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How to Survive a Transfercar Road Trip as a Parent

For most people who have reached a certain age, the idea of a road trip is an image of a perfectly happy family having the time of their life traversing the country, discovering new places and experiences, learning about each other and forgetting about their worries.

Thanks to Transfercar, it is now possible for families who may not be “vehicularly well-equipped” to also enjoy road trips in cars and campervans that they would otherwise be unable to afford. This free rental car setup also enhances the road trip with an added layer of adventure, making it a truly unique family experience.

In reality, however, road trips are a much more erratic affair which can take its toll on everyone, parents in particular. I have had a ton of experience as a road trip participant, first as one of the children, but in the last few years also in the capacity of The Dad….Here are my tips:

Research Beforehand

The idea of a road trip that you undertake out of the blue may seem like an adventurous and exciting one, but in reality you are only inviting misery. If you just take off, it is far more likely than not that you are going to encounter nothing but boredom, sprinkled by occasional moments of panic.

You probably already have a route in mind and you should research it in depth before heading out. This will include finding the sights to see and experiences to be had. When doing this, you should keep in mind who you are traveling with. If your children are your average 10 or 15-year olds, a visit to a furniture manufacturer or a typewriter museum might not be the best idea. Stick with stuff that you know children love.

You might also want to make your road trip a teaching experience, both when it comes to the area you will be traveling through and when it comes to cars and driving. Children can learn plenty about cars and proper ways of taking long journeys on a road trip. Of course, if your own expertise is somewhat limited, there are always places where you can learn. This blog, for instance, is great for learning about repairs, this one is a fantastic one if you have daughters who might want to learn about cars from women’s perspective and this blog will teach you all there is about tyres. There is really no shortage of info out there.

Do not Overdo It

It is very easy to overdo it once you start planning your road trip. Many of us have those “tendencies”, so to say, to turn into scheduling monsters that cannot be contained and that are able to ruin even the most pleasurable of trips with their itineraries, their programme and immovability. It is absolutely essential that you do not turn into one of those monsters.

One of the best ways to avoid this is to be attentive of clues that will be all around you. If you keep hearing the sighs of your children in the back seat because the next bathroom break is not due for another 60 minutes, you are becoming the monster!

A road trip should be a pleasurable experience and you need to remember to be Zen from time to time. The planet will not fall off its axis if you miss a spot along your route or if the night catches you 13 kilometres sooner than you expected.

Relax. Enjoy time with your family.

Enjoying your Free Rental Car

If you decide to take advantage of Transfercar to find a vehicle for your family road trip, there are a few things that you will want to keep in mind. For example, it is going to be a one-way trip, so it might be a good idea to try and coordinate the free cars in a way that your family does not have to wait for days at your end destination before you can all drive back. The good news is that many people do these back-to-back bookings with Transfercar and it should not be a problem.

Another good idea would be to apply for a few vehicles in both your starting and your return destination so that you maximize the chances of landing the best possible vehicle at the best possible time. Also, depending on the size of your family, you will want to ensure that the car is going to be suitable for your road trip. After my previous experience I should say that now I think of renting a commercial passenger van, as we had so much stuff with us and too little space in the car.

Finally, keep one thing in mind, road trips are fun adventures and with Transfercar they just might become even more fun.

Source: vinsautogroup.com.sg.

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AUTHOR: James D. Burbank is the editor-in-chief of a business-oriented blog BizzMarkBlog and a father of two. He has also been a huge road trip enthusiast his entire life. Oh yeah, he is also a huge Utah Jazz fan.

Transfercar for Dummies: Learn to Relocate like a Pro

Long gone are the days when being accepted for a car relocation was just pure luck. When Transfercar started its operations back in 2008, we only had a handful of vehicles that needed to be relocated each month. Now we’re talking thousands, so there is definitely an opportunity for you to find the right car or camper relocation, but it all starts with a bit of planning and an understanding of how Transfercar works. So we’ve decided, to start the year, to help you to make the most of our amazing system with some simple tips:

1. Understand the basics

There are no direct bookings on Transfercar; Drivers make requests to relocate a vehicle, the rental operators get alerted and then select a driver when they log in to our system. Rental operators can receive just one request or sometimes 5 or more for the same vehicle, as there is usually a few hours between the time they list their relocation and the moment when there are able to process those requests. This means that in many cases some drivers’ requests will be rejected as only one can be selected per car. Rental operators either choose the successful driver on a first-come, first-served basis, or can also choose to trust a driver that has previously relocated before, or who requests extra paid days. Therefore if your relocation request gets rejected or expires, it is nothing personal, and you should try again with another vehicle.

