Driving licence rules and using your driving licence in the UK Please contact the British Commission in your country to find the rules which apply to your country for driving on an International licence in the UK. For more details or updates on the rules, you should be able to also contact a driving association in your country, the AA or RAC in the UK, or the government licence authority in the UK:

DVLC, Swansea, SA99 1BN, UK.

Roads There is a good motorway network. Motorways are shown by 'M' plus number. There is no 'toll charge' to pay on British motorways, except the M4 Severn Bridge into Wales, the Humber bridge near Hull, and the M25 Dartford Tunnel. You must NOT STOP on a motorway, except in an emergency Some parts of the motorway system can be very busy. In particular, AVOID the M25 'London orbital' and M5/M6 in Birmingham, and motorways near city centres at rush-hour times! As a guide, the 'rush hour' is about 08:00 to 09:30 and 16:30 to 18:00. Definitely avoid these times if possible. In Britain, all distances and speed limits are shown in miles and miles per hour. A kilometre is 0.62 of a mile, and a mile is 1.62 kilometres. Speed limits are usually:- 30 miles per hour (48kph) in towns and built up areas 40mph (65kph) on some town roads where shown 60mph (97kph) on most 'single carriageway' (2-way) roads 70mph (113kph) on 'dual carriageways' and motorways. In areas of extra danger from driving at the wrong speed you may find 'SPEED CAMERAS' installed. These take a photograph of any car exceeding the speed limit and can be traced by the police. You will see a camera symbol on entering these areas Camera's may also be installed at some traffic lights to catch anyone who goes over at 'RED'. All motorways have emergency telephones every kilometre. There are markers every tenth of a Km. which also point to the nearest phone. The phone operator will obtain breakdown rescue or the emergency services. (If you don't have breakdown cover, it will cost a lot of money to be rescued.) Park as near to the edge of the 'hard shoulder' as possible. It is safer to wait outside the car, on the grass banks as far away from the traffic lanes as possible. You must not stop on a motorway, except in an emergency.

Traffic rules Road signs are usually the standard international signs. Buy a 'Highway Code' for about £1. This is essential for driving in Britain. Many shops (including at airports) sell it. At roundabouts, traffic coming from the right has priority. You may only overtake other vehicles on the right. Make sure that you understand parking restrictions, and what 'double yellow lines' and 'single yellow lines' mean. Parking in the centre of most big towns is difficult or expensive. Parking in central London is very difficult. We suggest that you do not even attempt to travel round London by car if this is your first visit! Use the underground trains or buses. If you really wish to drive and park in London, buy a copy of "THE ROUGH GUIDE TO LONDON", available from bookshops, newspaper shops, and petrol stations. There is also information on airport parking.

Fuel Unleaded petrol and diesel ('derv') are of similar price. Four-star (leaded) petrol is not now on sale in the UK and has been withdrawn from petrol stations, however, some are licensed to sell a special alternative to "Leaded Petrol" for older cars Be careful at garage pumps where often all grades of fuel are available from the same pump, selection being by different pipes. It is also possible to get a "super" unleaded grade for specific design engines, this is more expensive and a waste for most engines. Usually the green filler pipe is unleaded petrol the red filler pipe is 'leaded replacement' petrol and the black filler pipe is for diesel. It is easy to fill up a petrol car with diesel by mistake! Your writer did it once! Petrol and diesel prices are not fixed, as in some countries, so price varies between garages. Petrol is often cheapest at supermarkets. Motorway service stations are often more expensive, though this is not always true. Expect to pay (winter 2004/2005 prices) about £0.84 to 0.88 per litre for unleaded petrol, about £0.85 to 89 per litre for diesel. Leaded petrol is not available in the UK, a special alternative is available at some licensed garages. Please note that in Britain, motorway service stations are occasionally many miles apart, usually they are approximately every 25 miles but occasionally as far as 50 miles apart.

UK Traveline Maps and travel information.

Car Hire Solus Vehicle Rentals This company specifically is for the Malaysian market, relating to Car Hire for inbound travellers to the United Kingdom. Dollar Rent A Car Great car rentals at affordable rates - for the American market Thrifty Car Rental Thrifty Car Rental- One of your best choices for competitive car rental prices - for the American market. Camper Hire There is a list of companies in UK who hire motor-caravans (campers). We cannot recommend any particular company. Licence requirements All car hire companies require that you have had a full driving licence for at least one year. Some may ask for two years, especially for younger drivers. Your own country licence is valid in UK – see our section on licences. But we strongly recommend that you bring an International Driving Licence too especially if yours is not in English.

