OT: Cheap hire car

On or around Sat, 22 Jul 2006 19:04:17 +1200, EMB enlightened us thusly:

When and where?

Bloody diesel around here is launching itself over the 100p mark. seem at least 2 garages and the others will doubtless follow once they can all do it together.

I did get some for about 95.9 down by cardiff the other day.

I'll be wanting to travel everywhere from Sheffield to Wales, probably in October/November. Pickup somewhere near falling out of a plane at Heathrow would be convenient but not vital.

Ouch!

ugh - The Birmingham ring road (M42). enjoy ;)

Plenty car hire depots within the Heathrow perimiter.

Know your expected arrival time? Late on Sunday evening is a good time to be a walk in customer looking for a group-A (cheapest) hire - you'll likely get a free upgrade as they won't have any small cars left.

Aside from those actually @ Heathrow, there's Enterprise and Budget, both have depots/agencies nearby.

It's probably worth checking with your travel agent - if they're big (or part of a big group) they may be offering proper discounts.

If it would help I'll glady scan the relevant pages from YP/Thompsons/&c.

It was pure s**te last time I was there and I expect it's only got worse. Still, I'll be on holiday so I won't let it get to me.

All of whom seem to want an arm and two left testicles in return for giving you a vehicle (at least in comparison to what I'm used to paying).

Well worth a thought. Although my luck on upgrades is about due to expire - I've had a fair few lately.

3 minutes of google found a better price than the supposedly "sper discount special offer" that they came up with. :-(

Thanks for the offer - but by the time I factor in the cost of phoning the UK numerous times it's probably not worth the effort. I'll see if anyone here can come up with something outstanding, otherwise I'll either pay whatever is being asked or try and blackmail a relative into lending me a vehicle. As is typical they all use my car when visiting but don't seem keen to reciprocate and as such are quite likely to not be on my visiting list.

IME Enterprise are the best of them - Hertz and Avis are a bit pricier. Last time few times I've used Budget (in Ireland admittedly) the cars were a bit old and smelly.

Some Enterprise places have a slightly dodgy habit of not hiring with full fuel tanks, so you have to vaguely guess how much to put in. But they will deliver the car to your address.

Internet will probably get you best prices - but all will haggle (unofficially). I sometimes have a bit of airport sport when there are four hire desks next to each other with no queue and I'm in no hurry! Get them in an auction...

If NZ hire prices are like Australia you'll find the prices rather shocking over here!

Dig about on the web, you have plenty of time so advance booking might get a bit of discount, look at the smaller operators as well as the biggies like Enterprise, Hertz etc. As mentioned also check with your travel agent(s) for any fly/drive offers.

Insurance?

but I know nothing about them and I suspect that getting you added to an existing UK insurance policy is probably cheaper (or free) assuming you have a clean licence and good driving history.

It may also worth talking to the contract leasing people - 6 weeks may interest them?

Richard

Thinking about it.....

how about:

?

Richard

I thought that was standard practice will all hire car companys in this country. Out on hire with 1/2 a teaspoon of fuel in the tank, PITA trying to return it with just enough fuel to get it onto their forecourt.

Not many places quote prices on the page, but these guys do and will probably be cheaper than daily rates if EMB needs a car for a solid 6 weeks.

Need to add VAT to the price though I think.

Whether a non-UK resident would be able to rent on these terms I don't know.

On or around Sat, 22 Jul 2006 15:15:28 +0100 (BST), "Dave Liquorice" enlightened us thusly:

depends, the better places send it out with full tanks and expect it back full, or near-full.

It does until they discover that I'm not a full time UK resident.

One of my clients is an insurance broking business - I'll have insurance organised before I leave home.

They have mail.

I think that's what's getting to me - the unexpectedly large amount of money they want for a vehicle. I am used to being able to hire a small car here for £50 a week inclusive of everything bar fuel.

If you can make your way here, you can borrow Ziggy (my Series 3) if you like? I've just stuck him in one of my lockups on a SORN (you'll probably know what this is by now, hanging around a.f.l!), but if you're happy to pay to tax it for a couple of months (about 30 quid I reckon) and insure it for your own use (I'd only do Third Party, Fire and Theft as it really isn't worth doing fully comprehensive) it's yours for the duration to (literally) rattle around in. He could do with a good run - I've put less that 300 miles on him in the last couple of years and he is (very) well rebuilt.

I'll have to MOT him before you get here, but that isn't a hassle as I have a "Warren".

Mind, for a lot of travelling in winter, you may be far better (well, comfortable anyway) with a hire car! :-)

What about buying a cheap and cheerful motor for the duration and donating it to a worthy cause on departure, perhaphs a local technical college to tinker with or Fire service to chop up.

Probably work out cheaper.

Lee D

Thanks for the offer - I'm giving it serious consideration.

I'd like to meet the mythical "Warren" - he sounds a lot like the gentleman I did my apprenticeship with.

You're undoubtedly correct, but the psychological comfort of a Series may well outweigh the physical comfort of a characterless warm sardine tin on wheels. :-)

If I was visiting for longer I'd do just that, but by the time all the hassle with insurance and suchlike is taken into account I don't think there will be much saving for a relatively short trip.

If however a business plan I'm working on comes to fruition I'll be a regular visitor to the UK and will probably acquire some form of UK based transport on a long term basis.