Can I hire a car in Spain and drive into Portugal?

Aged 83 I am planning a May 2024 visit to the Douro Valley in Portugal, where the upper age limit for car rentals is 80 years. Spain has no such upper age limit so could I rent there and then drive over...

Are hire cars ULEZ compliant?

A friend in Australia who is travelling to the UK asked me if hire cars are ULEZ compliant. Personally I would have thought so as they are unlikely to be older than four or five years but do you have any...

We're hiring a car soon. What should we know beforehand?

We are hoping, if restrictions allow, to finally enjoy a holiday to Spain this August, which was postponed from last year. We plan to hire a car, probably something Fiat 500-sized, for the 8 days we are...

What is the difference in insurance terms between a hire car and courtesy car?

Our daughter has just suffered a rear-end shunt sustaining severe damage to her Audi. Fortunately, she is signed up with the Audi Ensurance scheme who will deal with the claim for her alongside her regular...

My son's car is being repaired by a main dealer but his hire car is only third party insured - should the garage pay for fully comp?

My son took his Dacia Duster in for its first service and was given a loan car. There was a fault on his car and a replacement part is needed but it is not known when this will be available in the UK....

I was sold a car that turned out to be an ex-hire car - do I have any redress?

I trade in second-hand cars. I recently purchased a car which turns out to have been an ex-hire car. The seller owns a small hire company. In May this year the seller transferred the car into his private...

Do I need a vignette to drive in Switzerland?

I am going to be hiring a car in Switzerland in September for a week. I've never driven abroad, I do have 30 years of UK experience. Do I need a driving permit and I read somewhere about a pass for motorways?...

What's a good hire car for tackling steep inclines in Greek island roads?

What would you recommend with a really good low bottom gear and hill-climbing ability from the budget Greek island hire car range? Is a Fiat Panda likely to hold the old Italian tradition of very low ratio...

How can I get car hire excess insurance if I don't live in the UK?

I live in Switzerland and travel back to UK regularly, often needing to rent a car. I used to be able to buy excess insurance for car hire on an annual basis, as a Swiss resident, from UK firms. However...

Once a car has been written off - how long can you hold onto a hire car for?

Once a car is deemed a total loss can your hire car instantly be taken back without an offer of settlement or even any acknowledgement from the insurance company?