Nasty Surprises for Brit Holidaymakers Revealed in Survey

    SURREY, ENGLAND, June 12, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- - Bug infestations have happened to one in three travellers
- Car hire and other unexpected costs happen frequently
- UK and Republic of Ireland are voted the worst place to go for a holiday, yet remain the second most popular place to go

With the summer holidays about to start, the new survey from the car hire gurus has flagged up a number of worrying things to watch out for while away. The bad state of the accommodation that many have had to endure is the number one bug bear.

The survey questions 1,500 holidaymakers and there were some shocking results. Holiday accommodation problems came out on top with various bug infestations and dirty linen proving common. Snakes, rats, ants and possums have all proved problematic and 25% said that they had rooms with broken furniture.

Additional costs that had been unforeseen also proved to be a common problem as 40% complained that they had spent more than they had budgeted for. Car hire was said to be a big expenditure for many as 27% said they had encountered extra costs with their car rental. Excess baggage and medical costs also ranked high up.

Carrentals.co.uk Managing Director spoke of the survey: "Horror stories about holidays are common but we were shocked at the amount of people who had encountered so many dramatic surprises. We advise people to check out previous customer reviews before making a booking."

"Renting a car while on holiday gives holidaymakers a lot of freedom and the costs of getting a hire car should be straightforward and budgeted for when you book your trip in the same way you would a room. Terms and conditions are often where people get caught out and you should check out a car for damage before you hire it. It is also worth noting that you should never drop the car off without getting paperwork signed for."
The worst surprises were the following:
- A young boy suffered bed bug bites so badly that his face was swollen to twice its normal size
- One man woke up in his hotel room to find an alive rat on his face
- A coach driver hit a cyclist and promptly ran away leaving the coach load of travellers to handle to accident
- One holidaymaker got a shock when a holiday they thought would cost GBP110 was charged to his credit card at GBP3,400
- One couple who were on holiday in Singapore found a dead gecko in their kettle - after drinking a strange tasting cup of tea

The survey also revealed that Spain is the most popular place to go on holiday and the UK and the Republic of Ireland came in joint second. However, in stark contrast many said that staycationing was only a last resort option mainly due to the unpredictable weather in the UK. People in Scotland proved most likely to holiday at home and online bookings were revealed as the most popular way to book a holiday with over 80% saying they used the Internet to book their break.

Gareth Robinson went on to say: "The recession has taken its toll on people but they still seem determined to take a holiday this year. This proves how popular the travel sector is and the UK and Ireland are up there with the top choice destinations, which speaks a lot about the deals that are around at the moment as well as the sectors ability to satisfy staycationers."

Raising the Standard is a campaign that was recently launched by car hire giants Carrentals.co.uk and the survey is part of the company's aim to raise the standard of holidays. Find out more about the campaign along with chat forums, blogs and further travel advice at Raising the Standard.

Carrentals.co.uk compares car hire deals from up to 50 rental companies, including Alamo, Budget, easyCar, Holiday Autos and Sixt, in over 9,000 locations worldwide.

To compare the latest car hire deals visit www.carrentals.co.uk.

About Carrentals.co.uk
Carrentals.co.uk was launched in February 2003 and grew to become one of the UK's leading online car hire companies by 2006.

In 2007 the company re-launched its site to create the first major online price comparator in the travel industry. Using the latest technology the Carrentals.co.uk site now searches up to 50 different car hire websites, providing an impartial comparison of the best prices available in over 9,000 locations.

Websites searched include Alamo, Budget, easyCar, Ebookers, Hertz, Holiday Autos, Opodo, Sixt and Thrifty, with the Carrentals.co.uk site quickly comparing prices and allowing customers to refine their search by car type.

The Carrentals.co.uk site also features over 5,000 pages of travel information in a mini-guide format.

In 2008 Carrentals.co.uk was voted Best Car Hire Website in the Travolution Awards. To book or for further information visit www.carrentals.co.uk

Media Contact
Debbie Williams and Jenny White
Context
T: 01625 511966
F: 01625 511967
[email protected]
www.contextpr.co.uk

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