Birmingham sits at the heart of the English Midlands, with a strong mix of both industrial and traditional tourist attractions. Like any reasonable sized European city, there’s no need to hire a car in Birmingham if you are just visiting the city centre, but the chances are that you are almost certainly travelling beyond this area, so what is the best way of getting around?

Why hire a car in Birmingham?

• Cotswolds
• Peak District
• Wales and West
• New Street
• Shakespeare country

Why not?

• International gateway
• Severn Valley Railway
• Matlock and Heights of Abraham
• Aberystwyth
• Coventry

Conclusion

Verdict — yes

Note — this advice is based around flying into Birmingham airport (BHX). East Midlands is an alternative airport for the area, but it has much poorer public transport connections.

Since reunification, the German government and private investors have poured in billions of euros in investment, both to create a reunited city, and to move the majority of the German government buildings. There’s also be substantial investment in transport infrastructure, so is there any need to get a hire car for a visit to Berlin?

Why hire car in Berlin?

• Neustrelitz – There are also numerous parks around Neustrelitz, also to the north of Berlin, although again there are several train routes heading through this area as well.
• North-east coast headed to Germany is a highly scenic, but often overlooked north-east coast — there are several different national parks on and around the island of Rugen. –. However, even this can be done by train — several lines around Germany’s version of Bergen are particularly scenic.
• Car City — car lovers will want to head towards Volkswagen’s Autostadt (car city) in Wolfsburg, which features the dramatic Phaeno cultural centre, designed by architect Zaha Hadid, and featured in the film the International. However, even this most auto-friendly facility is still actually much easier to get to by train, as it is on the only dedicated high-speed rail route out of Berlin.
• Tropical islands paradise — for something completely different, head out to Brand, where a never used blimp factory has been converted into Europe’s largest indoor leisure complex, complete with sandy beaches and palm trees. Forget about the Caribbean, you can have it all under one roof just outside Berlin. Although there is a shuttle bus linking Tropical Islands with a nearby railway station, it is easier to get here if you already have a hire car.

And why not?

• Superlative station — stations don’t get any better than Berlin’s stunning new Hauptbahnhof, or Grand Central Station. This isn’t just somewhere to change trains, it is both a stunning engineering feat with upper-level tracks flying over the lower level in true Metropolis style, and also a major shopping and eating destination in its own right. As with any great architecture, it has its detractors — some locals hate it, saying the lifts are overcrowded and the platforms are windswept, but as a visitor you can just gawp at the roof, without having to worry about these impracticalities. Appreciating Berlin Hauptbahnhof isn’t just about the structure, the station used to be in no man’s land, and a new underground link has been built through to Potsdammer Platz, making the station a true representation of reunification core from east to west and north to south. Berlin Hauptbahnhof also right next to Germany’s impressive new government buildings, and the Reichstag building, with its stunning new dome, designed by British architect Norman Foster.
• U2 tour –U2′s iconic album Achtung Baby and subsequent Zoo TV tour was recorded in Berlin, and it sums up much of the mood at the time of reunification. Starting with the title track Zoo Station (which has since lost its main station buzz to the new Hauptbahnhof), you are already on the rail network, although of course the best way of exploring the Berlin of this time must surely be to take a tour in one of East Berlin’s famous Trabant cars, although this isn’t the sort of thing you pick up at the car rental desk at Schoenfeld airport.
• Elevation — between Berlin’s Zoo Station and Ostbahnhof, the railway line runs on an elevated viaduct, giving you extensive views of the city, new and old. As introductions go, this one is a must.
• Light and dark — Berlin’s renaissance means that there are plenty of impressive new buildings to look at, even if they aren’t all occupied. Berlin also has an equally impressive collection of imposing historical buildings, but this is also a city with a dark past. You will undoubtedly find that there is much more to Berlin than the glossy postcard pictures, and it is easy to spend more time in the city than you might have otherwise had budgeted for. Whereas there are many places which offer a good mix of places to see within in the city, and places worth visiting outside which are best to drive to, Berlin has more to offer within.
• Dresden. Coventry’s twin city did exactly the opposite of her British counterpart, rebuilding the historic centre brick by brick, and it looks superb. The one building that has been modernised is the city’s central station, which has been remodelled by Norman Foster (see above). Whilst Dresden is well worth a visit in its own right, there are also a number of scenic routes are available from the city, including the Labe Valley towards Prague and tourist routes to Dippoldiswalde and Radeburg.
• Local network — an extensive network of local and regional trains operates both within Berlin and out to surrounding towns and cities.
• Poland — Berlin is also the gateway to western Poland, and cities such as Poznan and Szczecin are both within easy reach of the German capital by train.

