by Roy -

This article has been sourced from Gap Year Escape, a website dedicated to Travel, maintained by Amar

The US is renowned the world over for its awesome road trips. Whether you want to rip up Route 66 on a Harley or cruise the Pacific Coast Highway in an open-top convertible (something I did in a used BMW), there’s something for everyone. However, what happens when you cross the border into Central and South America? Are the roads expansive and the scenery stunning or are they all single-lane dust tracks? Thankfully, it’s the former and here are 5 of the best for you to try in your gap year.

 

Argentina

Quebrada de Cafayate from Ruta 68, Argentina

Argentina has an abundance of breathtaking scenery, particularly the northern highlands, which have some great roads and scenic towns and villages all within a relatively short distance of one another. South of the city of Salta, along Ruta 68, are the imposing Quebrada de Cafayate, a fabulous range of red mountains and rock formations. The scenery shifts again as you enter Argentina’s wine-growing region and then visit the remote, pre-Inca ruins of Quilmes. This road trip is best tackled in an all-terrain vehicle that can comfortably handle the country’s many gravelled, unfinished roads.

Bolivia

The Yungas Road,  also known as Bolivia’s Death Road.

At the heart of the continent lies Bolivia, a country that borders five other South American nations and offers one of the world’s most notorious road trips, known as ‘Death Road’. The 35-mile stretch between La Paz and Coroico quickly ascends into dense rainforest and has some extreme drop-offs and precarious single-lane roads that can be made even more hazardous by rain and fog. Although a truly awesome road it should be treated with extreme caution as it is estimated that between 200 and 300 travellers are killed each year on this road.

Average Rating: 4.9 out of 5 based on 299 user reviews.

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by Roy -

When booking a business trip or vacation, travellers often spend hours trying to find the lowest airfare or hotel rate. But rarely is as much effort put in to finding the best rental car deal — and unfortunately, a few missteps in the process could cost you dearly.

According to the American Express Business Travel Forecast, an annual report that predicts global travel pricing trends, North American rental car rates should remain mostly flat through 2012, due to a highly competitive marketplace and excess capacity. But if a great deal is important to your trip, here are five steps to follow when booking a rental car online.

Step 1: Research

First, determine the standard rate for the type of car you want by checking comparison sites like Kayak.com or Expedia.com (be sure to include rates from all locations, on- and off-airport). It’s important to note that car rental prices vary from city to city, and if there is a large event in town or if you are travelling during a long holiday weekend, you might pay close to $100 per day for a car that would rent for $25 on slower days. Although there’s little you can do about them, local taxes and fees on rental cars can be excessive, so be sure they are included in the rates you are comparing.

Step 2: Check for specials

Rental car companies often list deals and specials on their websites, like discounts of 10% to 20% for pre-payment with no refunds. Minimal discounts may also be available through your affiliations with organizations such as the American, Canadian or Royal Automobile Associations.

If you make a reservation through Autoslash.com, the website continues to scour the internet for coupons and other discounts — and then automatically re-books you at the lower rate.

Step 3: Check excess inventory

If you are travelling in less than a week, check to see if there is any unsold inventory posted on Hotwire.com or Travelzoo.com, two sites that specialize in last-minute car rental deals. Keep in mind that the least expensive cars may not always be the smallest ones, since last-minute rates are based on unsold inventory, which is often made up of full-sized cars, trucks or vans.

Step 4: Bid for a better price

Once you determine the standard and last-minute rate for the type of car you want, try your luck by bidding an even lower price on sites such as Priceline.com. Keep in mind that once you agree to a price on so-called “opaque” sites like Priceline or Hotwire, no changes or cancellations are allowed — that’s the tradeoff for the great deal.

Step 5: Know your insurance options

Additional auto insurance is not always necessary and can sometimes add 20% to 40% to the total cost of your rental. If you have personal automobile insurance, the coverage most likely extends to rentals in your home country and most foreign countries. Check with your insurance company to be certain about both collision and liability coverage.

If you don’t have personal insurance, the credit card you use to pay for the rental might offer coverage, but again, you should check before you depart. Homeowners or renters insurance usually covers theft of personal property from the rental car, so you may be able to decline that too without losing coverage. When picking up your car, be sure to inspect the exterior for any damage, no matter how minute and note it on your contract to avoid any extra charges.

Finally, it is always less expensive to fill up the car at a local gas station before you return it, so decline the money-losing offer to pre-pay for a full tank and bring the car back empty.

Chris Mc Ginnis

16 Nov 2011

http://www.bbc.com/travel/blog/20111115-how-to-find-the-best-rental-car-rates

Average Rating: 4.7 out of 5 based on 233 user reviews.

