Finding a Cheap Car Rental When Traveling to Other Countries

Whether you're traveling for business or pleasure, there are many reasons to rent a car when you reach your destination. While public transportation will usually take you to major tourist attractions or to the centers of large cities, relying only on trains and buses can be time-consuming. After all, you are forced to travel according to the carriers' schedules, rather than having the freedom to come and go as you please.

Taxis, of course, are always an option - providing you don't want to travel too far off the beaten path. If you're on holiday in Spain, for example, and decide to venture over to the Spanish coast or countryside, a taxi is out of the question and public transportation won't take you where you want to go. Indeed, a car hire is the only way to ensure that you have the flexibility to see the sights on your own timetable and on your own terms.

For those who think that renting a car in another country will be impossible or cumbersome, it's time to think again. Not only is it easy to rent a car in European countries and the U.S., but it's actually easy to find discount car rentals.

The ground rules for a car hire are basically the same across all car rental companies. For example, you typically have to be 23 years old, have a valid driver's license, and have a credit card. When you reserve a car, you normally get to choose what class of vehicle you'd like, such as compact, mid-size, full-size, or a van. However, you don't usually have the opportunity to specify make and model. Nonetheless, most car rental agencies will accommodate your wishes if they have your preferred make and model available when you pick up the vehicle.

The choice of whether or not to purchase extra insurance can be made when you collect the rental car. Before you leave for your destination, it's important to check with your own car insurance agency and see if your coverage extends to rental cars in the country you'll be visiting. If not, it's a good idea to sign up for the extra coverage.

If you'll be traveling to several different countries, it's important to understand the regulations of the car rental agency as they pertain to crossing borders. If you're in Europe, for example, most car rental agencies will allow you to drive to other European countries - providing you inform them that you're going to do so and that you buy extra insurance. The same holds true for a car rental in the USA; with advance notice, many agencies will allow you to, for example, take the car to Canada.

With all of the advantages to using a car hire while you're traveling, the one sticking point is whether or not you'll be able to find a cheap car rental. The best approach is to search online for a company that works with many different car rental agencies; they will have up-to-date information on availability, and can search for the best price available for the dates you desire. Because these online sources book so many reservations, they are able to negotiate bargain basement prices so that a traveler can find the cheap car rental that will make their holiday or business trip convenient and worry-free.

Find The Perfect Weekend Getaway

If you are starting to feel like an overworked dog who hasn't even had the time of day to even brush her hair, then a great weekend getaway is exactly what your mind and body is desperately in need of. A spectacular weekend getaway need not cost you a whole year's salary. It is highly important that you do a little bit of research on great weekend getaway spots that are both hassle-free and not so expensive so that come by Monday you will be in tip top shape for the office once you have been fully refreshed and rejuvenated from your weekend getaway. Here are some prime weekend getaways spots that you might want to consider going to.

1. Arizona Hot Springs

These sizzling hot springs give off a relaxed and friendly atmosphere to those who just want to soak tired muscles in the extremely relaxing thermal waters that the incredible hot springs in this town has to offer. If you want to take full advantage of this weekend getaway. The relaxing waters will surely get you in the mood for some more weekend getaway fun. Their relaxation services include

- 20-minute bath
- Turbo shower
- Hot-pack treatments
- Swedish massage

After having that luxurious afternoon spa treatments you can then head off to the other places in this quaint city wherein you can enjoy delicious, home-style lunches as well as take a walk downtown to enjoy the great sights, from the Victorian architecture to the various antique shops and worldly museums. And if you're a heading off to Hot Springs, Arizona in a car or if you have rented one for the trip, here's a great trip for your sight-seeing pleasure: take a spin around the Hot Springs Mountain Drive or the West Mountain Drive wherein you will surely find the views from these two mountain summits extremely extraordinary.

