For the past few months we have worked like dogs (sorry, I couldn’t resist) to release the latest version of Novacarhire.com.

We’ve had a total overhaul, complete with a new brand, a bold brown colour scheme, and even a new mascot!  His name is Nova, and he’s trained to fetch the best car hire deals for Nova customers from more than 555 suppliers in 26,000 locations.

We believe our new site stands out amongst  the other car hire brokers, and it’s not just because of our fabulous new chocolate colour scheme.

We’ve also made the site far easier to use. We polled 100′s of Nova customers and asked for their input in reshaping and redesigning our site from top to bottom. The feedback was invaluable and really helped us deliver a first class site.

We have simplified the booking process – making it even more straightforward for you to book car hire.  And with our new layout for search results, you can compare car types, prices, and car facilities effortlessly.

One of the few things not to change is our commitment in offering our customers the best pricing in the market place and our dedication to customer service.

So, why not take the new site for a spin and have a good sniff around

If you have any comments you would like to share, or if you encounter any issues, please email us at sitefeedback@novacarhire.com.

Terms & Conditions

The prize is a 16GB Black WiFI only new iPad (aka version three of the iPad). Entry to the competition is only possible through Facebook. The competition runs from the 9th of May to June 10th. The winner will be contacted on June 11th. If we can not contact the winner within 48 hours and arrange the delivery of the iPad, we will draw a new winner and repeat the same process. There is no location restriction for entry to the competition. The iPad will be shipped from the Republic of Ireland. We reserve the right to remove Facebook accounts from the sweepstake if we deem the account to be fake and setup solely for entry to the competition. Our decision is final.

Please contact customerservice@novacarhire.com for further information if required.

It’s certainly a dream fixture, and we’re going to make that dream come true for one lucky person, with a pair of tickets to the match and overnight accommodation in a London hotel. Some people would pay dearly for such a prize, but all you have to do enter our giveaway on Facebook to be in with a chance to win the tickets.

You don’t even have to be a Nova customer, but must be over 18, reside in either the U.K. or Ireland, and you can enter as many times as you like by sharing the competition on your Facebook wall or on Twitter.

We will pick the winner at random and announce the lucky recipient on March 6th, so enter straightaway. Then all you have to do is make sure your green/white jersey is washed and ready!

·    Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport Terminal 1
·    Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport Terminal 2
·    Paris Gare de Lyon
·    Paris Gare du Nord
·    Paris Orly Sud Airport
·    Paris Villiers
·    Paris Orly West Airport
·    Paris Austerlitz Gare SNCF
·    Paris Montparnasse Gare
·    Paris Federation

What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?
A lot, if the Roman Arena in the 5th arrondissement is anything to go by.  Built in the first century A.D., when Paris was a Roman city, the Arènes de Lutèce was rediscovered in the late 19th century and is now a public park.

Accessible via rue de Navarre, rue des Arènes, and a passage on rue Monge, this last vestige of Paris’s Roman past features Roman baths and a few ghostly amphitheatre seats.

Tilting at Windmills
Iconic windmills are not the exclusive domain of Don Quixote, or even the Dutch.  Paris has its Moulin Rouge (Red Windmill) nightclub, but that is just a façade.  You’ll have to look further to find the genuine article.
Montmartre has two genuine windmills, with Le Moulin à Poivre operating until 1878.  Adjacent to the rue Lepic, you’ll find the Moulin de la Gallette and the Moulin du Radet.

Pretty Provins
When the hauteur of the French capital becomes too overwhelming, escape in your Nova rental car for the town of Provins, a UNESCO World Heritage Site 93km (58 miles) northeast of Paris.

Clustered around the Saint Quiriace Collegiate Church,  is a charming cobblestone town that evokes the quintessential image of old Europe. In summer you can enjoy medieval re-enactments around the town.

Lasting Impressions

See the garden that inspired Claude Monet’s iconic Water Lilies (Nymphea)paintings and visit Giverny.  About 80km (50 miles) from Paris, it makes an easy day trip from Paris in your Nova rental car.  Claude Monet’s property at Giverny is open to the public, giving access to the restored Nymphea studio and a precious collection of Japanese engravings. The house and gardens are particularly inviting in the summer, when the flowers are in bloom.

Cartoon Crazy
For something iconically French yet not at all chic, visit Parc Asterix.  A theme park based on the beloved French comic character, it is a great place for kids of all ages to cut loose.

Located 30km (19 miles) north of Paris, Parc Asterix is open from April through October and offers five different historical adventures—Gaul, Roman Empire, Greece
Vikings, and Travel Through Time.  One way of showing kids that learning can be fun!

Lose Yourself in a Labyrinth
Get away from the crowds at the Parc del Labirint in Horta.  Located at Passeig dels Castanyers 1, the park’s focal point is a delightfully intricate maze, designed in the 18th century by the architect Domenico Bagutti.  This is a great place for kids, and it’s cheap too:  Entry is around 2 euros, and it’s free on Wednesdays and Sundays.

