BRITISH HOLIDAYMAKERS will pay more than twice as much for a day’s car hire in
France this summer as they will in neighbouring Spain and Belgium, a new
report has revealed. In a comparison of costs, the Post Office survey found
that the cost of a day’s car hire, inclusive of fuel and a round trip of 100
miles, averages £114.44 in France, compared with £55 in Holland.
Cyprus, at £55.13, is the second-cheapest car-hire destination in Europe,
followed by Spain, at £56.73. The most expensive nations after France were
Austria, at £113.59 per day, and Greece, at £97.73. If you want to rent for
a week, then Greece tops the chart at £553.50 – 40% more than France, at
£390.92. The cheapest is Spain, averaging £298.27, followed by Cyprus, at
£372.44.
Third is Austria, at £380.08. The average price of a day’s car hire in the UK
is £59.31, slightly more than Belgium, at £57.10, and considerably less than
Italy, at £72.69.
BRANSON’S MOSQUITO COAST
Sir Richard Branson has announced plans for a new eco-resort in the British
Virgin Islands. The resort, Mosquito Island (just over the water from
Branson’s Necker Island), will feature 20 villas and a beachfront restaurant
powered entirely by wind turbines and solar panels. Quite what Branson
intends to do about the biting insects after which the island is named isn’t
clear.
SPACE WEDDINGS LACK GRAVITAS
A Japanese tour operator is accepting reservations from couples who want to
get married in space. First Advantage has teamed up with US-based
Rocketplane to offer hour-long suborbital flights, including several minutes
in zero gravity during which vows will be exchanged, with a priest and two
guests present. The cost of the space wedding is £1.2m – or a bit more if
you want a cake.
EUROSTAR UPS FREQUENCY
Eurostar has announced it will increase the number of Paris-bound departures,
following surging demand for cross-Channel services from the revamped St
Pancras station. An 18th daily service will be added on weekdays from
September, and weekend departures will be increased to 20 on Fridays from
July 11. Return fares to Paris start at £59 return, bookable on 08705 186186
or at www.eurostar.co.uk.
CONTINENTAL HOTEL BARGAINS
Hotels in Europe have begun slashing prices in a bid to halt tumbling
occupancy rates this summer. The online accommodation agency HotelConnect
has reported that 50% of the properties it represents have cut rates by up
to 18% for July and August. “Thankfully, some hotels are beginning to
realise the impact the euro is having on occupancy levels,” said
HotelConnect. “These rate reductions are absolutely necessary to keep people
coming to Europe.” As is our list of the top 20 hotels for less than
€100-a-double – as featured on page 10.
MEET HITLER
The Berlin branch of Madame Tussauds opened last week to a wave of criticism
from German politicians over the inclusion of a “chillingly realistic”
representation of Adolf Hitler. “We conducted a survey and found that most
people said he belongs to history and should be shown, so we were guided by
that,” said Tussauds, adding that the grim-faced dictator, displayed sitting
in his Berlin bunker as a broken man, was the only figure in the museum with
which visitors could not be photographed.
