Jaunted

Travel Tips

Travel Tips: Is Car Rental Insurance Worth It?

August 30, 2007 at 11:30 AM | 1 Comment

The frustrating answer: Sometimes.

We all know the drill. We find a clown car-sized vehicle online that can get us from Point A to Point B for $34.99. When we get up to the counter, taxes, gas, insurance and (for some of us) the under-25 fee pushes the cost well above the $150 mark. Suddenly an afternoon on the open road costs more than a round-trip flight on a budget carrier. What went wrong?

For starters, many of us insure something that's already insured. Rental insurance is a waste for car owners because most auto policies extend to rentals. Just make sure the rental car is worth about the same as the one you own. A policy on a $500 '89 Oldsmobile will only cover up to $500 in damages to that $60,000 Lincoln Navigator you rented to drive up and down the Jersey Shore. Next time, you won't let those girls in bikinis sit on the hood.

However, car-less renters need to suck it up and pay the extra $40 for basic collision and liability coverage. In the worst-case scenario, an uncovered driver could be accountable for the total cost of the rental vehicle and any other cars involved in an accident. Now that'll ruin a trip.

Related Stories:
· Travel Tips [Jaunted]

[Photo: Palm Covers Car]

car-factory-tours

Car Factory Tours: The Real Benz Tour

August 29, 2007 at 2:45 PM | 0 Comments

What's up with factories being totally geographically divorced from their high tech visitor centers? Don't get us wrong, we're not saying that the brand new Mercedes-Benz Museum is an insufficient tribute to the cars: With eight great levels of automotive fun all wrapped up in a gleaming metal shell that evokes an engine block, what's not to like? But for those who need a firsthand look at how a Benz comes together, a haul out to the Stuttgart suburb of Sindelfingen is in order.

MORE

more ›

Cars

Gimme a Bitta Ferrari

February 20, 2007 at 10:15 AM | 0 Comments

Wanna visit the place where Ferraris are made next time you're in Italy? Well you can't. Sorry, sounds a bit brutal, but not many people can: you have to be a Ferrari owner, and they check you out thoroughly, so don't imagine you can just hire one for a day and get in. That was the answer a UK travel expert gave in last week's Times UK when a guy wanted to know if he could take his Ferrari-loving son into the factory in northern Italy.

So if you can't afford to put a Ferrari in your garage, the next best thing would be to see the Galleria Ferrari in Maranello, not far from Bologna--and only 300 meters from the factory. Not surprisingly, it has the world's largest collection of Ferraris along with more memorabilia than you can imagine, as well as displays about future trends and safety technology. Because we all know that Ferrari drivers are only interested in driving slowly and safely.

[Photo: sassy_con]

Related Stories:
· Can we tour northern Italy's Ferrari factory? [Times UK]
· Oh Lord, Won't You Buy Me... [Jaunted]

Animals

We Didn't Make a Horn Joke, at Least

September 7, 2006 at 1:59 PM | 0 Comments

There are plenty of good reasons to drive fast. Wife in the backseat going into labor? Late for an appointment? Got a lead foot? All are pretty legit excuses.

If you get pulled over for doing 100 in a 60 mph zone in Eastern Ontario, don't blame the goats, or lack therof. A Swiss man, who was cited for just such an offense, said he was speeding because Canadian roads (unlike those in Switzerland) are enjoyablly goat-free, and this allowed him to open up the throttle like never before. He was still fined $330 for being a baaa-d driver.

Sorry, we couldn't resist.

[Image via kitakitts/Flickr]
 
Related Stories:
·   Goat-Free Roads Made Me Speed [BBC]

automobiles

Down to the Car Wash

May 4, 2006 at 3:50 PM | 0 Comments

Long the priciest European city, London has found yet another way to peel pounds out of our pockets. Congestion charging for cars driving into the most central eight square miles of London has been in swing for a few years now, and at the current rate of eight pounds per day, don't expect your pals to drop you off at Buckingham Palace for tea with the Queen.

How about if you want to get your car washed in London? Well, our motto is if you're going to get something done, get it done properly: so naturally a 4800 pound ($8800) rub and polish is the way to go. Londoner Paul Dalton has found a market niche for those who love their cars way too much, and has developed a 61 stage washing process which keeps your car busy for a full two weeks. Then you can pick up your wheels, sail into the city centre - eight pounds sounds like peanuts, now - show off your sparkling hunk of metal, then get back to your garage fast. Everyone knows it rains in London every five minutes, and you don't want the 7000-pound-a-tube wax to wash off.

Related stories:
Wash your car? [The Guardian]
5K Carwash [Sunday Mirror]

Germany

Oh Lord, Won't You Buy Me ...

May 1, 2006 at 10:10 AM | 0 Comments

While the FIFA World Cup countdown is getting most of the attention in Germany, those classy carmakers at Merc are hyping the opening of the new Mercedes-Benz Museum and Center in Stuttgart with their own day-by-day ticker. OK, it's actually an every other day ticker. The countdown website tells us the revamped museum will open on May 20:

In the meantime, we would like to present to you some amazing details. Every second day, a little more insight.

Yep, after revealing life-altering facts like the amount of cement used in the new building (45,000 cubic meters, if it helps you sleep) and that the Mercedes bus that drove around the 1974 World Cup Champion German soccer team still exists, it seems the people of the silver star couldn't come up with enough mindless trivia to publish a new fact each day. Isn't the company over one hundred years old?

They have managed to throw up a mighty impressive-looking silver structure to house their collection of automotive memorabilia, which became a bit cramped in its old premises. Nine winding panoramic floors of cars lead down to a café and the new Mercedes-Benz Center is nearby, showing off current and upcoming models. Pay attention; they'll be quizzing you on how much cement was used on your way out.

[Image via MissPasta/Flickr]

Automobiles

Pimped Rides for Rent

March 29, 2006 at 2:17 PM | 0 Comments

Our first question: Who is Louise Tickle, if she isn't a famous porn star? Apparently, she's famous enough to write about her experience renting a 1965 Austin Healey 3000 on vacation in Cornwall for the Guardian. Good for her.

After mastering the intricacies of a stick shift and no-power anything, she comes away quite impressed with the whole experience, and with the vehicle, which was rented from Corwall Classic Car Hire. We're just amazed that a British car that age is still in one piece; British cars of that era have a reputation for self-destructing faster than a new Julia Louis-Dreyfus sitcom.

If driving a British car has a certain appeal for the next time you swing through Manhattan, check out a Bentley Continental Flying Spur from Exotic Car Rental New York. At $7,450 a week, you can't afford to pass it up. FYI, hiring women in short shorts to gyrate next to it is not included in the weekly rental price.

[Image via smenzel/Flickr]

Related Stories:
·   Vintage Cornwall [The Guardian]
·   Exotic Car Rental New York
·   Cornwall Classic Car Hire