https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog Mon, 19 Mar 2018 10:35:06 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.2 https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/the-best-places-for-spring-breaking.html https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/the-best-places-for-spring-breaking.html#comments Mon, 19 Mar 2018 10:35:06 +0000 Admin https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/?p=17475   The Spring Break is an American tradition dating from around the time of the Great Depression. The raucous behaviour, anything goes philosophy and non-stop partying of Spring Break was a welcome escape from the doom and gloom of the era. Even though times have improved, it is not human nature to give up on an excuse for a party and the tradition survives to this day. The most popular Spring Break destinations in the US have changed over the decades. Fort Lauderdale and Panama City Beach in Florida are no longer favourites for Spring Break parties. Texas’s South Padre Island has taken over the mantle as a top US destination for Spring Breaking. This is likely down to its low population and the fact the outrageous actions of the attendees don’t upset so many.     More than 100,000 Spring Breakers descend on South Padre every spring holiday. The island welcomes revellers with open Read more...]]> https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/the-best-places-for-spring-breaking.html/feed 0 https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/exploring-the-worlds-largest-country-russia.html https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/exploring-the-worlds-largest-country-russia.html#comments Mon, 12 Mar 2018 10:11:41 +0000 Admin https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/?p=17465   Until the collapse of the USSR, tours of Russia were controlled and participants every movement monitored by Intourist and Soviet state security officials.  Nowadays, Russia is well and truly open for tourism. Apart from sensitive border zones and Chernobyl, and even this can be visited on a guided tour, most of the planet’s biggest nation is accessible. Due to an immense land area of 17 million metres², Russian holidays require a little forethought and planning. An easy choice is to let the train take the strain and this applies to getting there too. Trains from Berlin, Warsaw, Helsinki and other European capitals go to Russia. Helsinki to St Petersburg is fastest with a journey time of less than four hours.     Regular trains run between St Petersburg and Moscow. From Moscow, one of the planet’s greatest rail journeys awaits. The Trans-Siberian Railway has three route options. The first one to Vladivostok is 9,259kms Read more...]]> https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/exploring-the-worlds-largest-country-russia.html/feed 0 https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/enjoy-the-variety-of-malta.html https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/enjoy-the-variety-of-malta.html#comments Mon, 05 Mar 2018 15:13:09 +0000 Admin https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/?p=17452   Occupying a strategic location between Europe and North Africa, Malta has since historic times been an important sea base for everybody from the Phoenicians and the Romans to the Brits. Malta joined the British Empire in 1814 and remained a part of the Commonwealth until the 1970s and independence. The long line of rulers have all left their marks on Malta and its historic sites are as much a facet of the Maltese archipelago’s tourism draws as the natural ones.     Malta boasts variety in its attractions for modern travellers. After roaming the streets of the charming capital city, Valletta, marvellous beaches and a full choice of watersports provide the perfect balance for memorable holidays. Malta International Airport is the air access point for all of the Maltese archipelago and only eight kilometres from Valletta. Grand Harbour stretches along the east side of Valletta and is the arrival point for cruise ships and Read more...]]> https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/enjoy-the-variety-of-malta.html/feed 0 https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/the-best-holidays-for-animal-lovers.html https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/the-best-holidays-for-animal-lovers.html#comments Mon, 26 Feb 2018 09:54:16 +0000 Admin https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/?p=17442   Animals are often easier to understand than people and this is probably the reason behind the fast growing trend of arranging vacations to interact with species other than humans. It doesn’t matter whether your predilection is denizens of the seas, winged species or the Big Five of Africa there is a holiday somewhere in the world to suit. The planet has effectively shrunk due to the convenience of modern air travel and even Argentina’s penguins and the polar bears of Alaska are not beyond the realms of possibility for a two week animacation. Other easy to arrange options include dolphin and whale spotting cruises, swimming with dolphins in Australia, elephant care and mahout training courses in Thailand, and African safaris.     Svalbard in the extreme north of Norway is one of the destinations closest to the UK to see polar bears and is a lot nearer than Alaska. The polar population is estimated Read more...]]> https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/the-best-holidays-for-animal-lovers.html/feed 0 https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/new-holiday-travel-trends.html https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/new-holiday-travel-trends.html#comments Mon, 19 Feb 2018 15:23:45 +0000 Admin https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/?p=17432   Long gone are the days when UK package holiday firms like Thomas Cook and the bankrupt Horizon and Clarksons groups were the only option when booking holidays. The dawn of the internet in the 1990s sounded the death knell for the package companies’ virtual monopoly on our holidays. There is so much choice out there nowadays and it can all be located and booked with an ease our grandparents can only marvel at. Making reservations for flights, train tickets, on the ground transport after arrival, accommodation, car hire and excursions can all be done with a few hits on a keyboard or with a user-friendly smartphone app. This enables even the most die-hard technophobes to build DIY holiday packages in a short time. The internet also comes with the bonus of money-savers as advance reservations invariably come with significant discounts.     For example, pre-reserving a hire car from carrentals.co.uk a few weeks in Read more...]]