# Rental car in Scotland



## jgood76 (Apr 3, 2009)

We're going to Scotland for 12 days this coming August. A few days will be spent with relatives and a few days in Edinburgh, but will be renting a car for 5 or so days to travel around the country.

Any suggestions on getting a good deal, and any advice with respect to insurance.

We have a Rogers World Elite Mastercard, which includes Rental Car Collision/Damage Insurance .


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## ian (Jun 18, 2016)

We generally find that autoeurope.ca has the best rates. Also try Kemwel, same company. You pay in advance. Keep checking pricing as it fluctuates as does cars offered. The reservation can be cancelled.

It is a brokerage, you will get a rental at one of the large firms. 

We have rented vehicles in Europe and the UK from them for years. We find them to be particularly good for one way rentals.

We have found their customer service to be top notch. Had an issue with an incorrect refueling charge at a London agency. Autoeurope took over the issue and it was resolved to our satisfaction with a credit card refund within the week.

Some of their cars, in some countries, have an insurance option. We use our credit card insurance.

We rented a car in Tasmania last month. Original cost was 240 for very small vehicle (all that we needed). Checking prices, and getting rebilled reduced it to $200. and we got an extra day rental plus an upgrade to a Camry.

Our experience is also that sometimes the price of a five or six day rental is the same as a 7 day rental. Also, picking the car up at an airport location often costs more and you will have less chance of getting an upgraded vehicle. Get a diesel if you can. Gas is expensive over there!


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## jgood76 (Apr 3, 2009)

Thanks for the quick reply Ian.

I had found the autoeurope.ca site yesterday, and it's nice to hear a good review about it before booking with them.


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## l1quidfinance (Mar 17, 2017)

Someimes I've found a better price booking straight on the UK specific website. Then cancel the insurances that are covered by the card. 

I've previously used autoeurope as well. 

One thing to consider is that the car will be a manual transmission unless you specify an auto.


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## OhGreatGuru (May 24, 2009)

Have you any prior experience driving on the wrong side of the road?


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## jgood76 (Apr 3, 2009)

Zero experience driving on wrong side of road - hoping it's easier than it seems!

Yep, noticed that most of the options are manual, and will definitely be paying more for an automatic, because even though I grew up driving manual, it's been years, and when considering would have to shift gears with wrong hand no chance I'm trying that.


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## OhGreatGuru (May 24, 2009)

I would give it serious thought (re-consideration?). It's very disorienting. Roundabouts and intersections particularly are very non-intuitive. Also, having been on a bus tour to Scotland last year, I can tell you all roads outside of urban areas are pretty narrow, with no shoulders. If you are planning to drive to places like the Isles of Sky or Mull, roads there are essentially one lane, with small pull-overs to pass on-coming vehicles.


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

Driving a car on the other side of the road does take some getting used to but how difficult you will find it depends more on your confidence as a driver than anything else. When I first did it in my 30s, I had no real problem, I was of course immortal and as good a driver as a winning Fomula One driver in my mind at that time. Nowadays, I try to avoid it if possible and even my wife who grew up in the UK is the same now as it has become for her over time, the 'wrong' side of the road. Only you know how confident a driver YOU are.

Regarding renting a car, I would consider where you are staying at the time you will want to rent. For example, if you will be in Edinburgh and plan to rent from there, I would consider instead, taking a train a short way out of the city and then renting. That way you will avoid the stress of having to start out driving in the city and making your way out. If you are starting from your relatives home in a smaller town, that problem doesn't arise. Also, where will you return the car is worth some thought. Returning it outside of the city or the airport lot will be easier. If you are an immortal 30 year old of course, you can ignore such things.

Autoeurope does have a good reputation but in the UK, I have used Enterprise several times. You may also find that the price for a 5 day rental is the same as the price for a week, in which case you may want to reconsider how many days you want the car for. Also, you may find that they are not open on Sundays. A quick check on Enterprise's site shows me automatics from 160 GBP per week.

I think you will find Autoeurope more limited in pick-up/drop-off locations. Also if you are starting from your relatives home town, the local Enterprise if there is one, will pick you up at your relatives home. To get more specific advice, you need to be more specific in the information you are giving here in terms of locations and how the rental period will fit within those locations. 

