Last-minute bookings dominate car rental services with higher prices
Almost half of car reservations in July were made less than 30 days before travel. The Mediterranean remains the main market, while prices continue their gradual rise throughout 2026.
The trend of making travel decisions later is increasingly visible in car hire segment. According to Sunny Cars' data, As many as 461 TP3T of all bookings in July 2026 were made within 30 days of the start of the rental. The same share was recorded the month before.
For tourism industry The most notable development is the shift in booking lead times. A further 411 TP3T customers booked their car between 30 and 90 days in advance, while only 131 TP3T bookings were made more than three months before travel. Sunny Cars states that in previous years these three groups were distributed much more evenly.
The Mediterranean continues to lead the demand
In July, Spain remained the most sought-after car rental destination in Sunny Cars' portfolio. It was followed by Italy, Greece and Portugal, confirming the strong role of Mediterranean destinations during the peak summer season. The USA is in fifth place and also recorded the highest growth among the top five markets.
An even greater increase in demand was recorded for the United Kingdom and Canada, which took sixth and seventh place. Although Sunny Cars' data does not represent the entire global car rental market, it provides an interesting signal regarding the combination of strong summer demand for the Mediterranean and a recovery of interest in more distant travel.
A later reservation now also means a slightly higher price
The average booking in July amounted to €466 for around eight and a half days' hire. A year earlier the average was €461. Sunny Cars notes that prices at the start of the year were lower than in 2025, but since May they have surpassed last year's levels. They are currently around 5% higher than at the start of 2026.
For agencies and other intermediaries, the message is quite clear. Travellers may be booking later, but the cost of such flexibility is rising. This opens up room for more active selling of car rental services earlier in the travel booking process, particularly in popular summer destinations where availability and prices can change rapidly.
