Plea for help advice on inaugural trip to Scotland (please & thank you)

[Nick Church]

Thanks again to each & every one of you for your advice, counsel, messages, and offers of assistance.  I really appreciate your support.

The bookings are well under way, plane tickets were purchased last night, and with any luck everything will be final by Friday.

Our trip would not be possible without the work of one of GCA's own.  So thank you for those recommendations.  (I do hesitate to mention by name if only because I do not want to tick off any others whose services were recommended or offered directly ---- I do thank them regardless).

Thanks again, GCA.

[Niall C]

......so if you offered your services to Nick and you aren't booking his holiday right at this moment presumably you now know not to be ticked off 

Niall

[Michael Essig]

About driving -

On my trip last year to Ireland via Atlanta, we sat next someone from Ireland on the Seattle-Atlanta leg.  He gave us the greatest piece of driving advice that proved very valuable and calmed me immeasurably, "Follow the person in front of you."

Driving country roads was no big deal, but driving within a city like Dublin (or Edinburgh for you) was adventursome.  The chances that you are following a local is just shy of 100%, so the advice I received was very valuable.  I would intentionally try and not be the first person at a light, so I could follow another driver, or slow down and let someone in front of me so I would have someone to follow.

Also, having the GPS is a requirement.  Don't leave home without one or rent one with your automatic car.

Lastly, make sure to get the insurance coverage for your car worked out before hand.  Amex will insure you in Scotland if you reserve and rent the car using your Amex - not so in Rep. of Ireland.  Car insurance is very expensive; almost the same price as renting the car.

[Bill_McBride]

Lastly, make sure to get the insurance coverage for your car worked out before hand.  Amex will insure you in Scotland if you reserve and rent the car using your Amex - not so in Rep. of Ireland.  Car insurance is very expensive; almost the same price as renting the car.

I also do the Amex rental car insurance program, $25 per rental is a great investment.

However, AutoEurope and other agencies will get very snarky about you not taking their expensive coverage, so it's a good idea to carry evidence of that coverage with you.

[David_Tepper]

has anyone ever had any experience with a company called Insurance 4 Car Hire?

They sell insurance policies for car rentals for 49 British Pounds a year.

http://www.insurance4carhire.com/

[Michael Essig]

David and Bill -

Is this another reason to hire someone like Bart?  I would imagine he has experience with such matters and can work these things out for a traveler.  I will tell you that my jaw dropped when they said insurance was something like 40 Euros a day for a car my wife described as "something a clown would drive in the circus."  It was tiny.

Bart, is this something you can take care of for a traveler?  I ask because I am an interested party.  I have done some initial research on a golf trip to Scotland next year with my son as a graduation present.   I found out about the Amex deal after I came back from Ireland because I didn't want it to happen again when I go to Scotland.  Tell me you can take care of this type of matter and you absolutely have my business.

[David_Tepper]

Michael Essig -

I would speak with your local insurance agent in the U.S. about getting insurance coverage for a car rental outside of the U.S. Chances are you will be able to purchase a supplement to your existing car insurance for $100-$200 a year that will cover you.

DT 

[Bart Bradley]

All:

The full coverage through a company like Avis on a large Van when divided four ways  comes to about $80/person.  There is no better substitute to avoid any hassles than to simply accept the full insurance coverage when driving somewhere like Ireland or the UK.  

An entire week's van (7 passenger van) + insurance for a group of 4 in June in Scotland is currently about $920...or about $230/person.

I know there are slightly cheaper ways of insuring the rental...but if you have an accident and full insurance through the rental company, you simply fill out the paper work and go home.  If you insure any other way and have an accident, prepare for many hours of dealing with the problem from across an ocean.  Unfortunately, fender benders are not that uncommon for tourists, given the differences in the driving and in road conditions.

Just my opinion,

Bart

[jeffwarne]

David and Bill -

Is this another reason to hire someone like Bart?  I would imagine he has experience with such matters and can work these things out for a traveler.  I will tell you that my jaw dropped when they said insurance was something like 40 Euros a day for a car my wife described as "something a clown would drive in the circus."  It was tiny.

