Brits Stressed When Driving on Holiday - Reveals New Poll

SURREY, ENGLAND, February 04, 2011 (Press-News.org) Being unfamiliar with the roads, the area and the rules or regulations for a country that they are visiting are the main stresses of driving abroad for British motorists, not to mention driving on the right hand side of the road, found the Carrentals.co.uk new poll.

British holidaymakers find driving abroad stressful and the results from the poll by the car hire comparison website are as follows: 10% are stressed by driving on the right hand side of the road; 47% find driving in unfamiliar areas stressful; 26% are stressed with local drivers' actions on the roads; and 14% don't know the road rules for the country they are visiting.

Carrentals.co.uk's managing director and spokesperson, Mr Gareth Robinson says: "Driving when on holiday can make people nervous but planning ahead, knowing your route and looking at a map can help it be more enjoyable. It is one of the most affordable ways to get around and hiring a car also gives a certain flexibility to the holiday.

"By being clever with insurance for your hire car is another way to reduce costs. Hire companies insist on you taking their insurance policies, which are expensive and not always comprehensive, but taking out a policy with a 3rd party insurer can help cut costs. It's possible to insure it yourself and save some money, but make sure you have the policy at hand when collecting the car."

To help reduce stress and have stress free driving, Carrentals.co.uk has created some top tips to help Brits driving when on holiday:

- Do some research - For your first time visit to a country, learn the rules and regulations before setting off and familiarise yourself with the routes you'll take and the road signs. Try a left hand drive car before you take the plunge when on holiday.

- Route planning - if you read a map or hire a sat nav before you leave, you can enjoy the journey more, rather than be stressed. If you're travelling alone then planning the route is vitally important.

- Take a break - try to stop every so often along the way to enjoy the area and the surrounding. You're on holiday, there's no race, just take pit stops and take in the scenic views or visit local sights.

- Prepare yourself - for most foreign countries, drivers have to have their driving license with them at all times and it's a good idea to have the hire car rental agreement and policies for insurance too. If you're driving in inclement conditions, a blanket, de-icing spray and a torch are handy to take with you.

- Are you covered? - in the UK, South Africa, New Zealand, Europe and Australia hire companies have insurance for Theft, Collision Damage Waiver and Third Party Liability, but in other countries there is little or no insurance. Having your own policy can help cover yourself for any accidents. For instance, you can claim back damage charges using Refundable Excess which many insurers offer.

Top brand names are compared at Carrentals.co.uk, including Sixt, Holiday Autos, Budget, Alamo and Auto Europe. To find the latest and best deals visit www.carrentals.co.uk.

About Carrentals.co.uk
Carrentals.co.uk was launched in February 2003 and grew to become one of the UK's leading online car hire companies by 2006.

In 2007 the company re-launched its site to create the first major online price comparator in the travel industry. Using the latest technology the Carrentals.co.uk site now searches up to 50 different car hire websites, providing an impartial comparison of the best prices available in over 10,000 locations.

Websites searched include Alamo, Auto Europe, Budget, Ebookers, Hertz, Holiday Autos, Opodo, Sixt and Thrifty, with the Carrentals.co.uk site quickly comparing prices and allowing customers to refine their search by car type.

The Carrentals.co.uk site also features over 5,000 pages of travel information in a mini-guide format.

In 2008 Carrentals.co.uk was voted Best Car Hire Website in the Travolution Awards, and in 2010 it was Highly Commended in the Best Meta-search/Price Comparison category. To book or for further information visit www.carrentals.co.uk

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