Indigo Car Hire > Articles by: Robert Gillespie

Happy “Wooden” Aniversary To Indigo Car Rental

June 5, 2014 Car Hire News Comments Off on Happy “Wooden” Aniversary To Indigo Car Rental

Here is a recent press release published in some of our favourite publications in Spain.

On the 5th of June 2014 Indigo Car Hire will be celebrating their 5th anniversary.

Based in Leeds, in the heart of Yorkshire in the North of England, Indigo Car Hire is a family business rooted in good old fashioned Yorkshire principles of no nonsense, transparent pricing and excellent customer service.

Indigo are extremely proud of the fact that they started their business in the middle of a global recession and despite all the odds against them, their business has flourished.

They attribute this phenomenom to their competetive prices, combined with their commitment to customer service excellence and the personal relationship they build with each and every customer that makes them return again and again. Not forgetting the long years of prior experience Indigo already had in the car hire market.

At the call centre in Leeds there is always an advisor to talk to, so whichever part of the world you are from you can always connect with a real person to discuss your car hire needs. You do not need to go online to book your car. Whether you need a car for a day, a week, a month or even longer term hires they can help.

Although Indigo specialise in UK car rental, they also offer car rental at 25,000 locations across the globe. You may be surprised at the many unexpected bonuses Indigo can arrange. Free one ways, no upper age limits, car hire for young drivers, free amendments/cancellations, and the acceptance of most debit cards. Indigo can even arrange for your car to be delivered right to your door.

Another popular innovation from Indigo is the launch of their new forum on their website at www.thealternativeagency.co.uk/indigo. On the forum you can get up to date information on all aspects of car hire and driving in general, ask particular questions of interest to you, and chat with other customers about their car hire experiences, good or bad.

You can post questions and comments, and any query you have about your car hire can be dealt with there.

Indigo can be contacted by telephone 0113 308 2016 (they also offer a free call back service), through the website on www.thealternativeagency.co.uk/indigo, or by email on sales@thealternativeagency.co.uk.

They will be happy to give a free no-obligation quote that suits your particular needs

Read more

Festival Season Is Here

June 5, 2014 Events, UK Comments Off on Festival Season Is Here

It´s that time of year when the days get longer and the weather gets better (fingers crossed!). Feeling the sun on your face gives you those butterflies in your tummy and that warm feeling that anything is possible and good times are just around the corner.

For live music lovers, summer also means Festival Season. Festivals are fun whatever the weather but if the sun is shining it is the best and purest way to enjoy live music.

Renting a car to go to a music festival can be the easiest and in some cases the only way to get to the venue. A lot of people don’t realise that cars can not only be rented from airports, they can be rented from local offices and even be delivered to your house. At Indigo we can help young drivers to rent a car, and we accept most debit cards so a credit card is not always necessary. So please contact our sales team and see what we can offer you to make your Festival experience the best possible.

Below is a list and details of the top 10 best UK Festivals this year, as provided by Varsity magazine, Cambridge. Enjoy!!

1. Reading and Leeds
Where: Richfield Avenue, Reading and Bramham Park, Leeds
When: 22-24 August
Cost: £99.50 (day-ticket), £213 (weekend-ticket)
Headlining: Queens of the Stone Age, Blink 182, Paramore, Arctic Monkeys
orting: Imagaine Dragons, Bombay Bicycle Club, You me At Six, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, The Courteeners, Disclosure, Jake Bugg, Vampire Weekend

2. Creamfields
Where: Daresbury, Halton, Cheshire
When: 22-24 August
Cost: £80-85 (day-ticket), £180 (weekend-ticket)
Headlining: DeadMau5, Pete Tong, Avicii, Afrojack, Eric Prydz, Hardwell, Armin van Buuren, Steve Angello
Supporting: Claude Vonstroke, Skream, Sasha, Annie Mac

3. Download
Where: Donington Park, Derby
When: 13-15 June
Cost: £180 (weekend-ticket)
Headlining: Linkin Park, Aerosmith, Avenged Sevenfold
Supporting: The Offspring, Status Quo, Trivium, Alter Bridge, Fall Out Boy

4. Glastonbury
Where: Worthy Farm, Pilton
When: 25-29 June
Cost: £210 (weekend-ticket)
Headlining: Kasabian, Arcade Fire (more TBC)
Supporting: Dolly Parton, Elbow, The Black Keys, Blondie, Disclosure, Jack White, James Blake, Lily Allen

