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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 Top 10 Most Dangerous Roads

We’ve traversed the earth to bring you ten of the most scary, interesting, beautiful and down right dangerous roads on the planet. Thanks to our research and the awesome powers of the internet you can relax and explore these places from the safety of your own couch. Enjoy the ride.

Zojila Pass, India

zojila Pass, India

If you can make this pass through the blustering winds and heavy snowfalls, we salute you. But watch out for the sheep! Even when the sun is shining on your curry-stuffed belly, the roads are ridiculously narrow with barrier-free steep drops. Consider some hard-core meditation (or medication) to keep you relaxed for this ride.

Source: http://bit.ly/1c6QLGB

Atlanterhavsveien (Atlantic Ocean Road), Norway

atlanterhavsveien

In Norway, known for its pickled Herring, this particular drive will have you rethinking dining before hitting the road. While it looks rather treacherous in bad weather conditions, Atlanterhavsveien is one of the most beautiful roads to travel in the world, with epic curves that can rival those of the top Scandinavian models.

Source: http://bit.ly/1zT4Txn

Podgorica–Kolašin, Montenegro

Podgorica–Kolašin, Montenegro

Say hello to Montenegro and to a white-knuckle ride of a lifetime while driving along the Podgorica–Kolašin road through the Morača Canyon! Riddled with countless cliff-side bends and tunnels, this road is basically out to get you, but if you survive you’ll be blown away by the beauty of the landscape that surrounds you. Good luck (you’ll need it)!

Source: http://bit.ly/1wBdrI5

Halsema Highway, Philippines

Halsema Highway, Philippines

Known as the highest of all highways in the Philippines, the Halsema Highway takes a whopping six hours to traverse so bring some light reading or some serious sleeping pills. Its bark is worse than its bite: it’s got a relatively low number of deaths considering its extreme altitude and zigzag design.

Source: http://bit.ly/1rbu6kO

Guoliang Tunnel, China

Guoliang Tunnel, China

Fancy a ride through a tunnel that looks like it was handmade?! Well we’ve got one for you. This beaute is a mere 16 feet tall and 13 feet wide, and was built by villagers in 1972. Many of the Guoliangers died during its five-year construction, and judging by the incline, can you guess how?

Source: http://bit.ly/1GLEXWm

Passo dello Stelvio, Italy

Passo dello Stelvio, Italy

We bet you’ll be saying a massive “Grazie” once you’ve made it to the other side of Italy’s Stelvio Pass! At 9045 feet, this road is the second highest paved mountain pass in the Alps, but it’s the most dangerous.

Source: http://bit.ly/1x12uhE

Dades Gorge Road, Morocco

Dades Gorge Road, Morocco

This snake-like road can be found up in the High Atlas Mountains at the edge of the Sahara Desert. You may be able to beat the heat of the Sahara but can you handle driving along the 1600 ft cliffs and weaving through 30 ft fissures?

Source: http://bit.ly/1ClIISG

Skippers Canyon, New Zealand

Said to be as scary as it is beautiful, this 22km long scenic gorge, just a short drive north of Queenstown is a mostly one-way, narrow route featuring epic vistas as well as neck-breaking drops of several hundred meters. Known as one of New Zealand’s most scenic roads, some rental car insurance companies don’t feel the same love as the Kiwis do and won’t cover you on this trip! If you have problems you can find a Public liability insurance online by clicking the link.

Source: http://bit.ly/1wcIjcK

James Dalton Highway, Alaska

James Dalton Highway, Alaska

This 414-mile gravel road heads straight through arctic tundra to the farthest north reaches of Alaska. It may look like a Winter Wonderland, but it’s not a road for the faint of heart, or those of you who cherish your car! As it’s the main supply route for the Prudhoe Bay oilfields,you’ll be sharing the road with mammoth tractor-trailers kicking up rocks. Kiss your windshields and headlights goodbye!

