Archive for the ‘Car Hire’ Category

« Older Entries

Time limit on driving in Seville

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

If you are flying into Seville Airport later this year and planning on hiring a car then avoid spending too much time in the city centre as from the Autumn any driver who spends more than 45 minutes with their car in Seville will be fined €90.

The historic centre of Seville is to be divided into four zones, NE, NW, SE and SW and entry and exit points into each one will be controlled by cameras which will be able to read car number plates. In total there will be 13 entry points and nine exit roads to and from the controlled zone.

The control will be in force from 08:00 to 22:00 Monday to Saturday. The plan will cost €2.1million to put into effect and starts in the Autumn, although installation of the cameras begins next week.

Vehicles which enter the area to load or unload will not been affected. Public transport, motorbikes and mopeds are not included, but residents and hotel guests will only be allowed to enter and exit in their one zone.

Posted in Car Hire, Seville Airport | No Comments »

If you are hiring a car from a Spanish Airport …

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

If you are flying into one of the Spanish Airports and thinking of hiring a car while you are staying in Spain then bear in mind that the Director General for Traffic is planning to add 150-200 additional fixed radars to the road network in Spain for the next few years.

Fixed radars can be placed on any road with a daily circulation of more than 6,000 vehicles with mobile being used on the smaller secondary roads.

Also the number of Tráfico Guardia Civil has increased from 8,000 to 9,700 and their attention is concentrated on four things: speed, helmet, seat belt and alcohol. Last year 102,000 breathalyser tests resulted in 17,000 positives with 15,000 drivers losing their licences from losing all their points (0.06% of the total number of drivers in Spain). The plan is obviously working as fatalities on the road have reduced from 11 deaths a day to 5.2.

Posted in Car Hire, Spanish Airports | No Comments »

Malaga taxis the most expensive in Andalucia

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

If you are trying to work out the best way of getting from Malaga Airport to your holiday destination, then you have the options of public transport, hiring a car, booking a private transfer or getting a taxi 

So you might be interested to hear that catching a taxi from Malaga Airport or in the city centre can be more expensive than catching a cab in any other Andalucian city as a study has just shown that it is 9th most expensive city in Spain after Tarragona, San Sebastian, Murcia, Lugo, Girona, Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia.

The average cost of a 1km journey is €4.77 which is almost €1.77 more expensive than in Santa Cruz de Tenerife (the cheapest city in the report).

Malaga taxi tariffs are 8c more expensive than Granada and 25c more expensive than Seville, with the average price of 80c per kilometre in Spain and 84c in Malaga. 

 Malaga taxis also have special tariffs at certain times over the weekend with an additional €2 for the night tariff.  The average cost of a taxi in Spain in €2.96 during the day and €3.93 at night.  In Malaga it will cost you €3.48 during the day and €4.35 at night.

Posted in Car Hire, Malaga Airport | No Comments »

Road works on coast road from Malaga Airport

Thursday, July 30th, 2009
traffic hols ups on Costa del Sol

traffic hold ups on Costa del Sol

If you are flying into Malaga Airport and planning on hiring a car to get to your holiday destination on the Costa del Sol be warned that both Benalmádena and Torremolinos Town Halls have started works on the main traffic arteries in their localities and where one set of works ends, another begins just a few metres away

In Torremolinos the installation of a new central reservation has reduced traffic to a single lane from the Palacio de Congresos junction to the junction with Avenida Carlota Alessandri (which is the major route through the centre of Torremolinos).

 These roadworks would have anyway have caused traffic delays and hold-ups at this time of year, but the problems have been added to  by Benalmádena’s renovation of Avenida Antonio Machado from the border with Torremolinos to Plaza Solymar.

These works include the widening of pavements, planting of trees in the central reservations, renovating street-lighting and modifying the Dolphin Roundabout at the entrance to Puerto Marina.

Businesses in the area are reporting that trade is down by 60% because customers cannot  get through the traffic, and when  they do they so much of the road has been dug up there is nowhere to park.

The congestion is at its worst between 10:00 and 13:00. Both Town Halls have apologised for any inconvenience and now plan to divide up the phases and focus on the least commercial stretches of road until September to minimise disruption.

Posted in Car Hire, Malaga Airport | No Comments »

Wet summer in UK causes surge in bookings to Spain

Thursday, July 30th, 2009
great British summer!

great British summer!