 Dine In Darkness
No matter how much of a gourmand you think you are, Barcelona’s Dans le Noir?, Passeig Picasso 10, is likely to be a new experience for you.  Blind waiters guide diners to a lightless room, where dining takes place without the benefit of sight.  The food is superb, but it is the memorable nature of the sensory experience that makes this one of coolest things to do in Barcelona.

Meet a Mammoth
Barcelona’s new Mammoth Museum, Calle Montcada 1, is full of prehistoric skeletons recently unearthed in the marshes of Siberia.  Unlike the hushed atmosphere of most such institutions, a more relaxed feel predominates at the Mammoth Museum, where visitors are actually encouraged to handle the tusks and molars of woolly mammoths and the hide of a woolly rhinoceros.

 Castles in the Square
You can’t avoid castles in most tourist destinations, but there’s a particular kind of castle unique to Barcelona and the rest of Catalonia—the building blocks are human.  The so-called Castells are towering creations constructed by acrobatic brave locals according to a tradition dating back to the end of the 18th century in Valls, Tarragona, when rival groups of people called colles, began to compete against each other.
Visitors can watch the competitors training at their premises in Barcelona, near the Clot underground station (red line No. 1 or mauve line No. 2).  Training sessions are normally on Tuesday at 19.30, Thursdays at 19.30.

Dali Museum, Figueres
With your Nova rental car, you are free to explore the many exciting attractions around Barcelona, and one of the most mind-blowing of these has to be the Dali Museum-Theatre in Figueres.  Established in 1974 and designed by the artist himself, this museum is the largest Surrealist object in the world and is closest thing you can imagine to entering the mind of Surrealist genius Salvador Dali.

Inside you will find such oddities as an entire room based on the face of Mae West, with a scarlet couch representing her lips and blonde drapes framing the scene as her hair.  You will need at least a day to appreciate the magnificent madness of it all, but the experience will tinge your dreams forever.

Well how do you counter this? A few vehicle checks before you head off with rental car can assist you in the long run, so read on for more…

• Every car hire agreement is going to provide basic insurance – make sure your contract covers at the very minimum elements such as tyres, windscreen, wipers, hubcaps etc. If the agreement doesnt cover these points, you are well advised to fork out the extra for additional cover.
• Look for any paint scratches, bonnet and back bumper dents and document them with your car rental representative before you set off on your journey.
• Go for a test drive. Obviously you will be tired after a long flight or transfer to the car rental depot. The first thing you will want to do is check into your holiday accommodation. But its worth it in the long run to take the car rental for a test drive and make sure that car elements such as the clutch, brakes, and gearstick are in very good working order.  Check the engine oil too so you won’t have any future problems.
• Find out how the basics such as lights, wipers and electronic windows work.
• Don’t wait until you are returning the rental car to the car hire offices to mention that the engine is not in proper working condition. Failure to report this can result in a huge bill for damages. Make sure to note the times and dates of any hitches with the engine or with parts of the car. Get in touch with the nearest rental agent provider at once.
• If you don’t report the information to hand you could well be hit with a huge damages bill.
• If you happen to report the incident to the car provider make sure to record the date, name of the agent you spoke to, and any telephone numbers exchanged.

It goes without saying that most rental cars are in perfect working order, but elements such as clutches, brakes and gear boxes are obviously at the mercy of past, present and future drivers so you need to be aware of this, and document any problems straight away to the rental provider.

What do you think of rental damage charges? Did you deem this to be fair? Let us know your thoughts in the comments box below.

Recent research has found that overall cheap car rental rates have actually dropped for the first time in almost five years. The previous fall was in 2007.

After a survey of almost 200 holiday destinations from the latest car hire index, it is estimated that the average cost of a weeks rental fell by 6% in Summer 2011. This is welcome news after the actual increase in car hire prices in recent years, due to natural disasters such as the Japan Earthquake, the worldwide economic downturn, and the 2010 Ash Attack from the Icelandic volcano. Car rental prices were at an actual premium during this time due to pressure on manufacturers.

Good value car rental is highlighted by the case of Ireland – where some companies are offering car hire rates that are down over 50% on 2010. It was often said that you could rent a car in Ireland cheaper than a three course dinner for two in an Irish restaurant, and now this opinion is becoming even more based in fact.

Countries such as Spain and Greece offer particularly good value in 2011, a weeks car hire in Southern Spain is down by almost 30% and Greece nearly 25%.

What are the most expensive destinations for car hire in Europe? Well, Switzerland, France, Portugal, Sicily and Spanish island resorts such as Ibiza are considered expensive and rates back this up.

While the news that there is excellent value rates for cars is welcomed by bargain hunting travellers, the advice is clear: shop around for the very best in value, and book well in advance!

Do you think car hire prices have become significantly cheaper? Let us know your thoughts.

Nova continues to provide excellence in customer service to both our supply chain, and customer base, both current and prospective. And best of all, there is no booking fee for customers who reserve car rentals with Nova.