Source: http://bit.ly/1JFK3pw

The Highway of Death, Bolivia

The Highway of Death, Bolivia

Remember that song ‘Life is Highway’? Well, it really is when we’re talking about the La Paz ‘Highway of Death’ that leads from Bolivia into the Amazon. Formerly known as the ‘World’s Most Dangerous Road’, this death-defying 38 mile long trip comes with no misnomer: an estimated 200-300 unlucky travelers die annually attempting this infamous route.

Source: http://bit.ly/1E0pOTa

Need a rental car this summer, check out our home page to see our available vehicles – just promise us you wont take any of these routes!

Travel and Leisure: Bet You Can’t Guess the World’s 5 Best Cities!

Out of the 248,720 cities in the world, there are five that have made the Best Cities in the World list on www.travelandleisure.com. If I could do math, I’d be able to tell you what percentage that makes, but I can’t, so just start packing your bags because, well #YOLO.

1st Kyoto, Japan: Did you know that Kyoto was the official capital of Japan from 794 until 1868? Now it’s Japan’s seventh largest city with 1.4 million people and a modern makeover. Luckily for Kyoto, it has a very rich, dramatic and varied history that will impress both the tourists and the history buffs. So, put this beauty on your list of places to see! With its countless temples, shrines, geishas, and tea ceremonies, Kyoto is the culture capital of Japan.

2nd Charleston, South Carolina. Well, kiss my grits! This is the third time the oldest city in South Carolina has made this list and it’s easy to see why! If you’re craving some “Southern Comfort”, then wandering through the city’s infamous Historic District, centuries-old mansions and magnolia-filled gardens might be what the 18th century Doctor ordered. This beautiful city has a great climate, wonderfully charming people (why, thank you dahling!) and well, THE BEST FOOD. Biscuits and gravy, shrimp and grits and B-B-Q to die for: this is one American city your stomach doesn’t want to miss out on.

3rd Florence, Italy. It’s not surprise finding Florence here in the top five. This city is like catnip to culture vultures, hungry to take in sights like Michelangelo’s David and the Uffizi Museum. The Palazzo Pitti, Museo del Bargello, Museo Archeologico and the Medici chapels are nothing to sneeze at either! I won’t get into the food because I won’t stop, but let me just say: Antipasti! Caffe! Formaggi! Vino! Ah, in Florence it’s the ultimate la dolce vita!

4th Siem Reap, Cambodia. This surprising city is in the most prosperous region of contemporary Cambodia. Being close to the Angkor Wat temple has turned Siem Reap into one of the world’s premier travel destinations. At the heart of the city is the Old Market, which is home to some incredible restaurants and shops that are easy on the wallet. If you’re looking for a party head into the bustling downtown area with its plethora of restaurants, bars and nightclubs and a night market that’s pumping well past midnight.

5th Rome. Fancy yourself a fashionista? If so, Rome’s for you. Whether you spend your time sightseeing, drinking coffee, watching the catwalk go by, or spending all your money in the upmarket fashion boutiques. Rome is a favourite holiday destination for young and old. With the Pantheon, the Colosseum and St. Peter’s, this city is the world’s biggest open air museum! Bellisima! Visit https://www.trips2italy.com to find your best destination.

Transfercar can take you to some of the world’s best cities and more. Our list may be a little different but it includes hotspots like San Francisco, Sydney and Auckland. So grab a free car rental and go explore!

I am surprised I didn’t find here Las Vegas, as this city is a constant party and fun. Check VIP Wet Republic guest list sign up at http://www.lasvegasguestlist.com/pools/wet-republic if you are wondering what to do in Vegas tomorrow.

Transfercar Vehicle Guides: The Hatchback

We get travelers asking us the differences between vehicles all the time, so we’re here to save you a headache with our vehicle guides! These will inform you about the types of vehicles you could be driving with us and which one might best suit your needs. This week we’re covering Hatchbacks – the space heavy mini cars.
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Transfercar Driving Safety: Seasonal Driving Tips

Driving conditions change with the seasons. In the summer or hot weather roads are dry and cars heat up, along with the driver. In winter or cold weather roads can get slippery and treacherous. The trick to safe driving has always been adapting to your surroundings and driving to the conditions, and seasonal changes are no exception.
Continue reading Transfercar Driving Safety: Seasonal Driving Tips