http://www.auto-europe.co.uk/index.cfm?c=3546 Auto Europe offers great deals on car rental at over 4000 locations worldwide and on discount airfare to Europe. We also specialize in chauffeur drives, transfers, camper rentals and luxury car rentals. rss@autoeurope.com http://www.auto-europe.co.uk/index.cfm?c=3546 http://www.autoeurope.com/images/autoeurope-rss-logo.gif 31 144 Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:26:30 GMT http://blog.auto-europe.co.uk/travel-news/travelling-to-the-us-don%E2%80%99t-forget-esta On Monday (12th Jan 09) a new entry system for travel into the United States became mandatory, meaning British citizens could be detained and sent home by US immigration officials if they don't register online before their trip. The Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) requires UK nationals to complete a form 72 hours before flying, which can be accessed via http://www.visitusa.org.uk/visitors/esta.aspx. Read more... added - 15 January 2009 http://blog.auto-europe.co.uk/tips-and-advice/car-industry-set-to-fly-maybe Do you remember the old cartoon the Jetsons? How about Back to Future part II? Yes I hear you cry, well can you also tell me what they both had in common? I'll give you a clue, the flying cars and in particular the Flying DeLorean? Well these soon could be a reality according to the Times Online as the Terrafugia boss, Carl Dietrich says proudly "It's like a little Transformer". Read more... added - 16 January 2009 http://blog.auto-europe.co.uk/travel-news/be-prepared-before-you-travel Reports have revealed that the number of British holidaymakers going to Egypt has risen by 38% in the last year, while Mexico saw an increase of 23% in 2008 and the number of visitors to Turkey has increased by 32%. These figures are set to rise as many of us avoid the Euro and traditional popular destinations in search of a bargain break. Other off-the-beaten-track hotspots for travel this year are predicted to include Peru, Kenya and Malaysia. Read more... added - 21 January 2009 http://blog.auto-europe.co.uk/travel-news/newsflash-ski-monday Great news for all snow sports fans ? there has been about 20cm of snow at Tignes and Val d'Isere over the weekend with a further fall of 77cm and 75cm respectively expected during the course of this week! It's something of a trend too with similar snowfall expected across Switzerland, Austria and Italy. Les Deux Alps is anticipated to top the charts with over 1m (111cm to be exact) expected. Read more... added - 21 January 2009 http://blog.auto-europe.co.uk/travel-news/travel-trivia-tuesday-2 Congratulations to both Claire in Southampton and Stephen Ireland for providing the correct answer to last Tuesday's travel trivia question. The Stratosphere Tower in Las Vegas is indeed 1,149 feet tall.Now to this week's quiz. The so-called ?special relationship' between the UK and the USA has been in existence throughout my lifetime, but aside from our shared language and culture how much do we really know about each other's countries? Read more... added - 18 February 2009 http://blog.auto-europe.co.uk/tips-and-advice/renewing-your-photocard-driving-licence Photocard driving licences were first introduced to the UK in July 1998. Now thousands of motorists are at risk of being fined up to £1,000 because they don't realise that it actually expires after ten years and must be renewed. The cost to update your photocard is £17.50 (which, according to an article in the Daily Mail, will earn the Treasury an estimated £437 million over 25 years). Read more... added - 18 February 2009 http://blog.auto-europe.co.uk/travel-news/2009-holidays-and-travel-insurance By Peter McAree: Hello again and welcome to my monthly ?View from the Bridge' blog submission. Having worked in the car hire industry for many years I'm always interested in how booking trends vary. Currently we are seeing a surge of late bookings. Whilst this is as you may well expect in times of economic uncertainty, I can't help wondering if leaving holiday plans till the last minute will be a good strategy this year. Read more... added - 20 February 2009 http://blog.auto-europe.co.uk/travel-news/travel-trivia-tuesday-3 We have three winners of last week's travel trivia question. Well done to Claire McCowan, Anji Langridge and SLV, who are all absolutely correct in guessing that the image posted of a well-known American tourist attraction is of the Lincoln Memorial. Now to today's quiz (I hope you know your rock n' roll history). Nobody could ever deny the enormous impact made on modern culture by Elvis Presley. Read more... added - 25 February 2009 http://blog.auto-europe.co.uk/travel-news/ryanair-lets-rip If you are looking for an airline with personality then look no further than Ryanair. So rarely out of the news The Times has a story entitled ?Ryanair: our favourite 40 headlines' and, very much like marmite, you either love it or hate it. We all love its ground-breaking no frills, in fact even less frills than its no frills competitors, low prices model when it works. Read more... added - 26 February 2009 http://www.auto-europe.co.uk Auto Europe are happy to announce that further