I tried new ‘AirBnB for cars' – it was less than HALF the cost of a normal hire car but that wasn't even the best part
The app is extremely easy to use and works just like AirBnB - it's a win win for both car owners and people without vehicles
DRIVE TIME I tried new 'AirBnB for cars' – it was less than HALF the cost of a normal hire car but that wasn't even the best part
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
LIVING in the middle of a city makes owning a car impossible for most people my age - so whenever I need one, I'm forced to fork out hundreds of pounds to rent one.
But I've discovered a new secret site which means Brits like me can rent cars for a fraction of the cost… and the best part? They drop it off at your front door.
5
The Sun's Jess Wilson with her Turo hire car
5
The hire car was less than £26 a day
Welcome to the AirBnb for cars, otherwise known as Turo.
The app is the world's largest car-sharing marketplace - meaning Brits can list their cars for rent when they are not using them, much like renting out your home on AirBnB.
Over the last bank holiday weekend, I was quoted £80 a day to rent the cheapest car available at my local hire shop.
It was 8 miles away from me - over an hour on public transport - and the fees and insurance made the grand total for a four-day trip over £500 - and that's not even considering the additional costs of petrol.
It made the trip I was planning to do up to the Lake District for four days - a place where you really need a car - out of my budget.
In a desperate Google search for cheaper alternatives outside London, I stumbled across Turo and after a quick search found countless options which were much closer to my house - and, more importantly, substantially cheaper.
The app is extremely easy to use. Much like on AirBnB, you input the dates you want a car, the location and your budget and you are served a list of local cars which match your preferences.
I immediately found a Fiat 500 for just £25.28 a day that was available for my dates. The terms stated that I could drive the car up to 200 miles per day - or 800 miles over a four-day window.
But the best part was that for £80, I could have the car both delivered to me and picked up on my return - saving me carting my bags all over London.
I was sold.
To my delight, further discounts were added at the checkout - £17.36 for length of hire - but VAT of £41 was also added.
Make over £6k a year renting out your car
Listing your car on Turo is easily done in 4 simple steps... Sign up - Listing your car takes about ten minutes. There are no sign-up fees or monthly charges. All you need are your car's details to get the ball rolling. Set up your profile -Set your preferences, including when your car is available and your daily price. Add some photos and a description, and you're good to go. Welcome your guests - When a guest books your car, you'll get in touch with the details. The Turo app walks you through everything you need to do. Sit back and earn -You'll get paid by direct deposit within three days of each trip. You'll earn 65% or 75% of the trip price, based on the level of Turo protection you choose.
5
Hiring from Turo made the trip to the Lake District possible on a budget
5
The app is incredibly easy to use, with filters for price, distance and duration
5
The site offers everything - from cheap drives to fancy sports cars
I chose the Premier Protection - but there were two cheaper tiers available too - and additional drivers are free to add.
I popped in my preferred times and my car and host arrived bang on time a week later the night before my trip.
The app allows both host and driver to upload photos of the car at that point, and on collection - meaning there are never any disputes on damage.
I also loved that there was no time wasted at hire car counters - the entire pick-up took less than five minutes.
My host explained how to use the car and told me to return it as it had been dropped off - with a full tank of fuel.
The next morning I packed up my lovely red Fiat and set off on my road trip feeling totally at ease.
The car was super efficient, using minimal fuel and I loved that the host had left me bottles of water and mints for the drive.
Once you've set off, you have instant messaging access to the host - which was great for me when I couldn't work out how to open the fuel cap on my first refill stop.
Turo: The facts
Turo is available in over 16,000 cities across the US, UK, Canada, France, and Australia. Many Turo hosts offer delivery.
Cars sit idle 95% of the time - the average host in the UK makes £414 a month per car.
Turo has approximately 140,000 active hosts, 338,000 active vehicles and 3.5 million active guests from around the world.
The car was perfect for me as I was looking for the lowest hire price possible.
But there were absolutely loads of other models on offer - including a BMW for just £41 a day or a Lexus 200 for £63 a day if you wanted something much jazzier.
