It’s Christmas. You may have noticed by now… All that annoying music in shops, those terrible festive specials on TV and the fact that your bank balance is a quarter of what it normally is. Great! But Christmas is a top time all in all, isn’t it? Beautiful food, time off work, family you’ve not seen for a while – nice. But this time of the year doesn’t come without its pitfalls too. Especially on the roads. They’re icier, full of irate people rushing about and all sorts. So if you want to stay safe and make it to the Christmas table in one piece, you might like to follow a few of our handy lil’ tips:   Secure your tree! Source If you’re driving out to get a big ol’ Christmas tree for your living room and you’re taking it home yourself, for Santa’s sake tie it down properly. A seven foot pine tree Read more…

Where can you sample the very best in Christmas atmosphere? Do you wait for the big day itself and enjoy it at home with the family? Do you go into town on Christmas Eve with the other shoppers and take it all in? Do you queue up for the big man at the local shopping centre with the little ‘uns? All great ideas. You’ll definitely be in the festive spirit in no time. But for us, the true feeling of Christmas is never so strong as when you’re at a Christmas market nosing around for pressies. Mulled wines, chilly evening sir, stalls of great gift ideas – they’re unbeatable. And there are plenty about the place too. Here are the five of the very best on the continent. They’re so Christmassy they’d show Father Christmas up. Enjoy!   Christmas in Cologne Source The Germans are the kings of Christmas. Most of the modern traditions we Read more…

Everyone loves gadgets, don’t they? Okay, that’s not strictly true. A lot of people hate modern technology and gizmos. But we’re assuming that since you’re on the internet reading this (and maybe considering renting a car online) that you’re fairly tech-savvy and at the least, not monumentally petrified of LED displays and things that bleep… Gadgets come in all different shapes and sizes and can help us all out in a million different ways. We’re thinking specifically about travel tech here and the clever little ditties that are travel-related. But not just any ditties. We’re talking the best. And as such, the priciest. Here’s our top ten most wallet-worrying travel gadgets from across the globe…   Wenger Giant Swiss Army Knife – £700 Source The zenith of Swiss Army knives. With 87 implements that have over 150 functions, this little beauty can do it all. Well, we say ‘little’ – it’s as big as a Read more…

Source Sexy cars? Well… Yes! We’re real motor fanatics over here at Car Rentals and we don’t care who knows it. Okay, we don’t go to extremes. But we can appreciate when a car’s a real stunner. And we’re guessing that you can too. There are plenty of cool vehicles about. Plenty of nice looking ones. Plenty of beauts. But we’re thinking about the very, very best here. The crème de la crème. The absolute jaw droppers that raise body temperatures and turn men (and women) to jelly. Let’s run down some of the very sexiest cars on Earth, shall we? Aston Martin V12 Vanquish Source James Bond drives one. Proof that it’s a sexy, sexy car. 6 litre engine, 460 horsepower, V12 engine, this absolute beast was Aston Martin’s flagship model for the best part of a decade and it looks as fantastic today as it did on its launch day. Enough to make Read more…

Source It’s getting to that time of the year when holiday thoughts, for some of us, turn to the slopes. Winter sun in Europe is getting scarce and long-haul flights can be a drag (not to mention a wallet-worrier). And skiing’s great exercise, isn’t it? Perhaps the best way to get to your ideal ski destination is by car. It’s potentially cheaper than multiple air fares, it allows you to take in some great sights and of course, you’re not limited to the luggage restrictions imposed by airlines – which is handy, skiing equipment is heavy!   Tips Source But you don’t want to spend your time driving on boring routes with little in the way of scenery. You’ll want the drive to form part of the overall holiday, for it to be exciting and picturesque. There are plenty of other things to consider too. So let’s run through a few choice road trip ski Read more…

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office are warning of an increase in the number of car-related crimes befalling British tourists holidaying in the Iberian Peninsula. Roadside robberies appear to be on the rise and the British consulates in Spain and Portugal are keen to stem the tide and offer advice to Brits abroad to try and avoid them being targeting. The Latin motorway thieves look to hit foreign tourists on log drives because they’re seen as easy prey. Passports, possessions, money and the vehicles themselves are taken and quite understandably, such incidents can easily ruin a family holiday.   As partners of the FOC, we have been asked to pass this message on to our customers to help spread the word. As the Managing Director of Carrentals, I feel especially obliged to help where I can so I’d urge anyone that this might affect to read on…   Crime Hotspot Source Easily the worst crime blackspot Read more…

Source You see some pretty lousy drivers on the roads at times, don’t you? Cutting you up, parking illegally, straying lanes… They’re annoying. But it’s not just everyday Joes Flos like you and me that make the odd miscalculation behind the wheel. There have been plenty of occasions where those types you see on the front of magazines have made divs of themselves with their driving gloves on. Let’s explore some of the most amusing examples of celebrity driving disasters, shall we?   George Michael’s Snappy Snaps Crash Source Reports suggested that the Careless Whisper singer had been smoking something a little stronger than Marlboro Lights (and we’re not talking about red Marlboros) when he smashed his Range Rover bang into a branch of the photography shop Snappy Snaps in London a couple of years back. Those same reports also claim that the smash made quite the noise. ‘Wham!’ it apparently went.   Brian Harvey’s Read more…

So you’re planning a driving holiday around New Zealand, are you? That’s a coincidence – that’s what we’re going to talk about here! What’s that? Some of you aren’t planning one? Why not? Just think about it; cruising around one of the world’s most beautiful countries, at your own pace, taking in the sights and sounds and immersing yourself in the culture. Sounds good, eh? We knew we’d talk you into it… But, as with anything, there are a few things to know before you get involved – a few useful tips that will help you on your way. We’ve drawn up a list of 10 dos and don’ts that we think will make things run that little bit smoother. We spoil you, we really do…   DO:   Carry on driving on the left hand side. Here in the UK we’re one of only a few countries that drive on the left, so it Read more…