Christmas is that time of
the year when the streets in London light up, every nook and corner comes alive
with decorations and people from all walks of the life and from all age groups
are busy giving and receiving gifts. It is that time of the year when you can
feel happiness in the air. People are either busy packing bags or busy
organising parties for their loved ones.
No doubt Christmas is the
best time of the year; whether it is meeting your extended family, decorating
the Christmas tree or waking up to find the Christmas tree loaded with gifts – it
is just like living in a fairytale world. Most of us work under pressure throughout
the year and this is the time to shed off all tensions and stress and enjoy to
the fullest with friends and family. So start planning your vacation right now!
Things to Do in London during Christmas
If you are planning to spend
Christmas in London, there is a lot you can do here. Whether you want to have
fun with your family or hang around with friends, London has a lot to offer to
its people and visitors coming from all around the world.
Christmas lights go up a
long time before the actual Christmas celebrations begin and the Christmas tree
at Trafalgar Square dresses up and gets ready by 4th December. So of
you want to admire the twinkling and dazzling lights and get mesmerised by the
jaw dropping decorations – get up on a double-decker bus and go round the city.
If you want to engage in
something more interesting and adventurous, you can try ice skating. Most of
London’s well known ice rinks are open during Christmas through the New Year,
so you can enjoy this festive season gliding elegantly on ice! Nothing can get
you in the Christmas mood more than a Christmas carol service. If you want to
hear the best Christmas carols in London, you should never miss the Carols by
Candlelight at the Royal Albert Hall.
Want to spend this Christmas
in the most romantic way? Take your love of the life on a Carriage Ride through
the Richmond Park. Hold your hands tight while you get past the magnificent
landscapes and artistic scenery. Start your day with warm refreshments, take a
tour of the stables and tuck under the blanket while enjoying your carriage
ride.
Some of the best and proven
ways to enjoy Christmas in a mind-blowing way is to take your family for
shopping followed by a gala lunch or dinner at a posh hotel in London. If you
want to have a blast with your friends, the best way is to hire a car and take
a tour of the city all through the night. Stop by your favourite locations and
visit your favourite pub or disco – what else can you want to make your
vacation special!
Whatever your plans are, one
thing you must remember is that there will be a huge rush during Christmas, so
driving your own car can be difficult. But that does not mean you can’t have
fun. Consider hiring a car and a driver and go around the city having as much
fun as you want. Christmas is a peak time for car rentals so you should start
planning well ahead of time and make sure you get hold of the best Christmas
car rental.
Christmas Car Rental Do’s And Don’ts
Christmas means a lot of
preparations – decorating the Christmas tree, wrapping up gifts, baking cakes
& cookies and cleaning up the entire home (the toughest part). It is quite
evident that people forget the most important thing – Christmas car rental
since they get engaged in such household responsibilities.
Christmas is a peak time for
car rentals and the demand for high quality cars surges to a point where it
becomes almost impossible to get a car at the last moment. Hence, people who
forget booking their rental cars in advance have to face a lot of problems
finding Christmas car rental in the last minute. If you want your Christmas holidays to be memorable
and enjoyable, make sure you take out some time from your busy schedule and
book a car in advance.
Just in the manner you get
prepared for the Christmas celebrations, it is essential that you prepare
yourself for booking a Christmas car rental. Here is an easy to follow guide to
book a car rental during Christmas:
1. Shop Around for Best Rates
You should start shopping
around for car rentals by early December. This is the time when most of the car
rental companies offer attractive deals and discounts to attract early
bookings. If you make advance bookings you can be lucky to win discounted
rates, extra days or complimentary extras.
Car rental companies like YesCarRentals encourage early bookings since they
can get an idea of the demand and this helps them to increase their fleet as
and when required. Starting early also means you’ll have enough time to compare
rates and choose the best deal.
2. Double Check
Your Booking
If you have asked for extras
along with your Christmas car rental, make sure you enquire about the additions
quite a few times before actually driving the rental car. The car rental
representatives become busier during the holiday season and it is quite
possible that your request goes unnoticed. If add-ons are a must for you, make
sure you double check with the rental representatives about them.
3. Be Patient
In case, you forgot to book
a car in advance and you have to rent a car at the last minute, you need to be
patient. Many times you can find amazing last minute deals but you have to do
some hard work and research a lot. If you are not so lucky, you may have to
compromise with your choice and settle for a smaller or larger car.
In case you have booked a
car in advance get all the receipts and printed emails, so that even if the
rental representatives misplace your booking documents, you have enough proof
of your booking. Carrying all the required documents and booking receipts makes
the process easier and faster.
No matter what the situation
is, you should never wait to book your Christmas car rental. Prepare yourself
so that you can make the bookings as soon as the car rental bookings open for
Christmas. The longer you wait, the longer will be the queues in front of the car
rental receptions and the harder it will be to find a car of your choice. Advance
booking also gives you the option to negotiate rates and find better deals. So
book you car in advance to ensure you get the car of your choice.
