We’ve had many questions on the electronic toll payments on the Portugal toll roads so here’s some useful information to put you at ease on your travels!

When driving in Portugal you may experience electronic tolls where you will not need cash, but where an electronic tracker identifies the vehicles on the road and generates an automatic charge.

When renting a car with Avis in Portugal, you can take advantage of the Avis e-Toll Solution. The Avis e-Toll solution makes an electronic payment for all Avis cars so you don’t need to think about how, when and where to pay for driving on Portugal’s Toll Roads. This technology is a form of vehicle transponder by which the electronic toll device can recognise the vehicle.

To avoid any unexpected admin fees the Avis e-Toll means your vehicle will be in full compliance of road regulations when driving on the highways listed below. Costs are €1.50 per day (with a maximum charge of €15 for 10 days or more) plus the face value of the toll roads during the rental. The total charge will be processed automatically up to 15 days after the end date of the rental with no additional admin costs.

The toll roads are the most convenient routes through Portugal and the e-tolls are on the A22, A24, A25, A23. Costa da Prata, Costa Norte Litoral and Grande Porto. Find out more at Visit Portugal. These are the roads you will be charged for using so if you need to use them please ensure you have spoken to the Avis Portugal office you collected your car from.

Avis is the first car rental company to find a convenient solution to the electronic tolls. To enjoy the convenience of the Avis e-Toll Solution, or if you have any other questions, our Avis staff will be able to help you.

We hope this helps and you enjoy driving in Portugal. In the mean time, share this or let us know if you have any further questions!

We’re delighted to announce that we now have over 340 car rental branches in the UK.  Over the last 12 months, we’ve been busy opening new locations up and down the country as part of our efforts to make it more convenient for customers to have access to a quality car hire service.

Our growing UK network now includes 29 airport locations and 310 town and city branches, including partnerships with local hotels, golf clubs, leisure centres and managed offices.

In addition to these, we also operate 46 pick up points at rail stations across the country, providing a taxi service to the nearest rental station.

As the fastest growing car rental company in the UK, we are committed to continuing to expand our UK network and hope the new locations will benefit an increasing number of customers by making our car hire service more accessible.

Click here to find your nearest branch in the UK

Following on from our classic advert #1, here’s the next one in the series from our famous ‘We Try Harder’ advertising campaign from the 60’s. This particular ad from November 1963 highlighted our We Try Harder attitude when it came to speed of service.

Although the ad might look a bit dated, the message and our values remain the same, as does the high level of service you receive when you rent a car with Avis.

Today, we offer the 3 minute promise, where we promise to get you your keys in under 3 minutes (of we’ll give you a £20 John Lewis voucher!)  You just need to be an Avis Preferred member, and all you need to do is collect your keys and go!

As our car hire delivery and collection service continues to grow, we recently conducted research into the delivery habits of UK consumers and found that British consumers are becoming more demanding than ever.

Topping Brits wish list of most desirable delivery items are a cooked English breakfast following a night on the tiles, freshly brewed high street coffee to kick-start the working week, fish and chips from the local chippy, alcohol post closing time and a cooked Sunday roast. Not forgetting emergency supplies such as toilet rolls, petrol for when the nearest filling station is out of reach, plus shoe repair, laundry and dry cleaning.

We’re spending and ordering more than ever before
So dependent as a nation have we become on direct delivery services , that we are  now ordering  a staggering 1.5 billion deliveries a year at a cost of £16.8 billion – that’s an average of 30 deliveries per person, totalling £342.

We’re becoming more demanding
Three quarters (73%) now expect a delivery service as standard when purchasing goods, three out of four (75%) would like companies to offer a courier collection service for unwanted items and a  massive 89% would consider switching supplier if they didn’t offer direct delivery.

Delivery just to the home is also no longer enough, with 78% expecting to be able to receive goods to their place of work or other addresses. Over half (58%) also admit that even next day delivery offers limited flexibility for busy schedules with 63% keen to see same day delivery more readily available.

