Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Environmental Transport Association
(
0800 212 810;
www.eta.co.uk
)
Royal Automobile Club
(RAC;
0844 891 3111;
www.rac.co.uk
)
Hire
Hire cars are expensive in the UK and you'll usually get a better rate by booking online in advance. To hire a car, drivers
must usually be between 23 and 65 years of age - outside these limits special conditions or insurance requirements may
apply. You will also need a credit card to make an advance booking and act as a deposit.
For a compact car, expect to pay in the region of £140 a week (including insurance etc). Most cars are manual; auto-
matic cars are available but they're generally more expensive to hire. If you need a baby chair or booster seat, specify
this at the time of booking.
Some agencies in Wales:
Alamo
(
0871 384 1086;
www.alamo.co.uk
)
Avis
(
0844 581 0147;
www.avis.co.uk
)
Budget
(
0844 544 3439;
www.budget.co.uk
)
Europcar
( 0871 384 9900;
www.europcar.co.uk
)
Hertz
( 0843 309 3099;
www.hertz.co.uk
)
Holiday Autos
(
0800 093 3111;
www.holidayautos.co.uk
)
Road Rules
A copy of the Highway Code can be bought in most bookshops or read online at
www.gov.uk/highway-code
.
The most basic rules:
»
Drive on the left, overtake to the right.
»
When entering a roundabout, give way to the right.
»
Safety belts must be worn by the driver and all passengers.
»
Motorcyclists and their passengers must wear helmets.
»
The legal alcohol limit is 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood or 35mg on the breath.
»
It is illegal to use a mobile phone while driving unless you have a hands-free kit.
Taxi
You'll usually find a taxi rank outside the train station in bigger towns. The best place to find the local taxi phone num-
ber is in the local pub. In rural areas a 5-mile ride will cost around £12.
