The availability of cars is improving compared to the past three years! However, if you’ve looked for a car for the National Holiday or Canada Day you’ll have noticed that we are not yet completely out of the woods.
Unfortunately, the availability of new cars from manufacturers remains critical, especially for hybrid models. Orders for 2024, which represent an additional 1,300 vehicles across Quebec, are expected to be fulfilled, but their delivery will unfortunately not be completed before the summer, as we had hoped.
There is still good news: 200 vehicles have already been added to the fleet since the beginning of the year, and many more cars will be put into service this summer. Additionally, the new rates now allow the use of FLEX for long trips at the same price as round-trip cars if you have one of the Value plans.
Here are some details and suggestions:
Frequently check availability, as several vehicles will be added throughout the summer
It is recommended to book in advance (up to 31 days!), but it is possible that you may not find a car available on your first attempt. Nevertheless, this year many new vehicles will be gradually put into service throughout the summer, primarily in round-trip stations.
In Montreal over 500 vehicles (194 in July, 321 in August) will be added this summer to the 393 put into service since the beginning of spring.
In Quebec City over 100 vehicles will be added this summer to the 36 put into service since the beginning of spring.
By regularly checking availability, you can take advantage of new arrivals or cancellations, which are more frequent than you might imagine.
NEW: the Long distance rate now also applies to FLEX trips for Value plans
Yes, for long trips, there will no longer be a difference between the price of a reservation with a round-trip vehicle and that of a FLEX trip, if you’re on one of the Value plans.
For example, a round trip of 2,250 km for 9 days from Montreal to Forillon National Park in Gaspésie would cost around $570, whether it’s with a FLEX vehicle or a round-trip car, gas included as usual.
To understand how trip costs are calculated, visit our help centre and/or use our trip calculator to test other scenarios.
Longer trips don’t necessarily mean higher costs
Even if it’s not possible to reserve a FLEX in advance, there are always hundreds of FLEX cars available in the days before the big departure.
Even on long weekends, FLEX cars become available all over the city, although patience is sometimes required.
The trip calculator shows that in some cases, there is little or no difference in price between taking a FLEX car the evening before or the morning after.
For shorter, last-minute reservations, round-trip cars are also available
A short last-minute trip to make, but everything is booked for the weekend? Even if you first think of FLEX, round-trip availability remains possible for uses of a few hours, even if the map appears fully booked. You might be surprised to find a vehicle available near you for an hour or two. Additionally, by using the reservation grid via the booking tool on the website (you need to check the “Show reservation grid” box), you can adjust your booking to the available time slots.
Car rental, train, and bus: the transportation mix also for long distances
Carsharing is a transportation solution that complements other collective, shared, and active mobility options. For short-distance travel, cycling, walking, public transit, and taxis are advantageous choices, while for longer trips, trains, intercity buses, traditional car rentals, and carpooling are alternatives that can meet our mobility needs. Therefore, it’s worth checking if other options are available that might suit your needs.
Wishing you a great summer!