Conclusion — Berlin is so much more of a city to stay in than it is a base to get out and explore other areas, and even if you do want to get out of the city, it might well be just as easy to get out and about by train, especially as the network of local, regional and long-distance train services from Berlin really is excellent, even compared to other German cities. This leaves little reason to justify getting a hire car, unless you want to head towards the scenic coastal areas to the north-east.

Verdict — strong no

Note — flights to Berlin currently operate into Tegel and Schoenfeld airports. These will be united on one single site, the new Berlin Brandt airport, which opens in June 2012. This brand-new facility, which is on a site adjacent to Schoenfeld airport, will open up more flights into Berlin, and will also offer local and regional rail connections from a station underneath the terminal building.

The Northern Ireland peace process has brought about a significant rise in the number of tourists visiting Belfast. As with most European cities, the main attractions in Belfast itself are easy to walk to, so what about places to visit beyond the city?

Why hire a car in Belfast?

• Limited lines — look at any major city in England or central Scotland, and you will usually see a network of rail lines fanning out, including local and long-distance services. There are only four railway lines heading out of Belfast, two of which only provide suburban connections to Larne and Bangor respectively. A regional service operates as far as Derry (Londonderry), whereas the enterprise service continues down to Dublin.
• Giants Causeway — this is surely the most impressive natural feature on the Emerald Isle, and is only a short drive from Belfast. However, bus trips are available, so there is no need to get a hire car just to visit Giants Causeway.
• Inland — the railway routes in Northern Ireland generally stay close to the coast, so to go anywhere inland, especially to visit the various points of interest around Lough Neah, you will need a rental car, or you will have to rely on slow bus services.
• Blue Stack mountains — head across into Co Donegal for some superb scenery on Ireland’s Northwest coast, again, well beyond the reach of scheduled services.
• Poor public transport — although Northern Ireland has seen a lot of investment in recent years, little of this has gone on to public transport services, apart from upgrades to the railway fleet (Translink). No new lines have been built, and unlike many cities in northern England, there is no form of tram in Belfast. The city remains car dependent, and it has relatively few good routes to explore by bike.

Why not?

• There are few reasons not to get a hire car in Belfast, unless you just want to stay in Belfast itself, or perhaps take the train to Derry (Londonderry).
• Coastal routes — the train hugs the coast in many areas, offering some good scenic views, especially between Coleraine and Derry (Londonderry), and South of Newry most of the way to Dublin.
• Celtic cousins — instead of just visiting Northern Ireland, why not combine the trip to Belfast with a visit to Glasgow, or even tack on Edinburgh and Dublin at each end? This is an easy rail trip, with plenty of flights available from throughout Europe at either end if you extend to the Scottish and Irish capitals. The train south of Ayr towards Stranraer is particularly scenic, and you also get to include a short ferry crossing on the Irish Sea.

Conclusion — public transport options in and around Belfast are relatively limited, and the best attractions are landscapes rather than cities. This makes our verdict lean heavily towards recommending getting a hire car.

Verdict — yes (strong)

Note — it is easy to pick up a hire car at either Belfast International or Belfast George Best city airport. If you don’t plan on getting a hire car, you’re better off flying into Belfast city airport, which is much closer to central Belfast. You can even take a short walk to nearby Sydenham station to start early rail journeys within Northern Ireland, although for just getting to the city centre, it is quicker to take a taxi or shuttle bus. Belfast city airport is a wider network of domestic flights from the rest of the UK, whereas Belfast International has more flights from mainland Europe.

the Swiss capital is often overlooked by people who just want to change trains and head for the ski resorts, but this is a great shame as this tightly packed UNESCO world Heritage city has so much to offer. Having said that, this is of course the capital or Switzerland, so public transport is naturally outstanding, even if it is unlikely you will need it. What about the surrounding area?

Why hire a car in Bern?

• There are very few reasons to hire a car in Bern, unless you on a business trip or visiting family, and sticking to the Swiss Lowlands.
• Swiss bank account — when you see the prices of the train up to the world-famous Jungfraujoch top of Europe, you may well wish that you had your own Swiss bank account, because this is the most expensive railway in the world on a mile for mile basis. However, even if you wanted to drive, you just can’t — this, and many other places in the Bernese Oberland is simply unreachable on four wheels.

Why not?