Our research clearly demonstrates the popularity of delivery services. Car hire is just one example of a delivery service which has cropped up to meet time poor customers and

Avis Delivers gives those customers the flexibility to have a car delivered and collected for just £10 each way, wherever they are.

About Avis Delivers

- Delivery (and collection) available straight to your door whether at home, at the office or even at the gym!

- Same day delivery if booked before 12noon

- Only £10 per Delivery and £10 per Collection

- Choose a delivery window that’s convenient to you

For more details on the Avis Delivers service visit www.avis.co.uk/homedelivery or call 0844 581 8181.

If you’re in the midst of planning your next holiday – make sure you swot up on the more unusual overseas driving regulations that exist before you take to the open road.

For example, did you know that it’s in fact a recommended requirement to carry an extra pair of specs when driving in sunny Spain? And, if you’re heading to Italy don’t make the assumption that headlights are only for night time driving; it’s compulsory to have them on at all times outside of built up areas.

If all that sunshine is making you thirsty and you happen to be behind the wheel in Cyprus, make sure you pull over before taking a sip of water, as drinking anything whilst on the move is prohibited. In Greece it’s also a good idea to note parking times before leaving your car for a spot of shopping – you may come back to more than just a ticket with police confiscating the number plates of illegally parked vehicles.

Planning a holiday further afield to Romania or Russia? Better get shining those hub caps, as a clean car isn’t just about keeping up appearances – it’s actually against the law to drive a dirty vehicle in these countries. Before you turn the ignition key in Denmark, make sure you check for people under the car – a legal requirement alongside checking the brakes, lights, steering and horn before you drive.

Other weird and wonderful regulations include:

• In some cities in Spain, cars must be parked on the side of the road where houses bear uneven numbers on uneven days of the month, and on the side of even numbers on even days
• In Switzerland, pedestrians generally have right of way and expect vehicles to stop. Some may even step into the road in front of oncoming traffic so make sure you keep your eyes peeled
• California law prohibits a woman from driving a car from wearing a dressing gown
• Driving through Vienna? Make sure you don’t use your horn – it’s prohibited within the city

To help Brits get up to speed on overseas driving regulations, Avis has published a series of guides covering the top 10 sunshine destinations for car hire this summer. The guides also highlight the best drives and recommended family day trips to help make the most of holiday drive time. Click here to download these guides.

Share this via facebook or twitter and make sure your family and friends know about these unusal road laws!

The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA), the trade body for the UK car rental industry, is again warning customers to take extra care when confronted with cheap deals for Christmas car hire on the Internet or in the press.

Festive season travellers were caught out by bogus car hire companies this time last year, handing over deposits of hundreds of pounds for cars that never materialised. The BVRLA believes that similar scams are being planned this year and has already made contact with Police and Trading Standards over one potential threat.

“These companies offer unbeatable prices and free delivery – but they really are too good to be true,” says BVRLA chief executive, John Lewis.

“Unfortunately it is very easy for fraudsters to build a simple website and set up a call centre to pass themselves off as legitimate businesses.

“These sham operators are damaging the reputation of car rental. We are working with the authorities to help stamp them out.”

In the meantime, the BVRLA is offering five simple tips for customers looking for safe and hassle-free car rental.

1.            Only use a BVRLA member to be sure that you’re dealing with a reputable company that has been vetted and operates to a professional code of conduct.

2.            Never hand over cash. Most reputable rental companies will only want to accept credit/debit card payment.

3.            Make sure the company is operating from a bona fide commercial premises, not a PO Box or virtual office, no matter how prestigious the location sounds.

4.            Make sure the company actually owns and operates the cars it is offering – all BVRLA members operate their own rental fleet.

5.            Remember, if the price or service being offered seems too good to be true, it probably is and you may well end up out of pocket and disappointed!

For more information or if in doubt, visit www.bvrla.co.uk

With Christmas just around the corner why not spoil the family to a festive treat by renting a car from Avis and driving them away for the weekend to see some great Christmas lights? Rent a family friendly Avis car and drive to some of the UKs cosiest holiday cottages to absorb all the Christmas magic.

