The snow season is always a fun one but for driving a vehicle in it, it can also be a dangerous one. Most people from the UK are used to some snow and have had some experience driving in it, but head over to Europe in the winter months and you could be in for a shock; the snowfall there is generally a lot heavier than in the UK and it lasts longer!

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Looking for a holiday with a superstar spin? Why shouldn’t you treat yourself and splash out on a little luxury!

Florence, Italy is a great place to enjoy a lavish break.  It has amazing hotels ranging from boutique to lavish and grand.  

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Here at Auto Europe we recognise that returning your car to the same pick-up location may not always suit your requirements. We offer one way car hire across our wide range of vehicles and destinations at excellent rates.

One way car hire means that a vehicle is collected in one location and returned to another (i.e. collect your car at Madrid airport and return it to Barcelona airport)

One way car hire is available in most locations, but there is usually a slightly higher fee than if you returned the car to your pick up location. This is because the rental company has to shuffle cars about to make sure that each location has enough cars to honour its bookings.
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Choosing the wrong vehicle for your car hire holiday could result in a disaster and here at Auto Europe we want to make sure that your car hire experience is a pleasant one and hopefully something you will want to do with us again!

Here is a quick guide to help you on your way:

Mini (MBMN) – This class is usually only available as a 2 door. Suitable for 1 large or 2 medium cases only. Some examples of this class are Fiat Panda, Ford Ka and Renault Twingo.

Economy (ECMN) – Slightly bigger than the Mini. Most destinations offer 2 and 4 door options. Depending on the model they will be suitable for 3 or 4 passengers with 1 large or 2 medium sized suitcases. Examples of this class are Peugeot 107, Renault Clio and Ford Fiesta.
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There is nothing worse than being stuck in a traffic jam or lost and in a rush, it’s a drivers nightmare. Add not having any air conditioning and being cramped in the wrong size car and its a recipe for disaster!

Auto Europe have a few tips to help you start your summer holiday on the right foot:

How many passengers and bags you will have? Car hire sizes range from a 2 door economy right up to a people carrier. You must allow room for bags for example a 7 seater will not fit 7 passengers and 7 large bags.
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Over the next few weeks Auto Europe UK Blog will see some changes. Some of these have already been implemented and some will be coming soon!

We are adding some more categories for you to explore about travelling, including:

Travel Advice: Advice before you go. It’s always good to know a few things before you head off on holiday, like currency, shopping times, weather as well what side of the road you should be driving on!

Travel Experiences: There are some thing in your lifetime that you must experience. Such as The Great Wall of China, the Pyramids in Egypt and even a Safari Holiday in Africa.

Great! Britain: Need I say more? We are going to look at all things Great around Britain, from festivals to driving holidays and city breaks!

Our Top Five’s: There is so much to see when you go on holiday, so we are going to hand pick our Top Five’s to give you some inspiration.

Road Trips: Who doesn’t love a good road trip? If you are unsure of what or where to go, why not get some inspiration from our drives around the world.

We here at Auto Europe want to make your experience as wonderful as possible! Do you have any suggestions for us? Is there any subject that you would like to read more about? Do let us know and we will see what we can do about it!

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Auto Europe have decided to help the people of Haiti and those affected by the recent earthquake. We will pledge £1 per booking made direct with Auto Europe UK up until the 31st of January. You can book directly online or call our reservations team on 0800 358 1229.

Imad Khalidi, our CEO, in a statement earlier, stated, “We as an industry need to unite in this time of crisis and help our neighbours. Our hopes are also that other suppliers will also rally and show their support with similar pledges or contributions.”

Our thoughts go out out to everyone affected by these tragic events.

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Here’s our latest update from Auto Europe’s Commercial Director for the UK and Ireland, Peter McAree:

2009 has been a strange year for the car hire industry. We’d anticipated a change in our customers’ habits during the recession, but instead of a slowdown in sales, it’s actually been lack of availability in many of the most popular destinations that has kept us awake at night. As I mentioned in a previous post, a number of the major car hire suppliers have reduced fleets or avoided replacing old vehicles, resulting in a limited offering.

There’s no doubt that our customers’ requirements have altered during this turbulent economic time, but instead of abandoning holiday plans altogether, they’ve simply become keener than ever to find a bargain. Perhaps that’s why we’re currently witnessing strong demand for car hire bookings in September.

Spain, Portugal and Italy are among the most popular destinations for the first few weeks of the month. After waiting until the last minute for a ‘barbeque summer’ that never came, it looks like many Brits who’d hoped to save some money with a break at home are rushing to find some sun before winter kicks in.

Then of course there’s the school holiday price hike. Anyone who isn’t tied to that timetable, along with parents who are prepared to break the rules to make a saving (that’s 56% according to online parenting network mumsnet) can and are taking advantage of much lower prices.

Be warned though, Tour Operators have cut capacity this year. A major surge in business could keep travel prices higher than you might expect to get a deal for, and some late bookers may end up having to re-think their travel plans. As always, my advice is to book as early as possible.

