When you travel abroad you will face a lot of different fees from different places. Taxes are going to be different, you will pay additional security fees for your airfare, and you will even pay fees to exchange your money! One place you can save money on these fees, however, is with the car rental company, or car hire company as they are known in Europe. When you are renting a car overseas, watch out for these common fees, and don?t pay them if you don?t need to!

Service Fee for Booking at the Counter

When you are traveling overseas, make sure you book your car rental early. Even if you do it the night before you need the car, you will save money. Renting the car from the counter will always cost more, and sometimes quite a bit more. Call the car hire company before you need the car to reserve one, or use the Internet to make your booking.

Also, try to make your arrangements before you leave America. You will find that this saves you money, as you will not have to worry about exchange rates or contracts written in a foreign language. Remember, if you sign a contract that has hidden fees or clauses in it, you are bound to pay those fees of follow those clauses. When you do your car rental booking in the States, you will be given a contract in English.

Late Return Charges

Late return charges are a common fee that car hire companies charge, yet this one is quite easy to avoid. Find out the specific time that you need to return the car. This will be different with each company. Some will start your rental day at the time you rent the car, while others have a specific hour that they expect cars to be returned. Even if you return the car on the right day, if it is returned at the wrong time you will be charged a late return fee. This can be as much as a full day?s rental, even if the car is just an hour late.

Gas Charges

Like car rental companies in the United States, car hire companies overseas will usually charge a gas charge. Find out if you can return the car on full to avoid this charge. The car rental company is going to charge more for the gas than you will pay at the fuel station. This gas charge may not be thoroughly explained to you when you pick up the car, so make sure you ask about it. Remember, once the car hire company has your credit card, you can be charged any fees outlined in the contract, even if they do not explain the fee to you verbally.

Consider Driving a Stick

In Europe, manual transmissions are more common than automatic transmissions. If you need to rent an automatic, you will pay an additional fee. If you know how to drive a stick shift, you should use one to save money on the car rental.

Have Drivers Who Are the Right Age

Most car hire companies will charge an additional fee for young or old drivers. Those who are under 25 or over 70 will cost more as drivers on your rental agreement. To avoid this fee, try to have someone in your group who is between 25 and 70 to serve as the driver. Additionally, you will pay a fee if you add more than one driver to the contract.

Renting a car overseas requires a bit of planning ahead and some research, but it can be a fairly pleasant experience. Make sure you know what fees to watch for, avoid them when possible, and rent the car that you need to enjoy your trip. Soon you will be on the road exploring the country of your choice in a comfortable, and affordable, rental car.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Bookmark to:
         

If you're new here, you may first want to get a copy of my information and resources jam packed handbook on your right. Thanks for visiting!

The legal alcohol limit when driving is based on the blood alcohol content of one’s blood. The blood alcohol content (BAC) is a measure of how much alcohol is in the blood. When it exceeds a certain percentage, then it is not deemed safe to drive. There are many different factors that conclude what one’s BAC is, so it can sometimes be confusing. But with such devices as breathalyzers that can be utilized on site when a person is pulled over, figuring it becomes considerably easier.

However, it is figured mathematically but is nowhere as near to accurate as the breathalyzers. If these details are known, the easiest way to figure BAC is by taking the amount of alcohol that was consumed and dividing that by the total amount of water in the body. Alcohol dehydrates the body, so if one takes into consideration that a 150 pound woman has 73.5 pounds of water in her body and uses that number to divide into the amount of alcohol consumed, one could successfully calculate their BAC and also figure out how much water their body is lacking due to alcohol consumption.

A BAC of .20% means a person is extremely intoxicated. In fact, they are so intoxicated that if they were drinking for the first time in their life, they would have never made it to a BAC of .20% because they would’ve passed out by .15%. A person this intoxicated is in a state in which they can, under no circumstances, operate a motor vehicle. Even at .01% a person may not pass all sobriety tests despite the fact that they look normal. However in various places around the world, the legal alcohol limit for driving varies. Some have absolutely no tolerance for it while others do to a certain extent. Sometimes the tolerance extends to just a couple of drinks to no more than the standard dose of cough syrup. That is why it is important to be vigilant about the legal alcohol limit in the area in which you are drinking, especially if you intend on driving. If you exceed the limit, then you probably need to get a cab.

The legal alcohol limit for driving throughout the world:

The standard BAC for the United States is .08% but can vary from state to state. Operators of busses and other such carriers are allowed a BAC of .01% and pilots are allowed a BAC of .04% within 8 hours of consuming alcohol.

United Kingdom: .08%

France: .05%

Germany: .05%

Australia: .05%

Canada has a standard BAC of .08%, but has a legal limit of .04% in Manitoba. However, drivers in Ontario with G1 and G2 licenses have a limit of zero.

