#1 2012-04-04 15:14:05
- Sliema <3
- Active member
- From: Qala, Gozo
- Registered: 2011-08-23
- Posts: 29
Car hire recommendations
My parents are coming over for a week in May and are insisting on hiring a car. Can anyone recommend reasonably priced, established companies?
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#2 2012-04-04 15:34:37
- scubaboy
- EB member +

- From: birzebbuga
- Registered: 2011-02-06
- Posts: 722
Re: Car hire recommendations
I would suggest that you go on the Airmalta website (Even if the flight isnt with them) and click on car hire... they use a cartrawler site that searches them all.
Alternatively use the ryanair website.
Julian
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#3 2012-04-04 15:47:54
- toonarmy9752
- ViP

- From: Mellieha
- Registered: 2011-06-04
- Posts: 2302
Re: Car hire recommendations
KWL at Qawra is pretty good and will deliver car to airport for collection...
these are supposed to be good too http://www.maltabest.com/
Last edited by toonarmy9752 (2012-04-04 15:48:45)
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#4 2012-04-04 21:31:58
- ash73
- Active member
- From: Sliema
- Registered: 2012-04-02
- Posts: 29
Re: Car hire recommendations
I live here and use raybezzinacarhire.com all the time. Graizella is great just book online and they will deliver anywhere for free and if you book for early in the morning she usually leaves it to you the previous evening at no extra cost. Example being my wee boy had party in Popeye Village last weekend, taxi there and back €54, got a 107 for €13.50 from Saturday evening until Monday morning.
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#5 2012-04-05 10:17:47
- toonarmy9752
- ViP

- From: Mellieha
- Registered: 2011-06-04
- Posts: 2302
Re: Car hire recommendations
wow man thats excellent....
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#6 2012-04-10 02:57:48
- pipster
- New member

- From: Gosport
- Registered: 2012-04-10
- Posts: 2
Re: Car hire recommendations
Hi there.
I would reccomend a qawra based company callled Freeways (freewaysmalta.com)
I have used them for the last 2 years whilst holidaying on Malta and have had excellent service from them. Their pricing is very reasonable too, for example this june I will be hiring a large estate car from them for a week, and with collection from the airport and drop off at the airport is works out to be 147 Euro for the week.
hope this helps
Phillip
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#7 2012-04-10 18:39:43
- biddy
- Active member

- From: Vereeniging
- Registered: 2011-04-28
- Posts: 65
Re: Car hire recommendations
Just checking!!Our landlord for May and June offered us a good deal on a small car. Is this a scam or legit? No comeback if it's in poor condition as everything is paid up-front. All rather worrying.
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#8 2012-04-10 19:26:00
- ricky
- Malta Animator
- From: Sliema
- Registered: 2009-09-06
- Posts: 2213
Re: Car hire recommendations
Hard to say not knowing anymore details -)))
May and June are still a bit off season.
Cheers
Ricky
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#9 2012-04-10 19:57:46
- rooikat
- Serial expat

- From: Qormi
- Registered: 2011-01-08
- Posts: 241
Re: Car hire recommendations
We have been offered car deals with our holiday rentals - but we only agree to the car part of it after we have arrived, so do not pay upfront for it. My advice would be to decline the offer until you arrive and see what you are getting. The landlord gets commission from the car people, so it's in their interest to discuss it with you even after you arrive, he will still be keen to get his cut. If he's not prepared to wait for your arrival I would be worried!
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#10 2012-04-10 20:11:09
- toonarmy9752
- ViP

- From: Mellieha
- Registered: 2011-06-04
- Posts: 2302
Re: Car hire recommendations
check on the insurance cover too.....
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#11 2012-04-11 17:20:16
- djinn
- Active member
- From: Senglea
- Registered: 2010-08-01
- Posts: 45
Re: Car hire recommendations
Budget has always given me very good service. If anything happens, such companies have a 24hour emergency service that a private person won't provide. On the other hand, the excess in case of accident has gone up a lot.
Check also John's Garage.
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#12 2012-04-22 20:27:37
- biddy
- Active member