2. Request multiple vehicles for the same route

As explained above, you will not always be accepted for a relocation you have requested, therefore to maximize your chances of driving a free Perth car hire or campervan, it’s best if you can request up to 3 vehicles for the same route and similar dates as this will increase your chances of getting a car. Once you get accepted for one relocation, our system will automatically cancel the other pending requests, so you should no worry about any cancellation fee. Optionally, you may recycle unwanted car and get top cash for a new one.

3. Subscribe to email alerts

Look for this button on the left column of the page where search results are displayed, or go to ‘Settings’ in your Transfercar account, to set up email notifications regarding the listing of new vehicles on your preferred route.

and then:

This enables you to be the first informed about the availability of a relocation for the dates that interest you.

4. Plan ahead

You need to allow enough time to request vehicles, as it’s usually hard to get accepted for a same day request as rental operators need time to respond.That said, we usually don’t have availability for car relocations six months down the track, so the best time to start looking for a relocation is usually a few weeks to a few days before your desired pick-up date.

5. Trust your eyes…

Trust that what you can see on the website is true. The rule is, ”if it’s not on the website, we don’t have it”. Please don’t call customer support to ask for availability about a camper that you would like to relocate a few months down the track; If it is not listed on the website, then our answer will always be no…

Likewise, relocations are non-negotiable. If it’s written that a car is a manual, then it’s a waste of your time to try to ask for the car to be automatic instead. If it’s written that the ferry is not included, there is no point in trying to negotiate this either…

6…. but read carefully

Please read all the relocation details carefully and email support with any questions you may have, rather than requesting a car and then cancelling it you realised you made a mistake. You would not believe the number of people who cancelled a booking because they thought the ferry or fuel was included, when it was clearly stated the contrary….Remember that we may charge a fee for last-minute cancellations!

7. Understand the difference between 24 hours and calendar days.

Read this blog post to understand how rental operators use different methods of calculation for the number of days rented depending on if the vehicle is a car or a campervan: https://www.transfercar.co.nz/blog/transfercar-user-tips-nz/our-new-date-picker-explained

8. Allow enough time between drop-off and pick-up for back-to back bookings

You can for instance relocate a car from Queenstown to Christchurch and then pick-up another car from Christchurch to continue your journey on the same day. However to do this in our system, you will have to make sure that the drop-off time of your first relocation falls before the pick-up time of the second vehicle, otherwise it will be flagged as an error. You should always secure your first relocation first, and then select a second one once you have been accepted for the first relocation, rather than requesting both at the same time, to avoid having to cancel the second leg if you’re not accepted for the first leg.

Now search for your free rental car and happy travelling!

Eastland: An unforgettable coastal journey

We’ve recently introduced car relocations from Napier to Auckland, giving you 48 hours to explore the hauntingly beautiful East Coast of New Zealand. It is an area that is still very pristine and largely off-the-beaten track, and State Highway 35 is without a doubt one of the most beautiful roads in the country. The Eastland region is also the first region in the world to see the sunrise every day.

We highly recommend that you hop on a cheap bus ride or flight to Napier (search for the best jet card offers as Jetstar is offering flights at just $49 one-way from Auckland) and then drive a free rental car back to Auckland….

Day 1. Napier to Tolaga Bay (268 kms, 3h30)

Pick up your free rental car in the morning and start your drive going South! Yes, that’s the opposite of where you’re supposed to go, but Te Mata Peak is only a 25 minute drive South of Napier, and definitely not to be missed! The bare golden hills of the area are simply breathtaking.

Enjoy a tasty picnic or gourmet pizza in one of the beautiful vineyards nearby, before returning to Napier, and then start your drive towards Gisborne. The road is mostly inland to start with, passing beef and sheep stations, many maori settlements and peaceful villages, but it also passes through spectacular coastal scenery.

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You can have a world class surf at Wainui Beach to break up the journey before continuing on to Whangara, which is the location of a great Kiwi film, Whale Rider.