• Double Bond Heaven – James Bond fans will want to head straight to the Piz Gloria revolving restaurant, immortalised in On her Majesty’s Secret Service. However, this is just one side of the absolutely stunning way Swiss engineers have tamed the mountains in the Jungfrau region. Nearby is the Jungfraujoch Top of Europe experience, which features a spiralling rack and pinion railway which has been blasted through the mountain. You arrive in a huge cavernous space which very much resembles a Bond villain’s lair, before being lifted up to an open-air view platform, which offers a stunning vista of the Altech glacier. To reach these attractions, take the train to Interlaken Ost (East) first. Heading to Piz Gloria will take you through Lauterbrunnen, and then up a steep cliff to the car free village of Murren, from where the cable car continues to the top of a mountain. To reach Jungfraujoch, you can also head via Lauterbrunnen, from where you can take a train via another carfree village of Wengen; or you can go via Grindelwald. Either way, this is one particular part of Bond’s world where the Aston stays in the garage.
• Zermatt — with the newly built Lotchberg Base Tunnel, Bern is the ideal gateway to Zermatt and the imposing Matterhorn which sits behind, with one simple change at Visp. Although you can drive to Zermatt, why would you want to, when the trains are so good? Also, what is the point in picking up a hire car and then paying again to take it on the alter train through the Lotchberg tunnel?
• Crans-Montana — the famous resort of Crans-Montana can also be reached by changing Visp and then again Sierre.
• Leukerbad
• Beautenbucht
• Paddle Steamers?
• Climb — the Alps offer a breathtaking backdrop to any part of the city, but for the most spectacular advantage point, climb up the tower in Bern’s Munster, and enjoy not just great views of the mountains behind, but also a stunning view of the historic city itself.
• Look the other way — it is easy to lavish attention on the Bernese Oberland, and other resorts in the Alps, but it is also worth an excursion to the bilingual city of Biel / Bienne, and continuing along the lake to Neuchâtel and Yverdon (see Basel page).
• Art Museum? Paul Klee?

Verdict – Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Bern conclusions

Mentioned Gore McGrath?

• Still good for driving — even if some of the results in the Jungfrau region are off-limits for cars, there are still plenty of great places to go driving, especially during summer. Drive to resorts such as Gstaad, or continue to Les Diablerets, so while it is much easier to get to by car, compared to the very circuitous train ride from Bern.

• Cost — Switzerland is already an expensive location for car hire, but you can expect to pay even more for the privilege of picking one up at Bern’s tiny airport.
• Integrated walking and cycling — as you would expect, there are numerous walking and cycling trails all over central Switzerland, and these are always clearly signposted with estimated times. These paths always start and finish near some sort of public transport stop, and many of them will take you over to the next valley, so it is much easier to coordinate with public transport, than to drive somewhere and restrict yourself to having to return to the same spot.
• Interlaken — Switzerland’s answer to New Zealand’s Queenstown offers any number of high adrenaline activities, or alternatively you can take it easy on one of the lake steamers on either Lake Thun (board at Interlaken West station) or Lake Brienz (Interlaken Ost).
• Beatenbucht — this lovely village on the northern side of Lake Thun has what must surely be the most scenic swimming pool in Europe, with the trio of Jungfrau, Monch and Eiger as a backdrop. Even a location such as this is easily reachable by bus from Interlaken.
• Leukerbad — another personal favourite.
• Summer downhill — in Switzerland, the fun doesn’t stop when the snow melts, in fact it is even easier to appreciate downhill runs, either on a mountain bike or by picking up one of the scooters (trottibikes), which are available for hire at various cable car or mountain railway base stations. Either way, let the cable or train take the strain, and enjoy the downhill run. Note — Beatenbucht and Grindewald are personal favourites.

Verdict — of all the cities featured in Carornocar.com, Bern stands out as by far and away the strongest recommendation not to get one. This should be pretty obvious, considering that this is where you come for the best of the best of mountain railways, cable cars and lake cruisers, all integrated into one system. Considering the sheer expense of hiring a car in Bern, together with the fact that some of the most exciting places to visit are off-limits to vehicle traffic anyway, this really should be a no-brainer. The only other places where we could recommend not getting a car in even stronger terms would be destinations like Hong Kong, whose airport has no car rental facilities (Avis have an office downtown if you really insist), or Bermuda, where local regulations do not permit tourists to hire a car.

Verdict — absolute no! (-9)

Personal note — I usually like to visit new destinations, but having first visited Interlaken in 2001, I have been back many times since. I have never even considered getting a hire car to visit this part of Switzerland.