The app also offers free cancellation up to 24 hours before - and the option to request an extension while you're away, which I ended up doing as I loved the experience so much.
I genuinely couldn't fault it - and will be using Turo for many more trips in the future.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Seaside towns in chaos as new 'Airbnb tax' proposed as 22k people wait for homes
In what could be a huge blow for second homeowners, MP Ben Maguire has presented new legislation to parliament to crack down on council tax 'dodgers' in popular seaside areas A bold new law aiming to crack down on council tax 'dodgers' in several of the UK's most beloved seaside towns has been unveiled. The Short-term Lets (Planning Permission) Bill - often touted as the 'Airbnb bill' - was presented to parliament earlier this month (Tuesday, June 3) by Liberal Democrat MP for North Cornwall, Ben Maguire. If passed, homeowners in the region will need formal planning permission before being able to change the status of a residential property to a short-term holiday let. It seeks to close a sneaky 'loophole' that has seen second homeowners convert their properties into Airbnb-style lets without needing approval. If a person rents out their second-home as a 'self-catering accommodation' - they can claim they are a small business, allowing them to dodge paying the second home council tax premium. To successfully qualify for business rates, a short-term let must have been available to rent for a minimum of 140 days in the prior year and must have actually been rented out for at least 70 days during that period. As long as this criteria is met, many homeowners can claim they're running a small business - even if they're primarily using the property as a second home for themselves. According to the BBC, Joh Brown, CEO of Cornwall Chamber Commerce, welcomed the bill - but warned it was not a 'silver bullet'. He argued there is currently a 'surplus' of Airbnb homes in Cornwall despite a staggering 22,000 locals being put on a waiting list for secure housing. "It must sit alongside tougher regulation and a robust registration system for short-term lets," he added. "If it deters those looking to extract profit from Cornwall without putting anything back — good. If it helps restore housing stock for local people, even better." John added that the bill could be a 'win for all of Cornwall' if it allowed hospitality and tourism workers to finally find secure housing. The news follows Cornwall Council's 2023 decision to charge second homeowners double the amount of council tax to alleviate the affordability crisis crippling the county. People who leave their properties empty and unfurnished for over a year will also face a 100 per cent premium on their bill. It is estimated the new rules will bring in a staggering £25 million for the council every year. "Enough is enough," MP Ben Maguire wrote on Facebook. "Too many local families are being priced out while homes sit empty or churned through weekly rentals. This Bill is about restoring fairness in our system and giving local people a better chance at owning their own home." Due to soaring demand, many Airbnb owners can get away with charging eye-watering prices to tourists - especially during the summer season. For example, a weekend's stay in a cottage in Padstow - a popular holiday resort - would you set you back a whopping £468. This is based on four guests sharing two bedrooms.
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
The UK's most underrated seaside town revealed - and it has a funicular lift with incredible views
Looking for an under-the-radar staycation destination? Some of the UK's most underappreciated Northern towns have been put in the spotlight in a new survey to encourage Brits to travel off-the-beaten-track this summer. According to the research, carried out by Airbnb, Saltburn-by-the-Sea is the country's most underrated seaside town. Located in North Yorkshire, the seaside town offers the 'perfect blend of serenity and intrigue', says Airbnb. It's known for its pretty Victorian architecture including Saltburn Pier (1869) and the Saltburn Cliff Lift (1884). The funicular lift is still open today and offers incredible views of Saltburn's breathtaking coastline. Whitley Bay in Tyne & Wear also makes the Airbnb hotlist of underrated seaside towns. Visitors can admire St Mary's Lighthouse which was built in 1898 or enjoy the beach at Whitley Bay Links. The third and last seaside town to feature on the list is Whitehaven in Cumbria. A port town on the northwest coast, it's under five miles from the Lake District. Although it's a small town now, Whitehaven was once the UK's third-largest port. Tourists can discover its history at The Beacon Museum. If a UK beach break isn't your cup of tea, Airbnb has also selected four top picks for food tourism. Horbury in West Yorkshire takes the top spot and has been described as 'this summer's must visit destination'. Airbnb says: 'The town is quickly becoming a hotspot for its vibrant pub scene and small-scale breweries, including