Another half and hour or so and you will reach Tolaga Bay and its famous historic wharf. The turquoise waters and huge landscape provide a spectacular backdrop for photos. This is also the start of the Cooks cove walkway (2.5 hours) which provides spectacular views of Cooks cove and the hole in the cliff wall, but you may not have time for this.

Day 2. Tolaga Bay to Whakatane via the East Cape (320kms, 4 hours)

On your way to the East Cape, you will first go through Tokomaru Bay which is a stunning white sandy beach with rocky headlands at each end. The area is rich in culture and history. Follow the coastal road to Waima at the eastern end of the bay and you will find the photogenic old wharf, relics of the era when transport on the coast was all by sea.

Te Araroa is another 1h30hrs away. With its long pebble beach and slightly desolated feel, you really feel like you’ve reached the end of the world. In a way, it is…

From here the road follows the ocean, winding past rocky foreshore, driftwood strewn beaches, sandy and rocky bays, and spectacular cliff top ocean views. Don’t forget to also stop at the Pacific Coast Macadamia Farm for good coffee and macadamia products!

Raukokore Church makes an incredibily scenic stop on the way. This Anglican church is a landmark of the East Cape region, which stands isolated close to the shore of Papatea Bay. The church was named as one of the East Cape/Gisborne region’s “101 must-do” sites by AA.

Continue the road to Te Kaha, 70km before reaching Opotiki, which is a popular holiday village made recently famous by Taika Waititi’s film Boy. Another 100 kms and you will reach Opotiki – this cruisy little town feels like it hasn’t changed for decades. It has a great long beach that you can have all to yourself.

Day 3. Whakatane to Auckland (300 kms, 3h30)

Unless you have purchased one additional day, you need to return your relocation car this morning, so you won’t have much time to stop on the way…. Just get up early and enjoy an easy drive all the way to Auckland, and savour the memories of your spectacular trip!

All photos: Copyright by Pascal Languillon

The Future of Car Travel

”Driving a vehicle is too dangerous for humans and will be outlawed when autonomous cars are proven to be safer”, claims Elon Musk, billionaire founder of electric car company Tesla. Despite the hype about driverless vehicles, experts say that it would take 20 to 30 years before they could co-exist with existing vehicles in cities.

However it is predicted that technology will take over from drivers in simpler situations such as traffic jams and parking within the next five years. Yes, in 2020 your new car will know how to park itself!

The future of car travel is not just about security and convenience, it’s also about saving time. Going driverless will also give us the opportunity to do something else while on the road. Cars will become communal living rooms on wheels.

The concept design for the F 015 Luxury in Motion by Mercedes-Benz features a large interior space, finished in walnut, glass, leather and aluminium, along with four individual lounge chairs.

Selecting a manual mode would prompt a steering wheel to emerge from the dashboard, while the driver and passenger seats turn automatically to face the direction of travel. Sounds cool, uh? Patience, patience, it’s still a prototype.

French manufacturer Peugeot also has an exciting vision for the future. Peugeot Moovie, an environmentally friendly city car that looks very different from the norm… It’s made of foam, plastics, steel, polycarbonate and plexiglas amongst others… But it’s not operational yet, don’t get too excited!

But do you know what the real next step is? No roads at all! Yes you hear me, why drive when you can fly? A few companies are already working on the concept of flying cars and have came up with prototypes. Terrafugia is hoping to have flying cars within the next ten years! Check out their video here. We wouldn’t mind relocating this car!

7 websites that could change the way you travel

True, there are tons of travel websites out there, and sometimes it seems like it’s only worth our time checking the giants in that space: TripAdvisor, Booking.com, Airbnb, Kayak… who isn’t addicted to those already? The good news is that among the thousands of travel websites and apps, there are a handful of interesting ones that are still worth our time. They can actually help you travel smarter. Here are some of our favourite new ideas.

1. Oyster

This has to be one of our favourites. Oyster (pictured above) is the only hotel site that sends special investigators to visit, photograph, review, and rate each hotel. It is especially handy to have a look at the detailed photos of each room to see which one to choose. There’s usually more information of this type there than on Tripadvisor. Oyster have gained quite a reputation with their photo fakeouts, where they reveal the reality behind the glossy pictures of the travel brochures. Hilarious and useful.

