwise some companies say you’ve dented scraped or done something to it to keep your deposit ! We’ve just hired for a month but in March it’s just as much to hire a car for 2 weeks as a month 🤷♀️ so don’t know. Have used several times and had no problems.
I always check car before leaving airport and photograph any dents, scrapes or blemishes just to be sure !
Posted: Sun Feb 4, 2024 11:31am
Remy wrote on Sun Feb 4, 2024 11:15am:
Avoid Gold car - bandits.
We always hire from Centauro. Full insurance cover so no worries. You have to make sure insurance covers everything otherwise some companies say you’ve dented scraped or done something to it to keep your deposit ! We’ve just hired for a month but in March it’s just as muc...
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...h to hire a car for 2 weeks as a month 🤷♀️ so don’t know. Have used several times and had no problems.
I always check car before leaving airport and photograph any dents, scrapes or blemishes just to be sure !
Thank you Remy. This is why I’m looking into this thoroughly before we decide whether to use the ferry and our own car for the trip. Not done this before, so I’m being mega-careful and looking into everything!
Posted: Sun Feb 4, 2024 1:35pm
Super helpful member
Hornplayer wrote on Sun Feb 4, 2024 10:09am:
Hi crissywissy. Thanks for your reply. We could fly with Tui with our doggy. Looking at ferry option as well though.
Really? Where from?
A friend who is a vet advised not to fly dogs in the hold of planes unless you absolutely have to - he says there is a disproportionate percentage of deaths and he would never do it. I think TAP (Portuguese airline) allows very small dogs in the cabin - but you're talking chihuahua size!
If you feel confident & competent to drive, then take your time, drive through France; or take the Bilbao / Santander to Plymouth / Portsmouth ferries. On the ferries, you can either have the dog in onboard kennels or even book a cabin where your dog can stay with you. However, these get booked up almost a year ahead. If driving, many hotels in France accept dogs, even budget brands such as Ibis. You can do it in 2 days, but I would allow 3 to enable more exercise & pee stops!
If you then register your dog in Spain and have a 'european passport' for him/her, this is far simpler and cheaper than bringing your dog from the UK, when you will need a certificate every trip. However, you will still need to have a vet check him/her out and give a anti-rabies vaccine every time you return to the UK.
Car Hire - Avoid Goldcar - both from personal experience and reports from others. Before I moved here, I used Centauro, who were decent value and I never had an issue with them. Note - almost all car hire companies will only hire a car for a maximum of 30 days, or the few that take longer hires, require you to bring the car back to be checked every 30 days, so this is an inconvenience, but that's just their rules!
Hope this helps!
Posted: Sun Feb 4, 2024 3:44pm
crissywissy wrote on Sun Feb 4, 2024 1:35pm:
Really? Where from?
Manchester. But they have to go in the hold. Most airlines won't take them at all.
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