Bart, is this something you can take care of for a traveler?  I ask because I am an interested party.  I have done some initial research on a golf trip to Scotland next year with my son as a graduation present.   I found out about the Amex deal after I came back from Ireland because I didn't want it to happen again when I go to Scotland.  Tell me you can take care of this type of matter and you absolutely have my business.

Michael,
Once you sign up, Amex covers you for $24.95 for the entire rental period up to 42 days, every time you rent a car using Amex, even includes deductibles.
This is valid overseas ,but not in Ireland and a couple other selected countries,making Amex the card to use in Scotland.(be sure to have written proof when declining their coverage, or be prepared for a hassle at counter)

My guess is they make a fortune on the domestic business because once you sign up, the $25 is automatic every time you rent a car when you use the card, whereas other cards do the same for free domestically, but are secondary as coverage.

Or you can do what my assistant and I did in Cornwall after scraping a black fender squeezing a 6 foot wide car into a 5 '11 spot, Use a sharpie

[Mark Chaplin]

Michael - €40 a day someone was being had over.

[jeffwarne]

When I rent a car in the US, they rarely ever try to sell me the redundant coverages already covered by your own insurance and credit card. Perhaps they are reading my scowling face or have a rental profile on file;)
If my wife is at the counter, they always automatically add it, and simply bury it when they ask her to initial 10 items.

Redundant coverage is the easiest money they make, especially at the cut rate outlets.
It something you need in Jamaica, Ireland, and a few other countries, and as Bart says, it is easier if there's an incident, but paying
 40-100% of the rental cost for a week's insurance is absurd.

If there is an incident however, they will charge you first, then your credit card will pay. I've had it happen (a truck's spare tire fell off in front of me and I ran over it doing about $2500 damage) process took about 20 minutes via phone and fax and Amex reimbursed me in about 2 weeks.

[Ed Brzezowski]

Please buy the insurance from the company renting you the car. I had a less than stellar go round with Am Exp after losing a mirror at the European Club. While covered I could not believe the hoops I had to jump through to get it covered. Hold on my card, endless phones calls and the accusation that I did not know what insurance covers or how it works ( I own an insurance agency and know how it works thank you very much).

There is nothing like the feeling giving the rental agent the keys and knowing the mirror repair is a done deal. Why mess up the trip of a lifetime over this, imho. Broken out among four guys its nothing.

Have a great time, it is an experience you will always remember. Say hi to Sleepy at the Dunvegan.

[Bart Bradley]

Please buy the insurance from the company renting you the car. I had a less than stellar go round with Am Exp after losing a mirror at the European Club. While covered I could not believe the hoops I had to jump through to get it covered. Hold on my card, endless phones calls and the accusation that I did not know what insurance covers or how it works ( I own an insurance agency and know how it works thank you very much).

There is nothing like the feeling giving the rental agent the keys and knowing the mirror repair is a done deal. Why mess up the trip of a lifetime over this, imho. Broken out among four guys its nothing.

Have a great time, it is an experience you will always remember. Say hi to Sleepy at the Dunvegan.

Ed, exactly!  See the same comment above.

Bart

[Ed Brzezowski]

Hello Bart,
I was giving you a hearty second on your post, with some real life experience added.

ed

[Michael Essig]

Michael - €40 a day someone was being had over.

I know.  The insurance was more than the car.  Having never, ever paid for car insurance on a rental, because my personal policy has always covered me, I was shell shocked.

As I stated earlier, because it was soooo much, I thought I better do some homework when I came home so it wouldn't happen to me again.  Honestly, I didn't know to ask the question about insurance when I made the reservation, so I made the reservation over the internet - like I do most things.  It was a very expensive lesson.  Maybe I would do exactly as Bart and Ed recommend, and just pay the fee, and the cost would have been exactly the same.  However, at least next time I would have knowledge of its existence, get quotes from car rental agencies that included the insurance, and not have it forced upon me because I lacked knowledge and choice.

Mark a bogey on that one for me.