As for OhGreatGuru's comment about what are referred to as 'single track' roads with passing places, those are not that common in most of the country. You certainly wouldn't encounter any driving from Edinburgh to Skye for example. I think OhGreatGuru's memory of their bus tour is being coloured by being a passenger paying little attention to the road and more attention to looking out the window. For example, a popular road with tourists is through Glen Coe. You can see a video here of the A82 road that goes through it. https://www.zigzagonearth.com/a82-glen-coe-scotland/ While it is not the world's widest road, I think you will see that once on the 'right' side of the road, there is no problem driving it.


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## jgood76 (Apr 3, 2009)

I'm past 30 by a few years, but still feel quite confident in my driving skills! And where we're planning on going we pretty much have to have our own rental car. I'm not sure what the Uber / Lyft / cab options are like over there but for the distances and number of stops we're planning I'm sure it would be way to expensive. I am leaning towards finding a pick-up / drop-off location just outside of the Edinburgh city centre to make the initial driving experience a little less stressful. Before booking with autoeurope.ca I'll be sure to compare the prices and locations that Enterprise offers.


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

OhGreatGuru said:


> Have you any prior experience driving on the wrong side of the road?


Yes. I've done it a few times, most recently last month in Australia where I drove hundreds of km. I'm in my mid 30s. Thankfully I have never had any major problems*. Here are three tricks I use to adjust myself to it:

(1) take a local bus and sit near the driver. Pretend you're the driver and watch what he does. Watch what he does at intersections and *roundabouts*. Try to anticipate his next move. Notice what you "did wrong" and learn from it. Ideally, do this for more than one bus ride to better absorb the lesson. This helps not just for the left vs right issue but for other peculiarities in countries. Pay particular attention to roundabouts and turning right at intersections with oncoming traffic.

(2) similar to the above, when you're walking, stop at intersections and think about traffic flow. Imagine you're in a car and think of what you'd do. This works especially well at busy intersections, because you can see what cars actually do. It's amazing how much you can get out of just watching others do it.

(3) when you rent your car, take it easy and take it SLOW. This is not the time to get ambitious, you really must take it slow. I find the first 30 - 60 minutes very exhausting and mentally draining. I try to immediately get to a quiet residential street, where I can practice a bit without high speed or pressure. Once I get the hang of things, I head back onto the larger roads.

* Problems: the only minor problem I've had, including in my last trip, is that when seated on the wrong side of the car, I have trouble telling where the other edge of the car is. This has meant I've scraped the side/bumper/tires against curb pretty badly. I got some minor scrapes on the front/side bumper and damaged the tire a bit.


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

These might be helpful videos to watch before you drive on the wrong side of the road. I know this might feel silly but I suggest grabbing a paper plate or frisbee and using it like a fake steering wheel, turning it while you imagine driving. I think it helps to build muscle memory and the brain benefits from memorization and repetition that involves multiple senses:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFYSS1EGu9w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuqlfM-MX7g

Pay attention to the path the car takes when turning and which side of the median you end up at. It's easy to end up on the wrong side of the divider. These first person views of real scenarios are far more useful than overhead views or diagrams.

I'll be honest, I'm scared of the big roundabouts that have multiple lanes.


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

james4beach said:


> Yes. I've done it a few times, most recently last month in Australia where I drove hundreds of km. I'm in my mid 30s. Thankfully I have never had any major problems*. Here are three tricks I use to adjust myself to it:
> 
> (1) take a local bus and sit near the driver. Pretend you're the driver and watch what he does. Watch what he does at intersections and *roundabouts*. Try to anticipate his next move. Notice what you "did wrong" and learn from it. Ideally, do this for more than one bus ride to better absorb the lesson. This helps not just for the left vs right issue but for other peculiarities in countries. Pay particular attention to roundabouts and turning right at intersections with oncoming traffic.
> 
> ...


You make a good point about judging how close you are to the curb etc. We are used to judging this automatically and when you switch sides, you are in effect back to your first day of driving lessons. 

The other factor I think is common, is coming out of a driveway etc. and turning onto the wrong side of the road because you are in 'auto pilot' mode rather than actually thinking about it. I found that to be the most common situations in which I found myself on the wrong side of the road. Lesson is, do not drive in auto pilot ever, pay attention at all times.

Roundabouts do take some getting used to, they're all about timing and understanding if it is a multiple lane roundabout, which lane you are going to want to be in, you can't just sit in the 'exit' lane all the way around.