5. Latitude
Where: Henham Park, Suffolk
When: 17-20 July
Cost: £84.50 (day-ticket), £195.50 (weekend-ticket)
Headlining: Damon Albarn, The Black Keys, Two Door Cinema Club
Supporting: Editors, Haim, Billy Bragg, Bombay Bicycle Club, Kelis, Mogwai, Royksopp

6. The Secret Garden Party
Where: Abbots Ripton, Huntingdon
When: 24-27 July
Cost: £180.50 (weekend-ticket)
Headlining: Little Dragon, Fat Freddy’s Drop, The Correspondents, Clean Bandit, Foxes, The Vandellas
Supporting: Denai Moore, Jagwar Ma, Wolf Alice Sub, Focus DJ Set + ID

7. Sonisphere
Where: Knebworth Park, Hertfordshire
When: 4-6 July
Cost: £63.25 (day-ticket), £159 (weekend-ticket)
Headlining: Iron Maiden, The Prodigy, Metallica, Dream Theatre, Limpbizkit
Supporting: Deftones, Alice In Chains, Slayer, Anthrax, Gary Numan

8. Bestival
Where: Robin Hill, Isle of Wight
When: 4-7 September
Cost: £180.50 (weekend-ticket)
Headlining: Outkast, Chic, Foals, Beck, Busta Rhymes, Annie Mac, Wilkinson
Supporting: London Grammar, Chvrches, Darkside, Wild Beasts, Glass Animals, Bonobo

9. The Isle of Wight Festival
Where: Isle of Wight
When: 12-15 June
Cost: £75 (day-ticket), £190 (weekend-ticket)
Headlining: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kings of Leon, Biffy Clyro, Calvin Harris
Supporting: Boy George, John Newman, Suede, Swim Deep, Katy B, Rudimental, The Horrors

10. V-Festival
Where: Hylands Park, Chelmsford and Weston Park, Staffordshire
When: 16-17 August
Cost: £89 (day-ticket), £189 (weekend-ticket)
Headlining: Justin Timberlake, The Killers
Supporting: Kaiser Chiefs, Manic Street Preachers, Ed Sheeran, Lily Allen, Paolo Nutini

Read more

Do You Really Need Additional Extras, Part 3 – Child Seats

June 4, 2014 Car Hire Tips Comments Off on Do You Really Need Additional Extras, Part 3 – Child Seats

Part 3 of our money saving tips is all about child seats. What are your options when hiring a car in the UK.

On the roads in the UK if you have a child in your vehicle then you may be required by law to make them sit in a baby or child seat for their safety. Below you will find the legal requirements in regards to having a child/baby seat in your car.

  • Rear-facing baby seats are suitable for babies up to 13kg
  • Forward or rear facing baby seats are suitable for children up to 18kg
  • After your child has surpassed these you need to look at having a child car seat which is law until the child is 135cm tall or 12 years old.
  • Only EU approved child seats can be used in the UK, they have the capital E in a circle on the label.
  • You must deactivate any front airbags when using a rear facing baby seat in the front.

This gives car hire companies the upper hand as they can charge you a high daily price, some times up to £20 per day for a baby seat as it is required by law and your options are limited. You do however have an alternative of purchasing one yourself, although it may not be ideal it could save you a significant amount of money, here are some of the baby seats regularly available at shops across the UK to give you a general idea.

Fisher-Price Safe Voyage Infant Carrier Moonlight – £51.99
Perfect for carrying infants in the car who are up to 13kg, the seat also has built in impact protection in the sides for extra safety. Also within the seat is a body support cushion that is suitable for new borns.

Pampero Plus Cosisafe Baby Car Seat – £31.49
This baby car seat is suitable for new borns up to 12 months old, it offers extreme comfort with deeply padded fabric and ensures that every journey is comfortable. It’s also very lightweight with a comfy carrying handle and several safety features.

Britax Baby – Safe Car Seat Chili Pepper – £69.99
Ensuring comfort and security is the main aspects of this Britax baby car seat model, it has soft padded wings and is also compatible with Britax Push chairs with a click and go feature. Safety is a main priority in this baby seat and its evident with the collision padding and head support.

Topo Plus Booster Seat – £10.00
The Topo Comfort Plus is a forward-facing child booster car seat suitable from 15-36kg. Provides an improved view for a more enjoyable trip. Lightweight and easy to transfer from car to car.

If you cannot purchase one and need to hire a child seat then please see here, we have a supplier that can offer them at a much lower price than we have come to expect.

