Advice Directory - Hire Cars

If I drove around Britain and kept stopping to ask people the way, most of the people would think I was daft if I didn't have a 'road atlas'. Take those same people on holiday abroad and do they drive round with a road atlas? Judging by the number of lost hire-car drivers I encounter in Playa de las Americas (Tenerife) many of them have no map at all. Of the rest some have the free 'sketch' maps given with the hire-car, and one or two do manage to get lost even when they have a good map (usually one you have to pay for). Add in a strange car with the wheel on the wrong side, driving on the right and some quaint local driving customs (see Madeira in main site) and you have a situation of impending disaster. Here are a few of our do's and don'ts of hire-car:-

• do you need a hire car? We are keen on local buses though we do normally hire a car for the duration of our stay.

• do check the hire-car is complete (it's not unknown for some companies to remove the spare wheel, ostensibly to prevent theft!) and that you have the hire documents with you when driving.

• do buy a good map and plan your journeys, although you can strike up some great 'disputes' amongst your team by forgetting the map and planning while driving.

• be wary of hiring convertibles. After a day with the wind in your hair you are likely to turn 'Suzuki Red'. Suzuki Red is a term coined in southern Tenerife to describe the fluorescent sunburn which comes from hiring a Suzuki jeep in mid-summer.

• avoid large towns and cities unless you have planned a high-stress holiday.

• don't reverse back along the motorway when you find you have missed the Los Cristianos junction, certainly not if I am behind you and heading for Playa las Americas. Although this is very localised advice I believe it could apply to other motorways/roads.

• do remember to get your map in plenty of time before your departure.

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