Indigo Car Hire > Articles by: Robert Gillespie

Debit Card Car Hire Scotland

March 18, 2013 Car Hire Offers No comments yet

Scotland is a regular place for car hire with some of the popular places being of course Inverness, Glasgow and Edinburgh. We offer car hire without a credit card at all these locations, whether you’re going for a nice quiet day golfing or in the roaring crowd for the football we have the perfect car for you here at Indigo. Often car hire without a credit card can be a huge struggle as companies don’t trust the use of a debit card. However a select few companies do accept debit cards but just don’t make it obvious, due to us being a broker we can bring you the service of debit card car hire in Scotland. A lot of the major car hire companies do accept debit cards and we can arrange debit card car hire Scotland no matter your location. (more…)

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Mid-Sized Vehicle Top Trumps

March 15, 2013 Fun Stuff No comments yet

Welcome to top trumps Indigo car hire style this week bringing you Mid-Sized Vehicle Top Trumps.

We have compared some of the top cars in each range of vehicles and broken down all the details and history of each of the cars.

Each week, for the next few weeks we will bring you the top 4 vehicles of each range of cars and let you make a decision on what you think is the best.

Golf TDi 2.0

The golf has been manufactured by Volkswagen since 1974 and goes under various different names around the world.

Known as the Volkswagen Rabbit in America and the Volkswagen Caribe in Mexico it has various different body configurations. Originally a 3dr hatchback it also comes as a 5dr estate.

Don’t just take our word for it that the Golf is one of the best cars ever let its awards show, every model of the Golf to date has at least been runner up for European Car of the Year awards with the Mk3 (1992 model) and Mk7 (2013 model) winning the award.

Hyundai i30 2.0

A small car from the South Korean company Hyundai is the relatively new kid on the block with only being manufactured a few years ago starting in 2007.

This car is only available as a 5dr hatchback, and also rated as one of the safest mid-sized cars in the market today.

The i30 also comes with the option of start stop technology within new models which is a way of being more fuel efficient, They have really focused on two features and Hyundai are really trying to do their bit for the environment and for passenger safety.

Ford Focus TDCi 2.0

Slightly older than the Hyundai but not as old as the Golf the focus started being manufactured by the company Ford in 1998.

The focus is currently the world’s bestselling mid-sized car and is considered by many as one of the greatest cars in automotive recent history.

The pretty hatch back packs a punch in the direction of its competition.

Vauxhall Astra 2.0 CDTi

The Astra started its manufacture range back in 1979. There are many models of the Astra which have all been successful in terms of sales with the most successful model being the MK5 which was the second best-selling car in Britain behind the Ford Focus, which is still an impressive feat.

The Astra’s liability is also further displayed by it being the most common car in Britain to be used by the police force, so it must be trust worthy.

So, Whats your favourite mid sized vehicle?

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Knock Knock, Your Cars Here

March 14, 2013 Car Hire Offers No comments yet

Knock Knock, Your Cars Here! People often hire a car for various reasons but common sense would say it’s all down to a lack of their own car. Majority of the time you will find if you come to rent a car that the location of the car hire branch will be a few miles from your home, with no car how are you supposed to get to the location? Public transport may seem like a viable option however it’s not always convenient as it can also be a way from your house or expensive.

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Winter Tyres When Driving Abroad

March 13, 2013 Car Hire Tips, winter car rental Comments Off on Winter Tyres When Driving Abroad

Even when driving a hired car YOU are responsible for having it equipped and controlled correctly in order to meet the guidelines of the location you are within. One of the common fines that you may be surprised to find out about is for not having snow tyres.

Winter tyres when driving abroad can be required by law, in some European countries this is the case and often people don’t realise it as they overlook this law due to the fact it’s only a minority of countries that require winter tyres so it’s not seen as an issue, despite the minority it’s still for your safety as the reason for snow tyres being mandatory is that the winter can be harsher within these countries.

In Austria, Finland, Germany and Sweden winter tyres are all mandatory within certain dates during winter.

Many people hire cars in France and drive to Sweden as it’s often a cheaper option but people forget or just don’t know the winter tyre law, due to the fact it’s not mandatory within France so don’t be the one who gets caught out and always find out if winter tyres are needed for the location you are going too.

Even if you claim it’s not your fault that the car you hired doesn’t have winter tyres it won’t stand everything on the car you are driving no matter the circumstance is up to you and you are liable for it.

Always check with us if you are unsure on the legal complications of the location that you are travelling. In some of the countries mentioned previous where winter tyres are mandatory you may be able to get away with snow chains as a temporary fix, they will allow visitors snow chains but however won’t allow residents within that country to have summer tyres with snow chains. These change completely dependent on your location as mentioned before so always try to make sure as you may be slapped with an unexpected fine with you being unable to dispute.

