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Mileage Restrictions

March 31, 2014 Car Hire Tips, Travel News Comments Off on Mileage Restrictions

When it comes to hiring a car there are several different terms and conditions, one section which you will come across is about mileage restrictions. Different car rental suppliers have different conditions for the limit on the amount of miles you can do during your rental; you will find that you are given a daily quota of mileage. Most customers never meet this mileage limit but there are a few occasions where you may require a larger mileage allowance.

One question we got recently was to do with the mileage limit for a supplier in Leeds. The customer was picking up the car from Leeds but actually lived around 45 miles away in which they needed to travel home and then travel a 340 mile distance and back so the mileage added up to quite a significant amount and the rental was only for a short period.

Going over your mileage restriction can be quite an expensive thing to do as you get charged an extra amount for each mile you are over your limit. This amount depends purely on the supplier but it can potentially reach a significant figure, and if you are unaware of your mileage limit you won’t be expecting the charge.

There is a solution however which we gave to this customer which was an unlimited mileage policy, often you have to pay extra to increase your mileage quota but we have a better option. Some of the suppliers that we work with offer an unlimited mileage policy for our customers completely free of any charge and this is available in several locations worldwide.

So if you are worried about going over the mileage limit then simply just let us know before booking the car and we will arrange an unlimited mileage deal.

If you are still confused about mileage policies or just have a general question about car hire then simply just call our experienced and knowledgeable reservation agents on +44 (0)113 880 0748 or email us at sales@thealternativeagency.co.uk and they will be happy to answer any questions that you may have about car hire.

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Car Hire With A Debit Card At Rome Ciampino Airport

March 28, 2014 Italy Comments Off on Car Hire With A Debit Card At Rome Ciampino Airport

One of the world’s most popular cities, Rome, is home to three airports major airports one of which is Rome Ciampino Airport or to be exact the full name is Ciampino-G.B. Pastine International Airport. The airport is situated just 7.5 miles outside of the city centre just to the south east; Ciampino is one of the oldest airports that is still in operation opening back in 1916.

Ciampino airport gets around 4.5 million passengers a year which travel from a variety of destinations all across Europe with some of the popular destinations including Barcelona, Stansted, Madrid, Manchester and Trapani. The large amount of passengers make the airport a popular destination for people to renting vehicles, so finding the best deal is essential but firstly you have to make sure that you meet the requirements to get be given a vehicle.

One of the main issues that people find when hiring is that many suppliers require that you have a credit card in order to be able to make the payment. This can be a real issue as several of our customers don’t have credit cards for a variety of different reasons; we wanted to ensure that these customers could still get cars so we tried to find an alternative payment method.

Eventually we where successful at Rome Ciampino Airport and can happily announce that we accept debit cards. There are restrictions in regards to the card, to find out if your card meets these, please get in touch with our team.

Due to the complex nature of hiring a car without a credit card we request that you call us directly. You can reach our knowledgeable and experienced reservation agents on +44 (0)113 880 0748 or emailing them on sales@thealternativeagency.co.uk.

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Renewing Your Licence At 75

March 27, 2014 Car Hire Tips, Motoring Law News Comments Off on Renewing Your Licence At 75

We had a customer ask us recently if they were able to hire a car after renewing your licence at 75. The potential customer was 78 years of age and had just passed a test which meant that they could renew their licence for five more years, the problem with this was is that they didn’t know if they were able to hire due to the strict car hire restrictions.

There are two possible restrictions that could catch this specific customer out; one is that a large percentage of companies who offer car hire have an upper age limit of between 70-75. There was no need to worry in regards to this however as we have deals around the world with several multi national suppliers who will allow us to hire up until the age of 99 so this wasn’t an issue.

The other potential issue was that you need to have at least 12 months driving experience in order to be able to get a car. As the customer had renewed their licence they where unsure if their previous experience counted, you can rest assured however that your previous experience does count as the renewed licence still shows your original test pass date so there is no issue here and you can hire a car without any issues.

If you are interested in getting a car and you are a senior driver then we need to make sure that we get a supplier who will allow for drivers over the age of 70 to hire without charging them an extra daily rate. Getting the best rate is easy, just simply call our experienced reservation agents on +44 (0)113 880 0748 or email them at sales@thealternativeagency.co.uk and they will be happy to help assist you and answer any questions that you may have about the car hire process.

