Car Hire For New Drivers In Europe

Car hire for new licence holders in Spain

If you have just passed your driving test you and have tried to hire a car you will know the difficulties of finding a supplier who will accept you. This is because you are an inexperienced driver and there is more chance of you having a crash. Previously, we have announced we can offer car hire for newly qualified drivers in the UK, but we wanted to offer more locations for you.

We are pleased to announce that we now offer car hire for newly qualified drivers across Europe providing you have your drivers licence photocard with you. Not all vehicle sizes are available with this offer, but you can hire up to a compact size car, for example a Peugeot 308 or VW Golf.

Is There An Age Limit To Hire A Car As A Newly Qualified Driver?

Unlike before where you had to be 25 to hire a car if you had just passed your test, you can now hire from as young as 18! So if you are looking to go on your first holiday with your friends you can now hire a car and save the hassle of using public transport abroad.

Can I Use Debit Card For This Offer?

Yes, you can use your debit card for this offer as long as it meets the restrictions. If you are unsure if it meets the restrictions contact our team and they will walk you through the process from start to finish, making car hire easier than ever before.

I Can Get A Low Deposit Too?

The last thing you want to do is put down a big deposit because you’re a newly qualified driver. This is unfair and sometimes not possible if you don’t have spare money lying around. Don’t worry Indigo has an offer of low deposit with prices as low as €300 deposit, now there is no excuse to not hire a car when you go abroad.

Where In Europe Can I Hire A Car As A Newly Qualified Driver?

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Can I rent a car without having to pass an address check?

address check car hire

What is an address check, and what does it entail?

When hiring a car in the UK, you may often find that you could be subject to an address check when collecting a rental car – this check basically involves matching your details on the supplier’s internal ID system. This would include confirming if your licence matches your current address, if you pay council tax at that address, and if you are on the electoral roll, among other things. If even one of these doesn’t match, then it reduces your chance of passing the address check significantly – which means you don’t get the car.

Luckily though there are ways to bypass / avoid having to do an address check, this would just depend on whether you are an inbound or local hirer. I’ve outlined the differences in the sections below:

Inbound hirer

If you are an inbound hirer, this just means that you are flying in and out of the airport you are hiring from – this is the most straightforward way as generally speaking it means you don’t have to go through an address check or provide proofs of address.

There are however a couple pitfalls that some people may fall into – if you live overseas yet still have a UK licence, some suppliers may still perform an address check. This can be a huge problem, as obviously if you don’t live in the UK your chances of passing are slim at the best. Thankfully though this situation can also be avoided if you just inform us beforehand as most suppliers accept some proofs of your overseas address instead. We would still recommend switching your licence to your current country of residence as soon as possible though just to avoid any possible complications.

Local Hirer

A local hirer is someone just hiring a car from their local branch where they live. It can be a bit trickier for local hirers as almost all suppliers perform an address check. It’s particularly hard for hirers that have recently moved to the UK also, as you’ll likely be on an overseas licence and obviously won’t be on the voting register or have many links to your current address.

Fortunately, however, we do have some suppliers with offices nationwide that won’t perform an address check – instead you would just need to provide your passport or proofs of your address, like a utility bill or bank statement. So, if you are concerned about possibly failing an address check and not having the car released to you, just contact us directly and we can make sure you are booked with one these suppliers where you are guaranteed to get the car as long as you have these documents.

Please contact us by calling us on 01138800748 or emailing is directly to sales@thealternativeagency.co.uk for one of these options, or if you have any further questions.

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Driving In Europe After Brexit

Driving In Europe After Brexit

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.

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Exclusive VW & Skoda Lease Deals

VW & SKODA LEASE DEALS

If you are in the market for a short term lease or longer term rental then we have a fantastic package for you. We have teamed up with Volkswagen and Skoda to bring you exclusive monthly lease deals.

With a minimum term of just 3 months, these packages are ideal for those waiting for a new car to be delivered from the manufacturer, company car drivers awaiting their new choice or even employers looking for a GAP vehicle for a new employee.

All rates are per calendar month and include VAT and fully comprehensive insurance. The mileage cap is a good one at 2,000 miles per month and if you were to go over this, its just 15p per mile. This is a full drive away package unlike the typical lease deals that mean you have to insure the vehicle yourself.

There are various collection points around the UK or delivery can be arranged subject to a small charge if over a certain distance from the nearest location.

