And just a reminder, fixed-site speed cameras have been deployed within the last month, see attached local ministry of transport map (click on relevant province, not all have them to date):
www.dgt.es/trafico/radares/radares.htm
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Well, my TT3 has errors in the UK that must have been errors for over a decade...
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>I had my TomTom GPS (latest maps) with me and found quite a few mapping errors, especially in the small towns - so *make sure you take a good map, as well as GPS*.
Agreed 100%.
I upgraded to TT5 (the Application itself works brilliantly with my iPAQ 2210 and SysOnChip CF card antenna) and latest maps before my recent 3,000 mile drive UK-FR-CH-DE-CZ-DE-B-FR-UK.
In the UK, as always, the maps are spot on and beyond a couple of new roads missing the only error I have ever found (funnily enough) is that my parent's road is misspelt. Thanks due to the professionalism of Ordnance Survey no doubt, and the quality of data they give to TeleAtlas (the map database used by most navigation systems).
In France the maps were okay in the major cities and main road in between, but had many "B" roads (never mind lanes) missing altogether, and frequently incorrect priorities (typical was a spoken "bear left" with a confirmatory arrow on the screen when in fact it was "stop and turn left on to a major road"). The satellite fix also frequently placed the car to the left or right of where the road was shown on the map, especially around Boulogne.
The new Czech map is totally pathetic, and we resorted to paper maps more than once. It doesn't even have my wife's (pretty major) home town of Krnov, let alone many minor roads.
Switzerland was perfectly accurate on main roads, but main small towns (let alone villages) are not listed, and many "B" roads are missing.
No problems at all in Germany, but then we just blasted through on the Autobahns.
In Belgium came the real nightmare though; having trusted TomTom 100% to guide us from Krnov, via Prague and Rozvadov to Corroy-Le-Grand near Brussels, we encountered a massive jam on the E411 courtesy or roadworks. Every goddam time I used Alternative / Roadblock the wretched software routed me back through the same snarled up junction, no matter what I specified as the "distance ahead" for the blockage. The reason? The map doesn't have the minor roads on it that it needed to use to avoid the blockage. Having trusted TomTom 100% I also had not the slightest clue where we were to even begin looking at a paper map! Lesson learned.
In the end I simply drove along an adjoining motorway for ten miles, ignoring Jane's "Turn round" protestations until I was routed on to another main road and taken clear of the jam.
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main small towns = many small towns.
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Just as a matter of interest was you hire car fully equipped with all the stuff that is meant to be carried? Spare bulbs, fluorescent jacket(s), warning triangle(s) etc?
Yes, all there.
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Garmin (NavTeq) mappping for Spain is shown as "limited coverage". Recent annual upgrades have added quite a few of the newly-developed costas, and this year's even included our local city of Cartagena (which was founded by the Phoenicians!). Meanwhile there are a lot of EU-funded road improvements taking place and the mapping companies are obviously struggling to keep up - this can be a bonus, if you are not in a hurry, as a GPS will take you on some delightful old roads.
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My little Picanto was a delightful shade of dark metallic blue with blue facings on the seats,very 'holiday hire car'.All the safety equipent was present and correct,but no spare wheel,just an electric pump with a bottle of repair goo.The pump was very useful when my bike got a puncture.
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Did you complain to Hertz about not getting the type of car you'd booked well in advance? Or did they at least reduce your bill by a few %? They could have simply upgraded you as an apology.
I'd have been cross...!
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Did you complain to Hertz about not getting the type of car you'd booked well in advance? Or did they at least reduce your bill by a few %? They could have simply upgraded you as an apology. I'd have been cross...!
Yes, I was cross. Queued for about one hour (weekday morning) at the rental desk at Barcelona Airport (they only had one girl on duty). Told me that they 'hadn't been able to get' the type of car I booked (there were at least three in the compound!).
I asked for an upgrade or a reduction but was told 'this is the car we have for you, if you don't want it then we don't have any other cars'. Obviously I was not happy. I have used Hertz many many times and they have generally been good, but slipped up on this occasion. The car I was given (a Focus 1.6 Estate) was not in good shape - dents and scratches on both sides of the car. Not all of the damage was written on the 'condition form' and I had to go back to the rental booth to get it corrected. I noted that they checked the car *very* thoroughly on return (every little tiny scratch was noted). Fortunately it was all documented so I was in the clear. I have never known them be so thorough in checking a returned car (not with me, anyway).
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We could probably start a new thread here: which is the best car rental company? Loads of us are probably fresh from renting holiday cars.
I don't think it's Hertz either, based on past experience. Avis get my current vote.
Still, I presume that they won't get your business next time...
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Absolutely Nickdm. The key with renting at the airport is to send someone ahead to get at the front of the rental queue - his/her luggage being picked up by the others in the group. Works every time.