Really, at the end of the day, if you can drive, you should be fine. Thousands of people do it every year.


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## ian (Jun 18, 2016)

I have done it numerous times. It takes a half day or so to get used to it. You do need to be very alert so that you can override your natural driving instincts. Especially at night. Roundabouts take some getting used to but I find watching the yield signs does help.

I think that you will be just fine as long as you are not an overly nervous driver and you stay alert. 

Just wish they would put the turn signals on our side of the steering column. Can't think of how many times I have turned on the wipers instead of the turn signal!

Definitely shop all over for prices from reputable agencies. Once you have booked, keep checking. Our experience is that rental car rates change as often as hotel rates.


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## peterk (May 16, 2010)

Hopefully the UK car companies operate better than the rest of Europe. The big brand names, I find, have business practices in Europe that bear little resemblance to their North American namesakes.

Just got back from Amsterdam - The airport Enterprise apparently didn't have any economy cars left, and since I arrived 2 hours later than my reservation "time", they would not simply just give me the next car around, but required I pay extra for the upsell on the larger model that they did have available. Not impressed.


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## lonewolf :) (Sep 13, 2016)

Google Raising highway speeding tickets to 175% of your weekly income Martin Armstrong

I would not drive in Europe it is cheaper to rent a limo. According to Armstrong there are speeding cameras everywhere. In the hunt for money they will stop you for 1 mile an hour over the speed limit. If your making 25 million a year your fine will be $841,346. I would look into weather or not Scotland is on a hunt for money before I rented a car there.


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

peterk said:


> Hopefully the UK car companies operate better than the rest of Europe. The big brand names, I find, have business practices in Europe that bear little resemblance to their North American namesakes.
> 
> Just got back from Amsterdam - The airport Enterprise apparently didn't have any economy cars left, and since I arrived 2 hours later than my reservation "time", they would not simply just give me the next car around, but required I pay extra for the upsell on the larger model that they did have available. Not impressed.





lonewolf :) said:


> Google Raising highway speeding tickets to 175% of your weekly income Martin Armstrong
> 
> I would not drive in Europe it is cheaper to rent a limo. According to Armstrong there are speeding cameras everywhere. In the hunt for money they will stop you for 1 mile an hour over the speed limit. If your making 25 million a year your fine will be $841,346. I would look into weather or not Scotland is on a hunt for money before I rented a car there.


Umm, what has normal practice in N. America got to do with normal practice in another country? Read what you wrote. 

Business practices in Europe are European business practices, not N. American business practices and regardless of whether you like them or not, you have to work within them. That a car rental company does not give you a free upgrade after YOU are LATE for your reservation, is not exactly an earth shattering revelation peterk. If you arrive for a dinner reservation at an upscale restaurant 2 hours late, what happens? You get a table anyway and an upgraded table at that? 

Lonewolf, it is NOT cheaper to rent a limo. That's a ridiculous statement to make. Speed cameras may be more common in Europe so what? Do you plan to drive in excess of the speed limit? The UK most certainly does have a lot of them compared to many other countries but if you are not exceeding the speed limit, that is of no consequence at all to you as a driver. It is not like saying, the police stop you when they see you are in a rental car and demand an immediate cash payment by the roadside because it is common police practice to stop tourists and demand illegal payments.

Scotland has speed cameras and no they do not connect fines to income although I do see some logic in that. If you want to stop someone speeding, fine them an amount that matters to them. But that is another subject. They don't do it in Scotland which is the topic here. If you don't speed you have nothing to be concerned about. Suggesting as you have that someone should hire a limo rather than drive is just ridiculous. 

What normal business practices are in another country or whether you can drive in excess of a speed limit without incurring large fines are not reasons to not drive in that country. Just because you are used to lax law enforcement at home doesn't mean you are ENTITLED to expect the same elsewhere. Or that because a car rental company makes a practice of upgrading you when they run out of economy cars, means you are ENTITLED to the same elsewhere. You are ENTITLED to the same treatment as everyone else in that country.

Do you realize that both your 'posts' are an example of, 'you can't do that to me, I'm an American Citizen!' You're just Canadian versions.


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## ian (Jun 18, 2016)

We have rented in Europe often, including the UK. And in many other parts of world. Africa, Central and South America, Turkey, Australia. From the large agencies and the small ones. We have never experienced much of a difference in in business practices between them. The only difference we have seen is sometimes the amount of the credit hold when we do not take the rental company insurance.