Age limits – younger and older drivers Younger drivers Most car hire companies will not hire a car to someone under 25. There are a few who have an age limit of 23. We have listed companies who we believe are normally prepared to hire to people of 21 and over. There are probably other small local car hire companies which will hire a vehicle to people from age 21. We believe that this list is correct at the time of writing. But please do not assume all the facts are still correct, without checking yourself. Things can change. Also remember that big hire companies, with offices in many countries, may have different age limits in other countries.

Older drivers Many car companies will not automatically hire to people over 70. Some may go over this limit providing you have a clean licence, and perhaps a doctor’s letter of good health. Other companies have a limit of 75, but there are some with no age limit at all. We have given top age limits in the section above, for young drivers. Please remember: They may ask for a larger money deposit for young drivers. They will only hire small cars to young drivers. Some ask for an extra insurance payment – as much as £15 per day. They may require that you have had a full driving licence for two years, not one year. They will almost certainly require that you have a ‘clean’ licence – no legal convictions for breaking traffic laws. It is strongly advised to bring BOTH your ordinary driving licence AND an International Driving Licence. They may insist that the deposit or hire charge is made by credit card. When you enquire, do check all these details. If you are an overseas visitor, make sure that they understand what country you come from, your age, and other details.

National Companies with many bases hiring to age 21 and older drivers The phone numbers are given with the UK +44 country code. When phoning from outside UK, dial ‘44’, but not the ‘0’. When dialling from inside UK, do not use ‘44’, but use ‘0’ to start the area code.

Alamo Rent-A-Car tel: +44 (0)990 997000 (In UK only, freephone 0800 272200) Extra insurance for under 25s: £15 per day, must pay deposit by credit card. No top age limit. You may find it cheaper to book from abroad for this company.

British Car Rental tel: +44 (0)1203 716166 Extra insurance for under 25s: £5 a day. Will not hire to under 23s. Top age limit 70, or 75 with doctor’s letter. National Car Rental, tel: +44 (0)990 565656 Extra insurance for under 25s: £12 a day.Under 25s cannot hire an automatic car. Top age limit 75.

Kennings, tel: +44 (0)1246 208888 Under 25s: no extra insurance charge. Top age limit 76.

Smith Self Drive, tel: +44 (0)1709 853566 (In UK only, freephone 0800 387446) Under 25s: No hire available. Top age limit 75.

Small companies with one base. Hiring from age 21 to 70 and over Adeva Vehicle Rentals Ltd 30 Bumpers Lane Sealand Industrial Estate Chester CH1 4LT Tel: 01244 383111 Fax: 01244 373755 Email:info@adevavehiclerentals.com Car hire available to 21 year olds. Arden Garages, Stratford-upon-Avon, tel: +44 (0)1789 267446 Under 25s: no extra insurance charge, but must have held clean licence for 2 years. Top age limit 70. BICESTER VEHICLE RENTALS 122 CHURCHILL ROAD BICESTER OXON OX26 4XD TEL:-01869324154 FAX :-01869324335 Bicester Vehicle Rentals are very experienced in the the provision of car hire for the American visitor and currently provide car hire to THE RAF CROUGHTON near Brackley Northants. Central, Eastbourne, tel: +44 (0)1323 6401010 Under 25's: extra insurance charge, depending on age. Top age limit 73. Greenhalg, St Leonards on Sea, tel +44 (0)1424 420370 Under 25s: extra insurance charge £3 a day, normal upper age limit 70, over 70 on ‘case by case’ basis. H G Self Drive, Bath, tel: +44 (0)1225 833338 Under 25s: extra insurance charge £3 a day, normal upper age limit 70, over 70 on ‘case by case’ basis. Miles and Miles, London SW7, tel: +44 (0)171 591 0555 Under 25s: no extra insurance charge, upper age limit 70. Renault Rental, London W3, tel: +44 (0)181 752 2326 Under 25s: no extra insurance charge, but only for the small Renault ‘Clio’. Upper age limit 70. Enterprise Rent-a-Car tel: UK - 0870 350 3000 All drivers must be 21 years of age or older. Young driver fee applicable to renters under 25 years old. Car Rental Compare car rental prices side by side to get the best deal from Hertz, Avis, Budget, Thrfity, Enterprise and Alamo. No deposit, no cancellation fee, no middlemen. Just great deals on great cars.

