Rental Car for the Hebrides
May 20th, 2000, 08:05 AM
#1
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Rental Car for the Hebrides
Making reservations for our late August trip to Scotland, going to the Hebrides Islands. We normally prefer to rent through Hertz, even though Hertz's rates are higher than Auto Europe. However, when making reservations through Hertz's toll-free number, I was asked whether we would be taking the car out of the UK. I replied, "No, but we will be going to some of the islands." Hertz's reply was, "This says that the only islands you can take this to are the Orkneys and the Shetlands." This statement, taken literally, does not seem to make any sense. The O's & S's would seem to be more remote than the H's; so the transportation risk and risk of problems should be greater. Does anyone have any insight on this? My suspicion is that the Hebrides are OK, but simply not called out in the rental policy since they are so close to the "mainland." However, I have so far got no different clarification from a Hertz supervisor. I intend to call the Hertz office in Manchester on Monday, but would like to gather any information that I can in the interim. Thanks.
May 21st, 2000, 12:50 AM
#3
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It's all to do with the time difference bo_jack. I read this in my addictive way, just beofre we went out for dinner last night, and the local Hertz desk was closed. <BR> <BR>However, I called this morning (it's now 9.50am and I have been at work since 9 and it's Sunday and I did the sme yesterday, there are slave cultures where people work shorter hours than I) and it is, of course, nonsense. You won't get your rental agreement (as I once did in San Diego, stamped NO MEXICO), stamped NO STORNOWAY. Watch out for the marauding sheep and gave a look at www.hebrides.com
May 22nd, 2000, 03:23 AM
#4
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As the Orkneys & Shetlands are the farthest flung islands of the many hundreds around the UK,and the only ones which require a long sea journey, it seems likely that they got confused & meant all islands except the Ork & Sh. <BR> <BR>In fact it MUST be an error. <BR>If they persist, try easyrentacar.com. <BR>Pedantic note: the Hebrides are just called that, never "islands".They are sometimes divided into the Inner Hebrides & the Outer Hebrides or the Western Isles. <BR>IMO the smaller more remote isles are best visited by bicycle : all that expense on a ferry then nowhere to drive to at the end! <BR>Where are you going?
May 22nd, 2000, 06:49 PM
#5
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Trip will be last week of August, first week of September. Unless strongly advised to do otherwise, we are not planning to pre-book nightly accommodations; so the trip will be flexible. Shaping up to be several nights on Skye; with perhaps an over-night to Lewis & Harris. (A day trip to L&H does not seem feasible, based on the ferry schedules.) Then move south (we fly out of Manchester) -- perhaps headquarter at Oban, but we think we would like to visit Mull, Iona, Islay and Arran in the south. Planning to remain flexible as to what is do-able, and what we will actually feel like doing. Will be very glad of any first-hand advice.
May 22nd, 2000, 11:44 PM
#7
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In the same way that you don't move from the right to the left side of the road when you cross to Long Island, you don't cross over when you go to Skye. <BR> <BR>It really is NOT a restriction. I checked. <BR> <BR>You can' get direct from Skye to Lewis bo_jack, and my suggestion ( unasked, I know) would be to take the ferry from Uig to Lochmaddy, which with the causeways gives you North and South Uist, Benbecula and Berneray. Then get the ferry from Lochboisdale to Oban. <BR> <BR>If you can time it so you are in Oban on a Wednesday afternoon you can get the ferry from Oban to Islay, having done the Mull and Iona trip from there already. <BR> <BR>You then get the bot from Islay to Kennacraig and drive on south. Arran's off my beat. <BR> <BR>The ferry page is www.calmac.co.uk
May 23rd, 2000, 12:53 AM
#8
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If you go to Harris/Lewis for an overnight, either try a drive across to Luskentyre , west Harris or head for Carinish in Lewis, the most impressive set of stones I've seen, also the nearby Broch a few miles up the coast.(Dun Carlaway?) <BR>One way of getting from Islay to Arran is ferry to Kennacraig, drive to Claonig, ferry to north Arran. <BR>Calmac sell some kind of "island hopper" ticket. <BR>You should be OK not prebooking,much better to see the places first, though it might be wise to carry a list of accoms. to telephone just in case. <BR>B&Bs: <BR>www.b-and-b-scotland.co.uk/ <BR> <BR>everything else plus some accom.: <BR>www.scotland-inverness.co.uk <BR>