Apart from that, ALWAYS check every minor ding and scratch. I once rented a Focus at a snowy Stansted Airport that had had the front wing smashed in, and not been noted on the condition form (!).
As far as the companies go, it´s best to avoid Hertz IME if flying with Ryanair, as their desk is always mobbed with Ryan customers. But that, as they say, is for another thread....
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Absolutely Nickdm. The key with renting at the airport is to send someone ahead to get at the front of the rental queue - his/her luggage being picked up by the others in the group. Works every time.
No it doesn't.... I am a very old hand at picking up rental cars from airports (for business rather than pleasure, unfortunately). At an airport like Barcelona its not just the passengers from your own flight that will be renting cars, they'll be plenty of others arrived there already. When I joined the queue they seemed to be mainly Dutch and Irish people.
If you fly on Ryanair to a 'backwoods' airport, then yes, rushing to the hire desk may help because there are probably only a few flights arriving each day.
On the general issue of rental cars, I've tried most over the years. In the UK I use Enterprise on account of them giving me a very good discount. Hertz have been pretty good with me too and have given me various 'loyalty' discounts. I normally rent Hertz in Germany and have yet to have a car checked on return. They just ask if the tank is full. I have also used Budget - who were fine and also Avis. The problem I had with Hertz in Barcelona seems to be down to that particular operation - maybe they get inundated with Brits who smash the cars up? Cetainly 'my' Focus had only 2000km on it and quite a lot of damage on collection!
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Aprilia
Whats the betting someone got their backside kicked for messing up the damage inspection that you went and corrected?
And furthermore, whats the betting that the same person was very particular about this with the returns for the next few weeks, including yours? ;)
H
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Aprilia
I think a letter to Hertz detailing your problems might result in some sort of apology and discount coupon or something.
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I'm sure they'll offer you a freely-available discount code!
In my opinion and from experince, Hertz/Avis/Europcar and any other popular global car hire firm is best avoided for your Spanish holiday.
Try booking through the brokers, such as Carjet, DriveSpain and others. Rock bottom prices (less than direct booking with the companies they use), zero excess insurance and, certainly every time I've used them, cars with under 5000km on the clock and in top condition. You will get the odd ding on cars in peak season in Spain, as they just can't pull a car from hire just for cosmetic damage, any more than they do over here.
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I already get discounts because I am a regular Hertz customer. I did try a couple of brokers, but they were rather more expensive than Hertz. I was on holiday for a month and the price that Hertz gave me was a couple £100's below the next best price I was quoted. Because I hire a lot of cars I have my own rental car insurance, so no excess to pay no matter who I rent from.
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I will only use the multi-nationals,Hertz,Avis etc.With a discount the price difference between a 'local' outfit and the big boys is not big enough to take the risk.
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Try booking through the brokers, such as Carjet, DriveSpain and others. Rock bottom prices (less than direct booking with the companies they use), zero excess insurance and, certainly every time I've used them, cars with under 5000km on the clock and in top condition. You will get the odd ding on cars in peak season in Spain, as they just can't pull a car from hire just for cosmetic damage, any more than they do over here.
I booked through premiercarjet.com and received a car from SolMar at Valencia Airport. The car hire desk was just that, a desk inside a Citroen van parked in the car park!
The nice english speaking lady explained they had no class D (Focus) sized cars despite seeing several Focus keys on the rack by the door, she passed me the key to a BMW 120d for no extra charge.
The only catch would have been if you didnt use a full tank of fuel, which they charged 55EUR for, the total bill came to just under £150 for a week, no excess, slight bumper damage and a car returned with nearly double its 1600km starting kilometerage.
I'd use them again, the BMW 120 being a pleasant car to drive? I'd have prefered one of the French cars being returned, but thats a different story.
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>>>>The key with renting at the airport is to send someone ahead to get at the front of the rental queue -
For many years I owned a villa at Pals near Toroella de Montgri/L'Estartit and it sounds as though BCN car rental pickup is as bad now as it was then. This was easily solved when I, or any of my friends wanted to use the house. I simply contacted the managing agent who would do all the queuing and the bulk of the paperwork prior to landing and meet us/our guests directly after baggage retrieval with the keys. All that was need was the VISA swipe and a coupole of sugnatures. The car was booked through the agent anyway so they were getting their cut. Last thing you want is an airport dog's breakfast after a tiring trip, so a bit of groundwork pays off.
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Aprilla,
I would have a good moan at them. Sounds like below standard service by what is a large multinational. State that you are a regular customer.
BCN is pretty poor in this respect, probably the worst and I go there at least once a year ! As Growler says never been good, service seems stuck at about 20 years ago which isn't good enough.
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