Driving holidays in Europe for the independent motorist.


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Drive-Alive Newsletter September 2008 - Number 1

Let the train take the strain!eurostar train

You may have noticed a couple of new links on the Drive-Alive website: Book Eurostar and Book Trains in Europe.

This might seem strange for a website specialising in driving holidays, but we enjoy train travel almost as much as driving. With the opening of the spanking new Eurostar terminal at St Pancras International, and the advent of integrated ticketing, we really think rail travel has arrived as an eco-friendly alternative to both self-drive and air travel.

The excellent service provided by Eurostar and the various High Speed Train operators on the Continent mean that travelling by train has now firmly arrived in the 21st century. The links above allow you to make integrated bookings from your home station right to your destination in Europe!

tgv high speed trainBecause the rising price of fuel has a much greater impact on a flight than on a train journey, this autumn will be the first time for at least half a decade when you will be able to travel abroad more cheaply by train than by plane - at least for many destinations within a day’s travel from London. Not only that but for many of those destinations rail will also be the faster option.

Nick Trend, writing recently in the Telegraph, compared air and rail fares to seven European cities and found airlines to be cheaper in only two cases. The table shows the full set of results. Apart from Bordeaux (which takes six hours 26 minutes on the train including connections), journey times are less than five-and-a-half hours from St Pancras. Remember that there are no long waits at check-in and baggage reclaim, and that you are usually deposited in the heart of your destination, not an hour or so's coach ride away. The airline fares include checked-in baggage charges, but not the cost of getting to or from the airport, which can be considerable.

If you live more than two hours from London, because of the time getting to St Pancras, it may well be that there are flights from a nearby regional airport that would be a quicker, if not necessarily cheaper, option.

For some more good reasons to relax and take the stress out of travelling, have a look at our newly launched website specialising in European train travel.

Train v plane:

Return journeys from London

Destination Eurostar from London Flight
Brussels 1hr 51mins, from £59 £93.60 with BMI from Heathrow
Paris 2hrs 15mins, from £59 £122 with BA from Heathrow
Tours 4hrs 26mins, from £79 £42 with Ryanair from Stansted
Cologne 4hrs 59mins, from £59 £95.55 with Lufthansa from Heathrow
Lyon 5hrs and 16mins, from £99 £121.80 with BA from Heathrow
Amsterdam 5hrs and 17mins, from £59 £69.36 with Easyjet from Stansted
Bordeaux 6hrs and 26mins, from £99 £57.57 with Easyjet from Luton

Rail fares, per person, were the cheapest found for travel in mid-October. Flights were the cheapest from a London airport, including Luton. All fares liable to change without notice. WITH THANKS TO THE DAILY TELEGRAPH


Car hire at your destination

auto europe car hireDon't forget that we work with two of the leading and most competitive car hire companies in Europe, so if you decide to take the train (or even fly!) we can offer you unrivalled deals through either Auto Europe or Argus Car Hire. Just enter your destination and hire date and choose from their great range of hire cars. Get the best of both worlds: hassle-free travel to your destination then the freedom to drive around when you get there.

Excess hire car insurance with Argus Car Hire

Avoid ALL Excess Charges for just GBP 4.73 a day! argus car hire

Most car rental companies charge an Excess if you have a claim. Typically you pay the first GBP 1,000 or so. Also, most policies issued by car rental companies don't cover windows, tyres, undercarriage, roof or loss of keys.

Excess Insurance gives you complete peace of mind for just GBP 4.73 per day. The policy will cover up to GBP 2000 of any excess; it can be used on any vehicle type and if Argus can't confirm your particular vehicle you can use it with any rental company so you won't lose out.

You will be offered the Excess Insurance towards the end of the booking process with Argus, and Excess Insurance is billed separately on your credit card statement. It will almost certainly be cheaper than the equivalent offered on collection abroad.

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