If you are interested in hiring a car and need some guidance in terms of baby seats then our reservation agents will be happy to assist you. Contact us directly by calling +44 (0)113 880 0748 or emailing us at sales@thealternativeagency.co.uk and we will get right back to you.

Read more

Types of GPS’s Currently Available

June 3, 2014 Car Hire Tips Comments Off on Types of GPS’s Currently Available
gps

Are you travelling to a country that you don’t know and have decided to hire a car as your mode of transport to get around? It may seem easy just to get a GPS added as an additional extra on top of your hired vehicle, but don’t always go straight for that option as majority of the time it’s not the most cost effective!

To add satellite navigation to your hired car can cost you up to £18.00 per day in some cases with most of which not having a cap you will be charged this for the duration of your rental. Although it may not seem like a massive amount it sure does add up, so why not look into buying a GPS instead?

Here are some of the most common Sat Nav’s that you can find in hundreds of shops across the UK…

Navman F610 5” Screen – £33.32

The built in easy quick start menu contained within the modern and lightweight design is more than adequate to get you from A to B through your holiday. This Sat Nav also warns you of camera locations and gives instructions of correct lane manoeuvres and all for a very reasonable price.

Binatone R435 UK & ROI 4.3” Screen – £24.99

Also equipped with a speed camera alert system the Binatone R435 has a super bright, anti-reflection touch screen so the picture is crystal clear at all times, with clear voice guidance and millions of pre-installed points of interest to find you’ll never get lost again!

TomTom XL IQ – £76.95

The most popular name amongst Sat Navs TomTom always produce the best. This GPS offers a 3 hour battery life, 24 languages and speedy arrival times with pre-installed alerts to help you drive more safely and responsibly. As part of this package you also get free lifetime maps, an Easyport Mount, USB car charger and cable as well as the GPS of course.

If you are interested in finding out more about hiring a car and buying a GPS then just come straight to our reservation agents and they will give you some tips and guide you through the whole process, they may even help you buy the most suitable Sat Nav! To contact them please call +44 (0)113 880 0748 or email us directly at sales@thealternativeagency.co.uk and we will get right back to you.

Read more

Do You Really Need Additional Extras, Part 2 – Insurance

June 2, 2014 Car Hire Tips Comments Off on Do You Really Need Additional Extras, Part 2 – Insurance

Part 2 of our cost saving blogs is here and this time we are looking at additional insurance products.

When hiring a car it is essential that you have the right level of cover to suit your needs and to avoid being left with a large dent in the bank account if something was to go wrong.

Most hire cars come with an excess or deductable much like the insurance policy you may have on your own car, this means if there is a claim and you are deemed to be at fault then you are liable for the excess amount.

Car hire excess can differ from supplier to supplier or even between different types of vehicle with the same supplier, it is impertivie that you make yourself aware of that amount. In the UK a typical family car excess would be between £600 to £1000.

Your Options

Firstly, every supplier will offer you an additional insurance product which can reduce the amount of the excess down to £200, £100 or in some cases zero. These products come with a daily fee which can be as much as £15 per day or more with some suppiliers. So depending on how long you intend to hire a vehicle for, this could be an expensive way of having peace of mind. For those just looking to to hire for a day or too it could be relatively cheap.

Another option available to you is an excess reimbursement policy, these are provided by a seperate insurance company and are not connected to the supplier. They work in a similar way to any other insurance policy, so if you were to cause damage to a hire car and it is deemed to be your fault, you will still be liable for the excess amount but then you can make a claim against your own policy and get a refund for the amount you have had to pay out. Another benefit of the reimbursement policy is that they tend to offer more cover than excess reduction, car hire suppliers do not tend to offer cover for tyres, windscreens and the under carriage of the vehicle while the reimbursement policies can includes these.

There are various different options available, daily protection from £3.99 per day to annual cover for multiple vehicles from £39.99 per year. These products can save you a lot of money if you hire vehicles on a regular or semi-regular basis and are certainly worth considering.

The final option is of course no additional cover at all, these policies are a choice and are not mandatory with a hire vehicle. This is obviously the option that carries the most risk but with the percentage of hires ending with an insurance claim being so low it is an option that many people will opt for, saving the most amount of money providing the vehicle is returned in the same state that it was collected in.

If you would like more information on any of the above then please dont hesitate to contact one of our experts, they are always happy to help. You can call us on +44 (0)113 880 0748, chat with us online or email us on sales@thealternativeagency.co.uk.

