If you are an American planning a trip to Europe, you probably wonder how you are going to get from place to place. You are probably aware that the most common means of travel for Europeans is by train. But, if this option does not appeal to you or does not fit into your plan to find places “off the beaten path,” then you will want to consider renting a car.

Car hire in Europe is widely available, although typically more expensive and more complicated than it is in the U.S. It is not impossible, however, so you simply need to do a little research before actually renting the car. In fact, you will find the most success if you use a website to broker your car rental needs. These sites offer the best rates for the days you are visiting and will be able to help you with multiple cars in different countries if that is needed.

As an American driving in Europe, there are a few things you need to remember. The first is that the majority of cars available in Europe are manual transmissions. If you are not comfortable with driving a manual, be sure to make that clear when you are scheduling your rental. You will also want to be prepared to drive on the left side of the road and drive a car with a left hand gear-shift in the U.K. Many people say that this is not as hard as it sounds, so just take a little time when you get the car to get adjusted before jumping out into traffic. Read the rest of this entry »

If you are looking for car hire abroad then it is best to book it through a large reputable company that operates in many international countries.

Most countries have their own specific regulations and detailed forms that you must fill in. The larger car rental companies will streamline this process for you and provide you will all the specific information you need for driving in that particular country. Knowing that you are doing everything properly will give you peace of mind.

The other great thing about larger car hire companies is that they have a larger selection of vehicles to choose from. Whether you need a compact car, a large family car, a sporty SUV, a luxury sports car or a touring motor home they should be able to meet your needs. The larger car hire groups have partnerships will all sorts of local companies and should be able to get you just about any car and accommodate any budget.

Large International Companies have multi-lingual staff to help you book your car in a stress free manner. They will help you to prepare the necessary documents for the country you are visiting (e.g. driving licence, passport) and let you know what you’ll need to bring with you in the way of paperwork and documents.

The car hire company will also keep you right regarding local road safety legislation. This may mean having specific safety equipment such as a high visibility safety triangle, fire extinguisher kit and they can make sure that the vehicle you are hiring has one provided. Read the rest of this entry »