Rouler aboard a rental car will weigh heavily on the holiday budget of the French this summer. According to a study by the comparator Carigami, relayed by BFMTV, the rates charged in some cities, especially in the south of France, have increased very sharply for the summer period of 2022. One week rental between the 1er may and August 31 would cost 41.3% more expensive on average compared to 2019, before the Covid-19 health crisis.
In the resorts popular with vacationers, the prices for car rentals have more than doubled. This is the case in Nice (+107.7%) and Bastia (+99.1%). Ditto in Ajaccio, with 92.4% increase, or in the South-West, as well as in Biarritz (+ 96.4%). The surfers’ destination is also at the top of the ranking of the ten cities where weekly rentals are the most expensive, with an estimated average budget of 505 euros, followed by Nice (496 euros) and Ajaccio (445 euros). The biggest increase is observed in Toulouse, with more than 43% increase in fares. Conversely, renting a car in Lille would cost only 292 euros per week (+ 12.7% all the same compared to 2021), in Clermont-Ferrand 293 euros (+ 18%) and in Mulhouse 295 euros (+ 5.5%). On average, in France, you have to pay 396 euros (+ 4.8% more than in 2021).
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An imbalance between supply and demand
How to explain such price increases? According to Carigami, these increases are explained by the shortage of certain components, including microprocessors and semiconductors, which slows down the production and supply of new vehicles. With the lifting of health measures against Covid-19, the resumption of tourism is inflating consumer demand, while car rental companies are struggling to renew their car fleet. An imbalance between the needs and the real offer which is reflected in the prices, which explode in the most touristic areas of France.
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