to our widely promoted worldwide programme offering over 4000 locations, has now increased to over 6000 locations. There was no sudden leap to get there we have been constantly increasing the number of locations offered across the programme. With more destinations to hire a car around the world now than we have offered before. Well it's time to start shouting. Auto Europe offer car hire in over 6000 locations worldwide and we are proud of it. http://blog.auto-europe.co.uk/tips-and-advice/women-and-wheels I recently went for my annual M.O.T and service on my car and was asked "What kind of service do you want?" I was dumbstruck because I didn't know there were different levels of service for a car. I could have just had my oil and water checked and filter changed. The above plus my brakes checked. Both of the above plus some other jargon I didn't understand. So what is a young lady to do? Read more... added - 04 March 2009 http://blog.auto-europe.co.uk/travel-news/travel-trivia-tuesday-4 Amy, Laura and Claire, you really do know your Elvis history! As you correctly said in answer to last week's travel trivia question, the king of rock n' roll was born in Mississippi (Tupelo, Mississippi to be precise). Our destination of the month for March is Portugal, so here's the first of five brain teasers based on this holiday hotspot. Read more... added - 04 March 2009 http://www.auto-europe.co.uk/sweepsform.cfm?email=Your+Email Auto Europe are offering their Newsletter subscribers Exclusive online discounts through there Newsletters. So what are you waiting for, sign up now and get the Exclusive offers in the next Newsletter sent out. http://blog.auto-europe.co.uk/destination-reviews/destination-of-the-month-portugal There are so many reasons why Portugal is such an enduring favourite for British holiday makers. With pleasant temperatures, long stretches of sandy beaches and golf courses along the Algarve coast, the natural beauty of the Minho, Lima and Douro Valleys and the fantastic architecture found in the capital city of Lisbon, tourists are very well catered for all year round. Read more... added - 04 March 2009 http://blog.auto-europe.co.uk/1/smart-sat-nav-stops-at-the-lights According to the Times Online the Government and car industry are joint-funding a project to develop an in car computer that can anticipate red lights and congestion and brake slowly and smoothly. The system does not require any input from the driver of the vehicle, his or her feet stay firmly on the floor away from the pedals, and should minimise fuel consumption as well as improve road safety. Read more... added - 09 March 2009 http://blog.auto-europe.co.uk/tips-and-advice/know-your-limits Did you know that plans have been drawn by ministers to lower speed limits from 60 to 50 mph on two thirds of Britain's roads? According to reports in the Telegraph and Times, it could happen as early as next year, and will probably be enforced with cameras that calculate average speeds. Drivers will still be able to reach 70 mph on motorways and dual carriageways, but 60 mph will be allowed only on a small minority of the safest A-roads. Read more... added - 13 March 2009 http://blog.auto-europe.co.uk/tips-and-advice/get-power-walking-in-london-%E2%80%93-because-you-will-have-to Under new plans by Boris Johnson, London pedestrians will be forced to walk faster at traffic light crossings in the city. According to the Times Online, the Mayor is favouring motorists in the capital by reducing the amount of time, by up to 6 seconds, until the lights go green at traffic lights. The new timings are set to be introduced across over 6000 sets of lights in the capital. Read more... added - 13 March 2009 http://blog.auto-europe.co.uk/tips-and-advice/stay-awake-while-driving-%E2%80%93-eat-dried-chilli-peppers Dried chilli peppers are being given away free in China at service stations. It is hoped that munching on these spicy treats will help keep long distance drivers alert and awake. According to the Times Online, Chinese police in the Southwestern Chongqing region have come up with this novel idea to help drivers stay awake on the most deadliest roads in China because they fear in Spring people are more likely to fall asleep. Read more... added - 13 March 2009 http://blog.auto-europe.co.uk/travel-news/travel-trivia-tuesday-6 Congratulations to Kristen Whale, Amy and Sarah, who all submitted the correct answer to last week's quiz question - the name of the bridge depicted was the Vasco Da Gama Bridge. Now see if you can answer this one correctly. Portugal has a rich culture dating back to prehistoric times. From Celtic folklore to Moorish influenced ?Fado' music and the stunning architecture ? ancient and modern - that reflects eras of innovation and discovery. Read more... added - 17 March 2009 http://blog.auto-europe.co.uk/travel-news/recession-busting-breaks I'm one of thousands, or maybe even millions of Brits yet to book a summer holiday this year. I'd like to say it's because, as the dark clouds of recession don't look set to clear for a while, I'm avoiding large purchases and keeping tight control of my budget. In reality, I can't even contemplate