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Is A Passport Really Necessary

April 15, 2014 Car Hire Tips Comments Off on Is A Passport Really Necessary
Is A Passport Necessary

Is A Passport Really Necessary? Car hire requirements can be quite a tricky subject and a bit of a minefield to work your way around and the slightest of mistakes can leave you stranded without a car. In the United Kingdom they are especially strict on the identification required. It differs on the identification you need however if you are living in the UK or if you are flying in from another country.

In regards to whether you can actually hire a car without a passport you can if you are a UK resident however you have to prove that you are. You are required to have both parts of your licence and another form of ID which can vary but something like a utility bill will do the trick as long as it is dated within the last three months. Some of the more strict suppliers do actually require even if you are a UK resident for you to have a passport, however if you let us know before booking the vehicle then we can arrange your car hire with a different supplier.

If you are planning to travel to the United Kingdom from another country then you WILL require a passport, this can also be said if you are living in the country but don’t have a proof of address. If you are arriving from overseas then you are required to present both parts of your licence, return flight details and your passport. Again with this some suppliers are more strict than others but there are however some companies that will allow you to have an EU ID card instead of a passport given of course you are flying from within the EU but for this you will need to contact us directly.

Please make sure that you always speak to our reservation agents if you are unsure instead of just booking online. We are happy to help answer any questions that you may have an get you booked in, if you want more information on this then please call us on +44 (0)113 880 0748 or email us at sales@thealternativeagency.co.uk.

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Top Towing Vehicles Of The Year

April 11, 2014 Car Hire Tips No comments yet

Top Towing Vehicle Of The Year 2014

Voted first choice by many caravan enthusiasts, the Land rover Discovery has recently come out on top for being the best towing vehicle around. With prices for the vehicle starting at around £38,000, this vehicle may not be an option for many, but could save you a lot of hassle if you want to get away with your caravan with the least stress possible. The survey was carried out by The Camping and Caravanning Club.

The popularity of the vehicle is largely due to the brand’s reputation of producing strong and solid vehicles since the manufacturer first started producing vehicles. With a four wheel drive the Land rover discovery can easily pull your caravan in all terrains.  Over the past three years Land Rover has been honoured with the title of ‘Best Towcar’ and an award in the category of ‘Over 1,900kg’.

The Discovery has a Trailer Stability Assist which means that the vehicle detects when a trailer is attached, and will slow once you hit 37mph to ensure the safety of both you, the trailer and the vehicle itself. Selective breaking is used by the vehicle to prevent trailers from swaying when travelling to ensure no problems are created when towing. There is also an optional extra with the vehicle called Towing assist which includes a Surround Camera System. This is optional and predicts the trajectory of the vehicle and trailer and predicting a path for when you need to reverse the vehicle. This new technology is seen as very beneficial for those who have difficulty when reversing a towing vehicle, and allows peace of mind for drivers.

Car Hire With A Tow Bar

Here at Indigo Car Hire we can now offer car hire with a tow bar at selected locations to make towing a vehicle that little bit easier. This service is available to those over the age of 25.

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Driving Licence In Your Maiden Name?

April 1, 2014 Car Hire Tips, Motoring Law News Comments Off on Driving Licence In Your Maiden Name?

As you can imagaine identification is needed to prove that you have a full licence and for various other details such as your age when you come to renting a car, another thing that is checked is that the name on the identification matches the name on the payment card. This can throw up one very specific issue if you have recently been married and your surname has changed.

When you get married there are tons of changes that you need to make and often one of the things that is left to last is changing the name on your driving licence, passport, credit or debit card. This can cause a bit of an issue when you come to hiring a car as one may not match the other and because of that you can be rejected.

There are solutions to this however; using other forms of ID can verify that you are in fact the owner of the card. Some suppliers however are stricter than others so you need to make sure that you book with a supplier that will allow you to use other forms of identification like a marriage certificate to prove your maiden name, it can be quite confusing for some and its always best to ensure that your identification is present and correct before arriving to pick up the car.

The marriage certificate must be written in Roman script meaning it can be read and understood by the supplier. This is similar to hiring a car with an international driving permit, this acts as a translation tool for the supplier.

To make sure that you don’t get stranded without a car you need to make sure that you get everything right before hand, to do this simply call us here at Indigo Car Hire. Each situation is different as to what identification they will accept so for more information contact our experienced reservation agents on +44 (0)113 880 0748 or email us at sales@thealternativeagency.co.uk and we will be happy to answer any questions that you may have about car hire and find you a solution.

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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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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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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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The Out Of Hours DVLA Check

March 14, 2014 Car Hire Tips Comments Off on The Out Of Hours DVLA Check

When you hire a car in the UK and live within the country yourself then you are required to bring your counterpart in order to be given the vehicle. As you may imagaine, several people have lost or misplaced their counterpart and the solution is fairly simple, the car rental company calls the DVLA on your behalf in order to get all the details required. The only issue with this however is that you can only check with the DVLA during opening hours.

