Car Hire

"How can I avoid being stung for extras at the car rental desk?" was the question in Gill Charlton's travel question and answer feature in the Daily Telegraph.

She explained that the local car hire company would not receive a very large payment for the car gire from a car hire broker and the car hire company itself will need to make up any shortfall itself with extras. She said that a customer can quite often pay more for "cheap car hire" than going direct to a large company like Avis.

She suggested checking the size of damage excess saying that rental companies will charge between £10 to £15 a day to reduce this to zero and to "buy an annual excess-reduction policy instead from Insurance4carhire.com."

Currently these cost £39.20 (instead of the usual £49.00) when you buy from the link at the insurance4carrental's website. Find out more HERE  

Insurance4carhire's "Daily Excess" policy costs £4.75 a day (around €6.08) which is a lot less than you would pay to the car hire company at the desk or when you book.

It is all very well being armed with your own car hire excess policy. however as mentioned quite often in this blog, Gill Charlton said in her article "Another swindle is to include extra insurances you have verbally declined. Make sure you query anything you are asked to initial as "agreed". 

You could consider actually writing on their form "declined your excess insurance" as so many car hire companies try to make someone sign for this after the customer has verbally declined it.

The weekend break and mini holiday season is now hotting up, so make sure you have bought your car hire excess insurance in advance.

"How can I avoid being stung for extras at the car rental desk?" was the question in Gill Charlton's travel question and answer feature in the Daily Telegraph.

She explained that the local car hire company would not receive a very large payment for the car gire from a car hire broker and the car hire company itself will need to make up any shortfall itself with extras. She said that a customer can quite often pay more for "cheap car hire" than going direct to a large company like Avis.

She suggested checking the size of damage excess saying that rental companies will charge between £10 to £15 a day to reduce this to zero and to "buy an annual excess-reduction policy instead from Insurance4carhire.com."

Currently these cost £39.20 (instead of the usual £49.00) when you buy from the link at the insurance4carrental's website. Find out more HERE  

Insurance4carhire's "Daily Excess" policy costs £4.75 a day (around €6.08) which is a lot less than you would pay to the car hire company at the desk or when you book.

It is all very well being armed with your own car hire excess policy. however as mentioned quite often in this blog, Gill Charlton said in her article "Another swindle is to include extra insurances you have verbally declined. Make sure you query anything you are asked to initial as "agreed". 

You could consider actually writing on their form "declined your excess insurance" as so many car hire companies try to make someone sign for this after the customer has verbally declined it.

The weekend break and mini holiday season is now hotting up, so make sure you have bought your car hire excess insurance in advance.

Car Hire in Dublin

Dublin, the capital of Ireland is situated along the River Liffey. It is one of the greenest cities in Europe. Ireland is the literary and the artistic hub of Ireland. Food, monuments, parks, music, shopping and nightlife are the activities to go for when you are in Dublin. Car hire in Dublin is the best way to see it all.

The Powerscourt Townhouse Centre, just off Grafton Street, is one of Dublin's most attractive shopping centres, set in a beautifully restored 18th century townhouse. Here, you will find clothes, cafes, galleries and Irish designer jewellers. Powerscourt Gallery boasts of some of the best and most eclectic art collection in Dublin. Hire a car to be mesmerized by the talent of these artists. If you are interested in landscaping your garden, visit the ‘The Garden’ and ‘The Bonsai Shop’. All in all, the Powerscourt Centre has everything that you are looking for, so hire a car and shop till you drop. Other areas where you can go for shopping are Loft Street and Henry Street.

Apart from shopping, you can also learn about the rich history of Ireland by visiting the Dublin Castle built in 1204 by King John of England. It was the seat of British rule in Ireland till 1922. Now it serves the purposes of important government ceremonies. You can also wander around the Dubh Linn Gardens behind the castle. Trinity College is a must visit for the literary lovers and is famous for the Book of Kells in its library. The architecture of the College is quite fascinating with an amalgamation of old and contemporary buildings, surrounded by gardens. If you wish to enjoy some traditional and folk music, you can visit the Cobblestone.
Dublin is also very famous for its pubs and bars, the Temple Bar being the most famous of them all. A day in Dublin is incomplete till a pint of Guinness, a popular Irish dry stout. Hire a car in Dublin and visit the Guinness Storehouse which is a major tourist attraction. It has seven floors and is surrounded by a glass atrium in the shape of a Guinness pint. The Gravity Bar, located at the top of storehouse is a treat to the eyes. If you are a rugby fan, visit the Croke Park where all the home games of rugby are played. If you are traveling with your partner, do visit the St. Valentine’s Shrine at the Carmelite Whitefriar Street Church located at Aungier Street.

