Europcar Newquay Airport - Newquay

Catherine K.

Positive experience from start to finish. Great service throughout. Competitively priced and good value. The staff communicated clearly and were friendly, putting me at ease and giving peace of mind. Highly recommend.

elizabeth K.

Make sure you ask if prices quoted for extras (for example for breakdown cover) are daily rates or the full rental period. Also if tax is included in that price. Other than that really easy and efficient, nice car provided. Be aware quite a long walk from terminal to kiosk, could be an issue if any mobility problems or in bad weather.

Lisa M.

Prices are always competitive, the car range is vast and are always clean but more importantly, the staff at Newquay Airport are wonderful - always cheery and incredibly personable. I wouldn't go anywhere else now for my car hire from Newquay.

Shelby

Lovely experience renting with Europcar - Alix was a gem and went above and beyond to make us feel comfortable for our journey! Unfortunately the survey after our rental has closed - otherwise I would have raved about her on that too! Go Newquay team!

Neal L.

Warning! Do not return car without getting statement of return as returns admin scamming people out of more money by reporting fuel tank empty when full. If they can't read a fuel gauge then they shouldn't work here. Unfortunately one team member letting down what is otherwise a very good local team.

You then can't contact them directly to have rectified and have to go through customers services and start a case, which is another load of hassle or ploy in hope people give up.

Left a sour taste to a very pleasant trip to Cornwall.

Mark M.

In summary: A Damp Farewell with a Side of Disregard

I rarely write reviews for anything, but some experiences burrow under your skin just enough to warrant a bit of keyboard therapy — and this was one of them.

As per clause 11.2.2 of the policy, returning the vehicle during opening hours means the car should be inspected “together with our agent”. Makes sense — a mutual nod of agreement on the car’s condition, a simple process to avoid future drama. I’ve rented my fair share of cars over the years and know full well that mistakes can be made on both sides. So I arrived early, just after 9:00am, ready to do the right thing — the adult thing — and go through the return process properly.

What I didn’t expect was to be met with the kind of look usually reserved for someone who claps when the plane lands.

The first staff member greeted my perfectly reasonable request — “Hi, I’m dropping off the car and would like to do the return inspection” — with a look that suggested I’d just urinated on her keyboard.

“Well, I can’t do that. I’m going out. You’ll just have to wait… or just hand the keys in,” and off they stomped.

Right… charming.

So I waited a few minutes. Because silly me thought a customer asking for a contractual obligation to be honoured wasn’t unreasonable.

Eventually, a second staff member appeared — and it turns out disdain is a team sport. I repeated my request. They looked at me like I’d asked them to push the car back onto a plane, evidently unhappy I would request such a thing. I get it — it was raining, it was going to be a busy day (although I was the only customer at this moment). The horror of my request was further rationalised — they had just had their hair done, clearly a problem that a jacket in the rain couldn't resolve. The contempt continued as they discovered I had parked in bay 52, an extra 10 metres from what would perhaps have been the more convenient spot for the office — perhaps I should have known better.

A final counterattack was fired at me with the, “Well, we can’t inspect cars in the rain for damage,” however it was reluctantly agreed, and I was informed that, “there are just days when you wish the ground would swallow you up.” Evidently, ten minutes into the working day, I had been that final straw.

Here’s the thing: I didn’t pay the eye-watering “reduce your excess” fee (which would have cost more than the rental itself), so of course I wanted the inspection done properly. I’ve read the reviews and would encourage others to do the same — this isn’t the first time drop-off issues have cropped up. When I overheard a staff member mention to a previous customer that “all damages are dealt with by head office,” I nearly laughed. That doesn’t exactly scream “easy resolution.” That screams emails, hold music, and stomach ulcers.

In the end, the inspection took around two and a half minutes. That’s all. 150 seconds of simply doing the thing the policy says should happen. No fuss. No clipboard epics. Just… a check. I just wanted someone to glance at the car, tick a few boxes, and send me on my way with a half-hearted smile.

Instead, I was left feeling like an inconvenience wrapped in mild contempt and drizzled in rain — all for daring to follow your own process.

May I suggest this: invest in the final chapter of the customer experience. That last page — the handover, the goodbye, the bit people remember. Right now, it tastes like wet cardboard and corporate apathy.

Tricia M.

Great service at Newquay. Lovely efficient staff. The only niggle was I booked an Opel Astra or similar and got a Dacia Sandero. I don't see it as an equivalent but I didn't say anything so can't complain!

Nazim M.

Amazing service. Friendly staff. Thank you