Read more

Holidays In South West England

May 29, 2014 Travel News, UK Comments Off on Holidays In South West England

Superb beaches, charming coast resorts, pretty fishing villages, excellent family attractions and the mildest weather in the UK make the West Country a top UK holiday choice.

The countryside of South West England is among the most picturesque in the UK. Away from the coast you will find the dramatic national parks of Dartmoor and Exmoor and top UK holiday cottages in picture-postcard villages.

For relaxing UK short break head for the Cotswolds: a quintessentially English region of gorgeous honey-coloured limestone villages, charming market towns and rolling farmland.

Diverse scenery and varied attractions make Somerset a deservedly popular UK holiday destination. Unspoilt Somerset countryside is complemented by the charming seaside resorts like Minehead and Watchett and the many attractions of Wells and Glastonbury.

Dorset boasts a glorious rolling coastline, the lively resort of Bournemouth, and elegant seaside towns like Swanage and Lyme Regis. The entire West Country holiday region is a delight for walkers, with splendid coast paths in Cornwall and Devon and superb routes like the Two Moors Way and the Coleridge Way.

Last but not least there are the top UK weekend break destinations of Bath, Exeter and Bristol.

We offer fantastic deals on car hire in the south west of England which will enable you to see more of this beautiful part of the world. Speak to us about the available deals, including:

You can call us on +44 (0)113 880 0748, chat with our experts online or email us on sales@thealternativeagency.co.uk, we look forward to hearing from you.

Read more

Taking A Hire Car Overseas

May 28, 2014 Car Hire Tips Comments Off on Taking A Hire Car Overseas
Taking a hire car overseas

With the cost of international travel increasing and actual ‘low cost’ flights being almost non existent these days more and more people are deciding on self drive holidays and Taking A Hire Car Overseas. We have covered in the past that we have suppliers who will allow there vehicles to be taken abroad providing they are returned to the same location.

But, how do you go about arranging international travel in a hire car?

I recently booked the ferry from Dover to Calais and the first problem I encountered is the field asking me for a vehicle registration number… Stumped, you dont know the reg number until you pick the car up. I called the sales hotline and they said I could just add ‘HIRE CAR’ in that field and it will allow me to complete the booking.

When I returned from my trip I decided to investigate further, I looked at all kinds of sites for the ferries and the Eurostar and they are all prety much the same, some do have a tick box asking if the car is a rental which is helpful.

Another problem you may come across is the size of the vehicle slot you have booked, the cost to take a small car on the ferry or Eurostar is less than if you are driving a large family car or 4×4. Rental companies are renowned for selling out of the popular vehicles and providing larger vehicles as replacements, for example I once booked a small city car for a couple of days and ended up with a large estate car.

This will cause you problems, always ensure that you inform your broker or the supplier direct that you intend on taking the vehicle on the ferry/Eurostar, this will prompt them to try harder to provide the right vehicle for you.

Infact, you should always advise them when booking that you intend to take the vehicle out of the country as the supplier will need to arrange additional insurance and breakdown cover for you. This sometimes comes with an additional cost.

If you would like more information about this then please dont hesitate to contact us direct, you can call +44 (0)113 880 0748, chat with us online or email us on sales@thealternativeagency.co.uk.

Read more

Car Rental Fort Lauderdale Airport With A Debit Card

May 28, 2014 USA Comments Off on Car Rental Fort Lauderdale Airport With A Debit Card

Fantastic news for those travelling to the USA this summer, especially Florida. We have just secured another supplier that will accept bookings for Car Rental Fort Lauderdale Airport With A Debit Card.

This is big news as they are the only supplier that we deal with that will allow this at Fort Lauderdale (Hollywood) Airport, before now we would have had to send our customers to other locations for them to collect their car if they did not hold a credit card.

There are a few restrictions in place when using a debit card, to check your card complies with these, please contact us.

There is a deposit to pay or rather have frozen on your card, its $250 USD which at the moment is about £150 GBP, this is very low compared to some other suppliers and this amount is released back on to your debit card when the vehicle is returned.

To take advantage of this service, please contact us by phone on +44 (0)113 880 0748, chat with us online or drop us an email at sales@thealternativeagency.co.uk. Do not book online as we cannot guarantee you will get the correct supplier.

Read more

Do You Really Need Additional Extras, Part 1 – GPS

May 27, 2014 Car Hire Tips Comments Off on Do You Really Need Additional Extras, Part 1 – GPS
gps

We at Indigo Car Hire spend all of our time arranging the best deals available for our customers but somethings that are often overlooked are the costs of additional extras. While we always try to get the best price for the car and any extras that our customers may need, sometimes the need is not always apparent at the time of booking.