All in all Dublin is the place to be if you are a nature and art lover. People here love life and live it to the fullest. Car Hire Dublin and experience the beauty of the Irish world.

Some people think that using rented cars can be quite an expense. This is not true. You can always book the cars in advance according to your own budget and requirements. There are many companies that offer car rentals. The best way is to go on their internet sites and check what all the companies have to offer. Make an online booking for a cheap car hire and enjoy your trip to the fullest. While making an online booking you can ask for the needs that you need, like the size of the car, insurance and unlimited mileage if required so that you pay only for the services you need. Also if you need some car extras like navigation systems, baby seats etc., then give your requirements beforehand so that you do not have to pay extra when picking up the car. If you are taking a one-way rental, be sure to know if the company has drop-off charges as that is an extra expense. Look for companies that do not take that surcharge.

While dropping off the car make sure you hand it to an employee of the company and check the car thoroughly for any claims in the future. Always come in a little early for the drop-off as their might be a queue and extending the time-limit might cause you extra money. If the company’s policy is to return the car with full tank, make sure you do that otherwise you end up paying a lot of money. While booking the cars, always look for discounts offers and vouchers at the online sites. Some companies offer 20%-30% discount on the rent which provides you with a cheap car hire for your trip. Booking the car in advance and for longer duration also saves up money. If you change your schedule or wish to go for sight-seeing on your own, car rentals are the best and the cheapest option that you should go for.

In the heart of the city there is the Postiguet Beach. The sandy beach is popular during the day and fairly busy during the evening when it's illuminated by sodium street lights. These give the beach and breaking waves a surreal effect. The white sand and clear blue waters with palm tree vegetation, makes it a favourite spot among the tourists. Using any of the car rentals, visit this beach and enjoy the amazing water sports at the Postiguet Beach. If you are interested in history and monuments, you should visit the Castle of Santa Bárbara situated on Mount Benacantil. It was built in the 10th century by Moors. It has everything, from moats, canons, to a tattered church and the perfect view of entire Alicante. There are two cafes also is you wish to take a break after all the sightseeing. During summers, between July and August, ‘castle evenings’ are organized where a lot of concerts take place. If you do not wish to go on foot by taking the winding paths through the mountain, go for car hire Alicante and visit the Castle. There is another castle, St. Ferdinand Castle, located on the Tossal Hill. It was built in the 19th century to prevent Napoleon’s advances and has articulate exteriors.

The most famous promenade of Alicante is La Explanada de España. The most distinguishing feature of this place is the 6.6 million tiles in red, black and cream colour depicting the waves of the Mediterranean. It offers a perfect getaway with palm trees, cafes, stalls with local handicrafts and the cool sea-breeze. The easiest way to reach this place would be by using the car rental services in Alicante. If you are an art lover, visit the Paseo de Gadea, where local artists display their works. The Museum of Contemporary Art is famous for its displays of old and new paintings by artists like Bacon and Picasso. Another interesting museum is the Bonfire Festivities Museum which has the paper sculptures from the festival of San Juan. Visit the museum to see how these beautiful art forms are made. If you are a fan of bull-fighting, explore the Bullfighting Museum which has all the artefacts from swords and capes to stuffed bulls.

Visit Alicante on the white coastline of Costa Blanca and enjoy the beaches, the marina, the sea-food, history and culture of Spain.

Simon Calder the Independent's Travel expert has recently been involved in a car rental rip off in the USA.

According to his article in the 25th February 2012 edition of "Independent Traveller" he recently visited California. His moto is never to upgrade a US hire car and always order go for the basic model.

This time he arranged the rental via Holiday Autos and when he went to collect it, was offered a "Thanksgiving weekend upgrade special". He declined it and was then asked to initial the rental contract in the places he was asked to do. He had just had a 12 hour flight and like any traveller tired.

