Okay so you’ve decided on a UK driving holiday and need a car for the journey. For those of you with a car (28m of you) then this article may not be of real interest. However, for the remaining 40m or so people then this could give you guys food-for-thought.
So what are your options for road trip car usage?
Well, you could use your partners (if you have one and if they have a car); you could borrow a friends or relative; you could rent a modern car from some respected company like Avis or Europcar; or you could rent a classic car from a local classic car hire company.
So let’s say you”ve decided to rent a car, then please think carefully about the following:
How far are you going and how remote will you be?
For example, it may not be wise to hire a classic car from a firm in London with the plan to drive up to the Highlands of Scotland. Classic cars tend to need more love and attention than modern cars and you don’t want to be up some mountain miles away from anywhere with a broken down classic. However, having said that, if you do decide to go hard-core and do a ‘proper’ road trip in a classic then please make sure you have full AA or RAC membership that will tow you back to any UK destination – not just the local garage. This is so the car can easily be transported back to the classic car hire company – however, most companies to tend to include full breakdown cover as part of the hire.
Are you planning on covering longer distances in a shorter / fixed time period?
If you are then modern car hire might be the best option for you. This is because you’ll have to take your time in a classic and respect its age – you don’t want to put the old girl through 300 miles in a day. Also, older cars tend not to be as comfortable; so it will really feel like you”ve done 300 miles!
Is cost important?
If it is then it will definitely cost more to hire a classic than a modern car. Companies like Avis and Europcar have hundreds of cars and are very competitive on price – it might only cost you a few hundred pounds for a couple of week’s rental, however, for example, to hire a Jaguar E-type might cost you over £1300 for just a week. But boy think of the week you’d have!
So there it is, a few things for you to consider. My recommendation would be to split the holiday in two, i.e. hire a modern car for the majority of the trip and then treat yourself to a classic for a special part of the journey.
Let’s say you live in London and have got a couple of weeks road trip planned, then why not get the train from London to these guys in Wiltshire – Vintage and Classic Car Hire (click here); hire a Jag E-Type for a few days and explore the beautiful Cotswolds and then hire a modern car for the remaining part of your journey to the fabulous Scottish Highlands – a great road trip I’m sure you’ll agree.
Have you done anything similar to this and can add your own dos and don’ts – we’d love to hear about it. Just drop us a comment below.
EMMA JONES
This article was written and published by Emma Jones. Emma works for Trade Classics as an in-house journalist and copywriter and has many years” experience in the classic car sector. Why not write a reply on this article below – she”d love to hear your thoughts on her thoughts!Also, don”t forget to check out the classic cars for sale here on Trade Classics.Google
Categories: Classic Car Blog, Classic Car Debates, Government Policy
