Public transport or parking at the airport

Your are going to catch a plane and you don´t know what kind of transport to use to get to the airport? what is better? use public transport or use your own car and parking it at the airport?
Many times when we travel we have to catch a plane and get to the airport. For many of us it is just for pleasure, for others because we have to go out on a short business trip or because we have to go for a long period to work abroad.

If it is not to far away and the plane ticket compensates, or we are in a short time and have to assist to a very important business meeting, we will surely take a plane. Similarly if we are taking a plane for a longer distance, we will have to get to the airport and possibly we will be loaded with a lot of luggage.

What alternatives are there to get to the airport?We might doubt of how to get there. We will have three alternatives.

The first and the most practical one is to ask a friend to bring and take us to the aiport. This alternative s not always the most indicated, because beside that we pay the fuel twice, we will also have a commitment with him/her or in some cases pay him/her as well. Not only that, but depending of our departure/arrival time we might have to ask someone for a big favour.

The second alternative is to take a taxi or public transport, one for when we depart and one for when we arrive.

The third one would be driving with our own vehicle to the airport and parking it there until our return, pick it up and go back home.

It seems like that the second option is the best one, but is it really?If we live in Benidorm for example and our flight departs from Valencia, taking a taxi from and too Valencia would cost us about 324€. Taking into consideration that we are maximum with 3 people.

On the other hand if we decide to take pulic transport, we will have to leave home much earlier. We have to take into consideration that there are not always direct buses from and to the airport. This means that beside of taking the bus we will also have to take a taxi, al local town bus or the subway to get to the airport. I we assume that we are with three people the price can rise up to 140€ if we go off from Benidorm to Valencia.

Than the most advisable thing to do is go with our own car?
Yes, there are several advantages by using our own vehicle. The first one is that you do not depend of any public transport time schedule and that you can leave home whenever you decide.
You load up your luggage, drive carefully to the airport having a rest whenever you want. Contract a service of parking at Valencia airport is the best solution.

This looks fine for me, but, where can I park my car once I get there?
A low cost parking company is the prefect solution. Once you arrive to the parking facilities, the staff of the company will tell you where you can park your car. Your car will be guarded 24 hours a day with video cameras and by cualified personnel. Beside this, they also will take us to the airport and will be waiting for us on our return.

At the same time, because it is a low cost parking it is much cheaper than parking your vehicle in the same airport parking area. For example, hiring a service of car parking in Alicante Airport may cost you aproximatly 25 euros a week. By the other hand, hiring for the same period a service of parking in valencia Airport may cost you 28€ aproximatly.

If we add on top of this rate the fuel expenses we will notice that we are saving quiet a lot of money, beside og gaining time and travelling more comfortable.

And you? what kind of transport do you prefer when you go on travel and have to go to the airport to catch your plane?

Victoria  Parking
Parking Alicante Airport
www.victoria-parking.com

From 2015 all sold cars in Europe will have the e-call.

The new regulation of the EU establishes that from the year 2015 all cars that are sold in Europe will have tp have incorporated the e-call system. The objective mainly is to increase traffic safty and reduce the time it takes for the emergency services in come to rescue where there has been an accident.


But, what is e-call?
The e-call system is a system that works through a telephone card which will be incorporated in our vehicle. In case of accident, when the vehicles airbags go off, automatically there will be send a signal to the emergency services. This will in connection with the police, fire brigade and ambulance.

What advatages does it has?

These calls will function through GPS system, which in case it activates, the receptor centre will know at all times our position. We will not have to make any call and have to try to explain to the operator where exacly we are.

Let us imagine that we are a tourist who has contract a service of car hire in Murcia and has an accident. Due that we are not in are own country we do not know how to contact with the emergency services neither know how to explain where exacly we are. The e-call system will do it all for you.

One of it main advantages that it has is that in the event of a serious accident, where the occupants can not call or move, the system would do it for us.

When will cars have this installed?
There are currently several manufactures that already have them installed in some of its car models. Given that from the year 2015 it will be mandatory for all sold cars in Europe, we will see more oftenly cars having this installed before 2015. Many manufactures will use it to make sure it works properly or as a business strategy.

And you? Are you agree with the implantation of this sytem in your vehicle?



VictoriaCars
Car hire Alicante Airport
http://www.victoriacars.com/

How to enjoy Easter in the Comunidad Valenciana and Murcia.

Easter is aproaching and the spanish beaches will become fill of tourists again, as well as the streets fill of visitors who will assist to the famous processions.

In a few days we will be celebrating Easter. As it´s known, here in Spain its celebrations is very spectacular during these days. Due to the multitude of processions held in the Peninsula there are a multitude of toursts visiting our country.


Which is the preferred destination to spend the holidays?
Due that the major type of religion in all Western European countries is cristian-catholic, there are several national holidays at the same time. Both companies and schools are closed.

Due to its favoured climate and its warm temperatures compared with the rest of the countries, Spain is one of the top destination for tourists during these days. As every year, there will be a great flood of people coming from all over Europe and from midland towards the different coastal areas.

