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Car Hire in Split

The ancient city of Split is located on the Adriatic Sea in the Dalmatia region of Croatia. The city has quickly become a popular tourist destination with travelers keen to discover the charming history of the city as well as the beautiful bay and thriving port.  Many seaside towns are in the immediate area around Split, just waiting to be explored which is why visitors to the area are highly recommended to take a hire car to get the most from their trip.

Split Airport

Split Airport is located around 20 km from the town itself in the direction of Trogir at the exit close to Kastela. The area has many fascinating places of interest which can be explored at length by hire car, the best way to travel and really make the most of your visit.  A large number of hire car companies are present at the airport for added convenience including;

  • Sixt
  • Hertz
  • City Rent
  • Avis
  • Budget
  • Dollar
  • Thrifty
  • Europcar
  • National
  • Alamo
  • Last Minute

With such a wide range of companies to choose from, it stands to reason that you should be able to get a really good deal on your car hire package. The road network is good to enable you to find your way quickly and easily from the airport and to your onward destination.

Attractions In and Around Split

Beautiful Adriatic Bay and the Village near Split, Croatia

  • Beaches – there are some fabulous beaches in and around Split, as you would expect along the beautiful Adriatic coast. Bacvise is the largest beach and can get pretty busy even though it is remarkably clean – there are some fabulous beach bars, cafes, clear waters and lots of golden sand. The further you drive along the coast from Split the more secluded and quiet the beaches become.
  • Diocletians Palace – is an absolute “must see” for visitors to Split. It was built more than 2 millennia ago and is one of the best preserved ruins from this Roman period in the world.
  • Brac and Hvar – there are many fabulous islands which can be reached by Ferry from Split, these two are probably the most popular and well worth a visit.  Brac is the largest of the islands with a total area of 396 sq km, Hvar is a little smaller but still outstandingly beautiful.

There really is so much to see and do around the area of Split, Croatia that it makes perfect sense to take a hire car for the duration of your trip. It will give you the flexibility, freedom and independence to truly explore this splendid part of the world at your leisure. Check out hire car details to make sure that you get the best deal at these and other websites:

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Split,_Croatia

http://holidays.easyjet.com/croatia/split-holidays/split-attractions.htm

 

Car Hire in Nice

The city of Nice is the fifth largest in France in terms of populous and is certainly one of the most popular with visitors from France, Europe and indeed the rest of the world. Millions of visitors fly in each year to Nice Airport to visit the beautiful Cote D’Azur – aka The French Riviera – a delightful area well worth exploring.

Nice Airport Car Hire

There’s a great choice of car rental companies at Nice Cote D’Azur Airport, ready and waiting to help you on your onward journey.  The airport is located less than 6 km from the city and is incredibly busy with flights from all around the World. This is actually the third busiest airport in France after two of the Paris airports, Charles de Gaulle and Orly.

A great selection of car hire firms are represented at Nice Cote D’Azur Airport including;

  • Sixt
  • Europcar
  • Dollar
  • Avis
  • Budget
  • Alamo
  • EasyCar
  • Thrifty
  • Holiday Autos
  • National Car Rental.

Hiring a car from the airport or elsewhere in the City of Nice, really does provide the best option for getting the most out of your visit to this beautiful part of the Mediterranean coast.

Attractions in and Around Nice

Promenade des AnglaisSome of the superb sights and attractions within a short drive include;

  • The Nice Observatory – provides unrivaled views across Nice, the beaches and the sparkling Mediterranean Sea from the hills overlooking the City.  The short drive from the city below is enjoyable in itself and helps to further enhance this spectacular attraction.
  • The Castle Cemetery – or Cimetière du Château is the final resting place of many French notables including opera singers, dancers, actresses, film directors, writers and novelists. Even people who are not avid “culture vultures” will admire the magnificent 16th century fortress, allegedly one of Frances most secure strongholds of a bygone era.
  • The French Pyramids – are a short drive from Nice at the nearby town of Falicon and boast a rare example of European pyramids. Nobody knows exactly why they were erected in the early 19th century, but they are a welcome addition to the itinerary of many tourists and visitors and well worth the short trip in a hire car.