Other hirers for older drivers We understand that the following large national car hire companies have no upper age limit: AVIS, tel: +44 (0)990 900500 BUDGET, tel: +44 (0)541 565656 HERTZ, tel: +44 (0)990 6699 There is a web listing of smaller car hire companies, giving name, phone, and fax numbers, but no other information. You may find more companies in other UK tourist sites, or the web yellow pages. Search engines can help you find more listings. Try UK Yahoo to start with. Plus printed UK Yellow Pages if you can find them in a reference library. You may also like to check The Industrial Directory of YELLOWPAGES.COM MacRAE'S BLUE BOOK has recently become the Industrial Directory of YELLOWPAGES.COM. Owned by BellSouth and AT & T, YELLOWPAGES.COM is the fastest growing online and search directory in the U.S., serving over 70 million searches a month across their network.

General advice They will ask that you have had a full driving licence for at least one year. Your own country licence is valid for you as a visitor. You must show it. See our advice above about licences. It is better to obtain an International Driving Licence before your visit. Large hire companies, especially those with offices in different countries, can arrange for a hire car to be waiting for you at an airport. However, it costs more to collect a car from an airport, than a central town office, even from the same car company! It is also possible to arrange for cars to be collected from main railways stations. Large car hire companies are usually more expensive than the smaller companies that you may find in the telephone Yellow Pages under 'Car Hire'. However, larger companies may offer better, newer cars and some may even offer the option of returning the car to a different depot to the one you initially started from, some will even offer collecting directly from an airport or main railway station. Expect to pay per week, depending upon hire company and facilities offered, between £100 and £180 for a small car or £150 and £220 for a medium size car. (1997 prices) It is the law in the UK that seat belts are used. If you have children, make sure that the correct seat belts or car seats are available before you hire. Make sure that you understand the terms of the contract in advance. 1) Is the hire price for 'unlimited travel'? Or will you pay extra for the distance travelled? Does it have any restrictions on parts of the UK? eg Northern or Sourthern Ireland. (The cost of ferries would probably make it cheaper to hire a car over in Ireland) Do NOT take a car hired in Britain to continental Europe without agreement with the hire company. An extra "Green Card" insurance certificate is needed for this. You will also be required to have form VE 103 with you, when travelling in Europe. 2) Make sure that breakdown cover is included. Ensure that you understand what to do if you have a breakdown, what telephone numbers to call. What will happen if the car cannot be repaired quickly? Do they supply an alternative car? 3) What is the procedure if you have an accident? Is there a minimum "excess" which you have to pay if involved in an accident. Are there any risks which are not covered, such as damaged tyres. 4) It is normal that only the named person on the agreement is allowed to drive. If you wish for more than one nominated person to drive, ensure that it is agreed in writing. DO NOT let anyone drive the car who is not named and agreed by the hire company. 5) You may be asked about your accident record in your own country. Be truthful about this. If you give incorrect information, then have an accident in the UK, it is very possible that the insurance company will not pay for the damage etc. if they discover that you have failed to supply the correct information. 6) When you collect the vehicle initially, inspect for any faults or damage before accepting it. You will probably be asked to sign an inspection sheet, ensure any faults or damage are listed. On returning the car, have a member of the hire company inspect it in your presence, and have their written confirmation of the state of the vehicle, any faults and any damage, new or originally present. 7) Ensure you have all the necessary documentation, especially your driving licence Please see details on licences earlier on this page. 8) READ the "Small print" - the terms of the hire agreement - BEFORE SIGNING Car hire companies will ask for a deposit. If you pay for this by credit card, make sure that only the correct amount is deducted at the end of the hire period. In some countries, it has been known that car hire companies add 'extras' to the credit card bill after you go home! It should not happen in the UK but beware!! It may be better for you to pay the deposit another way! - However, many companies will insist that overseas visitors pay by credit card. One general word of warning on paying for a car hire or accommodation deposit by credit card. Hire companies or hotels are permitted to reserve, from the credit company, an amount of money they feel will cover themselves. Although this money is not actually taken from your account, it is added to your credit card balance until the full payment is made. It is therefore possible for you to exceed your credit limit, preventing further use of the card. It is recommended that before travelling, you enquire about increasing your credit limit for the period of the holiday, in an attempt to reduce this risk.