Christmas Car Rental Guide
Christmas is time to get out
of your home and get going. So if you are planning to visit a new location and
book a Christmas car rental, there are many things that need to be taken care
of. Hiring a car during the festive season is very different from hiring a car
at any other point of time.
Christmas is the most
happening time of the year, so it is necessary that you plan your vacations
well ahead of time to make it special and stress free. Here are some do’s and
dont’s that will help make your Christmas car rental smooth.
1. Book a Car in Advance: This is a no brainer but the most important factor
to be considered. Festive season means there will be a huge rush for car
rentals so booking a car at the last moment would mean compromising with the
choice of car you need. Whether you are visiting your relatives or going on a
vacation, it is important to get the right type of car rental to make your
journey smooth and comfortable.
The festive season is the
profit making time for car rental agencies, so as the demand increases the
price of the car rentals also goes up. Christmas means you will have to spend a
lot on gifts, renovating your home and travelling, so it is wise to save as
much as you can on your car rental.
2. Hire the Right Kind of Vehicle: if you are travelling to a
different place it is essential that you consider the weather conditions during
your visit. Many car rental companies allow you to book cars online and from a
different location, so make sure you get to know about the climate of the place
you are visiting before booking a car. If you are booking a car in London, it
is equally important to check the weather forecast. If there is a possibility
of snowfall, hiring a convertible can ruin your plans. So hire a car according
to the weather conditions. Also before hiring a car, make sure you check the
condition of the car you are hiring to ensure it can withstand the climatic
conditions.
3. Drive Safe: Holiday season means having fun and this means there are a
lot of drunk and drive cases which lead to accidents. Driving during the
holiday season can be dangerous than other times of the year, so it is
necessary that you get the appropriate insurance coverage to protect yourself
from any mishaps. Shop around and get the best insurance deals to keep yourself
and your family protected.
Insurance is important if
you are planning to drive out of the city. Since you will be driving on unknown
roads, the chances of accidents increase manifolds. A proper coverage will keep
you safe from the additional costs of repair and recovery.
One more thing that you
should consider during Christmas is that, there is a huge amount of traffic
during this season so you need to drive very carefully. If you have plans to
get drunk and have fun, consider hiring a driver along with the car rental.
Having a driver to drive you around will ensure that you are safe and secured. A
driver will also be able to take you to your destination within the short
period of time since they know every corner of the city well.
4. Look for Local Car Rental Agencies: Hiring at the airport can
become even more expensive during the festive season, so if you want to save
money, it is wise to check the car rental deals with local car rental agencies.
The only downside with local car rental companies is that you may not get a
pick-up from the airport and you may have to travel to the car rental office in
order to pick up your rental car. If you can do so, you will be able to save a
lot of money.
5. Deals and Discounts: Christmas
also means a lot of deals and discounts on everything including clothes, gift
items and car rentals. A number of car rental companies offer special Christmas
deals that can help you save a lot on car rentals, so make sure you shop around
before booking your car. To find deals and discounts, check the company
websites as well as the websites dealing with car rentals.
Christmas is the time to be
jolly and the right car rental can make it even jollier. So if you have plans
to spend an awesome time outside your home, consider booking a car much in
advance. Happy and hassle-free travelling will surely make this Christmas
merrier!
Why Make Christmas Car Rental in Advance?
“Advance car rental
bookings” during Christmas has been mentioned many times, since this is the
most important factor when hiring a car during this festive season. It is not
only about peace of mind, but there are a number of other factors that are
associated with early bookings.
Studies show that the car
rental rates almost quadruple during peak hiring seasons in certain cities and
finding an appropriate car becomes harder than ever. The hike in rate is mostly
due to the increased staffing costs as well as the high demand for rental cars.
If you are planning to visit your extended family or friends in a different
city, it is essential to hire a car on the exact dates according to your travel
plans. But if you fail to rent a car in advance, you might have to compromise
with your travel plans and change it according to the availability of a rental
car. In worst case, you may also have to cancel all your plans.
In many cases, people have
to settle for a smaller car even if they are travelling in a group which makes
the journey uncomfortable or take a van for a family of four. To make your
journey memorable and comfortable it is very essential that you hire the right
kind of vehicle.
Booking a Christmas car
rental in advance means you can get the best deals as well as a car according
to your travelling needs. It helps you
save a lot of time, money and hard work, so if you have travelling plans during
Christmas, make sure you book a car at least a month in advance.
Beware of Christmas Car Rental Scams
Christmas is a merry time
but not everyone has good intentions. A number of people set up scams to trap
people and suck up as much money as they can. A number of unscrupulous people
have conned car renters by promising amazing deals on Christmas car rentals and
people who have given in to such deals have lost hundreds of pounds. BVRLA, the
British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association has noticed that such scams are
planned specifically for Christmas since this a short term peak period and it
is easier to con people and get away
with it.
