Britian Car rental and driving ???
 

Getting ready for our U.K. trip.
We know that we want to rent a car for most of the trip but we have a few questions for people who have rented recently. We love the flexibility of having a car.

Any suggestions on how to get the best deal for an automatic? In the past we pretty much went with the air + car package but when I checked I was honestly NOT impressed with the package offered by the airline we will probably travel with (Air Transat). We would prefer a company that offers airport pickup (Manchester) BUT if a good enough deal is to be had by picking up elsewhere we would be OK with that also.

A related question - does anyone know any good websites with driving advice for people not used to driving on the "other" side of the road? My husband has driven in the U.K. before but roundabouts and heavy traffic still stress him out(especially roundabouts WITH heavy traffic).

Also related does anyone know EASY (not too many roundabouts and not too much traffic) routes between Manchester and Ludlow and from North Wales to Manchester airport.
We really don't care whether it is the fastest or most direct. Once we are in the countryside he is fine. Built up areas with lots of roundabouts are his nemisis (sp?). On our last trip, he reached a point in Surrey where he refused to drive another mile.

:-). I hear you on the driving! When we would go through the roundabouts, I would sing "people in the middle have the right a way"...just so he would remember. We must have looked like a pair of idjits :-D. We drove the country route from Manchester?Chester to North Wales..we were rather pleased with it..it seemed more managable IMO. I forgot the route number, but I will lokk it up.

Thx Judyrem
Believe me any help to make this as stress free as possible for my husband is appreciated!

I should have a look at the Highway Code
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAn...code/index.htm

This is a weird looking site
http://www.driving-test-success.com/...g-test-dvd.htm

but it is very good on things like roundabouts.
Scroll to the bottom of the page for video tutorials

I can never really understand the problem people have with roundabouts. I think it's because they are round.

All a roundabout is is a curving one-way street with traffic coming from your right and which you are joining from a side road. Just think of them that way and there shouldn't be a problem.

Once you get used to them you will wonder what the fuss was all about. Roundabouts/traffic circles are wonderful things. They can be anything for acres huge at a junction above a motorway to, quite literally, a spot on the road not much bigger than a frisbie. And anything in between. Wasley's explanation is perfect - a circular 1-way street. easy-peasy.

Plus - if the navigator and driver aren't sure which exit to take - you can simply go round again until you are sure.

Try AutoEurope first. They are a broker that handles many of the largest rental companies and can arrange pick up/drop off just about anywhere in the UK. Do realize you will pay quite a premium for an automatic car.

We're from rural Canada where the roads are very wide and straight with huge shoulders and very little traffic. (Boring and dull.) :)

The first time driving in the UK was interesting but we've been there many times now and it gets easier each time. By the end of the first trip we grew to love and appreciate round-abouts. I think they are such a great idea. Triple and quad round-abouts can get interesting - the navigator must be pretty alert. Well, same goes for the driver! We always rent a manual car as they are cheaper. Like suggested above, we always go with AutoEurope - have had no negative experiences with them whatsoever. And we travel to Europe lots.

The driving parts we sort of struggle with (me more so, especially on the first couple of days) is the narrowness of many one-track roads and the close proximity to stone walls and vegetation on the sides. Be cautious when rounding corners on these country roads - a local guy crashed head on into our car (it was definitely determined to be his fault). We were ok but our car was totalled. We find these roads to be more scenic and gorgeous, however.

Enjoy your trip - do not let those round-abouts put you off. They are truly helpful and once you know the rules they are a piece of cake.

Hello Semi,
It is no big deal to drive in the UK. I always recommend a navigator ie. you up front so your hubby can concentrate on driving. Also we always use Autoeurope so picking up a car at the airport is no big deal. I recommend the big Michelin mapbook of the UK or Europe for a map. We have both. We always get a manual as they are cheaper. I love roundabouts. If you miss the turn just keep going around. What fun!

semiramis

Also check rates at www.novacarhire.com another broker who will place you with a major car hire firm.

We have rented from Nova Car hire numerous times, great rates and service. In fact will pick up a car once again this Wednesday at Stansted airport. You can expect to pay a higher rate for an automatic in the U.K.

Sandy

Thx for all the advice - especially thanks to MissPrism for the two websites! I thought their roundabout video was useful and will get the husband to watch it.

Some of the tips we already use - I am always the navigator. I wish my husband could drive manual (he actually can - barely but not well enough to take on driving on the other side at the same time) - so we just have to pay the premium for an automatic.

Also thanks for the AutoEurope and Novacar advice - I will look into both.

We used AA's trip planner to print directions for our entire England/Wales trip last year. I put them in a binder and read them to Mr. Pickle as he drove. They were really helpful.

Lee Ann

We always pay the extra to have an automatic....there is enough to think about without shifting gears! We also get a Diesel, since we think it works out to be cheaper to drive.
We have been told that now that my husband is 70, he won't be able to rent a car........I don't mind doing the driving, but he's a little put out about the restriction.
Roundabouts really make traffic flow better than stop lights. But you do need to know the rules. Don't go round and round on the outside lane, unless you are exiting at the next exit.

kleroux: Who ever told you your husband is too old to rent a car in the UK?? Absolutely not true. A very few companies might have restrictions - but the majors (like Hertz) don't - at least not for someone in their 70's.

Contact Autoeurope - they will be able to hook you up w/ a rental agency that will let him drive.

kleroux, We have dealt with the "over-70" issue too. janisj is right -- you won't have a problem in the UK. However, Ireland is a different story. Over 70's might can rent from select companies and pay a premium. However, over 75 and it becomes a big problem. Enterprise is the only agency we have found that will rent to this age bracket, and not all their offices will.

Thanks for the clarification...now I have to decide if I tell him or not!! I was rather pleased with the fact that the driver would be me.....

Sorry to pop an old thread back up but was searching for UK rental company recommendations and this one came up. I've just done a search on AutoEurope and the prices do look good but I just wanted to ask a silly question... I thought they were a car rental broker but I can't seem to see which car rental company we're actually booking with. What sign are we looking for when we rock up at the pick up address? AutoEurope?

Gosh, this seems like a really silly question.

When you actually book with Auto Europe, you will get a voucher showing which rental company you will deal with and where the rental desk is located. I haven't done it, but you might get this information before booking if you telephone them. FYI, we have previously always booked through Auto Europe but have found that Kemwel offers the same cars at a lower price. Although Auto Europe promises to match lower prices, we have decided to go with Kemwel this year.

One thing i would advise before setting off is to get a portable satnav or at least an up to date road atlas with speed camera sites in.It could be very useful in saving a lot of money in speeding fines as the rental company will be billed and pass the cost on to you later.In the land of Big Brother we have Speed Cameras everywhere and its a very big income earner,so just be careful.
Apart from that you should have no problems.
Enjoy your trip.

I would second the SatNav idea (With or without the speed cameras). Cheap versions can be picked up for under £100, and although not perfect, they can greatly reduce the stress - particularly when showing exactly which exit of a roundabout to take.

Most rental companies will have automatics in their range. I use Alamo, but Sixt, Kennys, Europcar, Avis etc are all good.

My OH and I have had many hilarious episodes circling roundabouts while she (as mavigator) worked out what exit to take. I think our record was 7 circuits!