the Luddite Brewing Co. at the Calder Vale Hotel, Boons and The Bingley - a collaboration between two local breweries, Ossett Brewery & SALT.' The North's other foodie hotspots are Clitheroe in Lancashire, Penistone in South Yorkshire and Ramsbottom in Greater Manchester. And when it comes to culture, there are three more Northern towns that earn a recommendation from Airbnb. Saltaire in Bradford tops the list while Haworth in Bradford and Halifax in West Yorkshire round out the podium. Airbnb says: 'Saltaire is the ultimate destination for 2025. Home to the iconic Salts Mill, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is also a cultural haven that plays home to a collection of David Hockney's works and inspiring performances at the Victoria Hall.' Luke Impett, head of partnerships at Airbnb, says: 'Our research clearly shows a growing appetite among Brits to break away from the "Instagrammable" travel loop and discover unique, quieter and more meaningful travel experiences. 'By highlighting these 10 Northern towns and offering guests the opportunity to experience a weekend break themselves, we hope to encourage travellers to explore beyond their algorithm and uncover the rich tapestry of culture, history and natural beauty that areas like West Yorkshire offer. 'The UK is one of the best places to holiday in the world and we want to work together with destinations to encourage guests to explore lesser visited areas and spread the benefits of tourism.'
The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
Spain's economy minister says 'overtourism' challenges need to be addressed
Spain could receive as many as 100 million tourists this year, according to some projections, which the country's economy minister said poses challenges for the country's residents that the government can no longer afford to ignore. Last year, Spain received a record 94 million international visitors, making it one of the most visited countries in the world. 'It's important to understand that these record numbers in terms of tourism also pose challenges,' Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo said in an interview Tuesday with The Associated Press. 'And we need to deal with those challenges also for our own population.' Tourism is a key sector for the Southern European nation's economy, which grew faster than any major advanced economy last year at 3.2%, and is projected to grow at 2.4% this year, according to the Bank of Spain, well ahead of the expected eurozone average of 0.9%. But a stubborn housing crisis in which home and rental costs have skyrocketed in cities such as Madrid, Barcelona and elsewhere has led to growing frustration about one aspect tied to tourism in particular: the proliferation of short-term rental apartments in city centers. The country has seen several large protests that have drawn tens of thousands of people to demand more government action on housing. Signs at demonstrations with slogans such as 'Get Airbnb out of our neighborhoods' point to the growing anger. In response, the government recently announced it was cracking down on Airbnb listings that it said were operating in the country illegally, a decision that the company is appealing. 'We are a 49 million-inhabitants country," Cuerpo said. The record numbers of tourists illustrate the 'attractiveness of our country, but also of the challenge that we have in terms of dealing and providing for a good experience for tourists, but at the same time avoiding overcharging (for) our own services and our own housing,' he said. The Bank of Spain recently said the country has a deficit of 450,000 homes. Building more public housing is critical to solve the problem, Cuerpo said. Spain has a lower stock of public housing than many other major European Union countries. 'This is the key challenge for this term,' the minister said of the country's housing woes. On the possibility of more U.S. tariffs on EU goods, the top economic policymaker for the eurozone's fourth-largest economy said he believed the EU still wanted to reinforce economic ties with the U.S. 'From the EU side, we are constructive but we are not naive," Cuerpo said, adding that the bloc would pursue 'other routes protecting our firms and industries' if no agreement with the Trump administration can be reached. A 90-day pause on tariffs announced by the EU and the U.S. is slated to end on July 14. About halfway through that grace period, U.S. President Donald Trump announced 50% tariffs on steel imports. The U.S. has also enacted a 25% tariff on vehicles and 10% so-called reciprocal tariffs on most other goods. On how Spain's current housing woes got here, the minister said a steep drop in construction in Spain following the 2008 financial crisis played a role. So did population growth due to immigration, Cuerpo said, and pressures from an increase in the number of tourists. While building more housing is key, the minister advocated for an all-of-the-above approach, including regulating Spain's housing market and short-term rental platforms. 'For us, there's no silver bullet,' he said.
