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Fuel and insurance are often two of the most misunderstood issues when it comes to hiring a car. In this article we try to shed some light on these topics!

Fuel Policy

There are two main types of fuel policies in the car hire industry: "full to full" and "full to empty". For many years, "full to full" was the norm. With this type of fuel policy, clients were given the car with a full tank and had to return it with a full tank, thus avoiding any fuel charges by the rental company. Nowadays, most lo

You’ve got your flight to Costa Rica booked, your hotel reservations or tour itinerary set. Now what about getting around?

There are many choices, from in-country flights to renting a car, hopping a local bus or hiring a private shuttle or tour bus complete with bilingual driver. It all depends on how fast you want to get somewhere, how many places you want to visit, what you want to see and, of course, how much money you want to spend.

While Costa Rica is small, comparable in size to West Virg

I still remember vividly the first time a local gave me directions in Costa Rica:

Go north 700 meters. At the “pulperia” turn left, and go west 300 meters. At the corner where the old fig tree used to be, turn right. Go 175 meters and it’s the papaya-colored house on the left with the black gate.

Sure. So … how do I count meters? Which way is north from here? And how in heaven am I supposed to know where the old fig tree used to be?

Or, how about the directions to my old apartment in Rohrmoser, whe

When you book your hire car, do you book with a supplier; such as Hertz or Europcar or would you rather book with a car hire broker?

Auto Europe has been providing car hire to clients for over 50 years, which is why we are able to provide competitive prices at car hire locations across the world. Choosing your car hire has never been as easy. Auto Europe has already sourced the best deals that the suppliers can offer and offers you a wide range of vehicles. Whether you’re travelling in a large pa

Italy is a great summer destination, bringing together amazing weather, world-famous food, and countless cultural treasures. If you hire a car in Italy for the summer, there are some things you should know, the most important of which is that there's a thing called the ZTL that you should keep an eye out for. Nothing gets foreign drivers fined more quickly in Italy than accidentally wandering into a ZTL.

ZTL stands for Zona a Traffico Limitato, and it's an area in the centre of the city in whi

An autumn journey to Krakow, a city that is probably best known of stag parties, where already many Britons come over weekends to celebrate, may become an unforgettable experience. Getting there is easy with cheap flights, affordable hotel prices and almost everyone speaking English. This should not come as a surprise, as Krakow is one of the largest academic cities home to the oldest Polish university founded in 1364. The city is literally flooded by young people. Next to their studies they hav

For travellers bound for the Emerald Isle, picking up a car hire in Ireland can be a great way to explore, particularly if you wish to go out into the countryside and not be confined to a single location. Now, driving in Ireland can seem like a no brainer. After all, how different can it possibly be from driving in the UK? The main language spoken is the same, people drive on the same side of the road (the left!), and there's no reason to suppose that driving in Ireland would be any more difficu

Handing back over your hire car at the end of your holidays needs to be a simple and quick transaction with most people having flights to catch and not allot of time to spare. Follow these tips and the whole experience should be a smooth one:

If possible leave yourself plenty of time for the return of the vehicle. If you are returning a Portugal car hire to Lisbon Airport then allow time for traffic to the airport, finding the car hire depot, checking onto your flight, airport security and findin

Travel as we know it has changed in the last few years. We now get our trip recommendations from travel social networks, and upload our holiday snapshots in real-time. When renting a car to drive in the U.S., there are plenty of apps designed to help you make the best of your trip. Feel free to add your favorites in the comments section!

Gas Buddy: This community-based free app promises to find the cheapeast and closest gas stations. Gas Buddy rewards users who report gas prices and gets great re

No matter how short or long your flight to your holiday destination, once you arrive all you want to do his hop in your car and be on your way. But it is worth taking a few moments to check both the condition of the vehicle and also the paperwork which you are signing.

One way you can prepare yourself is by booking your car hire with a broker such as Auto Europe. When you book your vehicle online or via the call centre you will be advised what extra charges may be applied locally and also it is c

When visiting any location we should all try and be the best tourist that we possible can be, looking after and respecting our beautiful nature spots.

If you are planning on booking a US car hire and visiting one of the country’s national parks it’s a good idea to do a little research before you travel. Most parks will have their own website that will tell you the park rules such as opening hours, speed limits and they will also list the areas where you can or can’t drive.

For example the Yosemit