He discovered when his credit card bill came in and additional £26 had been added for the upgrade!  He took up the issue with Holiday Autos customer services who did a an efficient job looking into it and they got hold of a copy of the rental contract. This showed he had initialled for a better car.

This type of action by car hire receptionists, of getting customers to sign here, there and there is so similar to when my wife rented a car in Dublin via Irish Car Rentals the Europcar Ireland franchise operator. She declined their excess insurance has she had her own, however was told sign here, there and everywhere and when questioned later, although she has said she did not want it, but they said you signed for it so we are not refunding the money.

Do take great care and if you are tired, why not write on the contract "don't want upgrade" or "your excess insurance" even if it is one of those screen signature boxes that a lot of car hire companies are now using.

To see Simon Calder's article on line at The Independent, follow this link.

The London is well known for its royal antiquity and its Royal family. London is one of the most visited tourist places in the world. This ultra-modern city is generously famous for its top shops, fast foods and especially for the royal family of the kingdom. Most of the tourist places are centered at the tower of London. The unique architecture and elegant infrastructure represents each bits of the cities personality. If you want to experience the royalty look for the car rental in London services. There are tons of cheap car hire available across the London that could compensate for all your travel needs. If you are planning to experience the royalty in the city of royals then look for your best deals.

The London is a town adorned with the royalty at each and every single stretch of its length. There are tons of particular tourist sites in the London that could keep you spell bounded for some time. One of the must see location in the London is the ‘London eye' which is located at the bank of the river Thames, it is the largest exhibition wheel in the world and provide the tourist with the spectacular view of the London city. The view from the London eye is enchanting a experience of a life time.

The house of parliament is the, place that is credible of the visit. The gothic architectural structure consists of a large bell which is famously known as the big ben, which illuminates whenever the parliament proceedings are going on. This building was built in 1840. The whole of the place is blessed with the elegant architectural style and majestic infrastructure.

Other interesting places are the Buckingham Palace, The Tate Gallery of Modern Art and Tower Bridge etc. which will engulf you with the essence of elegance and royalty. These palaces take you to the life and time of the royal family and you could experience the same within yourself.

If you are planning on paying a visit to the London and that also in a Royal style then it would be better for you to opt for car rental in London services. Cheap car hire services are available at the airport and at major parts of the city. You are also provided with an option to book your car online, this will help you to get your car rental easily and without any hassle.

I have just come accross this article on the Auto Exress web site "Watchdog: Mis-selling car hire cover" by Mike Gibbs on the 22nd February 2012.

Reading the report it looks like the same old story is cropping up again. According to his article - "Conor Mills from east London pre-booked a car to be picked up at Knock Airport, Ireland, through online broker CarHire3000. The best deal was through Budget.Conor Mills from east London pre-booked a car to be picked up at Knock Airport, Ireland, through online broker CarHire3000. The best deal was through Budget.The car was fully insured, but Conor paid CarHire3000 an extra £26 for an excess waiver, to avoid having to shell out the 1,200 Euro excess if he damaged the car. But the lady at the Budget desk at Knock Airport told him CarHire3000’s excess waiver policy had loopholes big enough to drive a car through. “She said the insurance did not cover any accidents deemed my fault, or repair time,” Conor told us.So he forked out another 45 Euros (£37) for Budget’s own excess waiver. This was totally unnecessary". See full story here

From personal experiences over the years and other peoples experiences, I have written about these continual problems on this blog and with articles on the insurance4carrental.com site How Irish car hire companies are not improving Irish Tourism, Car hire company in Ireland charges for unwanted excess insurance, Irish car hire companies are taking visitors for a ride  and then in November 2011 iCarhireinsurance published Dubious Dublin airport car rental staff

It is such a shame that these companies continue to do this to tourists, business people and even their own nationals returning to the home country for a few days. It is not a good advertisement for Irish Tourism and this is happening at entry points to the country. 

On a positive note however, on the last three occasions my wife or I have rented a car in Dublin we have used Hertz. We have told them we have our own excess insurance, we are then told that they will deduct several hundred euro from the credit card till the car is returned, but there is no pressure to take their own products, which probably like in the story in Auto Express is exactly the same coverage and in reality, they have the right to deduct the amount from the credit card, but don't actually debit the account, unless it is required.

