Europcar locations set to open 7 days a week with 24 hour opening to be launched at 6 key airports

Europcar has announced that from September 2011, busy travellers will be able to benefit from 7-day opening at more than 60 Europcar locations across the UK, allowing them to pick-up and return hire vehicles on the day that suits them, even if that’s a Sunday.

“Conventionally, the car hire market comes to a halt for the weekend after 1pm on Saturdays,” explained Ken McCall, Managing Director, Europcar Group UK. “So customers either have to use an out of hours service or take another day’s hire, which is not always convenient and adds to the cost. And this is pretty inconvenient for customers who are used to accessing most other consumer and retail services 7 days a week. Therefore we are extending the opening hours of these key locations to make hiring a car even more convenient for our customers.”

As Europe’s leader in flexible car hire services for both leisure and business users, Europcar is the first car hire provider to open seven days a week at many of its UK locations, setting the benchmark for improving the car hire experience. It is also launching 24 hour opening at six key airports, offering customers access to quality car hire whenever they need it.

McCall continued: “We want to ensure that car hire fits in with our customer’s needs, by offering as much choice and flexibility as possible. By extending our opening hours at more than 60 locations to cover the entire weekend and at key airports staying open 24/7, we are offering the most adaptable car hire product possible. This is an exciting initiative for us and we think it is great news for our customers.”

From September 2011, Europcar will be operating 7 day car hire across 60 locations, including 22 airports and 38 city centre branches, as well as 24 hour car hire operating at six major airports. The remaining 128 locations, including airports, will be open 6 days a week, 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 1pm on Saturdays, with 7-day openings in these remaining locations being rolled out to respond to customer needs.

“We have been trialling extended opening hours at selected locations over the last few months, with considerable success,” added Ken McCall. "It therefore made perfect sense to roll out this service to more locations.

“Once again, Europcar is setting the standard by delivering a service that meets the changing needs of our customers, helping them save time and enjoy quality, flexible car hire that suits their busy lifestyle.”

Europcar offers the most flexible pick up and drop off locations and services in the UK, utilising an outstanding fleet including vans, family and prestige vehicles. Europcar will be the largest car hire company in the UK to have branches open on Sundays, reflecting its position at the forefront of the car hire market.

Ends

About Europcar
Europcar is the leading vehicle hire company in Europe, providing car mobility to 6 million customers. Through its franchisees and partners in over 150 countries, Europcar gives access to the #1 network in car hire. Europcar brand portfolio generated revenue of c.€3.1 billion including c.€2.0 billion Europcar group revenue. Supported by 6,600 dedicated staff and with long-standing local presence, Europcar facilitates the mobile lives of its customers around the world, offering them customised and innovative car mobility solutions. Winner of the first World Travel Award recognising the World’s Leading Green Transport Solutions Company, Europcar also was honoured with the Award in 2010, the second time it was presented.  Europcar is a subsidiary of Eurazeo.

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