+ how did you get there?

Why hire a car in Alicante?

• Cheap car hire — car hire in Alicante is about as cheap as it gets, making public transport very unattractive, except for the solo or non-driving traveller.
• Poor public transport — even when compared to Malaga, which is connected to the AVE high-speed train network, and which is the gateway to several great inland Andalusian cities, public transport in Alicante is poor. Whereas Malaga airport has train links to many nearby resorts, Alicante offers no such facility, nor does it offer a direct train link to Valencia.

Why not?

• Resort transfers — plenty of easy resort transfers are available from Alicante airport to all of the nearby holiday resort locations.
• Coastal tram — Alicante does at least offer one novelty, a tram which runs along the coastline, but this is not enough to tempt anyone away from their car.

Verdict: unlike Malaga, Alicante is a strong yes.

Note — this advice is for picking up a hire car in conjunction with flight into Alicante airport. The advice would be similar for Murcia, although the transport networks around Valencia, where we do not recommend getting a hire car, are vastly different.

Dundee has relatively few flights from the rest of the UK, and no international flights. Therefore, many visitors to Dundee, Tayside and beyond are more likely to arrive at Edinburgh airport instead. However you get here, should you pick up a hire car, or can you get around by public transport?

 Why rent a car in Dundee?

• Cairngorms National Park — Dundee is the closest airport to the southern reaches of the Cairngorms National Park, and you will not find any bus services in this area without going up to Aberdeen first (and then out to Braemar).
• Perth and west — although public transport links to Perth itself are perfectly adequate, the car will give you much more flexibility to head further west, including to Loch Earn and Loch Tay, or for heading west at Pitlochry towards Loch Rannoch. Note that points further west of here, including Rannoch Station and the northern reaches of Loch Lomond can be reached by train from Glasgow Queen Street on the superb West Highland line — see our Glasgow car hire guide for more information here.
• Beaches — Dundee is close to some superb stretches of beach, including Buddon Ness directly to the east of the city and Tentsmuir Point just south of the Tay.
• Toll free — the SNP led Scottish government has abolished tolls on both the Forth Road Bridge and the Tay Bridge, making it easy and (relatively) cheap to drive up to Dundee from Edinburgh airport or other points south.
• Brechin has a castle and is the start of the Caledonian Railway, which is good for steam train lovers, except that it offers no connection to the mainline at nearby Montrose, so even this rail-based attraction is still much easier to get to by car.
• No bus – Dundee airport has relatively little traffic, so there is no bus link to the city centre. If you don’t want to walk, you will have to use a taxi, or get a hire car to go beyond.

Why not?

• Car Hire Cost! Typically, Dundee Airport Car Hire can be £50 or more on top of comparable Scottish airports for a week’s rental. This is on top of the flights also usually being more expensive, as Dundee is a small STOL airport (short runway, small aircraft). It is cheaper to find flights into Edinburgh Airport and drive up from there.
  
• Walk it! Dundee is one of the few airports in the world from which you can quite easily walk to the city centre, and if you choose to do so you will enjoy fantastic views across the Firth of Tay, including the famous Tay Rail Bridge in the process. Allow around 45 minutes – or a good hour if you are enjoying the view.
• Discovery — the main attractions Dundee has to offer, including Discovery Point, the frigate Unicorn and the North Carr Lightship are all within a short walk of each other.
• Scenic train ride — if you fly into Edinburgh, you can continue up to Dundee, taking in fantastic views both from and of the Forth Rail Bridge before hugging the coast through Burntisland and Kirkaldy and then heading inland through Fife, and then across the Tay to reach Dundee.
• Gateway to Perth — Historic Perth is only a short bus or train ride away from Dundee. From here you can continue by rail on the fantastic Highland line to Inverness, or down to Stirling.
• St Andrews — the world-famous home of golf is also just a short bus ride from Dundee (just under 30 minutes). Rail passengers from the south can alight at Leuchars for St Andrews.
• Carnoustie – The famous golfing centre at Carnoustie is just a short bus or train ride to the east of Dundee.
• Botanic Gardens – Start your visit to Dundee with a trip to the University Botanic Garden – right opposite the airport!

Summary — Dundee airport is very much a niche car hire market, but you will certainly be much better off to explore the Dundee hinterland with one, whether you pick it up from Dundee or from one of the more major airports on the Scottish central belt.

 Verdict – YES

Why hire a car Inverness?