Irish car rental companies you are giving Ireland a bad name. It is about time that you thought more about returning customers than making a fast buck from the one standing in front of you.

Also known as the El Postiguet beach, the Postiguet Beach got its name from a pre-existing secondary gate that earlier provided entry to the main city of Alicante. As far as your eyes can see, the beach is surrounded by beautiful palm trees, which makes it an enchanting view to witness. During the summer nights, the beach becomes a meeting point for several love birds. Recently, the golden sand strip was renovated and opened for visitors. This sand strip is very close to the El Postiguet harbor, thus making it pretty easy for the visitors to reach it.

During the day time, this sandy beach remains very busy with people coming from all four corners. Car rental is the best way to get to the beach from any part of the world. All you must do is simply take your time out and come here. Car hire in Alicante will offer you excellent deals to make your way to this beautiful beach that takes a different turn in the evening. The evenings are usually busier with the sodium street lights flanking the beach and making it a perfect place to spend some good time with friends and family. The lighting effect of the Postiguet Beach created a surreal effect. It is a wonder to watch the breaking and cascading waves. If you love to travel to different beaches, Alicante will definitely be one of the cities listed on your mind.

Apart from the Postiguet Beach, you may also want to try the San Juan Beach in Spain. It is a long and beautiful beach that can be reached with a car rental. You need a car hire in Alicante to be here. The San Juan Beach is 7 kms long, and is known to be the finest places in Spain. Therefore, if you are planning to come to Spain, you simply cannot miss the opportunity to visit this place. The breath-taking beauty of these beaches and the turquoise clear water will keep you busy for hours. Sitting idle in the beach is the best thing you can do to spend your time.

Economy car hire issued a news release yesterday.

They said that one of the largest independent car hire companies in Spain has recently announced that they will cease trading causing a shortage of vehicles this summer.

AurigaCrown have been operating under administration for around two years, however, due to increasing costs and lower revenue, it has been decided that they will cease trading. As a result the availability of hire cars across mainland Spain will plummet. The loss of 15,000 vehicles in the market will cause prices to rise significantly in the coming months according to Economy Car Hire, one of the UK’s leading car hire brokers.
In both 2009 and 2010 there were availability issues due to the economic situation in Spain, making it difficult for car hire companies to raise finance in order to equip their fleets. 2012 is in danger of being even worse due to the fall in the number of cars.


Economy Car Hire warns customers that they must book early if they want to secure a hire car this summer. The costs of car hire will also rise, meaning that customers may end up paying more than double if they leave booking until the last minute, if there are any vehicles left at all.


“It is clear that the recent raft of exceptionally low prices has taken its toll on the car hire companies of Spain” says Rory Sexton, Managing Director of Economy Car Hire. “There is no doubt that following the failing of one company, the rest will increase their prices. The message is clear, book in advance.”


If you have already booked your holiday for the summer, Economy Car Hire advises that you book your hire car now. This way, you can choose the most suitable vehicle for your stay and not be left with something hugely inappropriate, or worse still, nothing at all.


It is not yet known exactly when AurigaCrown will cease trading, however, as a precaution Economy Car Hire have already moved affected bookings to an alternative provider. Customers who have a car hire booking with AurigaCrown made through another broker or agent are advised to make alternative arrangements.


Economy Car Hire provides car hire services in over 26 countries worldwide, including the UK, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Malta, Slovenia, Croatia, Turkey, Jamaica and Australia.

Source: Economy car hire

If you are going on holiday this year to Spain book that car hire now. Remember back in 2009 there were a lot of shortages It can be rather frustrating leaving the car hire booking to the last minute and then finding you cannot get a car or the price has gone sky high.

Notes: The AurigaCrown website was still working OK today (17th February 2012). According to their website "AurigaCrown Car Hire was founded in the begining of 2006 with the merger of two leading companies in the rent a car sector in Spain Crown Car Hire and Auriga Rent a Car, what converted this new company into the leader of the rent a car sector.With over 40 years experience in the rent a car sector and a fleet of over 18.000 vehicles, none exceeding an average age of 6 months, a network of 30 offices distributed all over Spain, and our staff of 350 multilingual and qualified professionals, our aim is transparency and reliability in order to improve a better service for our clients day by day."



Find out more about Economy Car Hire Here