Posted on April 06, 2010 by Fiona Hilliard

Easy – when you realise that you don’t want to be stuck on a coach with:

a) Extra loud, sickingly obnoxious teenagers on their first post-exam holiday with tragic hairstyles and fashion sense (it’s ok they’ll live to regret them too)

b) Feverish, screaming red-faced babies/kids that don’t belong to you

c) Squabbling, sweaty, middle-aged couples who stress you out just by looking at them arguing about the mysterious whereabouts of hotel documents and rustling through what seems like hundreds of plastic bags.

d) A nasally-voiced, hung over holiday rep called Wayne or Stacey (again, tragic choppy hairstyles in abundance)

e) Broken air-conditioning

f) Rough, furry seats made from that carpet-like fabric that have seen better days

g) Extra-lanky people/ sugared-up kids kicking the back of said seats

h) A burly, grimacing driver who refuses to help you with your luggage, even when it’s obvious you can’t manage

i) A shared luggage department, where your bags always end up at the back and you have to avoid being mown down by a snarling vespa even though you’re standing on the footpath

j) A pesky fly/wasp/bee …there’s always one to compound the feeling of entrapment and what do you know, you can’t even open the window to get rid of it

So enough is enough…you’re taking a stand against this coach transfer malarkey.  What are your first steps to booking a car in Spain?

1. Book early.  Basically as soon as you know your dates, start searching for suitable available cars for your destination and planned travel period.

2. To get the best deals, sign-up to the company’s newsletter –this is where you’ll hear about the latest offers first and whether any availability shortages are expected.

3. Better yet, join the loyalty club.  The more you book, the more discounts you’ll receive on future bookings.

When you’ve made the plunge and booked your Spain car hire, there are a few things you should keep in mind about driving in Spain:

When picking up your car, you’ll need a full driving licence, a passport and a valid credit card in the same name as the lead driver. You will also require insurance.  This can be bought at the rental counter or in advance, at the time of booking.

So you’ve picked up your car…now what?

First things first: You drive on the RIGHT

Take extra care when pulling away from petrol stations, restaurants or indeed the car rental agency if located on the left hand side of the road

Be careful when overtaking.  Always allow for more space between you and the car in front so that you can see further down the road ahead

Spain is very strict when it comes to drink driving. Only 0.5 milligrams of alcohol per millilitre of blood is allowed. There really is no point…if you’re driving, don’t drink

Seatbelts must be worn, both front and rear

Speeding and traffic offences are subject to on the spot fines