2. San Antonio, Texas

For those hippie chicks or those who want to channel their inner flower child, San Antonio, Texas provides a great old-world boohoo vibe that is both extremely charming and relaxing for a great weekend getaway. From San Antonio's world-class hotels to the blossoming art scene, even up to the world famous relics of the Alamo, this rustic town offers a lot of great things to do if ever you decide on spending your weekend getaway here. You might want to stay at the trendy and chic new Watermark Hotel and Spa which is housed in a converted saddlery after you've got yourself settle in, you can then venture off to the King William Historic District and just wander around San Antonio's vintage boutiques, various art galleries and charming little cafes.

The San Antonio night scene is something to take notice of as well since by night time, the whole city turn into a bustling place for club hopping and drinks out with friends - a definite must to cap off your weekend getaway in San Antonio, Texas. A favorite neighborhood night spot here is the Azuca which offers great nuevo lationo cuisine as well as sexy salsa dancing - great for couples taking on the weekend getaway or those who just want to have fun and meet new people. A cool insider tip from the burgeoning vintage shops in San Antonio, try to find time for a trip to the Jive Vintage and Art where shopaholics can find a treasure trove of kitschy as well as cool vintage pieces.

3. Charleston, South Carolina

If you are really trying to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life, you can head off down south to Charleston, South Carolina for this city's simple and languid charm. Known for being the epitome of the Old South, this quiet Southern town has beautiful magnolia-lined boulevards that will surely charm your tired body and mind. You can feast on the many low-country cuisine that this beautiful Southern town has to offer, shrimp to grits. You really must try their home-style specialties.

The slow and lingering pace of this town will surely be a welcome break from your monotonous and highly jarring city life. The stunning antebellum mansions as well as the blossoming gardens down by the waterfront will surely calm your senses. And for the shopper in you, you can then peruse to the outdoor bazaar located on Market Street and you can also make your way toward the vintage stores located on King Street. A great tip for those who are off for a weekend getaway at Charleston, South Carolina you can also try out the jazz clubs at the East Bay Street.

Find The Perfect City Retreat

Is it possible to stay in the middle of a city and still have an oasis of calm to retreat to?

The aim of any boutique hotel is to provide guests with a welcoming, comfortable environment that reflects its design and location. In city centre hotels, that design and environment is influenced by many things and the hotel must decide which type of guests it is catering to.

Nightlife Boutique

There are many cities that are referred to as 24-hour cities. New York is famously known as “the city that never sleeps”, whilst Rio de Janeiro, Mexico City, Bangkok and many others enjoy a reputation for partying and good nights out. It’s unsurprising then that the number of hotels catering for those people who live life to the full is increasing. Creating a hip, funky hotel for this market is a good move. More often than not, the men and women that come to enjoy themselves in these cities are well-paid and happy to spend their money on good design, spacious rooms and flamboyant cuisine. Making your hotel part of your nightlife adds more to the experience and those boutiques that integrate popular bars or restaurants into their premises will attract large number of guests eager to stay where the action is. Whilst this doesn’t sound like a retreat in the usual sense, for these visitors it’s exactly what’s needed.

Pamper Boutique

You don’t have to run a huge spa hotel in acres of land in order to offer the sort of pampering that city visitors want. Business visitors and tourists alike enjoy the benefits of a small, exclusive hotel that offers a range of spa and beauty treatments. A massage, facial or body treatment helps to reduce stress and induce relaxation, and if that’s followed by a freshly-prepared meal, or a quiet chat in an informal lounge while the city rushes past you, then all the better.

Design Boutique

All boutique hotels are built around an essential and integral design. Some city hotels opt for a design which automatically turns to building into a cool, calm retreat, no matter where it is. The colour schemes, choice of furnishings, fittings and linens and attention to detail all contribute to an atmosphere that’s immediately welcoming and relaxing. These hotels really are designed to make you feel as though you’ve entered a different world.

Find The Ideal Venue For Your Business Event

Finding the right venue for a conference or business meeting can be a testing time. With so many things to consider, from the number of delegates to travel and parking arrangements, and of course, everything has to be within budget!

Before you start to panic, spend some time considering what is essential to your business event. Gather ideas from colleagues, jot down things as they come to mind and research who’ll be attending and any special requirements they may have. Planning is the key to organising any conference, seminar or meeting and, if done right, will make sure it’s a great success.