I do not understand the tickets and speed camera comments. Is the suggestion the we take a limo instead of a self drive for our two or three week driving holiday in Italy or Scotland simply because we cannot understand and/or obey the traffic signs? 

We have never had a ticket in Europe or anywhere else when driving a rental car. We did get stopped once in Turkey for inadvertently running a stop sign. The police officer told us to be more careful and to have a wonderful vacation in Turkey! 

We have had a few photo radar tickets right here in the city where we live though.


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

ian, a bit off topic but you may know the answer to this. On my last trip to Australia, I suspect that I may have gotten caught by a speeding camera on the highway. Any idea what happens there? Will the police contact the rental agency, who would then contact me?

Should I phone the car rental agency in a few weeks to see if there's a ticket or some penalty I need to take care? I don't want to encounter legal problems on my future trips to Australia.


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## l1quidfinance (Mar 17, 2017)

Longtimeago said:


> Scotland has speed cameras and no they do not connect fines to income although I do see some logic in that. If you want to stop someone speeding, fine them an amount that matters to them. But that is another subject. They don't do it in Scotland which is the topic here. If you don't speed you have nothing to be concerned about. Suggesting as you have that someone should hire a limo rather than drive is just ridiculous.
> .


I believe Norway links fines to income. 


But back on topic. 

Its really not that bad. Although I do have to think a little more when I visit home to readjust to driving on the "CORRECT" side of the road  The manual is just as much as learning the feel of the clutch and away you go although I understand not wanting to do that if you havent driven one for a long time amongst shifting with the left hand. 

Overall the driving standard in Europe and the UK as a whole I would say is better. If you can drive in the GTA you have nothing to worry about. 

Take special care when setting off from a familiar situation. Pulling out of a drive way. A gas station or rest top. This is where you are most likely to find yourself driving into oncoming traffic. 
As mentioned earlier the roads can be very narrow. My wife still has a hard time believing some of them are for 2 way traffic everytime we get to visit my family in England. 

Enjoy the trip.


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## lonewolf :) (Sep 13, 2016)

Longtimeago said:


> Lonewolf, it is NOT cheaper to rent a limo. That's a ridiculous statement to make. Speed cameras may be more common in Europe so what? Do you plan to drive in excess of the speed limit? The UK most certainly does have a lot of them compared to many other countries but if you are not exceeding the speed limit, that is of no consequence at all to you as a driver. It is not like saying, the police stop you when they see you are in a rental car and demand an immediate cash payment by the roadside because it is common police practice to stop tourists and demand illegal payments.
> 
> 
> 
> .


 According to Armstrong
In Finland a driver for doing 15 over in a 50 was ticketed 60k, 27 yr old was fined 217k for going 50 in 25 zone. A Swedish driver in Switzerland was doing 186 was fined 650,000. In Switzerland if your going 1 km over the speed limit the cameras go off & your fined. According to Armstrong some municipalities are so broke they make up stuff. (source check up thread for link from google search)

In Italy if you rent a car one year latter they will start sending you traffic tickets with no information on where or when the offense happened ( source google hunting tourists in Europe for fines Martin Armstrong )


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## peterk (May 16, 2010)

Longtimeago said:


> Umm, what has normal practice in N. America got to do with normal practice in another country? Read what you wrote.
> 
> Business practices in Europe are European business practices, not N. American business practices and regardless of whether you like them or not, you have to work within them. That a car rental company does not give you a free upgrade after YOU are LATE for your reservation, is not exactly an earth shattering revelation peterk. If you arrive for a dinner reservation at an upscale restaurant 2 hours late, what happens? You get a table anyway and an upgraded table at that?


Umm, well it's got to do with a company describing itself as an international brand, but actually operating totally different businesses with the same logo, purporting to be the same company when it isn't.

I understand the logic behind what happened, and I'm not excessively put out by it, as you dramatically seem to be suggesting, but it was unexpected none the less. Just wanted to highlight that service in Europe from seemingly global corporations often appears to be provided in different, less customer friendly ways, than one would expect from a single-brand entity, which could catch a north american traveler off guard.


Sorry to offend your worldly sensibilities.


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## ian (Jun 18, 2016)

james....same as here I suppose. The rental car company gets the ticket, time and date stamped. You have rented the car. So at some point a charge appears on your credit card for the cost of the ticket PLUS an admin charge.

