Dec 8th, 2010 at 11:30AM:
Back in September, the end of the Muslim month of Ramadan offered locals and expats like me an excuse to go on holiday while our American friends were celebrating the end of summer and Labor Day. With more time to explore than a typical Weekending trip, I checked out Turkey's most western neighbor, Bulgaria, and fell in love with modern and medieval captials Sofia and Veliko Tarnovo.
The ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
rentalcar posts
Weekending: Varna, Bulgaria
Dec 8th, 2010 at 11:30AM:
Back in September, the end of the Muslim month of Ramadan offered locals and expats like me an excuse to go on holiday while our American friends were celebrating the end of summer and Labor Day. With more time to explore than a typical Weekending trip, I checked out Turkey's most western neighbor, Bulgaria, and fell in love with modern and medieval captials Sofia and Veliko Tarnovo.
The ...Ask Gadling: Car rental scams, overcharges and paying for damages you didn't cause
Aug 24th, 2010 at 9:30AM:
When it comes to rental cars, you can't really live with them, and you can't live without them. Despite weird pricing methods, overpriced gas charges and shady insurance tactics, sooner or later you'll show up somewhere in need of a vehicle.
Thankfully, most rentals will make it from start to finish without any problems, but eventually, you are going to find yourself face to face with a ...Free Hertz #1 Club Gold membership for Delta Skymiles members
May 12th, 2010 at 10:00AM: Here is a simple bonus promotion for Delta Skymiles members - follow this link, and enter Delta Skymiles as the program name, and 5765 as the promotion code - and you'll get instant free access to the Hertz #1 Club Gold membership. Of course, if you are not (yet) a Skymiles member, nothing is stopping you from heading over to Delta.com to sign up (also free).
The program normally costs ...Escape from New York: Five tips for leaving the city when flights fail you
Mar 8th, 2010 at 8:00AM: New York is no stranger to tourist and business travel. We get lot of guests here, and eventually, their trips must come to an end. When the weather turns harsh, this can be problematic. Spring may be close, but March and April snowstorms happen, and there are always spring showers to make getting off the ground at JFK or LaGuardia a pure living hell. Whether you're traveling in the northeast ...Eight rules for renting a car in a foreign country
Jan 9th, 2010 at 9:30AM:
Renting a car can be a great way to see a foreign country. Having your own wheels allows you the freedom to take your time, to stop for long lunches in the countryside, to turn down that little lane that looks interesting, and to go where public transportation won't take you. But, renting a car comes with its own set of challenges and dangers. Here are eight road rules to remember when renting ...Hertz running out of cars in NYC
Dec 27th, 2009 at 8:00AM: When the airports shut down, short-haul fliers turn to the rental car kiosks. They're willing to brave dangerously slick streets to get home, causing a one-way drain for the lots. The rush of bad weather that cut through New York on December 19 and 20, 2009 left parking spaces empty and led to more than a bit of frustration, as Hertz was unable to deliver on rental reservations.
According to an ...Drive a rental car to Florida for $1
Nov 6th, 2009 at 12:30PM: I agree with Mike Barish's recent post. Road trips do rock. I love grabbing some friends, jumping in the car, and blasting great music as we cruise down the highway or along back roads. If you love a good road trip.....and you happen to live in Texas or on the east coast......and you want to drive one-way to Florida.....and you just happen to plan on going before November 15, well then Thrifty Car ...Enter to win jetBlue's Jet and Drive Giveaway
Oct 29th, 2009 at 2:30PM: I love a good travel contest, especially one that requires little effort to enter. So I'm excited about the jetBlue and Hertz Jet & Drive Giveaway, which runs now through through January 31, 2010. To enter, all you need to do is surf on over to the website, complete your free registration and then enter your email address. Easy, peasy.
For that minimal effort, you could win some pretty cool ...Budget and Avis ban smoking in rental cars
Sep 15th, 2009 at 3:30PM:
tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.gadling.com/2009/09/15/budget-and-avis-ban-smoking-in-rental-cars/'; tweetmeme_source = 'Gadling';
First you couldn't smoke on planes. Then trains banned smoking. Now, you can't smoke in rental cars, at least, not if you rent from Avis or Budget. As of October 1, all cars in both rental companies' fleets will be non-smoking.
