I think I am finally within sight of getting a UK tourist visa for my partner. We have been fobbed off by Brit Embassy people for 2 years (in interviews I was not allowed to attend and which twice reduced her to tears) for ages and I won't go into that here because it's OT. But it represents a minor triumph for me and the dream of a lifetime for her.
She has a Philippine driver's license and is a competent careful trained driver, but of course has no experience in a very regulated environment like UK. We expect to arrive UK mid-July. I will rent a car (using my Philippine licence not my UK one). Of course she has never driven on the "wrong" side of the road, so that would take some acclimatisation.
Can I nominate her as a second driver using her foreign licence on the rental agreement? What are the implications? Insurance etc.
I know I should be addressing this to Hertz or whoever but I would prefer initially to mine the rich vein of BR wisdom before I get a standard page 33 operations manual response from the rental company.
She would not drive great distances, simply back and forth to the pub etc on country roads when I've had a few (we have a house where we'd be staying). The assumption is I would do most of the driving otherwise. Although I suppose that's not going to carry much weight once she's declared as a second driver.
Of course it may turn out to be not worth it but I know she would love to say she once drove in UK.
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Unless she's under 25 I doubt its a problem at all.
The first time I brought Adriana back they simply added her as a driver without issue at all. It was Avis, and there wasn't even an additional charge for her.
The insurance was the same, the excess was no higher when she was driving.
The only difference I can think of between your and my situation is that I was using a UK licence myself.
I can't believe that there would be a difference in rules between a Chilena and a Philippina.
M.
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p.s. Of course, I lost at least 10 years off my life the first time she drove here, but then I\'m not a good passenger at the best of times.
Just do check that her licence is good here and that an International Driving Permit is not required. Since you\'re using one yourself, I\'m assuming that there is no issue.
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Hi, Graham,
I have spoken to Hertz and Avis and they accept a Philippine Driving licence as long as they are in English. If not then an International Licence is required.
Regards
Peter
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Mark/Peter:
Thanks. Yes a Phils licence is in English. Computerised with pictures and vehicles permitte to be driven. Very clear. Much like the UK one.
Lord knows how she'll deal with a roundabout, though, never having seen one! I expect a lot of buttock-clenching closing my eyes incidents, along with "Dadi what do I do now?" moments.
I will go ahead and make the rental booking and make it clear to the rental company what it is we want. Also for peace of mind I will just double check are they OK with the proposed named driver given her licence and experience. If I can get that confirmation via email it would be peace of mind. I don't want her to drive much but I'm just thinking of the now and then.
Really looking forward to this trip. Apart from the "open your wallet and say after me, take some" syndrome when Herself gets into shopper mode. M & S this could be the answer to your share-price woes...
Thanks again.
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If it helps, when I had some US family visit, the best price I could find was www.holidayautos.co.uk, now owned by lastminute.com
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No Mark she's not under 25 (hope she doesn't read this thread!)
I could use my UK licence for the rental maybe? Problem is it has an obsolete convenience address on it purely because of being away so long and I think that is an offence?
I believe as a tourist I can legally use a foreign licence to rent a UK car, I have done this endless times on business and it has been accepted without question. So that will be what I'll do.
Just that this is such a special trip (London to Edinburgh via Lincs) for a special lady, I just want everything right.
Thanks all. I spoke to Hertz here in Manila and they said no problem she can drive in UK on her local licence and make sure she is mentioned on the rental agreement but just to be certain I should check with the staff at LHR on delivery so all is clear. They do it on the internet anyway. Nice company. They don't need to try harder.
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>>I believe as a tourist I can legally use a foreign licence to rent a UK car,
Bit unclear, actually.
You are certainly able to use your foreign driving licence to rent a vehicle, and it is legal to do so.
However, given that your UK licence remains in force, if they wish to endorse it, in the event of an offence, then that are able to do so. Not really a major problem except that if you are banned from driving under one licence you are theoretically banned from driving under all licences.
Although you can guess what their chances of ever getting their international act together on that one are !
As for the address one, then the situation is ridiculous. You have to have a valid address on it. However, what do you do if you do not have an address you can use ? Their attitude when I went through this with them was that they needed a UK address through which I could be contacted and \"everybody has a friend or member of their family which would let them use their address\". I\'m really not sure what you would do if you did not.
