A new survey by Travelsupermarket.com found that the best deals on car hire are not to be found through budget airlines, but by going to a car hire provider independently to find the most cost effective deals.

Many tourists fall into the trap of booking car hire at the same time as booking their flights as many misguidedly believe they’ll receive a competitive deal by purchasing more than one service through the one provider. However the research by the comparison website found that airlines are not offering the most cost effective deals on car hire, in fact, the savings can be considerable if you opt to book through an independent provider.

In the most extreme cases, the cost of car hire can be three times more expensive when booking car rental during a peak summer period through an airline as opposed to an independent car hire operator.

While one airline offered a quote for car hire of £1,055 for a two week hire of a medium sized family car in Portugal in the middle of summer, when booked independently, the research found the same deal could be bought for just £429.

Although it may be extremely convenient to book car hire at the same time as booking a flight, the savings can be massive, as much as £676, if you avoid this pitfall and make your own car hire booking for your summer holiday this year.