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This week sees the final chapter in our serialisation of The Auto Europe Car Rental Roadmap, the online guide to every aspect of hiring a car.

They key point to remember about car hire insurance is that it is not the same as car insurance policies for private vehicles. This means it’s very important to read the terms & conditions carefully to see what is and what is not covered by the standard car hire insurance policy provided with your vehicle. These are the key factors to watch out for:

• Who Provides the Insurance?: When you use a brokerage the insurance is provided by the car hire supplier. However, Auto Europe will provide an overview of the main terms & conditions on your voucher.
• How Much is the Excess Payment if you do Need to Make a Claim?: Excess payments can be as high as £500 to £1,000+ per claim. You can take out special cover designed to refund any excess payment in the event of a claim. If you do decide to take this extra cover, then please be aware that it is almost always significantly cheaper to do so prior to your departure than on arrival in your destination.
• Any Factors Which Could Invalidate Your Insurance?: For example a police report is usually required to back up all claims. Damage or collision caused by recklessness or negligence is not usually covered.
• What is NOT Covered by Your Policy?: Many consumers are surprised to learn that the majority of car hire suppliers do not cover damage to windows, wheels, tyres, the roof, underside & interior of the vehicle. If this is the case for your rental you can look for a secondary policy to cover these elements. In summary, do at least be aware of any limitations of cover so you can look after the vehicle. NB: this is an area Auto Europe is looking to improve its offering.
• Best Rate Guarantee: Auto Europe guarantees to match any like-for-like quote to ensure we offer the best rates and service possible. So, if you happen to find a lower price with comparable service, location, terms & surcharges then we’ll beat it! To submit the lower rate to us, please complete the Guaranteed Best Rate form.

To help you a little further, read on for a quick glossary of key car hire insurance terms and what they mean in plain English:

• Collision Damage Waiver: Collision damage waiver is included in your car hire price with Auto Europe at the time of booking. It covers accidental damage of your hire car as long as you comply with the car hire contract. Full details of cover are shown in the terms and conditions prior to completion of your booking. Please note that you are liable to pay for the damage up to the excess amount before collision damage waiver insurance kicks in.
• Insurance Excess: In the event of an accident or damage to the vehicle, the customer will have to pay a certain amount – called the insurance excess – towards the total repair cost. The excess on the hire varies between local suppliers. Auto Europe booking vouchers clearly state the excess amount you are liable for within the terms & conditions.
• Liability Insurance: Liability insurance protects you against claims made by third parties as a result of an accident when you are driving your hire car. This includes property damage and personal injury up to a pre-set level. Full details of cover are shown in the Auto Europe terms and conditions prior to completion of your booking.
• Personal Injury Coverage: Personal Accident Insurance (PAI) is generally not included in car rental agreements, although it may be offered it as an additional extra. It covers the authorised driver(s) and passengers for death, disability and medical expenses in the event of an accident.
• Refundable Excess: In the event of an insurance claim the customer is liable to pay the insurance excess (see above). It is possible to protect yourself against being liable for this payment by taking out refundable excess cover. If you have refundable excess cover then your excess payment will be refunded to you. Please note this cover is usually invalidated if the police report suggests the damage was due to driver negligence. Full details of cover are shown in the terms and conditions prior to completion of your booking. Auto Europe does offer some vehicles with ‘refundable excess insurance’ included in the price. These are highlighted in red in the list of potential vehicles to hire shown when you book with Auto Europe.
• Theft Protection: A rental agreement may provide insurance cover in the event that the car is stolen. However, if the excess is quite high, the customer will still have to pay for the cost of the vehicle up to that amount.
• Vehicle Theft Waiver: Auto Europe’s vehicle theft waiver covers you for theft or attempted theft of your hire car only. Full details of cover are shown in the terms and conditions prior to completion of your booking.

We hope you’ve enjoyed the six short articles in this serialization of The Auto Europe Car Rental Roadmap. Or at least found it useful. If you need any further information or have any questions then let us know in the comments box now. Looking forwards to hearing from you all!

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Continuing the serialisation of The Auto Europe Car Rental Roadmap, our online guide to every aspect of hiring a car, this week we have outlined what to expect when you return your hire car. It’s pretty straightforward but there are three things to bear in mind, namely:

• Ensure you are on Time: Please don’t be late dropping off your car as you will be charged if you run over the agreed drop off time. It’s a good idea to allow a little extra time for navigation and traffic!
• Vehicle Check In: Ensure a member of staff checks your vehicle and signs your rental agreement to verify it was returned in good condition. This protects you against any damage to the vehicle being wrongly attributed to your rental.
• Charges: Please be aware that if the rental company takes a payment from your card they may do so without prior notification. Common reasons for post-rental charges include re-fuelling – if the car has been returned with less fuel than required by your contract; late delivery; or damage found on the vehicle. If you do not understand why you have been charged or feel the charge is unjustified then your first port of call is the Auto Europe customer services team on free-phone: 0800 358 1229.

Log on next week, same time and same place, for the sixth and final chapter of this informative serialisation which delves deep into the question of insurance. If you can’t wait seven days, or would like to read more, then simply click here now.

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