The Vehicles

The vehicles available are the same ones that you will find on our No Credit Check Leasing Page

Trim levels can vary but this will be confirmed with you when booking the vehicle. Remember, the above prices are inclusive of Insurance and VAT. These vehicles are not available to book online. You can complete the enquiry form here, call us on 0113 88 00 748 or email us on sales@thealternativeagency.co.uk

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Top 5 Seaside Hotels In England

The Pig on the Beach, Dorset

The latest addition to The Pig litter has just opened on Dorset’s scenic Studland Bay. The group’s first beach hotel follows a country house in the New Forest, a city pad in Southampton, and a rural retreat in the Mendip Hills just outside Bath. Opened within the shell of the old Manor House Hotel, it features uninterrupted views of dune-backed sands and the sea. Decked out in the same shabby-chic style as its sister properties, it contains 23 rooms, with rustic wooden floorboards, four-poster beds, botanical prints and soft, pastel shades. Elsewhere, expect a greenhouse-style restaurant by chef James Golding that uses produce from the hotel’s kitchen garden and a dinky spa concealed within two converted sheep huts.

The Mizen Head, Northumberland

This restaurant-with-rooms sits in the tiny village of Bamburgh on the sweeping Northumberland coast. Freshly-caught seafood and fine-quality meats are the order of the day, with dishes that range from seared scallops to lobster thermidor and Scottish Borders charcuterie. Roaring log fires, parquet floors, and a grand staircase give way to six rooms upstairs, furnished with either coastal or country views. Offshore, Lindisfarne and the Farne Islands beckon for coastal exploration.

Titchwell Manor, Norfolk

From the north Norfolk village of Brancaster, this hotel looks out across open marshes to the North Sea. Housed in a former Victorian farmhouse, it has been owned by the same team, Margaret and Ian Snaith, since 1988. Some of the rooms shrug off the traditional nautical palette of coastal hotels in favour of audacious, clashing colours, while others keep it calm and neutral. Downstairs, there are two restaurants, the Eating Rooms and the Conservatory, both run by the Snaith’s son, Eric.

The Scarlet, Cornwall

The Scarlet stands above Mawgan Porth beach on the north Cornwall coast, with an adults-only policy that makes it ideal for a romantic getaway. Add to that a sought-after spa – with tented treatment rooms, an indoor pool and a clifftop hot tub – and you’re in couples heaven. Each of the rooms boasts its own outdoor patch, from private courtyards to garden terraces and balconies. Many cast their eyes across the Atlantic, while those that don’t will find the sea waiting through the windows of the hotel’s restaurant

The Gallivant, East Sussex

The Gallivant prides itself on bringing a slice of the Hamptons to the shores of Sussex. Set back from dunes of Camber Sands, it’s decked out in soothing coastal colours of blues and whites. Rooms come with homely touches: books, beach bags, and regularly refilled cookie jars. Downstairs, there’s a Larder of Guilty Pleasures for guests to tuck into and a seafood restaurant by Ben Fisher, who trained under Thomas Keller of the French Laundry. Food is sourced from within a 30-mile radius, supplied by local fishermen and farmers.

Car Hire In UK

If you plan to travel to any of these hotels and don’t have your own car to get there, why not hire a car? We will find you the best car hire deal to keep your prices as low as possible. If you are interested in hiring a car in the UK or anywhere else in the world for that matter, please contact us.

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Top 5 Campsites In The UK For Families

Top 5 Campsites In The UK For Families

After my recent camping trip to north Wales, I decided to do some research on some of the best campsites in the UK for my next holiday. On reading reviews and comparing activities for the kids ect, here are my Top 5 Campsites In The UK For Families.

1. Trellyn Woodland Campsite, Pembrokeshire

Trellyn Woodland Campsite’s location is hard to beat. Not only does it lie within 10 miles of a dozen coves and beaches and barely 100 yards from the Pembrokeshire Coast Path at Abercastle, but you are also within easy striking distance of St David’s, Ramsey Island (ramseyisland.co.uk) and the reconstructed Iron Age hill fort of Castell Henylls (castellhenllys.com). The campsite itself has plenty to keep you occupied, whether it’s stargazing around the campfire or learning how to make fire yourself on one of Trellyn’s three-hour bushcraft courses (from £15 per person). There are just five pitches, each with its own picnic table and campfire, while the Dragon Tipi has a double bed, two futons and a separate campfire kitchen. Upping the glamping stakes, the yurts have oak floors and handcrafted furniture, while the modern and spacious geodomes have panoramic windows and wood-burning stoves.