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Best Hire Car For A Group Trip

March 26, 2014 Car Hire Tips Comments Off on Best Hire Car For A Group Trip

What is the Best Hire Car For A Group Trip? With so many different trips the chances are that you will need to hire a car at some point in time, there’s certain things you need to get right when hiring a car such as getting the right car suited to the amount of people that you’re wanting to ferry around, or how luxurious you want the car to be or even how much boot space does it have if say you’re off hiking, golfing or something else where you will need a lot of luggage.

Something of seemingly little importance can ruin your holiday, so getting it right is a must!

Best Hire Car For A Group Trip

Ford Galaxy Zetec
The ford galaxy would be a decent car to hire for any group trips, with 7 seats and 5 large doors its more than adequate for a decent sized group of people. The galaxy has a fairly smooth drive with no real noticeable issues, its also got comfortable seating due to the arrangements giving you space in the footwells for a bit of movement. There is an in-car radio as entertainment and a average boot size that would fit a large sized bike.

BMW X5
This 7 seater has 5 average sized doors, however the interior is a beautiful leather making it extremely comfortable. Since its a BMW the drive is also luxurious and smooth, the X5 is regarded by a majority as one of the best 7 seater cars out in todays market, it ticks every box you would need for a hired car trip including a large boot space and decent in car entertainment.

Land Rover Discovery
If you fancy a bit more of an adventurous trip with a bit of off-roading this car is a great one to hire. This again has 7 seats and 5 doors, Although expensive to hire there a real reason for it, the comfort and drive is incredible and well worth it, the boot space is also massive much like all the space inside the car giving you plenty of room to carry everything and anything, luggage, hiking gear, golf clubs you name it.

Peugeot 5008
Although labeled as a family car its more than adequate for any group to use, its won a host of award for various different things, It has easily fold downable seats and many cubby hole pockets to store little things in, the boot space is also average, enough room for most. Its got a very spacious interior making it comfortable and roomy.

For more information about Multi Passenger Car Hire, or any types of vehicles, please contact us over the phone on +44 (0)113 880 0748 or via email on sales@thealternativeagency.co.uk

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Car Hire Nimes Airport Without A Credit Card

March 26, 2014 Car Hire News, France Offers Comments Off on Car Hire Nimes Airport Without A Credit Card

Nimes Airport or its full name Nimes-Ales-Camargue-Cevennes Airport is located near Saint Gilles or Garons, which is why the airport is also referred to as Garons Airport or Nimes Garons Airport. There are only a few flights to and from the airport, Palma de Mallorca, Charleroi, Fes, Luton and Liverpool, although fairly inactive in the winter months Nimes can become quite busy in the summer.

This makes car hire a popular option for people travelling through the airport as travelling to nearby Avignon and Montpellier is a must! The main issue that we have found with car hire across the globe is that the only type of payment the majority of suppliers can accept is a credit card.

Credit cards can be problematic as not many people have them as either they just don’t want them or don’t like risking the debt involved with credit cards. Due to this we wanted to find an alternative option, eventually we found one at Nimes Airport and are happy to announce that we can accept debit card, however there are some restrictions that your card must abide by. To check that your card is eligible, please contact us.

Due to the confusing nature of hiring a car without a credit card then we ask that you please contact our reservation agents directly so that they can organise everything for you. If you want to arrange debit card car hire at Nimes Airport then please call us +44 (0)113 880 0748 or email us at sales@thealternativeagency.co.uk and we will get right back to you.

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New Drivers & Young Drivers

March 25, 2014 Car Hire Tips, Travel News Comments Off on New Drivers & Young Drivers
sixt young driver

We recently had someone on our live chat function ask whether they could hire a car at 21 years of age. We can hire to people who are 21 or older in most locations around the world; this usually involves a young driver additional fee though. There is however one significant issue with this, the driver who had enquired had only held their licence for a week prior to wanting to pick up the vehicle.

Although we have managed to arrange car hire in several locations for young drivers who are 21 the requirement is that you must have held your licence for a year prior to doing so. Another thing worth noting in regards to licence is that you can’t have over 6 points or any major convictions within the last 5 years.