We put together a list with Winter Condition Driving in most of the European Countries. If you have any other questions about winter car hire conditions, please contact one of our Car Hire experts at: on +44 (0)113 880 0748 or email us at sales@thealternativeagency.co.uk

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Do I Need a Child Seat?

March 12, 2013 Car Hire Tips No comments yet

Additional extras when it comes to car hire are often confusing and it can become hard to deter between what you need and what is a must in terms of extras. Often some additional extras can be pricy but needed like GPS or a child seat. You may be surprised to find that a child seat cost an additional price of anything between £5 – £15 per day depending on the supplier. If you do require a child seat then we have a wide range of suppliers and will be able to find you the best deal suited to your needs. The question is do I need a child seat?

Many people also don’t realise the extent to which you need a child seat, for instance if your child is under the height of 135cm or under 12 years old they must be placed in a forward facing child seat by law. Children that are under the age of 3 also legally require a baby seat that is facing the rear; these guidelines are of course set to ensure the safety of your children. If a child seat is found not to be present if you are pulled over by the police and your children don’t meet these specific guidelines then you can be fined a fixed penalty £30 as of 18th September 2006. (more…)

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The car made for young drivers?

March 12, 2013 Fun Stuff No comments yet

Toyota claims that they have made the perfect car for young drivers. The reason young drivers struggle with affording to keep a car on the road isn’t so much the price of the car the bulk of the money comes from the insurance. Insurance is kept down for young drivers by a variety of things such as the cars safety features or its engine size. The more safety features such as thatch alarms or immobilizers decrease the costs and the lower the engine size also decreases the cost, as a young driver if you tend to go for a car that is above 1.4L its often impossible to get insured on it or the price is extortionate. (more…)

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Pregnancy Seatbelt

March 11, 2013 Travel News No comments yet

The PiXie harness is the true name of the first ever pregnancy seatbelt. A British inventor by the name of Stephen Watson developed this pregnancy seatbelt at the University of Bolton; the reason for it is it’s meant to be safer than a normal seatbelt for an unborn child, an extra form of protection. Stephen has created this innovative idea for a reason, statistics according to a survey completed by a motor research company shows that 64% of woman who are pregnant believe that seatbelts are dangerous for their unborn child. On top of this a further 87% of pregnant women are currently not wearing their seatbelts correctly which is a staggeringly scary statistic. (more…)

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Can I hire a car if I have points on my license?

March 9, 2013 Car Hire Tips No comments yet

This is another common question asked through the website and phones; can I hire a car if I have points on my license? We do have an FAQ on this subject however I thought I would expand as it’s a very commonly asked question. The indirect immediate answer to this question is yes you can hire with points on your license however it depends on a lot of things.

The general accepted amount of points on a license that you will still get accepted for is 6, if it’s any hire you tend to get declined. Although 6 is the guideline amount it depends on what your penalties where for, things such as speeding tend to be okay however if it was anything serious such as IN10 (Symbolises driving without insurance) or DR10 (Symbolises drink driving) you will have to wait for around 5 years before you can hire a vehicle. The other main things often declined by rental companies are careless driving offences.

Like previously mentioned some driving offences regarded as minor aren’t USUALLY much of an issue. Speeding offences and traffic offences are usually regarded as minor offences and as long as they don’t equal over 6 points you should be okay to hire any vehicle. However you can never be too sure so always check.

Despite your offence there are often different complications that come with different companies and the types of offences that just makes the whole system a really confusing hassle. It’s often really tricky to outline which driving offences you will be able to hire a car with and which you will not be able to. We are always willing to help with these aspects as we know if you have points it can be a confusing situation, if you need any more information on any of these matters you can always call our reservation agents who will answer any of your queries.

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Cheltenham Races

March 8, 2013 Travel News No comments yet

The large spa town is a borough in Gloucester, amongst several festivals that the town hosts there is one that really attracts worldwide attention. This event is of course the Cheltenham Festival also known by its official title of National Hunt Meeting which takes part on the Cheltenham races. A horse racing event in which some of the best Irish and British horses take part, the event is particularly popular with the Irish as it usually takes part during the St. Patricks day holiday and has been going since 1860. (more…)

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How old do I have to be to hire a car?

March 8, 2013 Car Hire News No comments yet

This is one of the most commonly asked questions we get through the phones, how old do I have to be to hire a car? This is Due to stereotypes and statistics fresh faced drivers aren’t allowed to hire a car as they are seen as an unnecessary risk. Due to this car hire companies usually only allow people over 25 to hire a car as its seen as less of a risk as they are perceived to be more sensible, a debatable point of view. You will also find that if you are under the guideline age of 25 it’s almost impossible to hire a car. (more…)

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