If you arrive at the desk when the DVLA is open then the car rental company will call them, you do however have to pay a fee of about £10 as the call is a premium call which you will need to fund.

The DVLA is open from 8am to 7pm Monday – Friday, on Saturday 8am to 2pm and on Sunday it’s closed. This of course can be an issue so to counter this we have come up with a solution; one of our suppliers will allow you to hire a car without your counterpart as long as you sign an indemnity form. It can be quite a confusing process but we are happy to explain it to you before you book. We will always ask if you have a counterpart and try identify this as an issue before you book, just in case however please let us know that you don’t have your second part of your licence so that we can either make sure the rental company contact the DVLA or we arrange an out of hour alternative.

We realise that it can be quite tricky to get your head around and but if you are arriving out of DVLA hours we assure you there is a solution. Simply call our experienced and knowledgeable reservation agents on +44 (0)113 880 0748 or email them at sales@thealternativeagency.co.uk and they will help find a solution for you.

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How to survive a long car journey with kids

March 12, 2014 Car Hire Tips, Fun Stuff Comments Off on How to survive a long car journey with kids
Travelling With Kids

Lets face it, kids can often be hard work especially when going on a long car journey. The familiar phrase “Are we there yet?” can often get irritating when its repeated by children what feels like a million times. Children’s attention span is not the same as an adults so in order to avoid this you need to keep them entertained. There are a few of ways to keep children entertained in a car whilst on long journeys, here are some of our favourites.

In-Car DVD Player

This is a simple concept in which a small screen goes in the backseats of your and plays dvds, it all depends how many and which DVD’s you get of course but the best thing to do is stock up on as many as possible. This option is quite expensive but great if you travel regularly as its a long term solution.

I Spy

Great little time waster, playing eye spy with kids keeps them surprisingly entertained for a little while, and it costs nothing. However it can become tedious and the kids can quickly get bored of the game but it will buy you a possible 30 minutes.

Backseat Bingo

Print off some bingo sheets, bring some pencils and put some numbers in a hat. Not too difficult to prepare and kids can be entertained with a small game like this for hours at a time, every games different even bring along small prizes which will make them want to win more making the game more popular with them.

21-Card Game

Often called hit or twist its a great game and all you need is a pack of cards. You can also play different games with cards but the most simple is probably 21, it will also keep the children entertained for a good amount of time as its quite competitive.

Board Games

Some board games are good to bring in the car as long as they dont contain too many small pieces that can easily be lost due to a bumpy ride, there are tons of board games kids can play like draughts or battleships.

Hangman

Hangman is another great game that keeps the kids guessing, it can keep them entertained for a good while as you can change the word and different things that will keep them enticed.

Or for the modern families among us, how about downloading a few games onto your tablet or mobile. If allowed, my son will spend hours trying to get a minnion to run and jump over obstacles or get a racing car around the track as fast as possible.

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Travel Insurance, Have You Checked The Small Print?

March 12, 2014 Car Hire Tips Comments Off on Travel Insurance, Have You Checked The Small Print?
Travel Insurance

Many of us associate the small or fine print in any agreement as the bad stuff, the information they don’t want us to read. Although they insist that we tick a box to confirm that we have read it.

With travel insurance, this isn’t always a bad thing, infact it could save you a lot of money if you know exactly what your policy covers.

As we grow as a company we are starting to se more and more enquiries from long haul travellers from Asia, Australia and the USA. Many of those travellers are coming to Europe for a while, usually 2-3 weeks and therefore they ensure that they are covered with insurance.

Many travel insurance policies also cover other elements of your trip, especially Car Hire Excess. This is a brilliant way of keeping your rental costs down to a minimum, all rental companies nowadays will offer you an additional insurance product, Super CDW, Excess Protection, Zero Excess Policy or Deductable Cover all of which are the same product and usally cost between £7 and £15 per day of rental and the costs can easily mount up.

Large numbers of people who are not aware of what they are already covered for will take out one of these policies for extra peace of mind, knowing that if they are involved in an accident then they will not be liable for huge repair costs.

So, we have 2 great tips for you:

  1. When buying travel insurance, dont just pick the first one you see or the cheapest of the lot. Actually look at what is covered as it could save you money in the long run.
  2. If you already have some kind of Car Hire Excess protection in your travel insurance policy, you should consider whether you actually need to purchase additional insurance at the rental desk.

We are here to offer advise on this or any other car hire related subject, so if you have a question please pick up the phone, chat with us online or email us on sales@thealternativeagency.co.uk.

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