Thanks GOD, It’s Holiday

The best thing about renting a car in Alicante is the freedom it gives you to explore a range of stunning destinations that would otherwise remain unseen. Alcoy is one of those places. Unfairly overshadowed by big-hitting neighbours such as Benidorm, Alcoy is well worth a visit. The following is a guide to Alcoy and the best places to visit with Alcoy car hire.

Alicante Airport Car Hire:

The car hire area in Alicante Airport is situated in front of the exit door of the arrival area. The rental desks can be accessed from within the arrival area or from the outside. The parking area at the airport has been enlarged over the past year and the parking area for major car rental companies has also been expanded.

Alcoy Mini Guide:

Situated at the crossing of five rivers, Alcoy is one of those places in Spain that exudes a special magic. Alcoy is most famous for its famous fiesta of the Moors and Christians, which takes place on St Georges Day (23rd April). The celebrations spill over into several days and are the most famous around the Costa Blanca region.

Things To See/Do in Alcoy:

Alcoy boasts a good selection of attractions, from the pretty Plaza de Espana with its distinctive city hall to the church of stunning architecture of the church of Santa Maria. A short walk around the corner will take you to San Lorrenc, where you will find the tourist information office and plenty of free maps. The bridge of San Jordi is another must see. A left turn from here will take you to the street of San Miguel, where the pretty archaeological museum of Alcoy is located. Here you’ll find plenty of findings from roman and Iberian times. After all that sightseeing, you’ll be in need of a little bit of R and R. You’ll find plenty of tapas bars and cafés around the old town that are provide the perfect place to sit and watch the world go by. If you’re looking for a little bit of peace and quiet, head to “la glorieta” and the “parc de cantagallet”. Here you’ll find plenty of green spaces, after hours of walking around in the busy city centre.

Day Trips/Events in Alcoy:

The city’s main event is San Jordi, which takes place annually on 23rd April. If you happen to miss out on the fun, check out the fantastic museum de fiestas, which is situated just opposite the archaeological museum in the Calle San Miguel. There are lots of elaborately decorated historic costumes and photographs of past fiestas. These will give you an insight into why everybody around the Costa Blanca talks about Alcoy, when it comes to the biggest celebration o moros y christianos.

Alcoy is the perfect base from which to explore the surrounding coastline and landscapes of Alicante. With Alicante car hire you have every reason to do so. Costa Blanca boasts some of the most stunning scenery on Spain. Medieval architecture and stunning natural beauty makes Guadalest village the perfect destination for an excursion from the city. Murcia is another worthy option. Here you’ll find the famous Santa Maria Cathedral and beautiful nearby port town of Cartagena.

Whether it’s for environmental reasons or those of convenience, hiring a car to use as transport when on holiday may seem an unsuitable choice for some travellers. For others, it’s the most convenient way to find transport between holiday locations, some of which may be out of the reach of the local transport system. Anyone going on holiday to Spain, for example, may find it simple to catch a train from Barcelona to Seville - but what if you wanted to explore some of the country’s more out of the way areas, such as the Alpujarras mountainous district or the port of Cadiz?

If you are thinking about hiring a car on a holiday to Spain, you’ll have to take into account some basic facts and figures. One of the main things to consider is how much you actually need the car: for example, in terms of budgeting, the basic rental would cost more than a train or bus ticket. Add to that amount the numerous petrol refills and road tolls you would come across if you used a car instead of the local transport and you’ve got a hefty transport bill right in your lap.

If you are going to rent car, would it be better to go through with the transaction when you’re booking your holiday? Or would you rather walk up to one of the hire car counters desks you always see in airportswhen you arrive at your destination? Booking beforehand gives you a sense of security, knowing that once you get your luggage out of baggage reclaim you can walk up to the car counterhire desk, retrieve a set of car keys and drive out of the airport yourself.. Ordering on the day itself, on the other hand, can be problematic. There may be a queue for the car counter or you may not have the variety of car options made available to you had you booked online.

Another factor is the levels of traffic in Spain. Almost every major city in the world has problems with traffic and Spain is no exception. Mornings in Madrid are notorious for traffic build-ups and, with the added hassle of trying to find an empty parking space, then it might be prudent to say that car travel would not be an option available to all.

On the plus side, travelling in a car does have some major benefits. You don’t have to plan your holiday itinerary to match those of the local buses or trains; and, as the luxury of air conditioning is common in most cars, this would be a godsend if the weather was 30 degrees Celsius with 90 percent humidity - as is often the case in Spain’s most popular holiday locations. An added bonus would be the ability to retain your personal space and more within the comforts of your hired car, instead of travelling with fellow tourists or Spaniardsother passengers in a crammed bus or carriage.

So if your holiday in Spain consists of travelling in and around the major urban cities, then it would make sense to make use of the local transport system. However, if you’re feeling adventurous, then rent a car and make your way to locations less frequented by tourists as car hire in Spain can be easily done either before, at the start of or during

Strategically located at the gateway to the Mediterranean Sea and being separated from North Africa by only 14 km of water, Spain has been a crossroad to numerous civilizations in the history. Occupying the southwest corner (Iberian Peninsula) of Europe, Spain happens to be the third largest country of the continent after Russia and France. It is comprised of 17 autonomous regions, the island groups of Canaries in the Atlantic and the Balearics in the Mediterranean and the cities of Ceuta and Melilla.

With more than 300 days of the sun, sand and sea it is not difficult to see why Spain happens to be the 3rd most popular tourist destination in the world. And this is precisely the reason why Spain is easily accessible from any part of the world, with most of its visitors arriving by air. Cheap flights are available, on daily basis, from almost every major airport in the world and nearly all the major airlines operate in and out of Spain. Apart from this, Spain is well connected to rest of Europe by trains and ferry link services, while the intercontinental tourists can hire a car and drive down to this country by some amazing roadways.

Once in Spain, the best way to explore this country is by hiring a car, which can really open up your travel horizons and let you explore some untouched and undiscovered locales. Drive your way, a few miles inland, away from the crowded coastline to explore the most scenic countryside in Western Europe. Hilltop monasteries, flower carpeted mountainsides, medieval age relics, quaint villages with cobbled paths, follow the winding roads crisscrossing the vineyards and olive orchards to discover some of the most scenic spots of this country. With a bit of planning in advance driving in Spain can be very easy. So car hire is indeed the most realistic option for you.

Here are some valuable tips on the Do and Don’ts of car hire in Spain.

1. Plan in advance:

With a trip itinerary in your hand, you would not want to end up stranded at the airport with no clue of how to go around the city or even reach your hotel. Though there are numerous car hire companies at your service at the airports, you surely do not want to spend most of your time trying to decide on the one that caters to your needs. Plus you should be aware of the many spurious car hire companies which will give you an unreliable car at some absurd prices with many hidden costs and so forth. Avoid such places, and book a car with a reliable car rental provider. Make your vacation hassle free by doing some research into the area you intend visiting and the car hire services available in the same. Browse through some reviews and real experiences on the internet which would help you decide where to hire a car from during your holidays.

2. Booking a car:

After a full internet search carefully compare and contrast the offers made by the car hire companies. Compare the companies on parameters such as types of cars offered, car hire rates, mileage, pick up and delivery point of the car, fuel charges, insurance coverage, etc. Some companies offer good package deals (like if you are traveling to more than one destination in the region) which turn out to be pretty economical in comparison to booking a car afresh every time you reach the next destination. Also, always keep a printed copy of your confirmation with you while traveling to avoid any last moment confusions.

3. Look out for the hidden costs:

Many car hire companies do not communicate the hidden costs in their quoted rates, for e.g. you might just end up paying some extra amount for choosing a pick up or drop point different from that offered by the company. Feel free to ask your queries about the terms n number of times before confirming.

You could be charged extra if you ask for a car topped with fuel, or don’t return the car with a full tank and these charges could be way more than that at the gas station.

Insurance, covers any damage to the vehicle while in your possession, and can add up a good amount of those extra bucks to your rental quotes.

While there are a few companies making quotes, all inclusive of insurance coverage, most companies charge an additional insurance amount. Also sometimes your banks offer some kind of insurance policies if you use their services elsewhere, so check if car insurance is one of them. You might not need an additional insurance at all!

4. Mileage:

Some car rental providers offer, unlimited mileage, while others offer only a few miles free and charge the remaining. Choose a service provider as per your traveling plans.

5. Taxes:

Depending on where from you hire a car, you could be charged additional taxes.

Airport taxes, value added taxes in Europe could be a costly affair, thus it’s always wise to check with your car hire service provider whether or not these are included in your car rental rates.

6.Time:

Many companies rent a car on a 24 hours basis while the other do it on a day and date basis i.e. you need to return the car on xyz date at any time of the day. The former case is a bit tricky, because if you return the car even a few minutes after the given time/hour you could be unnecessarily charged for an additional 24 hours.

Whatever be your vacation plan be sure to work out all the details of your car hire with the concerned company in details and be sure to go through their terms and conditions, policies etc carefully before finalizing your booking.