A high number of visitors will choose to come to the Comunidad Valenciana and Murcia, so it is to be expected a large number of visitors who will be looking for a car hire Valencia and Murcia airport, or for an apartment to rent in Alicante. The forecasts ary very positive, that´s why we all recommend to book in advance for these days because we all expect to be 100% booked out.

Why do tourists prefer coastal areas?
Given that these are the first days of the year were we have a nice sunshine and pleasant temperatures, many tourists prefer to come to spend a few days on the beach, making profit of the warm sun rays, getting brown and among the brave ones even dare to take a swim in the sea.

But of course it is not all about sun and beaches. At the same time Spain is known internationally for its processions.

What are the processions?
The processions are parades across the streets, where they walk about with religious images carried on the shoulders of the so-called "costaleros". Each one of them, group of image and "costalero", are known as "paso".

People devoted to this have been training for a long time because they have to carry on their shoulders among the streets the image of Jesus Christ or the Virgin, in a very well organized slow march, with counted steps and a well established itinary. For many it is a truly honor to be able to bear its weight.

I´m off to the Comunidad Valenciana, which are the best known processions?
If our destiny is Alicante, the best known one is the Santa Cruz procession, a brotherhood that already exists 67 years. The route is one of the hardest because they depart from the Santa Cruz Hermitage, located at the base of the Castle in the old town of the city and cover virtually all Alicante´s main avenues. It is celebrated on Holy Wednesday.

The brotherhood "Santísimo Cristo de la Buena Muerte and Nuestra Señora de las Angustias" are responsible for the Silence Procession, which is held on Holy Thursday. This processions is one the most impressive ones for the majority of visitors.

If we are thinking in visiting the province of Valencia, we can go to the Alzira´s procession, which is one of the most visited of the Comunidad Valenciana. Among the most important ones is the "Domingo de Ramos", the "Silencio" one and the "Procesion General del Santo Entierro".

The Comunidad of Murcia has always been very religious and the Holy Week has a very special meaning for them. A variety of processions are held among all the province.

Due that it is very good connected thanks to its airport and because of its wide range of tourist services such as car hire Murcia, and its hughes variety acommodation in hotels and in apartments makes Murcia being one the favourite places to visit during this time of the year.

The processions of Cartagena have been declared of National Tourist Interest and stand out for their spectacular "pasos", the many flowers they are wearing... They are organized by the four main brotherhoods of the city (Marraja, del Cristo del Socorro, Californina and the Resucitado).

The processions of Jumilla date back to the 15th century and its "pasos" images have been made by very well-known sculptors. The most impressive one, without any doubt, is the Holy Wednesday one at the Plaza de Arriba, represented by the townpeople and declared of National Tourist Interest.

At the same time we can see processions in other cities in the area, though they are not as well known, they do attract each year more visitors. Towns as Callosa del Segura, Crevillente, Elche, Gandia, Lorca, Murcia, Orihuela, offers its visitors a wide range of choice throughout the community.

And you? Do you know any procession that we haven´t mentioned?

A shortage of rental cars in Easter Week is expected

A shortage of rental cars for the Easter holidays is expected again as a consequence of important companies's closedown of the sector because of the crisis.

Days pass fast, and by leaps and bounds approach one more year the first holidays of this year 2012, the Easter Halidays Week, beginning this year on Thursday the 5th of April. Because this is a very short vacation, a lot of visitors, most of them foreign people, prefer to come by plane or train and once arrived in destination, would like to rent a car.


Up to date we could see really low prices for car hire. As a tradition, many of the foreign customers have reserved their cars with a few months in advance, in order to be sure that will have a confirmed reservation and at the same time to get the best prices available. For example until only 2 weeks ago we could book a car hire at Alicante airport for less than 100 euros per week.

However, as dates are closer to the Easter Week prices begin to increase. For example now we can hire a car in Murcia from 130 euros and everything points that prices will increase as Easter holidays aproches.
But why do the prices increase?
As we already know the big majority of car hire companies renew the cars of the fleet constantly and as soon as the low season arrives they sell most of the vehicles, keeping the right number of cars for the winter season.
This year the economic situation is very dificult and finding finansation it is now a real challange for most of the companies. Beeing in this situation the companies can not renovate their fleet of vehicles. This way the big majority of car hire companies will have to resign with buying a lot less vehicles that the normally acquire buy this time.

As well is very important to point that important companies of the sector have suspended its activity as a consequence of the financial crisis in which Spain is immersed.

Conclusively, there are less car hire companies and the ones that support the pressure will a minor availability of cars for hire. This situation involves a shortage of fleet in curcial seasons like Easter Week and summer, besides a predictable rise of prices by this time.

How does this affects the travelers?
When the number of vehicles is very low, the companies have no other choice but to increase prices and many times the ones that makes last minute reservations will have to pay very high prices. This is all the way round than in a normal situation, when the last minute bookings haves special discounts.

The ones that have decided to rent their car until today, can say that they have paid a really low price for the Easter holidays. The ones that want to rent a car, it will be advisable to make theis booking now, and so will be sure they will pay a moderate price and at the same time being sure that they will have a car hire for those dates.

What about you? Are you going to risk and not hire a car until the last moment?