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Counterwise

ALC · Report · November 2026

Alicante Airport car hire report

Key numbers for the 21 car rental desks we rate at Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport (ALC), computed from our published data.

Data updated · reviewed by our editor on · Methodology

Desks rated
21
5,613 reviews analysed
Average score
5.0/10
median 4.8
Median starting deposit
€200
14 of 21 deposits known
No credit card needed
38%
8 of 21 desks, 4 not confirmed

Key findings

  • Counterwise rates 21 car rental desks at Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport (ALC): 1 Great (8 or more out of 10), 4 Mixed (6 to 7.9) and 16 Poor (below 6). The average Counterwise Score is 5.0/10.
  • The best-rated desk at Alicante Airport is SOLO Rent a Car (8.4/10); the lowest-rated is Firefly (2.6/10).
  • Where the deposit is known (14 of 21 desks), the typical starting deposit at Alicante Airport is €200 (median), from €0 at Goldcar up to €3,000 at SOLO Rent a Car.
  • 8 of 21 desks at Alicante Airport (38%) do not require a credit card (debit cards accepted); the card rule is not confirmed yet for 4 desks.
  • 10 desks at Alicante Airport are in or next to the terminal (average score 4.6) and 11 are off-site, reached by shuttle (average 5.3).
  • The most common traveller complaints at Alicante Airport are pressure to buy insurance or extras (20 of 21 desks), damage charges after return (19 of 21 desks) and fuel charges or fuel policy (16 of 21 desks).

Score distribution

How the 21 desks split across our score bands.

Best and worst desks

Lowest rated

  1. 21. FireflyRepeated reports that staff add or push the desk's own extra cover even when travellers show prepaid or third-party full insurance, often by having them sign dense paperwork; the extra amount (often 100-400 EUR) is sometimes only debited after the trip. Several of these reports are from the last 12 months.2.6 · Poor
  2. 20. DrivaliaMany recent reviews (roughly 50 over the last 7 months) report damage charges of about 100-400 EUR for tiny or underside marks that were not on the check-out sheet. Staff reportedly go straight to hard-to-see spots, and several travellers avoided charges only because they had detailed photos or video. Dated Trustpilot pages describe the same pattern.2.8 · Poor
  3. 19. Record GoMany recent reviews report charges for scratches or marks that travellers say were already on the car, often small underside or bumper marks found with a torch in a dark car park. Returns when the office is closed (key box) are mentioned repeatedly, and some charges came with disputed or missing evidence. Several people needed a bank chargeback.3.2 · Poor

Deposits and card rules

Deposits

Lowest starting deposit
€0 (Goldcar)
Highest amount
€3,000 (SOLO Rent a Car)
Median starting deposit
€200
Deposit known
14 of 21 desks

Not confirmed yet for 7 desks: left out of these figures.

All deposits, lowest first →

Credit card or debit card

No credit card needed (debit accepted)
8 of 21 · 38%
Credit card required
9 of 21 · 43%
Not confirmed yet
4 of 21 · 19%

Debit cards accepted at: Sixt, Avis, Enterprise, Europcar, Wiber, Centauro, Hertz, Record Go.

Desks without a credit card →

In the terminal or by shuttle

In the terminal
9
avg score 4.5
Short walk
1
avg score 5.3
Shuttle
11
avg score 5.3

Desks reached without a shuttle average 4.6/10; shuttle desks average 5.3/10.

In-terminal vs shuttle, compared →

Most common traveller complaints

Number of desks whose published red flags mention each problem. A desk counts once per theme; one red flag can touch several themes.

  1. Pressure to buy insurance or extras20 of 21 · 95%

    Hard selling of the desk’s own cover, upgrades or extras, or cover added without clear consent. Desks: SOLO Rent a Car, Sixt, Moovers Mobility Lovers, Avis, Enterprise, Budget, Carwiz, Europcar, Sicily by Car, KeyGo Rent, OK Mobility, Click&Rent, Wiber, Goldcar, Wheego, Centauro, Hertz, Record Go, Drivalia, Firefly.

  2. Damage charges after return19 of 21 · 90%

    Charges for scratches, chips or dents that travellers say were already there or tiny. Desks: Sixt, Victoria Cars, Moovers Mobility Lovers, Avis, Enterprise, Budget, Carwiz, Europcar, Sicily by Car, KeyGo Rent, OK Mobility, Click&Rent, Wiber, Goldcar, Wheego, Centauro, Hertz, Record Go, Drivalia.