Below are 4 of the best scenic places to visit to see the UKs best Christmas light displays.

Bath
Famous for its healing spa, sophisticated buildings and stylish Georgian lanes, Bath is a popular attraction for many famous people such as Hollywood ‘A lister’ Nicholas Cage who recently turned on the Bath lights. Once you’ve driven to see the lights why not visit the Christmas market and breath in the festive cheer.

Brighton
Drive your Avis car to Brighton’s famous lanes and take in the glowing array of delightful decorations lighting up the festive shop windows. The lively Brighton streets provide the perfect Christmas experience for any car lover.

Stratford-upon-Avon
Drive your car to the birthplace of Shakespeare and see the world famous Christmas lights. Accelerate past 800 years of history lit up by the festive yuletide glow. The nearest Avis location is Warwick.

Eden Project, Cornwall
Take a gentle drive through the winter wonderland that is Eden. Look out from behind the dashboard and see the festively lit enormous biomes, winter ice spaces and winter markets.  Park up and sample their famous Cornish hot chocolate and Victorian hog roast. The nearest Avis location is Newquay Airport.

With thanks to our guest blogger -

Rahul Mistry, Skyes Cottages.

If you would like to write for us click here to find out how!

Here’s the first of a series of classic print adverts from the Avis ‘We Try Harder’ slogan campaigns. There are more to come in the next few weeks – like us on Facebook to catch the others and to design an ArtCar for Avis with our new app.

In the 1960s the We Try Harder campaign was one of the first examples of challenger brand positioning and is still used as an example with marketing students today. Each advert is different, but contained at its heart the simple promise of the “We’re No. 2, so we try harder” slogan.

This style of Avis advert continued into the 1980s, and the We Try Harder promise lives on today in our advertising as well as our commitment to maintaining the highest levels of customer service in the industry.

When you rent a car with Avis you’ll still find that we live up to our promise and stop at nothing to give you a speedy, convenient and enjoyable rental experience.

Click the image below to open a full-size version.

We get lots of enquires on payment methods when renting a car and at times the options can appear to be a bit confusing! That’s not our intention (honest!) but we do try and ensure that we get the right balance between flexibility and security. The controls are there to protect your interest as our customer, so please be patient if we ever seem to be asking loads of daft questions! So this is what you need to know:

We accept the following credit cards: Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Diners Club. The payment process of these cards allow us to pre-authorise payment when you pick up your car, with the actual payment taken at the end of the rental. This provides the flexibility to add any additional extras or charges to the final bill on top of your basic rental price. For example, you may decide to pay to drive a larger car than the one you booked. Alternatively you may decide to add Fuel Up Front, Premier Cover (or alternative product in other countries), Avis GPS, additional driver and/or baby seats. This is also required in case the car is damaged or if the car needs to be refuelled and the Fuel Up Front option hasn’t been purchased.

The cards we do not accept are Visa Electron, Solo, Switch and Maestro. Their rules are different. Pre-authorisation cannot be obtained, only specific authorisations for exact amounts when you pick up the car. This means that payment would have to be made at the start of the rental transaction resulting in subsequent payment and acceptance issues if additional charges accrue.

I don’t want to complicate the payment process even more but it’s worth noting that aside from the credit cards I have listed, we do accept Visa debit cards in most countries, as their processing rules are the same as Visa credit cards. This rule does apply in every country across the world (Spain is the most notable exception).

Hope this helps but feel free to blog if you have any comments or questions! Again, safeguarding our customers interests is of primary concern to us in addition to offering you all “we try harder” style great service!

Next Christmas always seem so far away. However, before you know it, it is round the corner once again and we are all scrambling to prepare for the festive season.

As December approaches, all across the UK Christmas markets are sprouting up and there is no better way to get into the festive spirit. UK Christmas Markets often have continental themes bringing over French, German or Italian traders. The atmospheric markets with stalls stocking great Christmas gift ideas, the snowy back drop, Christmas trees, wooden chalets, plenty of mulled wine and great cuisine and you have one of the great experiences of the Christmas festive season.