The reason we ask for one years experience is simply that the suppliers insurance policies state this, it is similar a similar situation if you where wanting to buy a car with finance, some finance companies require you to be 21 with 1 years driving experience.

If you have held your licence for a year prior to picking up the vehicle and are 21 or above then we can arrange car hire in several locations. There is usually a young drivers fee on top of the rental amount however we have brilliant deals in certain locations where we can reduce this cost or even not charge it at all.

If you are a young driver aged 21 or older and are interested in getting a car then you will need to find out more details about your specific locations as the terms and conditions are different in certain places. If you want to found out all the information on car rental then please call our experienced and knowledgeable reservation agents on +44 (0)113 880 0748 or email us at sales@thealternativeagency.co.uk, they will do all they can to find you the best terms and conditions to meet your needs as well as trying to find you the lowest price possible.

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Great Deals At Milas Bodrum Airport

March 24, 2014 Car Hire Offers Comments Off on Great Deals At Milas Bodrum Airport

In Turkey one of the main international airports is Milas Bodrum Airport, like the name suggests it serves the airport serves the two Turkish towns of Milas which is 16 km away and Bodrum which is 36 km. The airport flies to destinations all over the world most of which being within Europe, all contributing to the 1.6 million passengers that pass through the airport on a yearly basis.

Being one of Turkey’s larger airport and with the distance to the nearby towns car hire is an obvious choice, with it being in such high demand we wanted to try and work out some form of deal with a supplier there in order to make it so more of our potentially customers can hire, we where successful with two of our offers which are….

Low Deposit: Deposits can be a real issue when you hire a car, they can sometimes be in excess with £3,000 which for most just isn’t a balance that they have available to be frozen especially if they are on holiday. The deal we have arranged with a supplier is for two types of vehicles, Economy and Compact. The economy requires a deposit of 500 Turkish Lira which is approximately £135 and for the compact its 700 Turkish Lira which is around £190, these deposits are extremely low.

Debit Card: When you enquire about car rental then majority of the time you will be told that you need a credit card, which some people simply don’t have or want which is understandable. The deal we have managed means that we can hire to people with a debit card, however the debit card needs to meet certain restrictions.

If you are interested in hiring a car at Bodrum Milas Airport with a low deposit or without a credit card then please call our experienced and knowledgeable reservation agents on +44 (0)113 880 0748 or email us at sales@thealternativeagency.co.uk.

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No Credit Checks In The United States

March 21, 2014 Car Hire Industry News, Car Hire News, USA Comments Off on No Credit Checks In The United States

We had a customer come to us recently worried about hiring a car in the USA, their main concern was that they didn’t have a credit card and if you follow these blogs you may know that this isn’t an issue for us as we can easily arrange offers in several North America locations, the client however had another major worry, would they be credit checked?

When it comes to hiring a car in America many people worry that credit checks will be carried out on them, and if they are travelling from overseas then this is simply not true. Credit checks only take place if you are a resident of the United States and are planning on hiring a car there, so you can rest assured that if you are travelling to the US you will not be credit checked.

Since you may be planning to hire in the US we felt it would be a good time to make you aware of some of the deals we can offer. Obviously you can see we offer debit card car hire and no credit checks but on top of that we also have a low deposit option available in several locations across the country and a full to full policy.

Low Deposits:  Deposits can range as high as $3,000 in extreme cases, and for most that is simply not an affordable amount to have blocked on your card for the duration of your holiday. We have managed to arrange deals with some suppliers that are located throughout North America to allow for a low deposit, for more details on this please contact our reservation agents.

Full To Full Fuel Policy: Most suppliers in the US operate a full to empty policy which can end up costing the drivers a lot more money. When you get the car it is full of fuel in which you have to pay for the tank on top of what you have paid for the rental when you arrive, then when you return the car you must return it as close to empty as possible. Many people get caught out with this as they either fill up the engine or are rightfully too worried about returning it too close to empty, either way the rental company benefit from this. A full to full policy means that you don’t have to pay for the fuel you just simply fill the car back up when you return it.