With the miserable weather forecast of yet more rain throughout August in the UK there has been a large increase for bookings for flights and holidays to Spain.

Most tour operators are offering some great last-minute deals available to destinations like the Costa del Sol and Costa Dorada with “guaranteed” sunshine.  Holiday bookings for the Costas are now up by 119% and flight reservations have risen by 11% compared to last year.

Also the British pound has strengthened against the euro by around 10% since April, making Spain far more affordable.  In fact most holidaymakers are saying it’s much cheaper as they can head off to the pool or beach for the day instead of having to spend money to keep themselves and the children occupied which they would have to do in bad weather.

The average rainfall in Spain for the month of August is just 6m compared to 56mm for the UK and there is 11 hours sunshine a day.

If you are planning to fly into one of the three main Spanish tourist Airports: Malaga Airport, Alicante Airport or Palma Airport and are planning to hire a car, make sure you book as far in advance as you possible can as rent a car companies are reporting that they have no vehicles left.

Posted in Alicante Airport, Car Hire, Malaga Airport, Palma Airport | No Comments »

Spanish drivers are NOT the worst in Europe

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

More than 30% of the 819 British travellers polled by TripAdvisor regard Italians as the worst drivers in Europe, with the French not faring much better.

A survey has shown that when driving abroad the Brits think that holding their own against  the locals’ driving style was their biggest challenge. 35% of those surveyed were nervous of driving abroad while 14% said they never checked local driving regulations. Driving a car along the open road is often the best way to explore a new destination, but some travellers are fazed by unfamiliar driving laws and styles. 

The survey also indicated that 45% had misread a map and got lost, 38% had argued with their partner whilst driving and 11% had lost their temper with other drivers.

While Italian and French drivers were considered to be the worst two in Europe, the Greeks came third followed by motorists in Turkey, Spain and Portugal. British drivers were listed in seventh position and Malta, Belgium and Russia ranked 8th, 9th and 10th respectively.

Posted in Car Hire, Spanish Airports | No Comments »

Victoria Cars Announces Shortage for Car Hire at Murcia Airport

Friday, June 26th, 2009

Victoria Rent a Car has already informed their clients last month that the current vehicle fleet for car hire in Alicante Airport and Murcia Airport will be maxed rapidly during high season 2009.

Holidaymakers who are looking for last minute offers could experience a nasty surprise by waiting too long for making their reservation. Especially for popular holiday resorts as those on the Costa Blanca and Costa Del Sol.  

The company’s main airport branches are Alicante, Murcia and Madrid Airport and they are expecting that cars will run out fast during the height of the summer season. In either case, they advise to book your rental car on line in advance and arrive with a confirmed booking voucher rather than waiting for a last minute deal which is something that is not going to be available this year.

Posted in Alicante Airport, Car Hire, Madrid Airport, Murcia Airport | No Comments »

2009 Benicassim Music Festival

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009
If you are yearning to visit a music festival with all the clout of the big UK heavyweights like Leeds and Reading but don’t want the risk of having to dance in torrential rain or traipse through sodden fields, then Benicàssim may have the answer. Located 92.2 km south of Valencia Airport, Benicàssim is a beautiful port town and beach resort on the east coast of Spain which each year hosts the Benicàssim International Music Festival. Past acts have included  Radiohead, Blur, The Chemical Brothers and Depeche Mode.
 
Originally launched in 1995, the Benicàssim festival will this year run for four days from the 16th to the 19th July and boasts yet another phenomenal line-up. Headlining are Oasis, Kings of Leon, Franz Ferdinand and The Killers, who are supported by a wealth of incredible talent including Paul Weller, Lily Allen, Mystery Jets, 2 Many DJs and the White Lies. Aside from the music acts there are a plethora of other activities to keep visitors entertained both around the venue and on the streets of Benicàssim itself. These range from art installations to short films and fashion shows, as well as examples of Spanish dance forms both traditional and contemporary. 
 
One of the big pluses of this festival is that it offers revellers the opportunity to stretch the experience out into a full blown holiday, as the 4 day weekend camping tickets actually provide for 9 days of camping all for the ticket price of £160 (day tickets are £ 67.50). This really gives people a chance to explore the region to its’ fullest and make the most of the Spanish weather and nearby beaches while here. There are several ways of getting to Benicàssim, although flying into Valencia Airport is the most popular means. Flights to Valencia are available from 12 UK airports including Bournemouth, Bristol, Gatwick, Manchester and Newcastle.
 