Of course, the delightful French Riviera also boasts miles and miles of sun-kissed sands lapped by the gentle waves of the sapphire blue Mediterranean Sea just waiting to be explored by intrepid travelers.  There are many car hire companies represented at Nice airport and in the surrounding area of the City so don’t be afraid to shop around to find the best deals available. Check out a number of websites before making your final decision including:

Sources:

http://www.timeout.com/nice/

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g187234-d3240892-Reviews-Cote_d_Azur_Observatory-Nice_French_Riviera_Cote_d_Azur_Provence.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_pyramids

 

Car Hire in Crete

Crete is the largest of all the Greek Islands bursting with sites of historical interest (thanks largely to its place in the history books as the center of Minoan civilization) plus a load of just great places to visit.  The island is a marvelous combination of mountains and valleys, fertile plateaus, beaches and caves so it’s well worth hiring a car to truly explore this charming island.

Crete Airports

There are two international airports which serve the Island of Crete – both on the northern coastline of the island. Heraklion is the major airport located just 5 km from the capital city and Chania airport is further west along the northern coastline just 10 km from the city of Chania. Car hire options are available at both airports with a variety of companies including;

  • Alamo (Heraklion only)
  • Avis (Heraklion and Chania)
  • Dollar (Heraklion only)
  • Europcar (Heraklion and Chania)
  • National (Heraklion only)
  • Thrifty (Heraklion only)
  • Auto Europe (Heraklion and Chania)
  • Budget (Heraklion and Chania)
  • EasyCar (Heraklion and Chania)
  • Hertz (Heraklion and Chania)
  • Sixt (Heraklion and Chania)

Whichever airport you fly to you won’t be very far away from plenty of fabulous places to visit and things to see and do – it’s less than a 2 hour drive between the two centers.

Attractions Out and About in Crete

Northern entrance to Knossos palace, island of CreteWhile this fabulous Greek Island has some of the best beaches in the Mediterranean, there’s certainly a lot more to Crete than sun, sea and sand.

  • Samaria Gorge – this National Park is one of the most popular attractions on the island, close to Chania. While Crete has a variety of gorges running through the fabulous White Mountains, this is the longest measuring 16 km although the popular hike through the gorge actually measures around 13 km (plus the 3 km walk to get to the entrance to the gorge). This truly is a beautiful experience.
  • Elafonissi Beach – is a beach with a difference, more akin to the Caribbean than the Mediterranean. It lies 76 kilometers west of Chania, this beautiful peninsula is a protected area where you can paddle out for miles without it getting deeper than your knees (great for families) and the beautiful white sand has a real pinkish glow thanks to millions of crushed pink sea shells, particularly along the shoreline.
  • Monasteries – there are dozens of fabulous monasteries dotted around the island, the oldest and one of the most popular being the 11th century Katholikon, the ruins of which can be visited at Akrotiri, just a short drive from the city of Chania.

With so many truly awesome sights and places of interest the island of Crete is just waiting to be explored, a hire car really is a must to get the most out of your visit. Check out a variety of websites to make sure that you get the best deal possible including:

www.rentalcars24.co.uk

www.carhirecrete.info

Sources:

http://www.cretanbeaches.com/Beaches/Chania/elafonissi/

http://www.intocrete.net/features/monasteries.asp

 

Car Hire in Copenhagen

Copenhagen is a wonderful place to visit, no, let’s top that, it’s “wonderful, wonderful” – which is why so many people fly into Copenhagen every year to enjoy some of the wonders there are to be found. This capital city of Denmark is full of attractions, events, activities and tourist hot spots which can only be fully enjoyed from behind the wheel of a hire car.

Copenhagen Airport

Copenhagen Airport, aka Kastrup – is the main airport, which serves not only Copenhagen and Denmark, but also large areas of Sweden as well as Zealand and many more areas of outstanding natural beauty. Denmark is a country of many islands; the airport is just 5 miles from the center of Copenhagen city enjoying fabulous access to the City and the rest of the area.

A variety of different car hire firms are evident at the airport including;

  • Sixt – terminal 3
  • Europcar – terminal 1 and terminal 3
  • Hertz – terminal 1 and terminal 3
  • Avis – terminal 1 and terminal 3
  • Budget – terminal 3

With the majority of the car hire firms having a presence in terminal 1 and in terminal 3 it really does add up to even more convenience for travelers. This extremely competitive market is also good news for travelers with a surprising number of deals available.

Travelers to Copenhagen and the surrounding area really do need a hire car in order to explore the many sights and make the most of their time in this beautiful part of the world.