In part 1 of our cost saving blogs we are looking specifically at GPS systems or Sat Navs..

Sat Navs can be essential for many foreign visitors looking to navigate there way around the United Kingdom, there was a time before GPS technology that suppliers would sell road atlases which were a fantastic source of revenue for them, much like GPS’s are today.

Car Hire suppliers can charge anything from £10 to £18 per day to hire one of these, some companies may cap the amount charged in any given rental period to between £100 and £150. Others some will simply charge on a daily basis with no cap, so for those that are visting for a prolonged period of time, the costs can mount up.

We can use Heathrow as an example, being the busiest airport in the UK it sees a vast amount of long haul travellers coming through its arrivals halls. not only does it have plenty of shops offering consumer electrical goods there are also a number of large supermarkets within a mile or so of the terminals.

Looking at one of these well known supermarkets websites, we saw a standard UK GPS system on sale for £74, we are sure you could find one cheaper than that if you looked further. So if you are hiring for more than 7 days then there is a real saving to be had by buying and not renting.

The bonus being that after your rental, you have a GPS system to do with as you please, sell it on to a friend, someone you see in the queue when you return to the airport or even sell it online, keep it for a future trip or simply be a good samaritan and give it away to someone that may need it.

Yes this saving does come with a little effort but the benefits can be great, if you have booked your car with a low cost supplier for 2 weeks and then at the last minute decided to hire a GPS system, it could double the cost of your rental..

Look out for part 2 of our cost saving tips, coming soon!

Read more

Low Cost Family Fun In The UK

May 22, 2014 UK Comments Off on Low Cost Family Fun In The UK
Low Cost Family Fun In The UK

After recently publishing an article about family days out it was brought to our attention that our suggestions were all a little bit on the pricey side for the average family with 2.4 and a dog…

So, this got our juices flowing and we decided to dig out the best venues for Low Cost Family Fun In The UK. Here are the top 5 we could find.

5: Wilderness Wood, East Sussex

A unique family-run working woodland park in the beautiful hills of the Sussex High Weald. Explore a network of trails around their 62 acres of award-winning continuous cover ancient woodland. Follow a 1.25km self-guided trail to see some of the woods most interesting features, or a shorter easy-access trail more suitable for buggies and pushchairs. Or simply follow your nose and ramble wherever the mood takes you! There is a lot to see and do here and all for around £15 for a family ticket.

4: Spitalfields City Farm, London

A great destination for a family day out. A registered charity, the farm provides something for all the family. In the farmyard, you can meet a whole range of animals, children can learn where eggs and milk come from, and you can participate in workshops on dairying, healthy eating and sustainability. The farm is free to visit although they do rely on donations to stay open, so if you do decide to visit and you have a great time then why not make a donation.

3: Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham

The park is an ideal venue for families, with children’s play areas and boats for hire on the lake in the summer. There are plenty of picnic areas and refreshments are available at the Garden Tea Rooms. For the active family there are tennis courts, mini golf and a Tree Walk which starts at Information Point in the The Garden Tea Room. The park is free but some activities do come at a small cost.

2: Brimham Rocks, North Yorkshire

An amazing collection of weird and wonderful rock formations which makes a great day out for families, climbers and those wanting to enjoy the simple pleasures of fresh air and magnificent views over Nidderdale. Let your imagaination run wild as you explore the labyrinth of paths through this unique landscape.

1: Sandy Lane Aqua Park, Cheshire

The Aqua Park includes around 10 pieces of water equipment operated by sensory, touch pads. These are in place in the summer months and are replaced by play equipment in the winter period. In the summer there is a small shop selling ice creams and drinks. Tie this in with a walk along the river Dee, a boat trip and a picnic and you have a great day out with the family. The bonus is the cost the water fun and activity park is free, the boat trips are £1pp return and if you take a picnic, there is no additional costs for refreshments.

There are many more attractions offering Low Cost Family Fun In The UK, some of which im sure we will write about soon. The costs mentioned above are for access to the attraction only and other costs that should be considered are travel costs, parking charges and refreshments. With all of these included we think the above attractions offer great value for a fun family day out.

Read more
Get a quote

An duo lorem altera gloriatur. No imperdiet adver sarium pro. No sit sumo lorem. Mei ea eius elitr consequ unturimperdiet.

Get Quote

Archives