• Flexibility — for all the obvious reasons, a hire car will give you far more flexibility than go by train or bus will.
• Timing — however scenic the train lines out of Inverness may be, most services only operate a few times each day, so it is difficult to get off en route to take photos and then jump back on again.
• Go West — a car will give much more flexibility for exploring the West of Scotland, especially if you head towards Ullapool and beyond, where there are no trains, and buses are extremely rare, except when operating in conjunction with ferry services.
• Skye — although it is possible to explore the Isle of Skye using buses, they only operate on an infrequent basis. To make the best use of the fantastic scenery Skye has to offer, including the famous Cuillin Hills, a car is essential.
• Eilean Donan Castle — again, this is somewhere that with good planning can be reached by coach or a combination of bus and train. The village of Dornie sits on the A87 about 10 miles east of Kyle of Lochalsh. Driving gives you the flexibility of following a similar route to the Kyle line through Glenn Carron (A890), and then returning along the A87 through Glen Shiel.

Why not?

• Loch Ness — if you drive there, you really will just see a large body of water. To capture the spirit of Scotland’s most famous monster, you’ll be much better off on a cruise or organised tour (and we don’t recommend guided tours very often). These can easily be arranged from the centre of Inverness.
• The Kyle line. This line alone is a good enough reason not to hire a car for a visit to Inverness. Often rated as one of the most scenic rail lines in the world, together with the West Highland line out of Glasgow Queen Street, it really is one of Scotland’s must see railway routes.
• Plockton. This lovely fishing village, originall set up as a planned community to help stem the flow of emmigration, has been immortalised in the Hamish Macbeth TV series, and is an ideal excursion on the Kyle line.
• Compass covered — unlike nearby Aberdeen, which sits out on the corner of the rail network, train routes from Inverness head out in the direction of all the major compass points — north on the Far North Line towards Wick and Thurso, east towards Aberdeen, south on the Highland Line to Perth, continuing to Edinburgh and Glasgow, and west on the Kyle line to Kyle of Localsh. Out of these four major routes, at least three are scenic for a substantial length of their journey — the line to Aberdeen in our opinion is less impressive.
• Bike it! If you drive on the A9, chances are that you will see many cyclists taking part in the gruelling John O’Groats to Land’s End cycling challenge. If this gives you inspiration, why not hire a bike in Inverness, and take one of the many scenic circuits which can be explored from the Highland capital — just make sure you take a good map to avoid getting caught out on a long dead-end road.
• Great Glen Way – The Caledonian Canal to the head of Loch Ness is a good place to start your Inverness bike tour – but the more adventurous can continue all the way down to Fort William on the Great Glen Way – and it is even possible to book one way bike rental for this route!
• Whisky tours — there are numerous distilleries within range of Inverness, and taking a coach tour of any of these locations means you don’t have to worry about sampling the product on the way.
• Limited road routes — despite Inverness being remote relative to the rest of the UK, it still offers an excellent selection of rail routes, which roughly match the range of routes which are available by road. The main exception to this is the A82, which heads south west to Fort William, and beyond Glasgow, although scheduled coach services are available on this route. Therefore the relative advantage of having a car is much less than it might be at other locations. Is it worth the cost?
• Combine train and bus – e.g. to Eilean Donan Castle, by tain, allow a good 3 hours, using the Kyle Line and a coach to Dornie. Alternatively, the direct coach journey from Inverness to Dornie takes just under 2 hours. Note – mixing one-way coach and railway journeys can be more expensive than making return trips by the same route, but if you book in advance you can get good deals, and you will see more this way.
• The superb Dunrobin Castle even has its own station (Dunrobin), but the castle is only open during the summer months. It takes just over 2 hours to get there by train – or 90 minutes by bus, but the train is more scenic, especially as it heads inland up Dornoch Firth (the detour explaining the additional journey time).
• Take the train up. Although recent years have seen huge improvements in the range of flights to Inverness, there is still a much wider choice of flights to either Edinburgh or Glasgow. Why not take the train in at least one direction, and enjoy the scenic Highland Line – the good stuff starts north of Perth, so it doesn’t matter whether you fly into Edinburgh or Glasgow. There is also one direct train each day from London King’s Cross to Inverness, the Highland Chieftan, taking around 8 hours.

Verdict — Inverness is one of those places where it is easy to automatically think a hire car is the best option, but there are plenty of reasons to think again. The Kyle Line on its own is one of them, and because there are so many other options for enjoying this part of the world without needing a hire car, our recommendation is to try and do without one.

