AIRPORTS

Flight access to Villamartin is excellent with two main airports in close proximity. We use Murcia International Airport Covera for most of our flights which is a new airport and only opened in January 2019. It is about a 50 minute car ride to Villamartin. There is also Alicante Airport which is a 45-50 minute car ride away. We generally use Ryanair, Jet2 and Easy Jet as they fly into this area for 12 months of the year and the drive to and from the airport is very easy.  Varying flights can be made from Manchester, Liverpool, East Midlands, Birmingham and Bristol. Flight costs vary enormously depending on the time of the year and how much luggage you wish to bring with you. When flying without luggage we can obtain flights one way for as little as £26 each.  A direct flight from the UK to Alicante or Murcia International Airport Corvera takes approximately 2.5 hours.

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CAR RENTAL

The following information is based on our own experiences. There are several well known Car Rental Companies based in both airports. Normally, there are many deals on offer depending on the time of the year. Some Rental Companies have offices in the airport which makes picking up your car much easier. Some operate a shuttle service whereby they drive you out of the airport to a nearby location - can be time consuming. Alicante Airport is a large International Airport and can be very busy. The roads surrounding the airport are OK but previous experience of driving abroad is definitely desirable. Murcia International is a much quieter airport. I have also found driving at night to be difficult on unknown roads - lighting is not great.

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We have used Sixt, Gold Car, Record and have mixed feelings. No matter who you book with, please check your car for damage BEFORE you leave the airport. They should give you a document which shows all scratches and knocks. It is essential that you check this thoroughly and you MUST refer any additional marks scratches to the Rental Company so that they can amend your sheet - otherwise you will be charged for this when you return the car. We have been accused of additional car damage during our rental and then they have refused to refund our Petrol Deposit - nice little earner £70 - £100. You must always check your car in with a representative of the Rental Company when you return your car and agree on the condition of the car.

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We have just rented a car for two weeks via the Ryanair Sale. (January 2020) It was booked with Record Car Rental. I paid £33 all inclusive for the two weeks - what a deal!! - but it was January!. It was a perfect rental. No problems picking the car up and drop off went very smoothly. At that Rental Price I was expecting the worst - but what a bargain. I liked the efficiency of Record and also Sixt. Gold Car was not so good in my experience and I would not use them again and other people have endorsed that comment. We also noticed problems with the Insurance when you are abroad. I have taken out a 12 month car insurance with a company in the UK which has cost me £45. You therefore do not need to purchase additional insurance when you are abroad as long as it includes the Collision Damage Waiver  (CDW) in with the Car Rental. I would expect you to pay about €100 per week for a car rental for a small saloon.

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Another point to remember is that collecting your car at the airport can take some time. At times you can be waiting up to one hour to complete the paperwork and carry out the car checks.

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If you do not want the hassle of collecting your car in the airport, then you can always try a company that we have used in Villamartin. PJ's Rent-A-Car. They are based or have a branch just a few hundred yards from Casa Nabucco. We have used this company and have found the service to be excellent. You book your car and they will deliver it to your apartment at an agreed time and collect it the same way. Very competitively priced. The cars are OK - you get what you pay for - a choice is on offer. But, when returning your car, there is no problems with scratches etc on the car and the company trying to rip you off. +34 642 373 949  www. pjsrentacar.com

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I reiterate, all the above is drawn from our experiences since 2017.

 

 

 

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