2.TripExpert

This website is like the anti-TripAdvisor: TripExpert offers hotel reviews from travel pros. Yes, travel pros like in the good old days, not just regular travellers. The company has partnered with 20+ travel guide services such as Frommer’s, Conde Nast Traveller, Lonely Planet, Fodors Travel and Travel + Leisure. In a sense, it’s like Rotten Tomatoes (the website specialised in film reviews) for travel.

The website displays a “TripExpert Score”, calculated by a number of parameters including rating and review given by each travel guide partners, and also the number of travel guides that have written about a hotel. It is a good addition to Tripadvisor when you’re in doubt or when you want to narrow down your search. Useful.

3. Roomer

roomer Here’s a useful website if you love getting great hotel deals, and who doesn’t? Their tagline is: ‘’Book your hotel room from people who can’t use theirs!’’ What does that mean? It is allowing travellers who are unable to use their hotel room to list it at a discounted price, thus giving people a chance to grab a last-minute deal. The problem is, though, when you browse the website, it’s hard to tell if you’re getting a regular discount or if you’re getting a special deal. As more people start to use the website, the deals will get better we think…

4.VoulezVousDiner.com

Voulezvousdiner

VoulezVousDiner is a peer-to-peer reservation service that allows users to connect and share meals in each other’s homes. Think Airbnb for restaurants. Instead of going to a restaurant, get an authentic experience of eating some delicious home-made food prepared by a talented local.

Mealsharing.com, Vizeat.com and Eatwith.com are similar websites, and some of them actually vet the quality of the chefs. Like any marketplace, local chefs are then reviewed by the community. We think this concept is going to become big some day, but right now all those websites are struggling to have an interesting offer outside of the most touristy cities in the world like Paris, London and New York. Hopefully the offer will get bigger soon.

5. Triptuner

Deciding where to go isn’t always easy. With so many appealing destinations in the world, how do you choose? Pictures help, obviously, but a website that helps you understand which destinations are suited to your needs is helpful too. That’s what Triptuner does: the website is designed to inspire you. Define if you’d rather have a bikini or a parka holiday, or if you’d rather have a relaxing or active holiday, and Triptuner will find the destination that’s right for you. Frankly, the website could be improved with more settings and better results, but the idea is fun.

6. Adioso

Adioso

‘’Flight search reinvented for humans’’. Indeed, Adioso is really helpful when you want to fly to a region but don’t necessarily know all the airports name there, and when you are quite flexible on the dates. You can type in a request such as, ‘Auckland to San Francisco leaving next week under $2,000’ and see what comes up, and you can choose a data range. The website is intuitive, fun to use and nicely designed, with the same prices that you would find on other meta-search websites. Interesting.

GetyourGuide

getyourguide

GetYourGuide is a booking platform for tours and activities, and to most of the world’s best attractions. It claims to have more than 27,000 things to do. Here you can book tickets for experiences as diverse as visiting the top floor of famous skyscrapers, bus city tours, and whale-watching tours. It can be convenient in some crowded destinations as it enables you to skip the line, and it comes with a best price guarantee.

The world’s most luxurious supervans!

You don’t like being on the water, but you want to live that superyacht lifestyle? Get a luxurious supervan!

Our favourite supervan has to be the amazing eleMMent Palazzo mobile home. This visual feast of extravaganza and luxury is actually of German craftsmanship, so made to last! The Palazzo features two floors of entertainment with a giant master suite, multiple bars and a liftable “flybridge” lounge up top. You can even extend a slide-out, increasing interior space by 80% when not on the road. The new eleMMent series 2015 is coming out soon, and we wonder what improvements will be provided to what is already an amazing motorhome, by all accounts.

Another supervan that would be nice to try is the Futuria Sports and Spa Motorhome. Another German invention! This mansion on wheels contains everything for luxury travelling: bathroom, bedroom, roof terrace with Jacuzzi and even sports car garage (equipped with the custom Toronto garage doors).

Guess where the third best supervan comes from? Germany as well!!! The Volkner Mobil Performance Bus comes equipped with a large fridge-freezer, dishwasher, microwave, Bose-Dolby-home Entertainment Surround System and a widescreen TV which can be concealed in the cabinet when not in use. Pretty cool, uh?

Think this is out of reach for you? Maybe… but do you know that you can find some supervans on Transfercar? Especially in the USA where you can drive brand new RVs for next to nothing. .. Check it out.

Reference: Hunretsville NC Garage Doors.