  3. Fuel charges or fuel policy16 of 21 · 76%

    Refuelling fees despite a full tank, part-empty tanks at pickup, or a different fuel policy at the desk. Desks: Victoria Cars, Moovers Mobility Lovers, Enterprise, Budget, Europcar, Sicily by Car, KeyGo Rent, OK Mobility, Click&Rent, Goldcar, Wheego, Centauro, Hertz, Record Go, Drivalia, Firefly.

  4. Car refused over card, licence or flight rules15 of 21 · 71%

    Pickups refused or made conditional because of card type, licence or permit, or a missing flight ticket or boarding pass. Desks: SOLO Rent a Car, Moovers Mobility Lovers, Avis, Enterprise, Budget, Carwiz, Sicily by Car, KeyGo Rent, OK Mobility, Click&Rent, Wiber, Goldcar, Wheego, Hertz, Drivalia.

  5. Booking not honoured or price changed15 of 21 · 71%

    Booked car not available, a smaller or different car, a higher price at the desk, or fees not clear at booking. Desks: SOLO Rent a Car, Sixt, Moovers Mobility Lovers, Avis, Enterprise, Budget, Europcar, KeyGo Rent, OK Mobility, Click&Rent, Wiber, Goldcar, Wheego, Hertz, Record Go.

  6. Hard-to-reach customer service15 of 21 · 71%

    Phone lines, emails or complaints unanswered for weeks after the rental. Desks: Sixt, Moovers Mobility Lovers, Avis, Enterprise, Europcar, Sicily by Car, KeyGo Rent, OK Mobility, Wiber, Wheego, Centauro, Hertz, Record Go, Drivalia, Firefly.

  7. Deposit or refund held back10 of 21 · 48%

    Deposits, holds or refunds released late, only in part, or not at all. Desks: Victoria Cars, Moovers Mobility Lovers, Enterprise, Europcar, KeyGo Rent, OK Mobility, Goldcar, Wheego, Centauro, Record Go.

  8. Long queues or waits10 of 21 · 48%

    Long waits at the desk, for the keys or for the shuttle. Desks: SOLO Rent a Car, Victoria Cars, Moovers Mobility Lovers, Avis, Carwiz, Europcar, Sicily by Car, KeyGo Rent, OK Mobility, Drivalia.

  9. Car condition problems8 of 21 · 38%

    Dirty cars, warning lights, worn tyres or breakdowns. Desks: SOLO Rent a Car, Victoria Cars, Enterprise, Europcar, Sicily by Car, OK Mobility, Wiber, Goldcar.

  10. Closed desk or late-arrival problems6 of 21 · 29%

    Desk closed for late arrivals, bookings cancelled after a flight delay, or out-of-hours fees. Desks: OK Mobility, Wiber, Goldcar, Wheego, Centauro, Record Go.

  11. Other fees after the rental4 of 21 · 19%

    Cleaning, admin, traffic-fine handling or late-return fees charged after the car was returned. Desks: Sixt, Enterprise, Europcar, Goldcar.

  12. Rude or unhelpful staff1 of 21 · 5%

    Curt, dismissive or aggressive staff at the desk, at return or on the shuttle. Desks: Victoria Cars.

The data behind this report

  • 5,613 traveller reviews analysed across 21 desks.
  • 5,951 recent reviews read; 338 (6%) excluded by our cleaning step as unreliable (mostly solicited staff praise: 292; about another location: 20; other reasons: 12). How reviews are cleaned
  • Data collected on 12 November 2026; scores last updated 12 November 2026.
  • Summaries and red flags reviewed by our editor on 12 November 2026.
  • Complaint themes are counted with a fixed keyword list applied to each desk’s published red flags (no AI), so the same data always gives the same counts.
  • Unknown facts (“Not confirmed yet”) are left out of averages, medians and ranges, never guessed. Full methodology

How to cite this report

You are welcome to quote these figures. Please name Counterwise and link to this page. The numbers update with each data refresh, so mention the date.

Suggested citation

Counterwise (2026). Alicante Airport car hire report, November 2026. Counterwise. https://counterwise.eu/airports/alc/report (data updated 12 November 2026).

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