- From: Vereeniging
- Registered: 2011-04-28
- Posts: 65
Re: Car hire recommendations
Have used martinsmoneytips[at]moneysavingexpert.com to get the best deal on a car. Apparently this site sends out weekly news letters with advice and good deals on almost anything - hotels, flights etc. Try it!
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#13 2012-07-26 18:07:19
- jmateos
- New member
- Registered: 2012-07-26
- Posts: 4
Re: Car hire recommendations
Never hire a car on RayBezzina car hire.
We have been robbed by then on our credit cards.
We had lot of problems with them, and once we paid, and they get extra charges on our accounts, they don´t answer or attend our claims. They are now actually lying to the company throug we found them, atlaschoice trying to justify twice the money signed on our account for an accident on Malta.
We are now sueing against them to recover the money.
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#14 2012-07-26 18:41:12
- ricky
- Malta Animator
- From: Sliema
- Registered: 2009-09-06
- Posts: 2213
Re: Car hire recommendations
Hi jmateos,
welcome to the forum.
You are making strong allegations against this company.
Others report good experiences with them. Did you have an accident with the hired car or cause damage otherwise?
I hope the issue is resolved soon.
Cheers
Ricky
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#15 2012-07-26 18:50:05
- djinn
- Active member
- From: Senglea
- Registered: 2010-08-01
- Posts: 45
Re: Car hire recommendations
Hi jmateos, I don't know that company but there's always an excess in case of accident or damage & it's common practice that the rental co. will later debit your credit card for the damages (plus an office charge for the extra work). You must check the amount of the excess on the contract you signed when you rented the car.I'd mentioned excess in my post last april, as it may vary and can be very high.
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#16 2012-07-26 18:58:04
- jmateos
- New member
- Registered: 2012-07-26
- Posts: 4
Re: Car hire recommendations
Hello Ricky,
Strong is been cheated that way by them.
We had an accident, little damages, a wheel and a stripe on our car, and insignificant stripe on the other one (the other car at first time wanted to go without advice the insurance). Once in buggiba, on Raybezzina office we signed a deposit for the insurance for 500 euros (plus a unsigned commision of 15€ imposed by them for paying with Visa). They try several times with the Card saying that the operation was denied. When we came back, we saw the 500€ charge plus two more unexpected charges, we have been trying to solve the situation for 2 months. They don´t respond, and they are lying to Atlaschoice saying that the amount of money is different than the bill that we have. They also don´t want to give any information of the resollution by the police or the insurance about the accident.
Really a bad experience.
We are now talking with lawyers to try to resolve the issue.
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#17 2012-07-26 19:01:52
- jmateos
- New member
- Registered: 2012-07-26
- Posts: 4
Re: Car hire recommendations
Hi Djinn,
On that case, we question the company to answer about the unexpected charges, with no answer, no documentation or explaining of nothing. The charges are also the same day, and they did´nt inform us, as we came back to the office for a substitution car.
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#18 2012-07-26 20:09:05
- ricky
- Malta Animator
- From: Sliema
- Registered: 2009-09-06
- Posts: 2213
Re: Car hire recommendations
Hi jmateus,
it sounds as if Ray Bezzina has more of a case than you. A wheel and a 'stripe' does sound like major damage. Of course I don't know what insurance option you chose with your rental contract but I'm not sure how much of a case you have.
What were the unexpected charges ?
The fact that the police was involved makes it quite straightforward for the issue to be resolved.
I hope you don't pay more to lawyers than the issue is worth.
Cheers
Ricky
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#19 2012-07-26 21:05:31
- jmateos
- New member
- Registered: 2012-07-26
- Posts: 4
Re: Car hire recommendations
Hi Ricky, Thank you for the interest.
No, there weren't major damages.
The insurance option was the base. So we had to pay 500€ waiting for the accident resolution. That's what we signed. We never have any information of the resolution and it was first week of June.
The charges are a 250€ and another of 150€ in our credit card, no explain about them to us, neither claiming for it twice a week during this months. And they are lying to Atlaschoices where we open a case saying that the deposit was 900€.
At this point, this is not only just for the money.
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#20 2012-07-26 22:00:29
- ricky
- Malta Animator
- From: Sliema
- Registered: 2009-09-06
- Posts: 2213
Re: Car hire recommendations
Hi jmateos,
I wish you luck but nobody on the forum can really judge what is right or wrong. That will be the matter of a court.
I wish you luck with your case.
It might be a warning to others considering renting a car in Malta. I personally would not even think about it unless you are used to driving in Malta and consider yourself an experienced driver.
Cheers
Ricky
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#21 2012-11-27 10:42:46
- redmik
- ViP

- From: Xaghra, Gozo.
- Registered: 2012-10-18
- Posts: 1023
Re: Car hire recommendations
Ricky wrote:
It might be a warning to others considering renting a car in Malta. I personally would not even think about it unless you are used to driving in Malta and consider yourself an experienced driver.
I very much agree with this. Have they visited before? If not then they should spend a few days assessing the situation before thinking about driving. Do they know what road conditions to expect?
I am looking forward to NOT driving regularly when we are there.
Take them to Valletta on the bus via Sliema , they'll see then.
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#22 2013-05-08 11:41:26
- Frediy
- Active member
- From: Gzira
- Registered: 2012-09-16
- Posts: 44
Re: Car hire recommendations
Hi.
Any news since the last post of this topic on last year ? 
I plan to rent a small car for a bit more than one week. No more than 180€ (I'm almost sure I can make it within that budget).
Are there some good and reliable renting companies in Sliema/Gzira ?
Or would you rather advice companies at the airport ?
Any other advices / experiences to share ? 
Thanks.
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#23 2013-05-08 12:53:50
- Lanyonkear
- New member

- From: Qawra
- Registered: 2013-04-26
- Posts: 4
Re: Car hire recommendations
Try Josef car and hire services at Qwara tel +356 2157 8762
a great frendly company I ahve used them and will do so again,
in fact they are picking me up from the airport when I fly back
on the 14th, can`t be soon enough.
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#24 2013-05-08 19:51:43
- Sliema <3
- Active member
- From: Qala, Gozo
- Registered: 2011-08-23
- Posts: 29
Re: Car hire recommendations
I suggest contacting saviour[at]carrentalsltd.com.
He gave me a really good deal. 7 days €100 in a great little car. I extended with ease and fair price, and the excess was the best I could come across, especially being under 25 years.
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