2. Harvest Moon Holidays, North Berwick

Choose between luxury tree houses and safari tents at Harvest Moon Holidays’ fabulous new glamping site on Lochhouses Farm, adjoining the John Muir Country Park, east of Edinburgh. With sweeping views across sand dunes towards gannet-festooned Bass Rock in the Firth of Forth, this is a great spot for free spirited families who love the great outdoors. The big empty beaches are irresistible, whether you’ve brought a bucket and spade or your own horse (£12 per night). Onsite there’s a farm shop, campfire and a kids’ corner with ducks, rabbits, lambs and other cuddlies. Boasting an internal area of 40sq m, the seven safari tents sleep up to eight and feature en suite toilets and hot showers, a fully equipped kitchen with Belfast sink, pine dresser and wood-burning stove, plus a lounge/dining area that opens onto a covered veranda. The seven tree houses are actually cabins on stilts just 2m off the ground, but they are just as stylish and beautifully furnished as the safari tents, with covered walkways connecting the sleeping and living areas. Kids love the integral hammock and swings.

3. Wild Boar Wood Campsite, Sussex

This is not glamping. It’s ‘real camping made easy’. At least that’s how the owners of Wild Boar Wood Campsite, a leafy retreat in West Sussex, prefer to describe their nine fully equipped bell tents. The luxury here is not about hot tubs or feather duvets, but a chance to really get away from it all. Apart from the occasional shrill whistle from the Bluebell Line as it trundles past the edge of the five-acre wood, this is back-to-nature camping, complete with a full cast of wildlife. In fact, the campsite is so secluded that you won’t even be told its exact location until your booking is confirmed. Each of the pre-erected tents is equipped with beds and cooking equipment. The onsite warden ensures everyone’s a happy camper – whether it’s delivering firewood for your barbecue or offering advice on days out. Nearby family-friendly attractions include Bodiam Castle and the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum.

4. Shieling Holidays, Isle Of Mull

With wonderful views over the Sound of Mull and across Loch Linnhe towards Ben Nevis, Shieling Holidays’ grassy campsite on the Isle of Mull is a short stroll from the ferry pier at Craignure. You can watch the CalMac ferry coming and going from Oban and listen out for the whistle of the narrow-gauge steam train that trundles back and forth between Craignure and Torosay Castle. There’s even the possibility of glimpsing seals, porpoises and otters from your tent, although you’ll get a better chance of seeing wildlife, including eagles, on a safari with Island Encounters. Named after the summer cottages of Highland shepherds, white canvas tents known as shielings bring a touch of original glamping to the site with their carpets, wood-burning stoves, real beds (up to six per tent) and self-contained bathrooms and kitchens. All you need to bring is bedding, cooking and eating utensils – or, if you prefer to travel a bit lighter, you can hire them from the campsite.

5. Woodland Tipis and Yurts, Dewchurch

Woodland Tipis and Yurts is located on a farm in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Little Dewchurch, Herefordshire. It has six Mongolian yurts and three traditional Sioux Native American tepees tucked into woods less than a mile from the River Wye. It’s the kind of place where youngsters can run wild with the woodland fairies, building them miniature wigwams of sticks and leaves decorated with petals and feathers. The six-acre ancient woodland is also a den-builder’s paradise. Hop over a stile and you find yourself on a grassy hillside that’s ideal for picnics. Each tepee or yurt sleeps up to six people, has an outdoor fire pit, picnic table and hammock. Inside, there’s a cosy jumble of rugs, sheepskins and mattresses, plus a king-size bed and a wood-burning stove. In addition to the two well-equipped kitchen shelters, there are separate bake houses with traditional earth ovens – perfect for making pizzas.

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New Zero Deposit Locations Available in the UK!

Car Hire With Zero Deposit

With so many other supplier’s still requiring ridiculous amounts held on your card, we have been working continuously to expand our zero deposit options across other areas of the UK, with options already available across mid – north England and most of Scotland.

Up until now we have only been able to arrange this north of London, but recently our supplier has been expanding further south, and we are happy to announce we now have zero deposit options available at Lingfield (just 2 miles from Gatwick Airport), and also Southampton city centre.

Zero Deposit Car Hire Locations

Here is a comprehensive table of our current no deposit locations available in the UK:
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Of course this list is still growing, so if you need to hire somewhere not on this list, or even abroad, with zero deposit, then please get in touch with us directly at sales@thealternativeagency.co.uk or on 0113 880 0748, and we’ll be happy to look into the options for you.

