On the road once more

Driving the roads of Green Britain

For those of us who live in Spain it's a real treat to drive the roads of the U.K. as the countryside is so green and lush. There is a reason for that. It's called rainfall that can make driving something of a real challenge at times. When you mix torrential downfalls with fog and large lorrys throwing even more water at you it is very tempting to just pull off at a rest stop and have a cup of tea.

I hired a car from Sixth, and I was satisfied with our transaction. They had promised me a VW Polo or similar. What I got was a Citroen C3 Picasso. I  had not noticed the car before. When I saw it I felt certain I would be disappointed driving it, but it handles really well, with plenty of leg and head space. It is a light car which suggests to me that it might plane on wet surfaces, but other than that it went really well.

I would add one word of caution: when booking a car hire next time, I will do so directly with Sixth rather than one of the other booking agents. The problem to avoid is that of purchasing insurance. I will want to have a contract directly with the company I am renting the vehicle from, and not with a third party. Also, it is important to be sure that the vehicle's glass and tyres are covered as well as the excess.

The other thing that concerns the visitor to England is the purchase of British pounds. At the airport there are many Currency Exchange booths. The traveller simply goes to one of them and makes a purchase. However, I suspect that each booth is in competition with the other and by shopping around you might be able to find a better deal. That no one does that is probably taken advantage of by the dealers.

Driving the country lanes is a real hairaising thing to do. There is barely room for one car, but you are constantly encountering cars coming the other way and they are usually moving fast. Why there are not more crashes remains a mystery. However, some of the seaside towns are so charming. One such place is Mousehole, although you are advised to park on the outskirts and take a walk through the town. It is such a rewarding thing to do.

Copyright (c) 2013      Eugene Carmichael