From August 8th, Nova has dropped the booking fee to its reservations so as to improve the consumer experience, and add value to the transaction, and the message is clear, Nova offers top class, cheap car hire to all of our customers!

So, please spread the word, get great value, second to none, top class service, with Nova car hire!

Read on for more…

It’s fair to say that with a bit of forward and thoughtful planning you can not only enjoy a worry free holiday with your car rental, you can save money with a cheap car hire if you book at the right time, either during the off season period, or availing of a special offer.

The following are some of our stress free car hire tips:

• Before you book that car hire, check for loyalty schemes, rental rewards, and check well in advance for deals.
• Cut costs by bringing your own GPS systems and/car booster seats.
• There are pluses and minuses for airport rentals – while it is much better to get off the plane and just hop into the car at the airport, you might just be able to get a cheaper car at a downtown rental point in the same city as the airport.
• Important to remember that car rental firms work on a 24 hour basis. For example, if you pick up your car at 10am but return it at 3pm on the following day you will be charged for two days rental so bear this in mind.
• Size matters in car rental. If it is just two people travelling, a smaller car is obviously more economical.
• Check the mileage deal in your car rental agreement.
• Book your rental well in advance – the reasons are this are obvious. By booking in advance, you will more often than not secure a cheaper rental rate, you will avoid car fleet shortages, and you don’t have to worry about reserving your car when you reach your holiday resort.
• When you reach your rental destination, give the vehicle a proper ‘once over’. By this we mean check for any scrapes, bumps or dents to the car. And if you manage to come across any make sure you let the rental representative know about them and get this documented in your car rental contract – this will ensure that you won’t be paying for the sins of any previous renters!
• Have a proper check on the tyres (and the spare one in the boot). Look out especially for the minimum thread depth. Check out the tyre pressure also.
• Do a ‘cockpit drill’ when you sit in the car to get a feel for it. Check out every seat belt in the car to ensure that it properly works. Go through the controls on the dashboard, and have a quick flick through the car rental’s manual. Find out how things such as demisters, wipers, lights and air conditioning work. If you are not sure about anything, ask!
• With regard to the lights, find out how the dipped headlights and full beams operate. Make sure that indicators and brake lights function correctly.
• Ensure that the car rental wipers and water jets are in proper working order.
• If at all possible, take the car for a test drive. That way, you will familiarise yourself with the brakes and all of the controls and get a proper feel for the rental car.
• Check the petrol level, note it with the rental rep, and return the car at the same level as is possible.
• If the car is sparkling clean on collection, when you drop it back make sure it is in similar mint condition!

If you have any other tips for stress free car rental please let us know in the comments box below.

Below are a few well placed travel tips, which if followed correctly and adhered to will take you a long way. Keep these tips in mind, ensuring your African adventure remains safe and fun, with minimal hassles to hinder the journey into the wild.

Some fundamental rules of the road when driving in South Africa are to be remembered at all times. Travelling throughout South Africa through its many regions be it Jozy, Durbz, or Cape Town the road rules remain the same – even if you hire a car in South Africa be it Cape Town car hire, or Joburg car hire you will still need to adhere to these rules. To avoid any possible collisions, as well as hefty fines, here are some important tips!

Essential Traffic Rules:
- 18 years is the legal age for drivers.
- There is zero tolerance for drinking and driving.
- Mobile phones and driving are a no-no.
- Seat belts need to be worn at all times while driving.
- Driving occurs on the left side of the road.
- When hiring a car, and international license may need to be presented.

Things you need to know:
- The metric system used in South Africa to measure distance and speed is in kilometres.
- Keep to the left and pass on the right when travelling along dual carriageways.
- When someone in South Africa mentions ‘robots’ they are referring to traffic lights, not some futuristic android!
- The speed limit for national highways and the  main roads is 120km/h.
- The speed limit in urban areas, cities and town side streets is 60km/h.
- Filling up on petrol is done at ‘Petrol stations’ or ‘Garages’, and are NOT self service. Petrol attendants will assist you in filling up on petrol, water, oil, etc.

General driving safety tips:
- Do NOT exceed speed limits as they are put in place to ensure safety to all drivers on the road.
- Headlights will increase visibility in dusty, wet or windy conditions.
- It is advisable to check the state of your vehicle each new day you use it; for water, oil and whether your indicators work, as these are essential to safe driving.
- Animals are wild in Africa, and certain roads have no fencing to ward animals off the road, so always be aware of this fact and watch out for animals in the roads.
- Plan ahead when travelling long distances, as petrol stations are not always easy to come by, so check your maps, and plan accordingly.
- Be security conscious. Keep doors locked at all times.
- Do NOT pick up hitchhikers; we have all heard the many horror stories that accompany hitchhikers so be wise!

South Africa is a beautiful country, with many diverse vistas and little nooks and crannys of pocketed gems. A self-drive through South Africa is the best way to uncover the jewels of Africa, so brush up on your road rules, and ‘Hit the road Jack’, as adventure waits for no-one.

If you have any South Africa driving tips please let us know. Thank You.