Think about some of the following questions: How many will be attending your event, how long will it last – will you need overnight accommodation or just day facilities? What about leisure facilities, somewhere to relax at the end of the day? How about food, will you need lunch, mid-morning refreshments or perhaps a dinner in the evening?

Once you’ve made the big decisions you’re ready to start your search for that perfect venue. After spending all that time planning, you’re sure to want somewhere out of the ordinary, and definitely not the standard dull meeting room with an equally uninspiring view of one of the UK’s busy motorways.

There are some outstanding meeting venues in Norfolk that won’t blow your budget, offer far more than your standard, hotel venue and with experienced conference co-ordinators on hand to answer your questions. Sounds like a big promise, but you’ll soon be impressing colleagues and new business associates with your choice of a truly refreshing venue.

Situated just south of the medieval city of Norwich, with excellent road links, is Barnham Broom Hotel and Golf where you will find all this and more. A range of bright, airy meeting rooms can be arranged for events small and large, plus all the usual equipment will be at your fingertips such as presentation software to ensure your messages are delivered professionally along with free Wifi internet access.

Whether you need a quiet room for a small meeting with colleagues to brainstorm and discuss important, even confidential issues or a large, grand room where 150 people will gather to absorb a presentation then head to a first-class lunch, Barnham Broom can cater for all. With an excellent attention to detail and experienced staff to help ease you through the day, they will ensure everything is as you planned.

Comfortable bedrooms and an award-winning restaurant, make Barnham Broom a great choice for businesses that need overnight packages with fantastic rates available. And on top of this the Norfolk hotel has fabulous leisure facilities, which include a health and fitness centre with swimming pool and gym along with two championship golf courses. Whatever activity you choose, the end of the day will refresh the mind. A round of golf is ideal allowing you to absorb the countryside setting as you unwind, get to know fellow delegates and test your golf technique on the challenging course!

So, when you’re asked to find a venue for your next meeting or conference, think of the perfect combination of business and leisure at Barnham Broom Hotel in Norfolk.

Fewer Rooms, More Style

One of the reasons boutique hotels are so popular is because they directly oppose the accepted hotel normality of hundreds of rooms and bland service. Their refusal to treat guests as anything other than honored visitors means that they spend time, money and energy developing a hotel where you feel comfortable and at home. This can only really be achieved with low room numbers.

Hotels in this sector have discovered that travellers are willing to pay for accommodation that is different in design and where even full occupancy means they’re not queuing for breakfast or waiting for room service to answer the phones. Instead, fewer rooms means more space and better service, and an increasing number of travellers are taking this option.

Space

Space is important to travellers, particularly those for whom the hotel is an integral part of the experience. Whilst other holiday makers or business travellers simply use a hotel as a base for sleeping and eating, boutique hotel guests want to feel that they can spend the morning drinking coffee and reading in the public areas without feeling like a nuisance, or relax by the pool without worrying about fighting for poolside space with other guests. By taking a definite decision to reduce the number of bedrooms so that each room has more space and by fashioning public areas that guests actually want to use, boutique hotels create a unique atmosphere that appeals to guests.

Design

Boutique hotels are often based in older, traditional buildings where creating larger guest rooms means considerable changes to the internal design of the building. Sympathetic architectural changes can be achieved with careful planning and this allows hotel owners and their designers to maintain and incorporate original features into a more modern, spacious room design. From keeping original windows to fitting the most modern of bathrooms, clever design allows these hotels to provide fewer rooms, whilst at the same time preserving the essential features of the building.

Service

The smaller the number of guests, the better the service can be. This is a concept that’s fully understood by the boutique industry and it strives to ensure that standards of service are exceptional. Any contact that the guest has with a member of staff should be a positive one and, in many cases, members of staff are trained to anticipate guests’ needs, ensuring that they are comfortable asking for anything, including help with activities outside the hotel as well as the facilities within it.

Lowering the number of rooms in a hotel, combined with good design, quality fittings and excellent service all combines to make a hotel unique and that's what today's travellers want.