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by Roy -

This article is written by Sathish K, a Software Professional and travel writer, based in Bangalore

Well we have the option of taking a car in germany and SIXT has given me a Smart Car. Though I dont like it very much, coz it cant go beyond a speed of 130 – 140km/hr, its small and its an automatic one. I find it difficult not to use my left leg (am sort fo used to that).

I would probably drive around with this for another one week before I change to a better on.

The climate in Germany is not the usual. Normally in November the temperatures it seems goes to 0 deg and it also rains, but this year its not so. It was raining sometimes and rest its hot and sunny!!

The town of Speyer

On Saturday We had planned to go to Speyer a nice city in Germany driving in my car so that I get used to driving here, but we took a wrong turn and ended up in Schwetzingen. This is also a nice city with a castle and huge park. The drive is about 30mins from Mannhiem and we did go into Heidelberg country side. At Schwetzingen we had our lunch in typical German restaurant. As a matter of fact there are no McDonalds or Pizza Huts here. This is still city with old values and has not changed unlike the bigger cities.

The park is quite big and one needs to pay 4Euros as entrance fee. Of course I did not go into the park and for the tour of castle you need a guide. In the market palce there is sculpture which is of a lady selling asparagus to a young girl. Asparagus is famous just like Beer (written as Bier here).

On Sunday, I joined few other colleagues in the hotel for lunch. One of the guy made Sambar in Kannadiga style and there were some other items which we feasted on. Earlier in the day we made a visit to Planetarium @ Mannhiem but it was closed. Dont know when they open!!

Later in the day we took a walk towards Rhine River which flows through Mannhiem and made a short trip to Heidelberg.

In the Rhine river there were two big boats making a cruise and on the river side lot of people jog and walk. From there we took a tram 5R to Heidelberg which goes along the river Nekar. Nekar flows from North while Rhine flows from the South. Quite a nice scenery.

Sathish K

7 Nov 2005

Car and Weekend in Germany

Average Rating: 4.5 out of 5 based on 224 user reviews.

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by Roy -

Make sure that the car is in good condition. You should check the condition of the belts and fluids and make sure that the tires are inflated to the proper pressure.

Be sure to have an idea of the conditions ahead (state of the road, weather).

Plan ahead. Know where you are going to have to stop for fuel, refreshments and comfort breaks, how long it will take to get there and alternative routes in case of major traffic jams or accidents.

Pack the car properly. Stow the luggage so it won’t move around or go flying if you have to stop suddenly.

Have things you will need, like, passports, drivers licence, money and change for parking and road tolls all within easy reach.

Check you have enough fuel in the tank – fill up if you can.

While Driving

Obey the local traffic rules.

Don’t overdo. Stop every 150 miles/250 kilometers, or every 2 hours (depending on the road condition and your speed).

Pull over if you start feeling drowsy. Stop and have a rest, even a nap, and let someone else share the driving too.

Be patient, it is better to get there late than never.

Follow the Two-Second rule. Allow two seconds between you and the car in front; make it four seconds if it’s wet or the traffic is heavy.

If you are travelling slowly or towing a trailer, pull over and let following traffic pass, especially if a queue starts to form behind you.

When You Stop

Stop in a safe place, clear of the traffic lanes, preferably in a lay-by or parking area.

Before you lock your car make sure you have a key in your hand, don’t just push the lock buttons and shut the door.

Before leaving your car, make sure it is safe and secure. Check the headlights are off, valuable personal items are hidden from view or locked away from opportunist thieves, the car is safely parked and wheels turned to the curb if on a slope. Note where it is parked if in a parking lot or unfamiliar area, and check the parking time limits too.

Break Down

Try to get to the hard shoulder or safety zone before the vehicle stops.

If you have a flat tyre, consider travelling very slowly to a lay-by or side road if there is no room to stop or the shoulder is not level.

Turn on the hazard warning lights – if fitted.

Turn off the engine and apply the hand brake.

Warn other traffic that you have broken down. Check the local road rules for the acceptable ways to do this. Raising the engine hood is one way.

Stay by your vehicle, but get out on the side away from the traffic.

Call for help – use a cell phone to call the police or traffic authorities and local autombile breakdown service if you cannot fix the problem yourself.

Many countries require you to have a warning triangle to use in case you break down. Its not always a requirement but definitely always a good idea. Leave it at least 50 meters (others recommend 35 yards) behind your car if you break down; on freeways about 100 m are better. It will prevent you being rear-ended if you have to stop in an unsafe location. A tow-rope and jumper cables are also handy.

http://www.easydestination.net/trip_planner/road_travel_tips.shtml

Average Rating: 4.8 out of 5 based on 183 user reviews.

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