Japan: .015%

Mexico: .08%

Norway: .02%

Russia: .02%

How much alcohol is left in a person’s system depends on how quickly they metabolize or excrete it. Two people who have had the same amount of alcohol may not display the same reading on a BAC test. Their size and weight as well as how fast their body processes it has a huge influence. So even if a person feels fine, they may not be fine. People have different tolerances, so it is good to always be safe rather than be sorry and risk arrest for being over the legal alcohol limit while operating a motor vehicle. Doing so can also be very hazardous, especially if you are in a rental truck or rental car. Many have been killed by others who have gone out to have a good time and not arranged a designated driver or took a cab. It is fair to say that legal alcohol limits are in place in order to keep people alive.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Bookmark to:
         

Its that time of year again, spring. Your vehicle is ready to be treated well after a long, hard winter and you will need to make sure that a full spring maintenance is done to keep your car or truck in perfect operating order. Lets take a look at some of the most important factors in the spring maintenance.

Exterior Spring Maintenance

Wiper blades. These are an important part of vehicle maintenance. Youll want to replace old blades or clean newer ones that have gone through the rigors of winter. Wiper blades should be replaced every six months anyway, so doing it during your spring clean up is perfect timing. Washing. The salt that is used to melt ice on roads can be very damaging to your car, so now that spring is here, give it a thorough washing from top to bottom. Make sure you rinse the undercarriage as well, since this is where a lot of rust happens without you noticing.

Waxing. This is the perfect time to wax your vehicle so it will last for a while and be easier to clean next time. You should also repair any chips in the paint at this time. Tires. Check your tire pressure and top up if needed. Keeping your tires at optimum pressure will save you hundreds of dollars in gas and tire wear, so this should be a regular thing, not just for spring maintenance.

Engine Maintenance

Oil. You should change your oil every 3 to 4 months, so an easy way to remember that is to simply change with the change of seasons. Your spring vehicle maintenance is the ideal time to do this. Tune up. Get a tune up now, to make sure that your vehicle is in great condition for summer driving, when most longer trips are taken. This will allow you to travel safely to weddings or on vacation. Fluid levels. A quick check of all fluid levels is a good idea at this point, too. Make sure everything is topped up so your engine will be running at top efficiency and you wont have to deal with problems in this area later on.

Other Vehicle Maintenance

Interior. Now that the weather is warmer, youll be able to get out the vacuum and get rid of the clutter and garbage that built up over the winter! Clean out your cars interior and vacuum for a nicer driving atmosphere.

Brakes. A break check should be done every spring to ensure that they are in perfect working order. You may not even realize that your brakes aren’t working properly, since we tend to get used to them as time goes on. This can end up being very dangerous, so get them checked before you head into spring.

Other systems. Your spring maintenance checkup is a good time to review all other areas of your vehicle, replace broken lights and repair any other problems that you have been leaving until warmer weather.

A spring vehicle maintenance is the ideal way to ensure that your vehicle is ready to drive and is safe to do so for the spring and summer months. This includes checking out the main systems, fixing up your car and removing the winter salt and grime that can be damaging, as well as replacing parts like the windshield wipers for better visibility. Its an important part of car upkeep. You should also do a winter maintenance session to ensure that your vehicle is ready for winter, six months or so from now.

Popularity: 18% [?]

Bookmark to:
         

Edinburgh offers so much for the tourist, with a mixture of old and new. This enchanting and beautiful city has such a wide array of things to see and do. As the city is one of the top tourist draws in Europe, many people from all over the world come to visit Scotland’s capital every year.

Located on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth in the Lothian’s, Edinburgh has a truly massive murky past, stretching back several thousand years and with many historical interests to boot. The charm and architecture of Edinburgh is apparent whenever one visits. From the ancient character of the old town’s narrow cobbled streets to the grid shaped new town. Edinburgh has made such a significant architectural impression on the world that several thousand buildings are now historically registered

The centre hub of Edinburgh is the famous Royal Mile, which stretches down from the castle. It contains some of the most important and significant buildings in the country, notably The Scottish Law courts and St Giles Cathedral, with the Royal Museum being nearby. The Castle has the best vantage point within the whole city, as it over looks the old and new towns. Also part of the old town the ancient extinct volcano Arthurs Seat and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Queens residence in Scotland.

It need not be forgotten, Edinburgh is a city of remarkable contrasts. It has been renowned for its tremendous array of arts and culture. In the month of August each year, the city hosts the world famous International Festival, including the Festival Fringe and Tattoo. The city during this time is invaded by many visitors who swell the present population twice over. Taking advantage of a hire can go some way to discovering all the other attractions in Edinburgh area

Edinburgh is a place that is always buzzing with entertainment, and it’s hard to keep up, especially during its International Festival. The Military Tattoo is the main draw, where many army pipe bands from all over the world converge to display their skills on the dramatic backdrop of the castle esplanade. The experience of it all will guarantee to leave a lasting impression on anyone, with the formation of the pipe bands and the skirl of the bagpipes over the castle ramparts.

The Festival Fringe and Film Festival are also run at same time as the International Festival. The Fringe is an elaborate display of performing artists from around the world and is regarding as one of the best stages around to showcase one’s special talents. Renting a car can be useful to explore the city and it’s outer limits. There are several firms offering excellent packages, including excess cover, unlimited mileage and even a free upgrade in car. A full driving licence, passport and credit card must be presented before a car is given out for hire. Edinburgh can be a pretty congested place to drive around, especially in the centre of town and parking spaces are at a premium.

Popularity: 16% [?]

Bookmark to: