To avoid dissapointment this year, the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) has announced that the same short supply of car hire which was encountered by tourists last year is anticipated this year (2010) too.

The supply cannot match the demand in certain tourist hotspots and airports, this has come about due to car rental companies decreasing thier fleet size due to car manufacturers being hit by the global recession. Car hire companies are being cautious as to not over supply the demand.

So, just like you would not arrive at the airport on your departure date and hope to get on a flight immediately, car hire this easter and summer is to be book early.

If you’re planning a trip to Thailand and you’re thinking about renting a car there, we are providing some useful tips on what to expect, despite the fact that you may have car hire insurance with us, it would be nice to return the rental car undamaged!

The danger areas of Thailand is where driving on over crowded roads in and around Bangkok.

• Be aware of motorcycles as they often travel in the wrong direction in the cycle lanes, be aware when turning right at all times as they may be in a place where they shouldn’t be.
• When a car flashes its lights, it means that they are not stopping so don’t pull out.
• The pick-up truck are more often than not work related vehicles and they mean business on the roads, time is money and they don’t hang about, they drive with the least of regard for other road users, so be vigilant and aware should you see one approaching in your rear view.
• The U-turn should be done in a quiet area, try to avoid main road u turns as even drivers in the distance will not slow down for you doing your maneuver as they accelerate away from traffic fast.

One final bit of advice, when hiring your car in Thailand, make sure you do so from a reputable rental car agency to get the safest cars available, we recommend using Vision Car Hire as they deal with only the most reputable car hire agencies worldwide and provide competitive rates-taking out your additional insurance can be done through them or us.

Save the planet by reducing CO2 emissions, even car rental companies are pitching in on the scheme by allowing the rental of fully electric cars.

Some car hire companies already provide hybrid cars such as the Honda Insight etc. But we haven’t seen anything of a fully electric powered car being provisioned just yet.

There is good news though that plans for 2011 are in place by some rental companies to provide the Nissan Leaf to its customers.

co2 emmisions at all time low available for hire in 2011

Shown above is the Nissan Leaf in its true crowning glory as being amongst the greenest cars about, aside from the fact that this one is blue,… well you get the point.

Powered by rechargeable battery and has a range of 100 miles and can be charged at a fast charge station or from domestic outlet. It boasts 5 seat capacity and can hurtle along at speeds of upto 90 Mph. Make no mistake this is no Tesla, more practical for the masses.

There you have it, doing thier bit, car hire companies thinking of the future ahead.

Approximately 42 percent of people hiring cars across the globe are confused by the additional insurance which is offered by the rental companies when faced with going through with the booking.

A recent survey revealed that people misinterpret what is actually being sold with the hire agreement, with all rental cars there is a compulsary insurance which covers the driver third party and additional insurance which effectively gives the rental car driver fully comprehensive cover.

As a driver you probably are aware that even fully comprehensive insurance policies carry an obligatory excess amount. This is what you don’t need to pay if the additional insurance is taken at a daily rate.

Most car rental agencies offer thier own car hire insurance over the counter when you collect the hire car which means you don’t end up paying the high excess charges should anything happen.

This is where we come in, our daily rates are cheaper by approximately 60% when compared to “over the counter excess insurance” but are no different in level of cover, in some cases we actually cover more than the rental agencies do.

If it’s make your mind up time, it’s a bit of a no-brainer to take a daily or annual policy from excess protection before buying at the rental kiosk as you’re bound to be overcharged.

Announced by the BBC, that some tourists may not be able to hire a car in certain places due to high demand in 2010 and coupled with the economic crisis happening around us all.

The financial meltdown has impacted car makers around the world and have thus decreased thier normal output to keep themselves in tune with the maket demand, car hire companies looking to expand their fleet for the summer are struggling to get what they need.

The worst hit appears to be Spain where smaller cars are scarce due to their popularity and that the majority of the public believe that they are cheaper-this is not the case according to multiple car hire companies operating throughout Spain.

Prices in some extreme shortages have sored, such as the balerics where the price of car hire has almost doubled says spokesperson of moneysupermarket.com. That said, cheap car hire is the way forward and we are pround to reccomend Vision Car Hire in their efforts to keep the holiday maker happy by keeping thier prices low, even at crisis point.

As we thought, from early reports we’re predicting (along with several other market researchers) that the car hire industry is going to be the busiest we’ve ever seen.

Many reasons could be down to the fact that it has become a money saving tool hiring a car when planning a trip to a foreign destination and that the World Cup 2010 is being hosted in South Africa-if you’re going then hiring a car is essential, needless to say rental car insurance is a must!

We are already aware that many people have pre-booked thier hire cars for the upcoming World Cup, might we suggest that car hire insurance is purchased due to the slightly higher crime rate in this nation and high excess charges.