Attractions in and Around Copenhagen

Copenhagen, Denmark GardensThere’s certainly no shortage of things to see and do in and around the Danish capital of Copenhagen including;

  • The Little Mermaid – you really can’t visit Copenhagen without taking a look at the most famous and popular attraction of them all, the statue of the Little Mermaid at Langelinje Pier. It’s difficult to believe that the sculpture celebrated its centenary in 2013, she’s been welcoming travelers and guests to Copenhagen Harbor since August 1913. The Little Mermaid was inspired by the fairy tales of Hans Christian Anderson.
  • Dyrehavsbakken – aka Bakken – is just a short drive to the north of the city and where you’ll find the oldest amusement park anywhere in the world.  This fabulous woodland amusement park has been established for more than 430 years and has more than 30 roller coasters, drop towers and more whilst also providing entertainment at a much gentler pace like riding in a splendid carriage with horses or simply enjoying a picnic on a sunny afternoon.
  • The Open Air Museum – also to the north of the city is the splendid and traditional Open Air Museum at Frilandsmuseet.  You don’t just visit this spectacular place, you actually live it.

With so many other fabulous attractions to visit in the area around Copenhagen it really does make perfect sense to hire a car for your trip. There’s a good choice of car hire companies at Copenhagen Airport and in the city itself, so be sure to shop around for the best deals. A few great websites to get you started include:

www.carhirecopenhagen.net

www.car-hire.net

www.rentalcars24.co.uk

http://www.carhireairport.co.uk/denmark/copenhagen-airport.php

Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copenhagen_Airport

http://www.visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen/sightseeing/top-30-attractions

 

Top 5 car rental companies in the world

woman receiving car key from manIn a recent study by J.D. Power and Associates, the car rental industry at the moment is doing very well when it comes to customer satisfaction compared to many other travel related industries, especially the hotel industry. According to Vice President of Travel Practises at J.D. Power, Stuart Greif, if the businesses concentrated a little more on training employees on over the counter interactions then the customer satisfaction level would go higher. They have also observed that business customers are more likely to come back to the same provider compared to personal customers, and that the satisfaction levels are significantly higher in business customers.

Car Rental Customer Trends

According to Ramen Faza, Senior Manager of Travel Practice at J.D. Power  “Business customers tend to rent more frequently, so they are more aware of what to expect and they are often pressed for time, thus speed and efficiency are critical to their satisfaction. Therefore, business customers tend to be tougher graders. Leisure/personal customers tend to shop around more and search for the best value, leaving them oftentimes more satisfied with cost and fees than are business customers. These insights are somewhat counterintuitive, because business customers are not paying out of their own pocket, whereas leisure/personal customers are spending their own money.”

Car Hire Companies

Let us now take a look at who is the best according to their list:

  • National (www.nationalcar.com) – National was founded in 1947 by a group of car rental companies in various locations. Today, National operates from more than 2000 locations globally.
  • Enterprise (www.enterprise.com) – The car rental company has been operating since 1957 and have about 6500 locations all over the globe. It is essential to mention that in the past, Enterprise has received high praises from J.D. Power for exceptional customer service, and has also been mentioned in the top ten by Business Week’s top 25 in the same category.
  • Alamo (www.alamo.com) – Founded in 1947, Alamo has become the third largest rent a car service provider today. Alamo was the first service provider in the industry to offer unlimited mileage and online check-in system. Alamo has also received the ‘Extra Mile Award’ by Budget Travel magazine in the past.
  • Hertz (www.hertz.com) – Hertz was founded by Walter L. Jacob in the year 1918, in Chicago. Right now Hertz is the largest service provider with operations in over hundred and forty five countries across the globe.
  • Avis (www.avis.com) – The second largest in the business, Avis was found by Warren Avis in 1946 at the Willow Run Airport. The company created the very first computer based reservation system called Wizard, and also the tracking system named Advanced Vehicle Identification System (AVIS).

It is interesting that according to the report, when it comes to service, it has been seen that people who hire car rental for vacation or leisure purposes are more inclined towards getting cheaper deals and end up getting less satisfaction out of the experience; however, business customers are less likely to go for cheaper deals and tend to be returning customers often get better service out of the service providers.

Source:

https://www.hertz.com

http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/car-rental-satisfaction-rise/story?id=17666766

https://www.nationalcar.com/

http://www.enterprise.com