the hideous thought of not escaping for a week or two, so I'm just waiting to bag a truly amazing never-seen-before last minute bargain. Read more... added - 17 March 2009 http://blog.auto-europe.co.uk/travel-news/future-travel-is-out-of-this-world The idea first came from Arthur C Clarke's 1979 novel ?Fountains of Paradise', which describes the construction of an elevator into space that orbits the Earth. Now, according to the Times Online, a team of British scientists at Cambridge University has taken the very first step into making this Sci-Fi fantasy a reality. Read more... added - 23 January 2009 http://blog.auto-europe.co.uk/travel-news/stay-positive-this-january Here is the monthly update from Peter McAree, Commercial Director of Auto Europe UK: According to experts, Monday 19th January was the most depressing day in history. This month is often gloomy but apparently the effects of the economic downturn make 2009 worse than ever.The next 12 months are certainly likely to pose many challenges - not least for the travel industry ? and staying positive can be one of them. Read more... added - 30 January 2009 http://blog.auto-europe.co.uk/travel-news/president-obama-looks-set-to-break-the-us-love-affair-with-gas-guzzling-cars I'm delighted to discover that President Obama has taken the first steps toward encouraging Americans to choose more fuel efficient cars in an effort to help combat global warming, according to the Times Online. Obama said "Year after year, decade after decade, we've chosen delay over decisive action, rigid ideology has overruled sound science, special interests have overshadowed common sense. Read more... added - 30 January 2009 http://blog.auto-europe.co.uk/tips-and-advice/free-last-minute-booking-amendments-for-stranded-travellers It's not surprising that Britain's travel network didn't impress us with its response to the thick blanket of snow the South East woke up to on Monday morning. This kind of weather has been a rare occurrence over the last 20 years (particularly in the capital) so the heavy duty equipment needed to keep systems running probably hasn't been considered a worthwhile investment. Read more... added - 04 February 2009 http://blog.auto-europe.co.uk/travel-news/new-weekly-travel-trivia-quiz Welcome to a new addition to the Auto Europe blog. Log on each week for a travel brainteaser to test your geographical knowledge and hone your observational skills. This month each question will relate to our destination of the month ? the USA. Check out the first in the series below and then log on next week to find out whether or not you guessed right. Read more... added - 05 February 2009 http://blog.auto-europe.co.uk/travel-news/destination-of-the-month-usa The inauguration of president Obama in January marked what promises to be an exciting new era for the United States. According to a report compiled by the Foreign Commonwealth Office (FCO) and ABTA, one of the positive outcomes anticipated this year is a 13% increase in Brits visiting the many attractions this vast and beautiful country has to offer. Read more... added - 10 February 2009 http://blog.auto-europe.co.uk/travel-news/travel-trivia-tuesday Congratulations to Kate Caveney for providing the correct answer to last week's travel trivia question. The seven rays on the Statue of Liberty's crown represent the seven continents. Time to put on your thinking cap for another question. Las Vegas is a city of extremes, full of breathtaking man-made structures, and surrounded by some of nature's own amazing architecture. Read more... added - 10 February 2009 http://blog.auto-europe.co.uk/tips-and-advice/road-traffic-falls-for-the-first-time-in-30-years According to the Times Online road traffic has fallen for the first time in 30 years due to the recession and rising fuel costs. It seems many people are deciding to leave their cars at home these days. In fact, Britain's 34 million vehicles travelled 3.1 billion fewer miles than usual last year. It's the biggest decrease on record. On average that works out as 90 miles less per motor. Read more... added - 11 February 2009 http://www.auto-europe.co.uk/showspecial.cfm?specid=728 Today is a fun one with the launch of our new luxury car hire service. Visit auto-europe and select Luxury London Cars from the Specials menu to discover a red carpet roll call of cars made by BMW, Mercedes, Jaguar, Lotus, Porsche, Bentley and Aston Martin! With free delivery and collection from London hotels or airports and pre-completed paperwork, you can simply collect the keys and power off on the drive of your dreams! The new service is ideal for business, pleasure and pure indulgence. http://auto-europe.blogspot.com/ We know that our name occasionally throws people off track. After all being called Auto Europe does not immediately suggest an international car hire brokerage with more than 6,000 drop off/pick up destinations across the world. So why don't we change it? It's simple. We are just as proud of our history as we are of our service and our prices. It all started back in 1950s Ohio when our founder noticed how many US servicemen remained in Europe after the 2nd World War.