Why the car hire company you choose can make a surprising difference to your holiday.
Hiring a car is an essential part of our Greek adventures. We love the freedom of being able to explore at our own pace, discover little villages, find hidden beaches and take the occasional wrong turn — which, if you've read Lawfully Lost, you'll know is all part of the fun.
Over the years, we've hired cars in Greece several times and, for the most part, things have gone smoothly. But we've also had a couple of experiences that left us feeling extremely frustrated.
Then, on our most recent trip to the Peloponnese, we discovered Auto Union in Kalamata — and what a difference. They were found for us by using DiscoverCars.com who we now use all the time.
So, if you're planning a Greek road trip, here's our honest experience of three car hire companies.
ENTERPRISE, CORFU: AN EXPENSIVE LESSON
Our first disappointing experience was with Enterprise in Corfu.
On this occasion, we have to admit that part of the problem was our own fault. We hadn't brought the credit card that we'd originally used to make the booking, so we accept that we hadn't met the precise requirements of the reservation.
However, we did have another credit card available. Unfortunately, because it was a joint account, the member of staff wouldn't accept it. We were also told that we couldn't use another card instead and they wouldn’t accept cash.
We were offered two choices: cancel the booking and try to rebook, or take out the company's additional insurance.
We weren't prepared to cancel the car we'd booked and risk being left without transport, so we reluctantly took their insurance, at a cost of around £250.
We completely understand that car hire companies have rules and that we hadn't brought the original card. What disappointed us was the lack of flexibility or willingness to explore any alternative.
The interaction left us feeling that our situation was simply an inconvenience rather than something the member of staff was particularly interested in helping us resolve.
So we had just landed in Corfu, walked to the car hire office and felt we had been exploited by the whole incident. We drove away with a car, but around £250 lighter than we'd expected to be and feeling rather frustrated by the whole experience. Not a good start to a vacation.
It was a useful lesson for us, though:
GREEN MOTION, KALAMATA: AN EXPERIENCE WE'D RATHER FORGET
Our second experience, this time with Green Motion in Kalamata, was considerably worse.
On arrival to collect our hire car, we were left waiting for well over an hour. During that time, the staff appeared to spend much of the time talking amongst themselves rather than dealing with the customers waiting to be served.
We weren't the only ones experiencing difficulties. Other customers were also visibly frustrated by the delays and the service they were receiving.
Eventually, we were handed the keys to our car. Unfortunately, the vehicle itself wasn't particularly impressive. It was scruffy and covered in scratches.
But the biggest problem was yet to come.
Having collected the car and got ourselves settled in, we discovered that it wouldn't start.
When it eventually did start, we didn't feel that our concerns were being taken particularly seriously.
Sadly, this wasn't an isolated incident. During our trip, the car repeatedly refused to start, and eventually it left us stranded in Pylos.
We tried contacting the Kalamata office, but nobody answered the phone. We were left waiting for around an hour before, fortunately, the car finally started again.
When we eventually managed to get through to the company, we were told to bring the car back to Kalamata the following day.
This meant an additional drive of around an hour — hardly ideal when we were supposed to be enjoying our holiday.
The car was eventually replaced, but despite all the inconvenience, we weren't reimbursed for the additional fuel involved in returning to Kalamata. We also received no apology or acknowledgement of the difficulties we'd experienced.
For us, it was an extremely frustrating experience from beginning to end.
Cars can develop faults, of course. That's part of life and something any car hire company can potentially face. But it's how a company responds when something goes wrong that makes a huge difference.
Being left stranded, unable to get through to anyone for assistance and then having to make an additional journey to exchange the vehicle made this one of the worst car hire experiences we've had.
DISCOVERCARS AND AUTO UNION, KALAMATA: A BREATH OF FRESH AIR
After those experiences, we were understandably a little apprehensive about hiring another car in Kalamata.
This time, however, we used Auto Union — and what a difference.
From the moment we arrived, the whole experience was refreshingly straightforward.
Collection was super quick, the staff were friendly, helpful and efficient, and the car itself was clean and in excellent condition.
There was none of the unnecessary waiting around or confusion we'd encountered previously. Everything was dealt with professionally, and we were soon on our way to start exploring the Peloponnese.
Even when a small problem arose during our trip, the company handled it exactly as we'd hoped.
An oil warning light appeared on the dashboard, so we contacted the office. They answered immediately, provided helpful advice and reimbursed us for the cost of the oil.
It was a relatively minor issue, but the way it was dealt with made all the difference. We knew there was somebody at the other end of the phone who was willing to help.
Returning the car was just as easy as collecting it. The drop-off process was seamless, and the courtesy transfer to the airport was another welcome touch.
Everything worked as it should, the staff were lovely and we were left with a genuinely positive impression.
After our previous experiences, it was quite a relief to deal with a company that seemed to understand that good customer service is just as important as providing a car.
OUR CAR HIRE RECOMMENDATION
We don't expect every car hire experience to be perfect.
Cars can develop faults, flights can be delayed and sometimes we can make mistakes with booking requirements. These things happen.
What matters to us is how a company treats its customers when something doesn't go to plan.
Our experience with Enterprise in Corfu left us frustrated and considerably out of pocket, while our experience with Green Motion in Kalamata was particularly disappointing because of the problems we encountered with the car and the subsequent difficulty getting help.
Our experience with Auto Union, on the other hand, was positive from start to finish.
These are, of course, our personal experiences, and other travellers may have had very different ones. But based on our own experience, we'd happily use Auto Union again.
If you're planning a road trip around the Peloponnese and hiring a car from Kalamata Airport, Auto Union is a company we would certainly consider using again.
HOW WE FOUND AUTO UNION
One final useful detail: we actually found Auto Union through the car hire comparison broker DiscoverCars.com.
We hadn't specifically set out looking for Auto Union. We found them while comparing the available car hire options and prices for our trip.
If you'd like to use Auto Union, it's worth checking DiscoverCars.com to see what options and prices are available for your dates.
For us, finding a reliable car hire company made a huge difference to the start and end of our trip.
After our previous experiences, Auto Union was a welcome change — friendly, efficient and genuinely helpful when we needed them.
Sometimes, it's the little things that make all the difference. And in our case, Auto Union was a breath of fresh air.
These are our own experiences from our trips. Other travellers may have had very different ones, and prices and policies can change.