The one and only time it came up for me I gave the policeman both my Brasilian licence and the UK licence explaining that I was using the Brasilian one as the address on the UK one was invalid. He seemed ok with that and didn\'t have any other suggestions for how I could approach it.
However, as I am sure you know by now, nothing about english law caters for a Brit living abroad unless they are in the forces.
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Assuming you're flying into Heathrow - www.easycar.com wouldn't be a bad bet.
A Mercedes A-Class would be about £20 a day, probably not your dream motor but 69 stangs aren't readily available.
However, it's more than adequate for 2 people, can easily carry 4 and has a small footprint which may help Growlette.
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Malcolm LOL maybe there\'s a market niche for renting muscle cars!
Last 3 trips to UK I have rented a Fiesta or a Punto (I cringe in shame to say that) but have found the economy, the parkability and the general performance quite adequate, even on long-ish trips. After all on vacation we won\'t be in a hurry anyway.
But this trip is extra special because I\'ll have my lovely lady with me and I want to make everything just right. On second thoughts maybe I\'ll need something a bit bigger after she\'s stripped M&S, BHS et al bare......
Catherine personifies the phrase \"shop till you drop\"......well I guess I can reacquaint myself with English bitter while she\'s stripping the shelves and sending Visa\'s authorization system into overdrive, that\'s some consolation.
Mark I agree. I can\'t imagine how the DVLA or whoever it is will get on a plane and come looking for me in the Philippines (if they do I can have some bulky gentlemen in dark glasses meet them at Manila airport and arrange a special \"welcome\" for them).
(TIC)
I just want to be legal. I\'ve rented cars for more than 20 years with foreign licences on arrival at LHR/LGW (despite holding a UK licence) and never had a problem. Hertz here said book your UK car with us at our Manila office, we will ensure your partner gets on the rental agreement at no extra cost.
I won\'t let her do any motorway stuff, I was just thinking of short trips where she did the driving.
Once again, thanks all. Will sort the thing with Hertz/Manila this morning.
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Growler, just as you may want to get slightly posher wheels for your lady, I hope you will remind her that there are some very tempting shopping alternatives to BHS and M&S.
On your way up north, it's not really much of a diversion to find your way to Harvey Nicks in Leeds ... ;-)
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Sorry to break this to you Growler, but they don't do these any more:
www.carmemories.com/cgi-bin/viewexperience.cgi?exp...5
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LOL DavidHM I know all about the Hertz Shelbys. I even know of a surviving example at Pompano Beach FL in the original black with the gold stripes (Hertz colours of course). Marketing Dept got that wrong!
My own '69 is awaiting some bits from Oklahoma Mustang after which there will hopefully be enough operational bits in the trans so I can drop it in D and fishtail away from the lights just like the good old days (now where did I put that Beach Boys 8-track?....)
Herself can't reach the pedals, so that's at least one area where male supremacy still rules.....
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NW I thought you were my friend.....
We've got everything you know and love here in Manila in our enormous malls at 1/3 of Brit prices oh yea M & S, Gap, Top Shop too, but oh know I want it cos it's made in UK (my careful explanations that it's probably made in a sweatshop in Guangzhou by 12 year olds just like the stuff here don't seem to cut any ice).
I hope she doesn't see that. She reads these threads using my login avidly.
To motoring: I have a job to do here. Last night "Dadi I know the steering wheel is on the wrong side of the car in UK, does it mean the pedals are the other way round as well?"
..bangs forehead in despair and heads for fridge for another San Miguel.
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Well, full marks to Hertz/Manila, they got the job done and all over the phone as well.
Delightful young lady led me through the whole process (of renting a car) and didn't try to sell me stuff I didn't want. Prepaid voucher for car collection at LHR sent to me by fax, no problem with additional driver, any valid national licence is acceptable.
I forgot I had a Hertz No 1 card from years ago so they have asked for an upgrade subject to availability and I get American Express miles as well. Only snag is I've paid in USD and they say there may be a variation in the final charge subject to exchange rates. I just have to present plastic at check in for extras in case.
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