Are you planning a Christmas market trip with your friends or family? If you are, here are a few of the top Christmas Markets in the UK.

Lincoln Christmas Market (1^st – 4^th Dec 2011)

Held in this contemporary cathedral city it is one of the most famous of all the Christmas markets in the UK. It attracts hundreds of thousands of people every year. Its castles and gothic cathedrals provide the perfect back drop for the Christmas market.

This world renowned event offers a festive and cultural experience as thousands of visitors make their way through the hundreds of stores in its medieval squares and surrounding area. It offers a great family experience. Should you require Lincoln car hire service, Avis offers a pre-booked only service from the Lincoln City Centre.

Opening times for Lincoln Christmas market vary. Find out more information about Lincoln Christmas Market

Bath Christmas Market (24^th Nov – 11 Dec 2011)

This Georgian city hosts in its main shopping district the south west’s premier Christmas shopping event. The Abbey churchyard area comprised of the Roman Baths and Bath Abbey is annually transformed into the Christmas shoppers dream destination. It is in its tenth year is running for an additional seven days this year – that means eighteen days of shopping!

Whatever your shopping desire, visitors to this great festive event will be spoilt for choice. The wide range of events and ideas means there is something great for everyone to do and even greater gift ideas on sale. Should you require Bath car hire service, Avis offers a pre-booked only service in partnership with The Bath Priory hotel.

Find out more information about the Bath Christmas Market

Manchester Christmas Market (17^th Nov – 21^st Dec 2011)

Shoppers and sellers from all over Europe have made this a top destination for Christmas cheer as well as a leisure destination. Get into the festive spirit and head down to Manchester’s world famous Christmas market to enjoy the thirteen locations across Manchester which will host this great event – each with its own unique character and ambiance.

The variety of delicacies and wines on offer is only outdone by the gift ideas stocked in its 200+ stalls. Visitors have been known to be overwhelmed by the variety of products on offer.

If you are in town to experience this international event and would like to book car hire in Manchester with Avis and pick up your car at Manchester Airport.

Find out more information about the Manchester Christmas Market

Winchester Christmas Market (24^th Nov – 21^st Dec 2011)

This Christmas market is recognised for its unique location – Winchester Cathedral’s inner close surrounding a large open air real ice rink. Inspired by traditional German festivals, this market attracts more than 350,000 visitors each year thanks to its great exhibitors who stock products that often are not available on the high street.

If you are in town to enjoy this great event, or to just to enjoy the festive season, we offer car hire in Winchester to help you make the most of your trip. 

Find out more information about the Winchester Christmas Market

Oxford Christmas Market (2^nd Dec – 18^th Dec 2011)

The Oxford Christmas market is a German-style market held in the heart of the city at the historic Oxford Castle. For these couple of weeks, the castle and its surroundings are decorated by wooden stalls selling unique Christmas gift ideas and seasonal treats.

In addition, local choirs and brass bands will be performing Christmas carols for the duration of the event to add to the festive atmosphere with a few rides to also keep children entertained.

We offer car hire in Oxford should you feel like seeing more of this great city.

Find out more information about the Oxford Christmas Market

London Christmas Markets  

There are many Christmas markets across our capital city. From the wooden chalet-style stalls at Cologne market at the South Bank Centre to the beautiful architecture of St Katharine Docks where you can see Victorian heritage mixed with modern office blocks.

Choose from one of many markets to make shopping less of a chore, and more of a fun, festive experience! Some have already begun, some are waiting for December. Don’t miss out!

If, by the end of the day, you’re piled high with shopping bags and don’t fancy facing public transport then don’t forget Avis offers car rental in London. But we do recommend you pre-book to avoid missing out.

Check out the range of London Christmas markets today.

Share your experiences

If you have been to a Christmas market previous or are planning to visit one this year, we would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment.

To share photos/videos of your experience at the Christmas market this year and to receive future fleet updates, special offers and discounts, follow us on Facebook.