I held my breath on a rental in Italy. By mistake, I entered, in error, a zone in central Assisi that was only permitted for certain vehicles. Even worse, I entered the back way following a service truck. Found myself in front of the church in the main square. I quickly went back up the main road. I suspect that either the cameras were not working, that they were only pointed one way down instead of up, or the rental company screwed up on forwarding the ticket. It would have been quite large. Fortunately for me a charge never came through. Italy is funny. They do have photo radar signs but oftentimes the photo radar is not working, or only some of them are working. If you follow a local you may see them zooming past a photo radar signed area and braking on another. It is because they know which ones are functioning!


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

Interesting. I'd be quite happy if it "works itself out" via a credit card charge. Somehow I thought getting a ticket was more involved than just a $ charge.

I've been getting lucky with recent Aussie rentals. On a previous trip, I got a flat, returned the car using the spare, and they never charged me for tyre damage. On my most recent rental I took a chunk out of the tyre when parking at the curb and also got a visible scratch on the same curb-side bumper, probably from scraping a post in a parking garage. I was ready to make a claim with HomeTrust, but the rental agency looked at it and disregarded, didn't charge me for any of that damage.

This ^ damage at the curb is why I warned above about driving on the left. I just couldn't calibrate the width of the car. I did enjoy driving the zippy little i30 around, though. I am considering buying some equivalent of this in Canada.

My luck won't last forever and I suspect a photo radar ticket is in the mail


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## ian (Jun 18, 2016)

I returned mine in Tasmania with some scratches in the plastic around the forward side of the front right side wheel. I got some rubbing compound and tried to fix it but this was plastic so no go. I dropped it at the airport, no inspection, and fortunately did not hear a word about it. I was expecting a charge of some sort but it never came!


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

That's a lucky one too -- they don't always catch these things (or maybe they don't care). I also tried some amateur repairs with my last one. Though I took a chunk out of the tire, the original rubber was still there with the missing piece being a loose flap. So I bought some super glue and tried gluing the piece of the tire back on. It actually turned out very nicely, would easily pass any inspection and only cost me $3 plus some guilt.


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## fireseeker (Jul 24, 2017)

I got two speeding tickets (photo radar) from a trip two years in ago in Corsica (France).
If I remember correctly, the actual tickets were forwarded to me. I had to decipher the official French form -- and official French forms can be quite something. I believe I went online to pay.
Ironically, only one of the tickets was mine. The other was from a location that I did not go to. Frustrating, but I paid it anyway. The thought of haggling with overseas officials in a foreign language seemed more onerous than simply paying the bill.


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## l1quidfinance (Mar 17, 2017)

There are also a lot of scam tickets throughout eurpoe. 

I had a rental in Spain once and sometime after a ticket came through. It looked official but a few aspecects didnt make sense and as such I believe now I ignored it. 
It was as if at the time somone at the rental company was leaking foreign renters information and then trying to make a few bucks. 

I did a quick google and this is similar to what I recall happening. 



> Thousands of holidaymakers are being duped into paying bogus traffic fines due to a hoax targeting tourists in Spain.
> On returning to the UK, travellers have been receiving payment requests of approximately 129 euros (86) from a Spanish debt company, DRAYES (Deuda Recuadar Alguacil y Exigir Servicios), which also uses the names MCCREE (Medio Corte Crédito Recoudado Estobar Exigir) – names that do not mean anything in Spanish and involve invented Spanish words - and WHITE, for fake motoring offences, the nature of which are not specified.
> The letter appears to be official, bearing a crest, and quotes bogus legislation by which many have been taken in.
> In addition to the motoring fine, the letter requests further costs in respect of administration and legal fees, threatening court action if not paid by a stipulated deadline.


I was driving through France one time and did set off a radar (in my own car) fortunately a ticket never made it's way back to me as I was going somewhat over the posted limit at the time heading back to Calais for the Ferry. 

In the UK the ticket will go to the registered owner of the car. Typically with a photo identifying the driver. The hire car company would forward and bill you with along with an admin fee. 
There are many speed cameras through especially in 30mph (50kph zones) and also on the highways an increasing number of average speed cameras.

