I Need To Rent A Car, But...

[David87]

I'm 23. Actually I'll be 24 when I need to rent it, but that seems to make no difference anyway. I'm going on holiday to the Scottish Highlands in August and my girlfriend and I would like to take our mountain bikes. Problem is neither of our cars are big enough for two bikes and so I need to rent one - I was thinking something along the lines of a Mondeo or Insignia estate, either of which would swallow loads of stuff and be brilliant on the motorway cruise.

Problem is I've just had a quick look at the main rental companies I can think of and the results range from a flat-out refusal to let me loose in anything more than a Chevrolet Matiz to allowing me near the extreme powah!!11!!1 and size of a Mondeo but for the cost £350 for the 9 days' rental plus a £19 per day 'young driver fee'. Hmm. It's quite frustrating; I understand why they have these rules, but I don't want to take the thing drag racing, I just want to drive it - sensibly - to Scotland and back. Has anyone got a solution? I'm near Chelmsford in Essex if that makes any difference. Thanks!

[T33JOB]

Borrow one from a family member or friend?

I'm 20 and can get insured on most normal cars (S3, Golf GTI to name a few) for £25 a week...might be worth a punt

[bennno]

Dippy, buy a cycle rack for £20 off ebay

[Gizmo!]

Buy a s/h Mondeo estate. Drive it. Give it a full valet and polish. Sell.

[David87]

Unfortunately none of my family or friends have anything suitable or I would do that. It's actually tempting to buy an old Mondeo for a grand and then sell it again afterwards. Would be a damn sight cheaper than renting one it seems! Perhaps slightly less reliable, though.

[Jack.]

A friend of mine is doing the same thing and he is 21, if there is only the 2 of you going rent a van instead, there was no young driver charge for him. I forget which company he went with but they all seemed to have no extra charge for young drivers.

[geeteeaye]

bennno said:

Dippy, buy a cycle rack for £20 off ebay

This. Putting two muddy bikes in a car isn't that much fun tbh and return a hire car in a dirty state at your peril.

[tercelgold]

Gizmo! said:

Buy a s/h Mondeo estate. Drive it. Give it a full valet and polish. Sell.

Some types of profiteering are illegal

[Willy Nilly]

what about a van?

[morrellski]

Hire a transit van instead, I'v been able to hire vans and I'm 22 so you should have no problem.

[hornetrider]

tercelgold said:

Gizmo! said:

Buy a s/h Mondeo estate. Drive it. Give it a full valet and polish. Sell.

Some types of profiteering are illegal

Excellent thread contribution bro

[David87]

The van idea is a brilliant one! Transit Connect-type thing is age 21+ and £160 from Europcar! Awesome! Can't quite understand how it's so vastly cheaper than a car, though! Not the best thing to drive all that way but it'll do. No way am I putting a bike rack on my Clio, by the way.

[jake15919]

Once you take the wheels off (5 minute job) a bike suddenly becomes very small indeed.

[rb5230]

http://www.rent-a-banger.com/

[dave_s13]

David87 said:

The van idea is a brilliant one! Transit Connect-type thing is age 21+ and £160 from Europcar! Awesome! Can't quite understand how it's so vastly cheaper than a car, though! Not the best thing to drive all that way but it'll do. No way am I putting a bike rack on my Clio, by the way.

Why the feck not? You wont break it.

Get a roof mount one and you can still get in the boot then.

What would you rather be blasting round the countryside in?

[SwankBaton]

rb5230 said:

http://www.rent-a-banger.com/

Possibly the worst website I've seen this year

[750turbo]

swankBaton said:

rb5230 said:

http://www.rent-a-banger.com/

Possibly the worst website I've seen this year

Cheap and cheerful imo....

[andy-xr]

morrellski said:

Hire a transit van instead, I'v been able to hire vans and I'm 22 so you should have no problem.

That would have been my suggestions too, I hired one from Practical when I was 21, no problems

[750turbo]

hornetrider said:

tercelgold said:

Gizmo! said:

Buy a s/h Mondeo estate. Drive it. Give it a full valet and polish. Sell.

Some types of profiteering are illegal

Excellent thread contribution bro

What exactly is Gizmo on about?

[rb5230]

750turbo said:

swankBaton said:

rb5230 said:

http://www.rent-a-banger.com/

Possibly the worst website I've seen this year

Cheap and cheerful imo....

Yeh thats kind of the point