Conmen like these set up
fake website to showcase amazing deals and some even advertise with reputed
publications to attract renters and prove their credibility. For instance, a
car rental firm named “Rentmac” conned a large number of people by placing
advertisements in the Guardian and other well known publication that promised
good quality car rentals at "Xmas special" bargain rates. Many people
handed over money but the deal never materialised.
This is the reason why
people should be extra cautious with car rentals during the festive seasons. The
BVRLA believe there can be more scams this years and it is trying best to
protect the consumers from getting trapped. To help renters hire a car without
hassles and to ensure that they do not lose their hard earned cash to conmen,
BVRLA has come up with some tips for Christmas car rentals:
- If you are booking through a website or checking out deals, make sure you check whether the website is legitimate or not.
- Work with companies who are a member of BVRLA. Check for the BVRLA logo on the front desk or on the homepage of the website to make sure you are working with an authentic car rental company that follows a certain code of conduct.
- Book in advance, so that you get the best deal and you have enough time to check the credibility of the car rental company.
- Make sure you have a good idea of the level of risk associated – check whether there are hidden charges, additional charges for damages, etc.
- Most reputed car rental companies would ask for a credit or debit card transaction, so beware of companies that ask you to pay in cash.
- If you are booking online, make sure the website uses a secured payment gateway. Check whether the web address starts with https:// and whether there is a small padlock symbol in front of the URL.
- Avoid third party car rental services. Always try to hire from companies that operate their own fleet of cars.
- Check the condition of the car thoroughly before signing the contract. Also note down any existing marks or damages before driving out the car.
- When returning the car, make sure you hand over the vehicle to an authorised representative and ask him to check the car before leaving. It would be better if you can get in written that you returned the car without damages.
- Lastly believe your instincts; if a deal sounds too good to be true, it is probably true. So move on and look for other deals that sound authentic.
So to ensure you have a good
time it is necessary to check out whether the car rental deal you are giving in
to is authentic or not. Ask for past referrals, do a background check and check
whether the company is a registered member of an organization or not.
It is wise to save money but
you should never judge a deal based on price alone. It is quite natural that
the rental rates would be bit high during the peak season, so rock bottom rates
should raise an alarm naturally! Hire wisely and have a great time this
Christmas.
Christmas Car Rentals for Young Drivers
Apart from meeting family
members, many of you can also plan an outing with your friends and if you are
just out of school or college, hiring a car during Christmas can be even more
difficult. As you already know, not many car rental companies are willing to
rent their cars to drivers below the age of 25 years; it can become more
difficult during the peak season.
Many car rental companies
agree to rent out cars to young drivers so that they can have their cars
running and keep up with their earnings (especially during the off seasons),
while some others rent out for extra charges. But owing to the huge demand
during the holiday season and the higher chances of accidents, car rental
companies would shy away from renting cars to young people.
So if you want to hire a car
to go out with your friends, you must start looking for a Christmas car rental
much in advance, before the actual rush starts. Also, make sure you have a good
driving background so that the rental company has no inhibitions renting you a
car. If you want to make things easier, you can include someone senior within
your group and hire the car in his/ her name.
Remember, driving during
winter can be a lot tougher than driving during summers, so make sure whoever
drives the car is confident enough. Also make sure you have enough back-ups in
case you face mishaps in between your journey. Before hiring a car, enquire
whether the car rental company offers round the clock emergency services or
not.
No doubt Christmas is the
time to let yourself out but you should be extra cautious if you are driving a
rental car. Not only will you hurt yourself, in case you meet an accident, you
will also have to pay huge compensations to the car rental company. So to make
your journey enjoyable drive safe and have fun!
A Final Thought
Christmas is the best time
of the year and everyone is busy preparing for the celebrations. Apart from
decorating the tree, lighting up your house and baking delicious cakes you will
also have to take care of the Christmas car rentals.
This is one important task
to be done, if you have plans to drive out of the city to meet your extended
family or have fun with friends. Remember, a number of conmen set up traps
during these festive to suck up money from renters, so you must be very careful
while renting cars. Don’t get swayed by rock bottom prices. A deal that seems
too good to be true might be a trap. Avoid them and look for better deals. Also
check whether the car rental company is authentic and has been there in the
market for a long time. To choose the right Christmas car rental you can follow
the BVRLA rules and stay away from traps.
One more important aspect of
Christmas car rentals is that, you must book a car in advance, so that you get
the best deal and the perfect car according to your travelling needs. Waiting
for the last minute means you have to pay sky rocketing charges and might also
have to make changes to your travel plans.
Just like you start
preparing for Christmas much in advance – buy gifts for loved ones, buy
decorations, clean your home – you should also start planning your vacation and
car rental in advance so that you have peace of mind and are able to enjoy
Christmas to the fullest. Remember the do’s and don’ts when renting a car
during holiday season and have a lot of fun this Christmas.
Whether you are travelling
with your friends and family, obey the traffic rules and drive safe, so that
each one of you make sweet memories that you can cherish throughout your life. So
happy renting and merry Christmas to all of you!
