We are very pleased to be able to announce that due to a new partnership with another large supplier in the UK that we are now able to offer 9 seat vehicles from 15 more locations in the UK. Although 9 seater rental cars are not a new service for us, with our new arrangement they can now be driven to Europe which is something that no other supplier offers, according to our knowledge.

The most impressive thing about a 9 seater rental car is the ability to choose how many of the seats will be used, lets say there are 7 people travelling but a 7 seater doesn’t have enough space for your group and their luggage, a 9 seater will be more than capable. The supplier will even remove unused seats to create even more space.

Which 9 Seater Cars Are Available For Hire?

With our new supplier, we can offer the Citroen Spacetourer 9 Seat manual and the Mercedes V-Class 9 Seat Automatic. If you are not planning on leaving the country, we also have access to a larger fleet of 9 seat vehicles including the Volkswagen Transporter and Vauxhall Vivaro Tourer.

What You Should Know

There are restrictions in place when hiring a 9 seat rental car, the main ones are below;

• The driver must be 30 or over
• The minimum rental period is 7 days
• There is a flat fee of £120 to take the vehicle abroad
• Payment can be made on a debit card or credit card but, this must be in the drivers name
• The vehicle can be delivered to your home or work address for a fee
• A meet and greet service is available at all major airports

Where Can I Travel To?

Our 9 seat rental car fleet can be taken to any country in the Schengen zone. The Schengen zone comprises of 26 European countries that have officially abolished all passport and all other types of border control at their mutual borders. The area mostly functions as a single jurisdiction for international travel purposes, with a common visa policy. The area is named after the 1985 Schengen Agreement.

These countries are, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

If you are interested in driving a 9 seater to Europe and would like a quote or more information then please do not hesitate to contact our team, we are here to take the stress out of car rental for you.

As far as we all know, for the second time this year we will / might / probably won’t (delete as appropriate) be leaving the EU on October 31st.

Many of us have thought about what this means for the country, for the future of our families, our finances, our employment and even our living arrangements. Have you considered what may happen to your driving licence and your ability to drive legally?

For many of us, for many many years, we have taken for granted that we can drive around Europe without a care in the world. A blog I wrote back in February before the first deadline outlined what changes could happen to the simple task of driving in Europe after Brexit. But what if your legal right to drive is taken away for a period of time? let me explain…

What Do You Mean?

Many British people have and continue to leave Britain for a sunnier climate. Once there, depending on your desired destination, you have a certain amount of time to change your licence to a local one. This means surrendering your British driving licence and applying for a new one from the local version of the DVLA. As a member of the EU, this is quite a simple process, the information on your new licence pretty much reflects the information on your UK licence and can be used almost all over the world.

After October 31st, if the UK is no longer a member of the EU. New applications for driving licences will be dealt with in a different way. In some countries it will be as though you are applying for your very first licence and in some others, you may even have to sit another driving test at a local centre. But the biggest problem you may face is the start date on this new licence, as it no longer replicates what is written on your British licence, your valid from date will be the date of issue, not the date you passed your original driving test.

These are quite well known facts and among the main reasons why so many people have applied for their new licences within the last few months, this has created a huge backlog for local government agencies. We are hearing that in a lot of cases it can take up to 3 months for a licence to be processed, 6 to 9 months in Cyprus..

The ONS report that 343,000 people emigrated from the UK in the year to March 2019. How many of those do you think are still waiting for a driving licence application to go though?

What Does The Date Have To Do With Anything?

So the next time you are filling in an application for car insurance and you come across the question, How Long Have You Held Your Current Driving Licence? The answer will not be 25 years with 10 years NCB (No Claims Bonus), it will be just a few days or weeks. Will this affect your insurance premium? Yes probably. Perhaps more importantly for those who will be reading a blog on our website, what will it mean when hiring a car?

Well in some instances it could mean that you cannot hire a car when returning to the UK or visiting other countries, the vast majority of suppliers have a requirement that the driver must have held their driving licence for 2 years, some are 1 year but very few. There is only one supplier in the UK who will allow you to hire a car having held your licence for less than 12 months and with them you must be over 25 years old.

What About Your Temporary Licence?

If you are one of the many thousands of people above who have surrendered your licence while waiting for your application to go though then you should have received a temporary licence, basically a piece of paper from the local government confirming that you are who you say you are and you are entitled to drive. These were never intended to be in use for such a long period of time but with waiting lists like their are in Cyprus and Spain, you may have one for quite a while. What do you have planned in the next 9 months that you may need your driving licence for?

We work with one supplier in the UK who will accept this temporary licence. It is widely uncommon for this to happen but with the waiting list getting longer and longer we are seeing more and more people left with these ‘temporary licences’, do not get caught short if you need to hire a car over the next 9-12 months. With the uncertainty of what is going on in Europe it is always best to speak to us about your requirements before making any kind of booking. If there is a chance that you may not have a full, valid licence in your hands then we need to know ahead of time.

WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN ON OCTOBER 31ST, NOR DO WE KNOW IF A DEAL WILL MEAN THAT ALL OF THE ABOVE IS NONSENSE. WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT IF YOU ARE TRAVELLING AROUND EUROPE IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS THEN IT IS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY.

Its looking more and more like the United Kingdom will be leaving the EU without a deal in under six weeks. If this was to happen, what does this mean for motorists from the UK or indeed visitors to Britain?

No major long term changes have been announced, so we have been taking a look at the initial impact of what will happen on the 29th March 2019.

British residents with a UK Licence

If you are a UK licence holder residing in Britain, you do not need to change your licence on or before the deadline for Brexit, in fact it will not affect you at all unless you are planning to drive in Europe.

To do this you may need an IDP, International Driving Permit. As part of the EU, we did not need any additional documentation to be able to drive within the EU and the EEA. When we leave, you may need to check to see if an IDP is needed. This can be done at over 2,500 post offices, it is a simple process and currently costs £5.50. (More information here) We already have to go through this when visiting countries like the USA, Japan & Brazil and the process will be similar.

Please bear in mind, if you are planning on driving through more than one country, you may need more than one IDP.

EU Residents with a UK Licence

If you have recently moved from the UK to reside in the EU then the biggest change for you is the process of changing your licence. Once the UK is no longer part of the EU, you may lose the right to automatically exchange your UK driving licence for a licence from the country you now live in and there is a possibility you may have to take a new driving test. To avoid this, you can apply to exchange your licence before the deadline date of 29th March.

If you then decide to move back to the UK in future, you will need to exchange it back to a UK licence. This is easily done via the Post Office & DVLA.

EU driving licence holders

As far as we are aware, nothing will change for EU licence holders when driving in the UK. For most, an International driving permit is not required but as with anything where there could be a grey area. We advise that you speak to the relevant authorities to check before driving in the UK.

Insurance & Green Cards

One of the biggest changes for UK licence holders could be the changes to insurance policies. Many policies would cover you for EU travel for a certain amount of time without having to do anything. This will change, with the probable ‘No Deal’ looming and if the EU & UK reach no separate agreement, drivers of vehicles registered in the UK will need to carry an insurance Green Card when driving within the European Union and other countries like Iceland, Norway, Serbia and Switzerland. To get a green card, or to check if one if required, speak to your motor insurance provider.

When renting a vehicle abroad, remember that driving licence requirements can and do vary. If you are booking in advance in the UK, ask your rental provider or broker to confirm the requirements of the countries that you intend to visit. REMEMBER, It is the driver’s responsibility to know the rules of the country they are visiting. If in doubt, check with the local authority before you travel.