For those arranging a Valencia Airport car hire then it is a fairly straightforward 55 minute drive north along the coast to the event ground. Alternatively you could pay 25€ and join the festival’s FIBERClub, which, along with other exclusive advantages, entitles members to use the festival bus service. These shuttle buses run from the airport to the festival ground every hour Monday to Friday between 10am and 10pm and on the Monday and Tuesday after the festival between 7am and 5pm.
 
If you have not signed up to become a member then there are three other main alternatives. A Valencia Airport private transfer can be pre-booked and means you will be met in arrivals by a driver and whisked off straight to the event, while cheaper options come in the form of the buses and trains. Fortunately there is a train station right in Benicàssim which has direct connections from most of the major cities such as Valencia, Barcelona, Alicante, Gerona and Madrid. Although these RENFE trains do not run direct from Valencia airport there is a metro train which transfers passengers to the main Valencia train station in just a few minutes and then it is approximately an hour on to Benicàssim. Click here to find RENFE train times.
 
Unlike the trains, buses from the major cities do not go direct to Benicàssim but instead stop at Castellón Bus Station. From here buses run roughly every 15 minutes to Benicàssim between 6.15am and 10.30pm. Click here to find bus times and fares from the major cities. The exception to the bus and train rules tends to be Reus Airport,  which is the second closest airport to the festival at a distance of 167.5km. Ryanair offers flights to Reus from 17 different places in the UK including Durham, Inverness and Liverpool but both train and bus routes from Reus go to Tarragona first before go onto Benicàssim (or Tarragona, Castellón then Benicàssim in the case of the buses). For Reus to Tarragona bus times click here. Driving to the festival in a Reus Airport car hire  would take around 1hr and 40 minutes.  
 
Other then Reus and Valencia, the nearest airports are Barcelona Airport, Alicante Airport, Girona Airport and Madrid Airport. Train and drive times between Benicàssim and each of these airports is roughly the same, give or take 20 minutes. The travel time from Barcelona is around 2½ hours, from Alicante 2hr 50mins, from Gerona 3hr 30mins and from Madrid 4hr and 40mins.
 
An altogether longer option for those not wanting to fly but travelling from the UK is to go by coach, a journey of around 31 hours if departing from London. Tickets are available though National Express and Eurolines. 
 

Posted in Alicante Airport, Barcelona Airport, Car Hire, Castellon Airport, Girona Airport, Madrid Airport, Reus Airport, Spanish Trains, Valencia Airport | No Comments »

Car hire at Gibraltar Airport

Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008

Hi Nora,

Booking your car in La Linea is by far the best option. If you click on this link it gives you details of Avis cars who are just opposite the entrance to the Gibraltar/Spain border.

Linda

Hi Gary,
we are flying into Gibraltar airport and going straight onto the costa de la luz.
We are looking at hiring a car and I think from what I read is best to walk across the border and do it directly on the spanish side?
If so could you please pass on a few details of some companies that are not too far by foot so I can organize before going next week?

many thanks in advance!!

Nora

Posted in Car Hire, Gibraltar Airport | No Comments »

Out of hours car hire at Menorca Airport

Wednesday, September 10th, 2008

Hi Katie,

Most of the car hire companies have special collection points for arrivals outside normal opening hours. You can telephone Hertz at Menorca at +34 971 354 092 and ask them what provision they make for this. Their normal hours of operation are Monday-Sunday 07:00-23:00

If you are not happy with what they offer if it worth getting an online quote with a company called Cartrawler who hold a central database of car hire companies at Menorca Airport which they will match your requirements against and come up with a competitive quote.

Linda

Hello Gary,

I am hoping you will be able to help me …… my boyfriend and I will be flying to Menorca on Monday 15th Sept on an easyjet flight from LGW that is due in at 21.45. I have found a good car hire deal with Hertz on the internet but as I understand it, hertz closes at 23.00 and I am worried that if the flight is delayed, we will not arrive in time to collect our car?

Are you able to confirm what would happen in that circumstance or advise of a company within the airport that stays open for longer that would be a safer option?

Thank you very much in advance Gary!

Kind regards,

Katie

Posted in Car Hire, Menorca Airport | No Comments »

« Older Entries