Most people do not live close to the airport they want to travel from when they go abroad on business or leisure trips.  For most people it is cheaper and easier to drive their own car to the airport, but this can incur additional costs such as airport parking which can be expensive.  You can save money by staying the night before in a hotel close to the airport and taking advantage of one of their Park and Fly deals.  This will also allow you to get some rest and have a good breakfast before you have to tackle the busy airport checking in areas.  Hotels also provide complimentary transfers to the main terminals and some may also be within easy walking distance.

Most Park and Fly deals will allow you to park your car for to 15 days in the hotel car park as part of the deal.  Some hotels will also provide free collection services so that your car will be waiting for you in the pick area outside the hotel when you return from your holiday.  It is important to choose a hotel that offers secure parking areas with 24/7 surveillance if you are going to be leaving your car for any long periods of time.

Park and Fly deals can save you money and also offer a relaxed, stress free way to start your holidays.

The Baltic countries have some of the most beautiful and diverse landscapes in Europe, from the breathtaking fjords of Norway through to the stunning gothic, Baroque and neoclassical architecture of Russia’s most impressive cities, St Petersburg and Moscow, and provides a wide range of activities and sights so that holidaymakers will be spoilt for choice.

The Baltic Travel Company has a number of diverse holidays on offer and you can see more details by visiting their website .

Popular holidays include:

• Classical Russia Tour – this tour guides you around the main sights of St Petersburg and Moscow , and an 8 day (7 night) trip will cost from around £1,235 per person.
• The Baltic Circle – this tour guides you around three of the Baltic States main capitals, four of its best national parks and also a trip along the Baltic coastline and a 10 days (9 nights) trip will cost from around £775 per person.
• Norway Winter Fun – Norway has a lot to offer all year round and here is your chance to stay in the unique Ice Hotel near the Winter Olympic resort of Lillehammer , with 6 days (5 nights) from £785 per person.

Each of the holidays offered through The Baltic Travel Company are covered by the Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing (ATOL), so you can book your dream Baltic holiday with peace of mind knowingly that your investment will be protected.

You can book your holiday securely online or by telephone, using a credit or debit card, or you can send a cheque to The Baltic Travel Company, London House, 271-273, King Street , London W6 9LZ . Also on the website you can find some helpful travel advice regarding issues such as visas, holiday insurance, car rental, currency and language. :coo:l

Top Car Hire Tips

1. Have your credit card ready – you cannot hire a car in Europe without leaving credit card information as security, and many car hire companies only accept credit card payments, (not cash), so make sure you have a valid internationally accepted credit card ready when you arrive at the pick up.

2. Longer rentals are cheaper – renting a car for a week or longer is usually much more cost effective than hiring a car for a day or two, so hire a car for your whole holiday, and make the most of the cheaper rates to really explore the area you are staying in.

3. Book in advance – it can be much cheaper to reserve your hire car in advance, and if you can managed to book at least two months before you actually need the car you should get some really good deals.

4. Don’t book with travel agent – you rarely get the best deal on your hire car if you book it through a regular travel agents, so it is much better idea to sort this out yourself by visiting a rental car consolidator websites (such as Orbitz) or direct with the car rental company themselves.

5. Be flexible – if you can be flexible with the length of the rental period and the pick up/drop off dates and locations you should be able to get an even better deal on the total costs of the hire.

6. Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) – most rental car companies will offer daily rates minus the CDW charges, which can add up to 25% on the final hire price, so make sure you have taken this into account when you are comparing quotes. It is very important to have CDW cover, as damage on hire cars can cost hundreds of dollars for even just the basic cosmetic repairs, such as scraped door panels or dented bumpers.

Car rental

Pros

Many remote areas of Europe , from mountainous regions through to national parks are miles away from the nearest train station or airport, and it is much cheaper and easier to hire a car in most cases than go to all the bother of getting taxis and buses to visit these more inaccessible destinations. Rental cars also allow you much more freedom as you travel around on your holiday, allowing you to stop wherever you like, for as long as you like, and can be one of the only ways to see the less touristy areas of the country you are visiting. Also as rail ticket prices in are increasing significantly every year, hire cars can actually work out to be much cheaper than trains for longer journeys across Europe, despite the fact that petrol and diesel can be as much as €120 per week.

Cons

Many major European cities are extremely busy, and can be heavily congested with complicated road systems and aggressive driving styles, and it can be very stressful to drive around them if you are not used to the road layout and heavy traffic. Therefore it is recommended that travellers on city breaks stick to using the safer, less stressful public transport or taxis, and avoid hire cars unless taking trips out of town.

Hire cars can also come with hidden expenses, such as tax and drop off costs to different company branches or airports, so you must make sure the daily price you are quoted is all –inclusive. European hire car companies can charge very high prices to cover any vehicle damage, as much as €950 just to repair a broken wing mirror in some cases, so it is essential you take out Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), even though this could add another 25% to the final price, as this could save you hundreds, even thousands of Euros in the long run. You should also check the car carefully for cosmetic damage at the pick up point, and report any problems to the reception desk for it to be recorded on the paperwork before you leave, as this will avoid any possibility that you will be charged for any pre-existing damage.

You may find that some hire car companies add a surcharge for drivers under 25 as well, and most hire car companies in Europe do not accept drivers under the age of 21, or over the age of 75.