Hitch-hiking Sadly, the time has long gone when we could all hitch-hike around Europe without a worry in the world. There is a small risk for any hitch-hiker - but girls - please never do it, not even in a group of two or three girls. Having said that, British drivers are often happy to give lifts. Do not attempt to obtain a lift where vehicles are not allowed to stop, Motorway entrance and exit are especially dangerous. Make sure you have a road map and plan your route ahead. In another part of this Online Magazine, we look at why and how there is such evil in this world.

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Camper Van (Motor Caravan) Hire There are a number of companies in UK and Ireland which hire Motor Caravans. We have no information about prices, or any recommendations about quality of service of any of these companies. If you hire a motor caravan, you should be aware that many country roads in UK are smaller and narrower than roads in for example, North America. So if you hire a large van, you may find difficulty on small roads. Also note that on very large campers you may need a special licence. In popular holiday areas, there may be restrictions on overnight parking in car parks or a road ‘layby’. In quieter areas however, it may be acceptable to find some quiet area to park. Camping and caravan sites will usually offer space for motor caravans, for a reasonable daily price without advance booking. Other companies are listed in the following specialist UK magazines: Motorcaravan Motorhome Monthly, Motor Caravan Monthly, Which Motorcaravan, and Motorhome Monthly. Companies are listed below, by county area for England, plus Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland (the Irish Republic). When telephoning from outside UK, you should first dial your international access code, then the UK country code 44, then the telephone number shown without the first '0’ shown in brackets. (The Irish Republic company already is shown with its international country code.)
Cumbria
Crooklands Self Drive Motorhomes Near Kendal LA7 7NN Tel: +44 (0)15395 67414
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Devon
McMullin Motors Lakeside Garage Hooe Plymouth Tel: +44 (0)1752 401804 Fax: +44 (0)1752 481482	Leisure Rentals 26 Keyham Road Plymouth PL2 1QX Tel: +44 (0)1752 607082
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Dorset
Marquis Motorhome Centre 41-45 Old Wareham Road Poole Dorset BH12 4QN Tel: +44 (0)1202 738777 Fax: +44 (0)1202 738778
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Essex
Hireway 5-7 Broadway Parade Elm Park Ave Hornchurch Essex RM12 4RS Tel: +44 (0)1708 443782 Fax: +44 (0)1708 455880
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Greater London
Turners of London 11 Barry Road East Dulwich London SE22 OHZ Tel: +44 (0)181 693 1132 Fax: +44 (0)181 693 1134 Leighway Hire 246 Chertsey Lane Staines Middlesex TW18 3NF Tel: +44 (0)1784 455073 Fax: +44 (0)1784 458014	Motorhome Rentals Ltd 37-39 Upper Halliford Road Shepperton Middlesex TW17 8RX Tel: +44 (0)1932 770765 Fax: +44 (0)1932 770768
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Greater Manchester
Home 'N’ Away Unit 1, 28 Southall Street Strangeways Manchester M3 1LG Tel: +44 (0)161 832 1199 Fax: +44 (0)161 832 2299
Hampshire
Tilshead Caravans Stockbridge Road Lopcombe Salisbury SP5 1BS Tel. 01980 863636 Fax. 01980 861001 24 hr BrochureLine Tel. 01980 861000 Website www.motorhomehiredirect.co.uk Email: hire@motorhomehiredirect.co.uk
Marquis Motorhome Centre Winchester Road Lower Upham nr Southampton SO3 1HA Tel: +44 (0)1489 860666 Fax: +44 (0)1489 860752
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Hertfordshire