If you have any questions about hiring a car in the USA then please call our reservation agents on +44 (0)113 880 0748 or email them on sales@thealternativeagency.co.uk, they will be happy to help you with anything you are concerned about.

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Top 5 UK Best driving roads

March 18, 2014 Fun Stuff, UK Comments Off on Top 5 UK Best driving roads

The UK is not often recognised for its great driving roads, however it still has some amazing roads for a great driving experience that you must know about if you ever come to just wanting a comfortable and relaxing drive across the UK. I will tell you of my top 5 personal favourite roads within the UK so if you ever come between the decision of roads listed you’ll know exactly which road to go on.

#5 Midlands Tick
A 51 mile long road on the outskirts of Nottingham and Leicester this amazing route has different twists and turns along the way as well as long straight roads to enjoy, but beware there are speed cameras. On the route you will also pass some great scenic views and two old RAF bases where if you are lucky you will see some planes gliding above.

#4 Elan Valley
An amazing loop route that goes 360 degrees around the Elan Valley, Common with car clubs for driving it stretches 16 miles long. Whilst on route you will see some fantastic views of mountain ranges and two stunning reservoirs. Some great twisted roads and a few straight roads however there are a lot of hidden speed cameras due to the car clubs using it as a regular route on weekends.

#3 Isle of man TT
A route used and renowned worldwide for motorcycle racing events it spans the length of 40 miles and attracts participants from all over the world. Its a long road that goes across most of the Isle of man so due to this it has some great views and experiences along the way. The route has over 200 different bends and several climbs and descents in altitude.

#2 Pass of Llanberis
A fantastic driving road across the A4086 and A4085 thats a stretch of about 40 miles and covers all types of roads giving you the overall experience. There are tons of twisty roads going past the fantastic views of the several hills and lakes that Wales has to offer, much like the Elan Valley its also used by many car clubs so on weekends it can be a busy route.

#1 Ribblehead Run
A great overall driving road across the Yorkshire Dales spanning around 16 miles long its short but mesmerizing. On route you will pass the Ribblehead train station and it may even be worth bringing a camera for the Ribblehead Viaduct. This route has everything and is a great drive in all seasons from snow on top of the hills in the winter to lambs walking the countryside in the summer.

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Top 10 Funny Things Left In An Airport

March 18, 2014 Fun Stuff Comments Off on Top 10 Funny Things Left In An Airport

I would personally forget my head if it wasnt attached, but fancy leaving some of these things lying around. Heres the top 10 funny things found left in airports around the world.

#10 Suit of Armour

A 19th century armoured suite was found left, The full sized reenactment suite made of metal had managed to be left in airport luggage.

#9 Tibetan dun cheng

This massive 3m long brass instrument was somehow overlooked by its owners and left unseen in an airport, just lying around in the departure lounge.

#8 Violin

A Violin might not sound like an odd thing to leave, right? but your wrong this violin still lays in the unclaimed baggage and it turns out that its a violin from the 1770s a beautiful antique and most likely valuable piece.

#7 Ancient Egyptian Artifacts

Ancient artifacts were left in a gucci suitcase and these included a mummified falcon and shrunken head, dating back to 1500 bc these were then auctioned off in the 80s.

#6 Say Cheese!

A camera was found at an airport, however the odd thing was that this camera was property of NASA and was built for a space shuttle, carelessly left it was returned to NASA its rightful owners.

#5 Guidance System

A hefty £250,000 piece Naval guidance system was found in an airport abandoned by its owners, later it was returned to the Navy.

#4 Barbie Doll

Again, maybe a common item found in airports a little girls doll just left, someone eventually bought the barbie doll when it was unclaimed and went on sale later to find that her child who she gave it to had popped the head off the doll and found £500 rolled up inside.

#3 Shine bright like a Diamond

A 5.8 carat diamond ring was found…. in a sock, a very wealthy one socked person must be running about the streets so if you see him/her let them know.

#2 Ahhhhh SNAKE!

A rattle snake was found and recovered by unclaimed baggage, stuffed right? thats weird! Wrong… The rattle snake was very much alive and slithering, the unclaimed baggage staff eventually found this creature a new home.

#1 Inception

A plane inside a plane, a 1.5 x 2.4m remote air plane was found just left on a bench in an airport.

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