Holidays bring unexpected discoveries and pleasant experiences. Pavel Stejskal, who went to Croatia with his mother and brother, experienced his first roadtrip in Europe. For him, the Old Continent does not fulfil his ideas of dream exotic destinations and cultures. It was enough for him to move one or two countries away from home to get experiences comparable to fly holidays thousands of kilometres away. Read how Autonapůl helped him do it.
"When planning our vacation, I realized that no matter where we go, we want to see pretty much everything. We are not the types that can relax and unwind for long periods of time in one place in one city or resort. We are looking for an active holiday that will attract us with something we have to see with our own eyes and experience on our own skin," begins Pavel Stejskal from Olomouc describing his car-sharing holiday with Autonapůl.
Pavel's journey from a financial perspective
Three adults were travelling for a week's holiday. Prices include fuel.
| Shared car | Price till the end of June 2023 | Price from July to September 2023 |
| Škoda Fabia Combi | 15 510 CZK | 13 760 CZK |
| Hyundai i30 Combi | 18 130 CZK | 15 505 CZK |
| Škoda Octavia Combi | 19 975 CZK | 17 350 CZK |
When he and his family are deciding where to go, the main thing they consider is:
- What level of certainty does the chosen way of transportation offer them in terms of getting to their destination safely, comfortably and on time,
- how it will make it easier for them to visit the places they have planned,
- how demanding will be to organise it.
In the past, they often went on fly holidays, but this year the situation was unfavourable. Thanks to this year's carsharing holiday, they discovered how much security and freedom carsharing offers them.
Carsharing symbolises freedom of movement
First, they agreed that they wanted to go to the seaside in the Croatian town of Poreč, where they would spend most of their holiday. And they began to figure out how to get there.
Gradually they rejected:
- travel by bus, because they consider it for such a long distance to be the peak of discomfort,
- by train, because the yellow company cancelled its "to Croatia by train" offer. Anyway they would not be assured of quiet company in the surrounding compartments on the train, and visiting interesting places in the wider surroundings of their chosen destination would be complicated,
- travel by car from a car rental company, because Pavel has one quite negative experience - they once cancelled his car reservation at the last minute and did not offer a replacement.
The car from the carsharing company Autonapul won. Unlike other carsharing services, it has grown from scratch, it is a cooperative with a community rather than corporate spirit, and guarantees the confidence of a trusted partner with a quality and trouble-free fleet.
Why did Pavel Stejskal join carsharing?
Today's carsharer Pavel once considered buying his own car. But he thought about it from a money perspective. If he really bought a car, he would definitely spent hundreds of thousands for it. He wanted a safe car that would last a long time and serve him well. But he would lose a few tens of percent of its value just by buying it, and it would get more and more expensive as the miles went on. And the money suited him for a better investment: a home. So he chose carsharing as a win-win strategy that saves both money and the public space where he does not park the extra car. He wishes there will be more electric cars on offer for trips around the city in the future.
Thanks to the car journey:
- They made stops anywhere that caught their eye,
- they stopped for the night in Austria for a trip to Lake Halstatt.
- In Slovenia, they drove around a bit and explored surroundings of Lake Bled.
- and took an interesting tour through the several smaller seaside villages.
They would not experience anything like this by train or bus.
Certainty and predictable costs made their holiday more enjoyable
"The main certainty for us was that we will have the car, it will be in 100% technical condition and we can calculate in advance, thanks to an online calculator, how much the trip will cost us. Autonapůl's customer service is also great, where they advised me that it was more convenient to buy the Austrian vignette in advance. And not only did they advise me, but they also bought it for us without charging anything extra. We and everyone else who goes to Austria with the same car, will save around 400 crowns in tolls," says Pavel.
He also confided that before the trip he was looking for a reliable service to temporarily rent a car from. And he found out that it is not at all easy and obvious to find such a service. Formalities at car rental companies, question marks over the technical condition of private owners' cars, the need for prior approval of foreign travel. With Autonapůl, you don't have to deal with any of that. You book the car in the reservation system, pick it up on your own and go where you want. No complications, no worries.
The price per kilometre is the same here and abroad, regardless of the price of fuel. Where CCS cards do not apply, you pay with your own credit card, prove your payment with a petrol receipt and Autonapůl will deduct the amount paid from the invoice. Easy and fair.
The holiday went exactly as expected, the benefits clearly outweighed the slightly higher price
"If we look at the whole holiday purely from a money perspective, the car journey did cost a little more than the train, but only slightly. Add in the comfort and freedom of movement that you wouldn't have on a train, and the extra few thousand is worth it. Thanks to Autonapůl, our holiday turned out exactly as we had hoped," says Pavel Stejskal.
The positives of a holiday with Autonapul shared car:
- car in 100% roadworthy condition
- freedom to choose the route and stops along the way
- easy transport around the destination
- comfort and privacy of your own car (no transfers or loud company)
- free cancellation until the last minute
Try it: no obligation and with 90 cars at your service nationwide
"I remember well what was going through my mind when I was deciding between buying a car and carsharing. I have chosen carsharing and I'm becoming more and more firm about my decision. I understand that some people may be annoyed by the refundable deposit of CZK 5,000 or the non-refundable CZK 1,000 fee for joining Autonapůl. But when you consider that you get a virtual box with keys to 90 cars that receive regular maintenance, you don't have to deal with STK, vignettes or change of tyres, those amounts are more than reasonable," Pavel Stejskal is convinced.
For all those who may be hesitating, Pavel has a message:
"Registration is completely non-binding. It's no problem at all if you try carsharing for a few weeks and then unsubscribe. But only a tiny percentage of people will do that, which is probably the best reference. It doesn't matter if you take the car once a quarter for half an hour, once a year for a month, or if you drive every few days. You can rent any size car from a small Sandero to a Renault Trafic minivan. You can try Tesla Model 3 or go to a business meeting with a representative Octavia. The possibilities that open up and the money you save are priceless."
Creating space for people. Together.