Avis and Budget say the policy came ...No discounts for rental cars
Jul 5th, 2009 at 9:00AM: There's still money in rental cars, according to the latest from the New York Times. In May, the average rental rate (airport) for a compact ride was $345.99 for a week – as long as you booked it seven days in advance. That's an increase of 73 percent from $199.65 in May 2008, according to Abrams Consulting Group, which watches this stuff. As of mid-June, the 2008-to-2009 change was ...Rental car shortages in Europe may spoil your summer plans
May 27th, 2009 at 11:00AM: How typical - the poor economy has forced rental car firms in Europe to scale back their operations, and to delay purchasing new vehicles. This was all fine and dandy during the low season, when their business was hurting, but now summer is on the way, they are in trouble. European car rental firms are warning summer tourists that they need to reserve their desired vehicle as soon as possible, as ...Stand your ground on hybrid car rentals
Apr 6th, 2009 at 4:00PM: Hybrid cars aren't as hard to rent as you may think. Enterprise, the largest rental car agency in the United States, has 7,000 in its fleet. Sure, it's only 1 percent of all the wheels they make available, but it's a hell of a start. If you want to put yourself in the driver's seat on your next trip, plan ahead. First, you have to do some hunting. Cruise the rental car agency websites for green ...What to do when you realize your airport shuttle driver is crazy
Mar 4th, 2009 at 1:30PM: When your airport shuttle driver does any of the following, you know he's a little off: flip-flops on prices, each of the three times that you ask him for a quote. Plugs your address into his GPS navigation system, then asks you how to get to your place. Gets well onto the freeway, only to turn around to pick someone else up from the airport. The driver I had the other night did all three. With a ...Enterprise adds 5000 hybrid cars to their rental fleet
Feb 12th, 2009 at 3:30PM: People are apparently not renting cars as often as they used to. But while some car rental firms are closing up shop, others are taking those lemons and making "green lemonade". Enterprise rent-a-car just announced a massive expansion to their hybrid rental fleet. The chain is adding 5000 new hybrid vehicles, and expanding their "hybrid branch" lineup. Already, 27 Enterprise locations offer ...Budget program strains your budget
Feb 6th, 2009 at 4:00PM: We're all turned on by the thought of getting free money in the mail, but you should be skeptical unless the tooth fairy delivers it personally. According to Upgrade:Travel Better, you should be wary of a new deal from Budget Rent-A-Car. Sign the $10 check that you get from Budget, and you're really joining a fee-laden membership program that will cost you much more. The best part? You're giving ...Advantage Rent A Car is the next victim of the crappy economy
Dec 12th, 2008 at 10:30AM: The doom and gloom stories about our economy going down the toilet are starting to depress me. The news from Advantage Rent A Car is no different - not only have people stopped buying cars, they obviously no longer rent them either. The chain has 49 stores in the United States, and well over 100 overseas but the decline in rentals and the lack of available credit has forced them into Chapter 11. ...National Car renters: get free Executive Status
May 20th, 2008 at 3:30PM: [Disclaimer: I'm not really sure where this code came from, but am reading multiple reports that it works] For those of you familiar with rental companies, you know that they give away memberships like candy. National Car's "club" is called Emerald Access, whereby you put in your driver's license and preferences online and get a membership number. If you've made a reservation, you can then just ...Notes from Portugal: Hertz Hurts
Dec 31st, 2007 at 2:30PM:
There are some things to plan when you travel and some things that are best left unplanned if you want to really experience a place.
I don't usually reserve a hotel, unless I'm arriving at night. I can always find one, and the searching makes for more interesting travel.
However, if you need a car once your flight lands, securing a reservation ahead of time is definitely the way to go. That ...Hybrids for Rent
Jul 2nd, 2007 at 9:06AM: The big auto rental companies are catching on to the hybrid craze. Toyota Priuses are coming to rental car fleets near you.
Hertz has a "Green Collection" of low-emissions and/or fuel efficient cars, such as the Subaru Outback and Ford Fusion. And coming very soon: 3,400 new Priuses. New York City is getting 100 of them. Rental rates start at $50 for these cars.
Plus, Hertz is donating $1 from ...Dirt Cheap Rental Cars in Europe
Sep 25th, 2006 at 10:18AM: It is sad, but true. The cheapest rental cars in Europe typically come equipped with stickers advertising the rental car company. And, no, we are not talking subtle advertising here. The car companies, Alimex in the Czech Republic, and others, such as Sixti (renting similarly "stickered" Smart cars for as little as $6/day, as well as other cars, all over Europe) do it.
The car in the picture is a ...
