Unfortunately it will be dark when we pick the car up. Need to work out what "subject to seeing it in the light" is in Portuguese!

Just though I'd let you know . Rent Autos Through ECH no longer include the extra insurance options as standard . They are now the same as any of the other companies. You need to take out there top up insurance for things like keys & glass etc.

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And I'm sure you also enjoyed a substantial discount with them seeing as you are an employee of the company. I doubt our members will "enjoy" using a company that uses the tactics of posting as satisfied customers to attract business.

luci

I see skiphop has deleted his text after Luci outed him. The car hire firm was enjoycarhire.com

We were very pleased with Drive4Fun. We were met in Arrivals by a young man who then took us to the ... wait for it ... b***dy box in the car park! However, we were the only ones waiting for Drive4Fun and the paperwork was done very quickly. We got a Fiat Punto which had only done about 13,000 K. Everything was fine until one night there was a smell of burning when we got out after coming back from a restaurant. This happened again once more, so as we were taking our friends back to the airport the next morning we went to the box and told the lady what had happened. She phoned Carlos and he was there in a couple of minutes, had a quick look and checked the oil and said he couldn't see a problem but immediately offered us a replacement car. We decided to have that as we (or rather I !!) were worried about breaking down on the way to the airport when we were due to fly home. The car was yards away and the exchange was done in a minute or two.

We were very impressed and would certainly use them again, but it's still a worry having to use the box in the car park, as we all know how long that can take. ZitAuto, whom we haven't yet tried, had quite a crowd round them in Arrivals but it looked as though all their paperwork was done there.

thanks for the feedback Rosemary, drive4fun sound ok then, might just give them a try. Would you score them on a par with travel rent or better?

thanks for the info Rosemary, i thought drive 4 fun signed you up in the cafe,just goes to show !!! i am out next week and with drive4fun so i will report further on my return.

Based on our first and only experience with Drive4Fun, we would rate them as equal to TravelRent a few years ago. But since TR tried to palm us off with a wreck we're not so keen at all, and some of the people can be a bit a**y, can't they?! That said, we've already booked with them in June, but we will give D4F another go in October.

Look forward to hearing your experience, Nosivad. By the way, I did say to the lady in the box, half jokingly, that the only reason we had booked with them was because we thought they did the paperwork in the terminal. Don't suppose it will have any effect, but why don't you say the same thing? Every little helps!

I used Drive4Fun in November (as previously posted) and all the paperwork was done in the cafe in the arrivals section, that said we were a last minute booking and we were the last clients of the day landing at 8.30pm'ish, so maybe that's why. Maybe it depends on the arrival timings as to where the paperwork is finalised. Either way, I will for sure book with Drive4Fun next time I use Faro airport, as I couldn't fault their service at all.

We have just booked with economycarhire.com. This will be the third time we have used them and they are pretty good. The first two times we filled out the paper work in arrivals. This time however, I note it tells us to go to some bay in the car park, so maybe all the companies are doing that now! We are paying £119 for a week, for a four door family estate car (peugeot 305 or similar), didnt think that was bad?

just got back,met Carlos (rep) at the arrivals cafe, he told me which car i had but still to go to the "shed" !!! although he said do not queue go to the front ask for drive 4 fun and you will be on your way.that is exactly what happened although i got some strange looks from the waiting masses . So all in all not a bad experience,still could not find any company that actually signed you up in the cafe

further update; just had e mail from ECH stating that drive 4 fun can no longer meet you in the cafe area and you have to go to the shed it now beggers the question if any car hire operator can work out of the arrivals cafe area , if you know of one please let us know.

even further update; all operaters have been kicked out of the arrivals hall by the airport authorities and all have to operate via the "shed" in car park 4 .:yikes

We are going in June and have car booked through ECH. Just a word of warning to all. Last year we booked diesel car and this was confirmed on booking. We picked the car up from car park 4 and a few days later when we went to fill up my husband noticed the car was petrol (he has a diesel van himself so luckily noticed straight away). No-one mentioned anything when we picked the car up and nor did the paperwork mention the change.

Just be careful/check if booking diesel.

Glynis I can remember you posting this earlier, yes be on your guard, one wonders whether if you ordered a petrol car would you get a diesel, something to think about, it could happen.

OMG Novisad, I bet its mayhem in the carpark area then. So only the carhire companies that have designated desks will be able to stay then? Obviously to me the original car hire companies like Avis, Europcar, Hertz etc have complained to the airport authority, maybe the other companies are taking too much custom from them.

Jayjan, you may well be right, so it might be ok to go back to them and get on the minibus to their depots outside the airport, but that has problems as you well know.I thought that I had found a way around this as most of the "shed " operators will deliver and collect from where you are staying, so get taxi from airport and pick up car at your abode.But guess what they do not provide this service at peak times because all the staff are busy .

I recently had a car from Drive4Fun (Apr 28 - 7 May), we had to go to the portakabin in the car park, and had the paperwork done and were on our way witin 10-15 minutes. That said, we were on one of the first flights to arrive that morning, we only had hand luggage, so whizzed through customs, and onto the the car park. So that may have some impact. The car was practically brand new and in great condition (particularly the tyres!!!!!) and the staff were lovely, in short I will certainly continue to use Drive4Fun. The other plus point for me is that they do cover you for breakdown in Spain, normally as far as Seville as long as you notifty them beforehand, and as we spend most of our time of the Spanish/Portugese border it gives me total peace of mind. Scoya.

just back, also used drive4fun, still at shed but no queues excellent service.
found out still one company operating out of the cafe in arrivals hall, i don't know how as the authorities have kicked them all out !!!
the name of this company ZIT AUTOS and from people i spoke to they are very good.