As with anywhere if you drive typically as the locals do you will be ok. If you go on a highway and all the cars are sticking to the limit there is probably a very good reason. If like on the 401 everything is doing 120 then you most probably will also get away with that.


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

lonewolf :) said:


> According to Armstrong
> In Finland a driver for doing 15 over in a 50 was ticketed 60k, 27 yr old was fined 217k for going 50 in 25 zone. A Swedish driver in Switzerland was doing 186 was fined 650,000. In Switzerland if your going 1 km over the speed limit the cameras go off & your fined. According to Armstrong some municipalities are so broke they make up stuff. (source check up thread for link from google search)
> 
> In Italy if you rent a car one year latter they will start sending you traffic tickets with no information on where or when the offense happened ( source google hunting tourists in Europe for fines Martin Armstrong )


What is your supposed point lonewolf? If you are driving according to the legal rules of the road, none of that has anything to do with you. If you break the law in a given country, you are subject to the laws of that country. No surprise there surely. 

You seem to think that no one should drive in Europe because some countries have stricter laws than you are used to. You seem to think you are only capable of driving in excess of the speed limits. Really?

As for Armstrong, one person who wants to try and suggest that people should not be fined large amounts of money for speeding, is just one person's opinion. What does that have to do with whether a visitor should be comfortable driving in a country or not? You are just spouting nonsense.

I have rented cars in quite a few European countries with no problems whatsoever, as have countless other visitors. If you are too scared that you will not be able to do so without breaking the law, then YOU should not rent a car anywhere but do not try to suggest that everyone is like you in that regard.


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## ian (Jun 18, 2016)

You can get ripped off on rentals cars right here in Canada. There have been issues with an agency at YVR Vancouver.

Some countries base their traffic violation fines on income. You pay a much higher fine for speeding if you have a much higher income.

Is someone actually suggesting that people refrain from renting cars for fear of being ripped off or paying excessive traffic violation expenses? This is a really easy one. Either don't travel, or if you do use public transportation or hire a driver. 

The rest of us will carry on with what we have been doing successfully for years.....renting cars at home and abroad. Just keep in mind that it is just as easy to be ripped off here in Canada as it is in Timbuktu.


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

Regarding photo radar tickets and whether you will be asked to pay them. It varies by country as to how they deal with them. Some will indeed pursue you at a later date in your home country. The answer is simple, don't break the speed limit and you will not have to worry about it. I don't understand the comments that seem to assume you just have to drive over the speed limit as if it was mandatory to do so.

If you inadvertently do something wrong like go the wrong way up a one way street for example because you were not familiar with the differences in signage, well that's just tough luck. What would you say if some tourist from Europe drove the wrong way up the one way street you lived on? 'Oh well, they're a tourist, they didn't know, just ignore it, don't fine them.' Responsibility for our actions always lies with ourselves. If you intend to drive in another country, it is your responsibility to determine what you need to know including things like the difference in signage. 

It isn't that difficult to familiarize yourself in advance with what to expect. https://assets.publishing.service.g...61c5000000/the-highway-code-traffic-signs.pdf

One that does catch some visitors to the UK are yellow lines found on streets at the curb. A single yellow line means no stopping or parking during the hours shown while a double yellow line means no stopping or parking at any time. People often park on a double yellow line while just taking a 'minute' to run into a store or something. Sound familiar?

A solid line in the middle of a road mean no crossing over the line into the oncoming lane, just as a solid lines does here in Canada. The difference is in just how that is enforced. Brits visiting Canada do find themselves being stopped for crossing the line on a curve. In the UK, roads are not usually as 'banked' on curves as they are here in Canada. So drivers in the UK are used to letting the car drift over a solid line when going around a curve. Doing that in Canada with a police car behind you is likely to get you stopped and at least warned. UK drivers have complained in travel forums that they have been stopped and fined in Canada and the USA for 'dangerous driving', 'driving without due care and attention', etc. when all they did as far as they were concerned is drive 'normally' around a curve. In the UK, the police tend to ignore this driving 'over the line' on curves whereas here in Canada the police see no reason for anyone to have to do so and stop those who do accordingly.


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

james4beach said:


> That's a lucky one too -- they don't always catch these things (or maybe they don't care). I also tried some amateur repairs with my last one. Though I took a chunk out of the tire, the original rubber was still there with the missing piece being a loose flap. So I bought some super glue and tried gluing the piece of the tire back on. It actually turned out very nicely, would easily pass any inspection and only cost me $3 plus some guilt.