> https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/new-holiday-travel-trends.html/feed 0 https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/magical-norway.html https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/magical-norway.html#comments Mon, 12 Feb 2018 09:57:54 +0000 Admin https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/?p=17422   Historic home of the Vikings, Norway’s collection of tourism draws ranges from fairy-tale like castles to fabled fjords and the ethereal Northern Lights. Stunning beaches, diverse activities and atmospheric cities lend a helping hand to Norway’s claim of being almost magical. The proximity of Norway to the UK and the ease of getting around with a self-hire car hire are added incentives to schedule a holiday to this Scandinavian nation.     The first thing to take into consideration is which part of Norway to go to and where to fly to. In southern Norway, airports at Stavanger, Bergen and Oslo all have flight links with UK airports. Trondheim in the north is a convenient gateway and also has UK route connections. With one change at Trondheim, travellers are able to access Tromso, the Arctic Circle and the Northern Lights. Carrentals.co.uk partners with rental vehicles suppliers at airports throughout Norway.     There is Read more...]]> https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/magical-norway.html/feed 0 https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/the-best-hiking-trips-in-the-world.html https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/the-best-hiking-trips-in-the-world.html#comments Mon, 05 Feb 2018 14:45:43 +0000 Admin https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/?p=17416   Most nations in the world have at least one or two hiking trails which take in diverse terrain and natural attractions. Hiking takes people off the well-beaten tourist trails and comes with the added bonus of giving the body a reasonable workout. Choosing the planet’s best hiking trips is no mean feat with the selection covering locations from the UK and Europe to the Himalaya, New Zealand and the trail of the Incas in Peru.     In Cornwall, the Lizard Coastal Walk around Kynance Cove provides hikers with stunning vistas every inch of the way. The Lizard trail is short and can be done within three hours or so unless of course the smartphone is out every couple of minutes for another photo op. Those looking for something a little lengthier might find the 100 mile South Downs Way Eastbourne to Winchester trek is suitable.     In the same southern areas of Read more...]]> https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/the-best-hiking-trips-in-the-world.html/feed 0 https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/the-hills-are-alive.html https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/the-hills-are-alive.html#comments Mon, 29 Jan 2018 17:44:53 +0000 Admin https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/?p=17395   In cold European winters, the Hills Are Alive! is only true in Austria, Switzerland and other popular skiing locations. But it won’t always be winter and spring is just over the horizon. Immortalised by Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music, the hills of Austria are indeed alive. The outdoor scenes from the musical epic were filmed on location in Salzburg and the surrounding federal state in Austria.   Salzburg is a top choice for film fans, culture buffs and nature lovers wishing to enjoy the peerless setting of the Austrian heritage city and the hills which held such a magnetic allure for one of the film’s primary protagonists, Maria Rainer. The Stadtberge, or city hills in English, along with the skyline of the Old City (Altstadt) are Salzburg’s defining sights. Car hire provides ease of access to the Stadtberge as well as the beautiful Alpine regions beyond.     Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Airport Read more...]]> https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/the-hills-are-alive.html/feed 0 https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/denmark-consistently-one-of-the-happiest-countries-in-the-world.html https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/denmark-consistently-one-of-the-happiest-countries-in-the-world.html#comments Mon, 22 Jan 2018 14:25:56 +0000 Admin https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/?p=17384   Denmark is more-or-less a permanent fixture at the top of World Happiness Reports. The likes of the illustrious United Nations and Dan Buettner in his book ‘The Blue Zones of Happiness: Lessons from the World’s Happiest People’ claim Danes are the planet’s happiest. The surveys also tend to debunk the reason for the happiness of Danes is that they don’t expect much from life. The studies conducted over the past few years show the underlying explanation is just as simple. This is the fact that the Danish people live almost carefree existences. The government of Denmark is omnipotent and takes care of everything from birth to death. As an example, Danish students expect to get a salary and, when they retire, a decent pension which will keep pace with the cost of living.     There are two other contributory factors to why Denmark is consistently one of the happiest countries in the world. Read more...]]> https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/denmark-consistently-one-of-the-happiest-countries-in-the-world.html/feed 0 https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/costa-rica-is-calling.html https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/costa-rica-is-calling.html#comments Mon, 15 Jan 2018 15:03:07 +0000 Admin https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/?p=17375   With coastlines on both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean plus a collection of unique experiences, Costa Rica is calling those looking for a holiday destination which excels. Tourists heading for Costa Rica will delight in attractions ranging from San José’s big city monuments and cultural sites to a collection of adventure and leisure activities to suit all tastes.     San José is the capital city of Costa Rica and the first port of call for most tourists from overseas. Juan Santamaría Airport is 20kms from San José and the main gateway to this region of Central America. It has direct flights from cities throughout Europe including services operated by British Airways from London Gatwick. San José is more or less dead in the centre of the country and a convenient start point for exploring.   Before going farther afield, San José is worth tarrying in for a few days. The Costa Rican Read more...]]> https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/costa-rica-is-calling.html/feed 0