Bowers Motor Caravans Greenlawns Kinsbourne Green Harpenden AL5 3FN Tel: +44 (0)1582 713094 Fax: +44 (0)1582 462563
Kent
Margate Motor Caravan Centre Addiscome Road Margate CT9 2SU Tel: +44 (0)1843 291456
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Norfolk
Becks Garage Martham Road Roollesby Great Yarmouth NR29 5DR Tel: +44 (0)1493 740274 Fax: +44 (0)1493 748340
Fundays Motorhome and Caravan Hire Fundays Hire The Bungalow Malthouse Lane Guist Dereham Norfolk NR20 5NT Tel. 01362 680118 Mobile 07979 307052 Email info@fundays-hire.co.uk
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Nottinghamshire
RDH International 2 Castle View Lilac Grove Beeston Nottingham NG98 1PF Tel: +44 (0)115 925 0747 Fax: +44 (0)115 943 6092
Somerset
West Country Motorhomes Turnpike Road Lower Weare Nr. Axbridge BS26 2JG Tel: +44 (0)1934 732503 Fax: +44 (0)1934 733246
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Staffordshire
Malcolm's Motorhomes 555 High Street Tunstall Stoke on Trent ST6 5PB Tel/fax: +44 (0)1782 821212
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Surrey
Southern Cross Motorhome Centre Pantiles Park London Road Bagshot Surrey GU19 5HN Tel: +44 (0)1276 452111 Fax: +44 (0)1276 452888 Asta Moors Ltd 100/106 Church Road Addlestone Weybridge Surrey KT15 1SG Tel: +44 (0)1932 856555 Fax: +44 (0)1932 843414	Hemmingsways 56 Middle Street Brockham Surrey RH3 7HW Tel: +44 (0)1737 842735
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Sussex
Stewart Mouland South Coast Road Peacehaven Sussex BN10 7ET Tel: +44 (0)1273 587229 Fax: +44 (0)1273 588064	DD Motorhomes Eastbourne Road Golden Cross Sussex BN27 4AN Tel: +44 (0)1825 873131 Fax: +44 (0)1825 873152
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Warwickshire
Midland International Wall Hill Road Allesley Coventry CV5 9EL Tel: +44 (0)1203 336411 Fax: +44 (0)1203 338007
Midlands
Derek Farmer Motorhomes Ltd Norton Canes Business Park Walsall Road Norton Canes West Midlands WS11 3UH Tel: +44 (0)1384 422344 Fax: +44 (0)1384 422344
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Wiltshire
Tilshead Caravans Stockbridge Road Lopcombe Salisbury SP5 1BS Tel. 01980 863636 Fax. 01980 861001 24 hr BrochureLine Tel. 01980 861000 Website www.motorhomehiredirect.co.uk Email:hire@motorhomehiredirect.co.uk
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Scotland
Jim Neary Self-Drive 15 Fairley Street Ibrox Glasgow G51 2SN Tel: +44 (0)141 427 5475 Caberans Caberfeidh Cloch Road Gourock PA19 1BA Tel: +44 (0)1475 638775 S & H Caravans Unit 3 Hamilton Road Industrial Estate Strathaven ML10 6UB Tel: +44 (0)1357 29422/21212 Fax: +44 (0)1357 29627 Strathaven Motor Caravan Centre Darvel Road Strathaven ML10 6QD Tel: +44 (0)1357 522444 Fax: +44 (0)1357 522252	Sharps Motorhomes Highland Rail House Station Square Academy Street Inverness IV1 1LE Tel: +44 (0)1463 236694 Fax: +44 (0)1463 713777 Brown‘s Motorcaravan Hire Garrion Bridge Nr Larkhall ML9 2UD Tel: +44 (0)1698 886255 Fax: +44 (0)1698 886255 Highlander Holidays PO Box 1 Pitlochry Perthshire PH16 5DG Tel: +44 (0)1796 472556
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Wales
Rolling Motor Caravan Hire Cwm Bach Moylegrove Cardigan Pembs Wales SA42 3BW Tel: +44 (0)1239 881222
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Northern Ireland
Baird Caravans 17 Longlands Road Newtownabbey Belfast BT36 7LX Tel: +44 (0)1232 365055 Fax: +44 (0)1232 365956	Motorhome Ireland 8 Station Road Saintfield BT24 7DU Tel/fax: +44 (0)1238 519519
Southern Ireland (Eire/Irish Republic)
Cara Rent-a-car Clondrinagh Ennis Road Limerick Tel: +353 61 455811 Fax: +353 61 455369 Return to "Car Hire" Section

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