Are you kidding?

I'm imagining what I would say to you james4beach if I were to rent that car after you and the rental company had missed the 'flap' of the tire you glued back in place. I'm imagining what I would say to you right after say that tire blew on a highway and I was involved in an accident as a result. Can you imagine what I would say or DO to you? I can't believe you would cover up something that could be a serious fault in a vehicle that someone else might then have to deal with.

Surely you are not so naive as to think that having glued it back on, it would have passed a safety inspection. Aren't you embarrassed to admit you were willing to put others potentially at risk to save a few dollars paying for a tire that YOU damaged? Scratch embarrassed, aren't you ashamed? It is not just the car rental you 'fooled'.


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## nobleea (Oct 11, 2013)

Back to the OP, I have a car rental in Scotland in July. Found an amazing deal on a mid-sized car on expedia of all places. Easily half the price of the same thing on all the other sites and I checked them all (corporate sites, autoeurope, autoslash, costco, etc). Significantly cheaper than the smallest car class size as well.

We have a rental in barcelona as well. I used Autoslash along with their email price update. I've already got two updates of lower prices (and taken advantage of it). The email update is really convenient. You just enter your dates and confirmation codes and it will email you when a cheaper price comes up for you to book. I used it for Kauai and got a couple lower prices. Have to act fast when you see one. The bookings are almost exclusively through priceline, so free cancellation.


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## peterk (May 16, 2010)

fireseeker said:


> I got two speeding tickets (photo radar) from a trip two years in ago in Corsica (France).
> If I remember correctly, the actual tickets were forwarded to me. I had to decipher the official French form -- and official French forms can be quite something. I believe I went online to pay.
> Ironically, only one of the tickets was mine. The other was from a location that I did not go to. Frustrating, but I paid it anyway. The thought of haggling with overseas officials in a foreign language seemed more onerous than simply paying the bill.


Gosh dangit! Just got mine in the mail from the Netherlands.

I even heard about this ahead of time... how there are crazy radar tickets everywhere and they are given for absolutely minimal speeding. I was trying to be careful, and they still got me.

57 km/h in a 50km/h zone - lol - And the best part? I can't just pay online... I have to go down to the bank and send a transfer! 

Leaves a real nice taste in your mouth, after giving them all those tourist dollars.

What do you think, longtimeago? Should I get shipped off to jail along with james4beach for his rubber forgery? My shame level is about a 3.5/10... is that adequate? Awaiting your learned and wise advice on this deep moral conundrum.


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

peterk said:


> Gosh dangit! Just got mine in the mail from the Netherlands.
> 
> I even heard about this ahead of time... how there are crazy radar tickets everywhere and they are given for absolutely minimal speeding. I was trying to be careful, and they still got me.
> 
> ...


Well James4beach was admitting to doing something that adversely affected the safety of the vehicle on the road, you are not. I don't see any reason for comparison.

As for your speeding ticket, you were speeding and acknowledge that, so what's to complain about? You broke the law, they caught you, pay your fine.

I don't understand why people seem to have difficulty understanding that if you break the law in a country, it is YOUR fault. There seems to be this pervasive belief that speeding is somehow not really a crime. Try telling that to someone who is injured or killed as a result. It can't be OK to speed right up until you hurt someone as a result. Speed laws exist for the safety of all, at all times. So why do people have such a problem with just obeying the law?

I live on a road that becomes the main street of our town. Right in front of our house the speed limit is 50. A couple of hundred yards farther out, it goes to 80 as you leave town. Going the other way (into town), there is a public school a couple of hundred yards farther into town. Every single day, I see cars both coming in and going out of town that are going far in excess of 50 when they pass our house and that school. Should we say that the behaviour of those who cause no harm as a result is OK, as long as they don't run over a child from the school? How does that work? How does it go from being OK right up until you hit someone or cause an accident?

I don't know you you feel you are entitled to write, "Leaves a real nice taste in your mouth, after giving them all those tourist dollars." Did you think your tourist dollars somehow bought you exemption from acting responsibly and obeying the law? There is no 'moral conundrum' involved. It is simply WRONG to break the law, whatever self-justification someone may give for doing so. But I'm sure people will continue to speed, right up until they do cause an accident and even then will blame the other person no doubt.

Speeding is NOT OK, ever.


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