Other services available

Here are some other services we can also provide in conjunction with this offer:

Young driver hire: Available for anyone 23+ with much lower young driver fees than most locations
Debit Card Hire: These locations can take debit cards as long as they are standard Visa / Mastercards linked to a bank account.
Pay on arrival
Unlimited mileage

Again, just make sure you contact us directly for this is as it’s not available on the website.

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Zero Deposit Car Hire, Shetland Islands

Zero Deposit Car Hire, Shetland Islands

We are now able to offer Zero Deposit Car Hire on the Shetland Islands. Our supplier is based at Sumburgh Airport which is on the very southern tip of the mainland and is the main airport to serve the islands. Tourism in Shetland has been increasing quite rapidly over the past few years, unsurprisingly with its 1600 miles of scenic coastline, as well as the existence of important archaeological sites dating all the way back to Bronze Age settlements and later Norse colonisation.

Our zero deposit offer is exactly that, you can book your hire car and pay on collection. They will charge you for the full cost of the rental and nothing will be help or frozen as a deposit.

What’s more, payments can be made using a debit card. Credit cards are not needed to hire a vehicle at Sumburgh Airport. This amazingly is still a rarity in our industry and we work tirelessly to find new suppliers who will allow drivers to hire a car without having to apply for a credit card.

This is not limited to the size of vehicle also, it ranges from the mini Fiat 500 / VW Up sizes to 9-seat minivans and 4x4s. Just make sure you contact us directly for this option on +44 0113 88 00 748, or email us at sales@thealternativeagency.co.uk.

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Free Additional Drivers In France, Germany & Spain

Short Term Leasing

Being lumbered with the responsibility of driving can really take it out of you on holiday. You should be relaxing like everyone else. So why not take it in turns and share the burden with a friend or family member? Extra cost I hear you say? No, not with Indigo car hire. We’ve had this available for some time now in the UK and Ireland, but have been looking to expand our efforts.

Here at Indigo we’ve been working with our suppliers to solve this and we are finally happy to announce that we can now offer a free second driver in France, Spain and Germany, in addition to the options we already had available in the UK and Ireland.

Where Can I Get A Free Additional Driver?

Here are a few examples of our more prominent locations where we can arrange this:

This is not an exhaustive list, we can help from any of the major airports in these countries, as well as from numerous downtown locations in most major cities. Just call / email us for any specific requests.

There are very few restrictions on this option too:

Both driver’s must be over the age of 21.
The main driver must have a payment card in their name (can be debit or credit card!)
Both driver’s must have held a licence for at least a year

And that’s literally all you need to get on the road!

When looking to hire with a free additional driver please just call us on 0113 88 00 748 or email us at sales@thealternativeagency.co.uk so that we can ensure you are booked with the right supplier!

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Car hire for new drivers available in the UK

Car hire for new drivers available in the UK

Newsflash: New drivers, Indigo Car Hire has good news for you! Starting from now, Car hire for new drivers is available in the UK.

A common question we are asked is “how long do you need a driving licence to hire a car?” The answer to that question is that drivers who have held their licence for less than 12 months are able to hire a vehicle in the UK at all major airport locations and some downtown. Until now, hiring a car in the UK would have been possible only if the drivers held their driving licence for at least two years. This kind of policy was restricting the access to the car rental services to many possible customers. Many new drivers who want to test their vehicle before buying, or hiring short term until something else comes along were either restricted or over charged.

However, we at Indigo Car Hire have managed to arrange a deal in the UK and now it is possible to hire a vehicle even if you have just passed your practical test. This specialist service was made possible by our company in partnership with one of the major suppliers in the UK. So, if you have only held your driving licence for a few days or for less than 12 months and you would like to hire a vehicle in the UK, give us a call and we can sort it out for you.

Requirements For Renting A Car In The UK

Like most of the specialist services there are particular requirements for renting a car in the UK, this deal is subject to few restriction:

  • Full valid UK driving licence
  • A Passport is often required, particularly at airport locations
  • Proof of address, such as a utility bill or council tax
  • You’re required to get a DVLA code
  • You must contact us directly, don’t book online, as supply is limited
  • The driver must be over 25 years of age
  • You must have a credit or debit card

This is a service we can provide at most of the main airport locations in the UK plus London and Edinburgh city locations.

Top New Driver Car Hire Locations

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If you do not see the location you require in the table above, please contact our team today as this table is not exhaustive and we have many more locations across the UK.

For more information about our specialist services and Car hire for new drivers available in the UK, please contact us over the phone on +44 (0)113 880 0748, email us on sales@thealternativeagency.co.uk

or chat with us online using the function at the bottom of this page.

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