Recommendation: No

Why rent a car in Aberdeen?

• Remoteness — although you will have no problem getting around the city itself, public transport routes starts to thin out massively once beyond the central city area.
• Limited train routes — Aberdeen is right at the end of the East Coast route from London via Edinburgh, and the only other train service is a limited frequency (one train every two hours) route to Inverness. Whereas even Inverness by comparison is a rail hub, with routes fanning out on each of the major compass points, Aberdeen really isn’t a great base for exploration by train.
• Limited attractions — there are relatively few points of interest in Aberdeen itself, whereas the surrounding countryside offers plenty of places to visit, including the famous Balmoral Castle. Without a car, these places are difficult to get to.
• Not so scenic: Even if you are intending on heading towards Inverness by train, this route is much less scenic than any of the other rail links in and out of Inverness.

Why not?

• There are very few reasons not to hire a car for a visit to Aberdeen, unless you’re making a very brief stay in the city itself, and aren’t planning on venturing very far beyond city limits.
• Balmoral by bus: Hardy public transport users can go by bus to Balmoral Castle, which is just next to the village of Crathie on the A93 – allow around 2 hours, upto 8 buses each way per day.
• Orkney and Shetland — Aberdeen offers both onward flights and ferry services to the Orkney and Shetland Islands. You can take a hire car onto the ferry services, but is much cheaper to go as a foot passenger, and take advantage of local bus services, where you are also likely to pick up a good deal of local knowledge from fellow passengers.
• Scenic coastal rail route — the train route from Edinburgh up to Aberdeen has a number of particularly scenic stretches, especially as it hugs the coast for much of the route. Flying into Aberdeen and out through Edinburgh would be one way to enjoy this route, although the availability of flights there is generally much better than it is to Aberdeen anyway, so another option is just to pick return flights to Edinburgh and take the train in both directions. If you are flying in and out of Aberdeen, then this train route is still worth exploring at least down to Stonehaven, where it goes inland.
• Start at Dyce: A shuttle bus is available from Aberdeen Airport to nearby Dyce station, from where most trains heading south start. Dyce is also the best place to board trains heading to Inverness, as this avoids going into Aberdeen city centre and back out again.

Verdict

As Scottish cities go, when it comes to train networks, Aberdeen is certainly the weakest link, so to get to other places you would almost certainly end up needing to go by bus. This is not our view of travel enjoyment — buses should be there to supplement train journeys, not as a preferred method of transport in their own right. For this reason, Aberdeen gets our strongest verdict of all Scottish cities that a car is necessary to get the best out of your trip.

YES (very strong yes)

if you are just making a short visit the rock itself, then there is clearly no need to hire a car as it is easy to walk both around Gibraltar itself and to walk from the airport to any part of the peninsula. However, for anything longer than a day or two, then you will want to head into Spain, and a hire car is going to make this a great deal easier.

Why hire a car in Gibraltar?

• Get out: Gibraltar is a fascinating place to visit for a short period, but after this, you will want to get out.
• Driving right: Whereas other British territories drive on the left, driving in Gibraltar is on the right, so there is no adjustment going into mainland Spain and back.
• Bus disconnect: A relic of tensions between the UK and Spain is that local bus services in the border town of La Linea terminate in the town’s bus station, so there is no continuity through to Gibraltar. You will need to walk across the border into Gibraltar — as a pedestrian you won’t need to queue long. Allow around 5 minutes to get from La Linea bus station to Gibraltar airport / frontier, and another 10 minutes to walk to Grand Casemates Square. First time round, this is a bit of a novelty, after that, it is easier in a car.
• No station: Unsurprisingly, considering the long history of political tensions, there is no railway station in Gibraltar. Instead, you would need to take the boat or bus from La Linea to Algeciras, from where you can take a slow but scenic train journey to Ronda and beyond. There is only one train route available — Algeciras is very much at the end of the line. Note that the station at San Roque-La Linea is closer, but there is no public transport link to it.
• Novelty drive – for the next few months at least, you can drive across the live runway of Gibraltar Airport. (Or, you can walk across it too – ed).
• Gibraltar v Malaga flights: Car hire in southern Spain is generally extremely cheap, and prices for Gibraltar airport car hire are also reasonable. However, the range of flights to Gibraltar is relatively small compared to nearby Malaga, so you may find it easier to fly there instead and drive to Gibraltar (see below!).
• Go West: Heading west of Algeciras, the level of development is much less intense that it is along the Costa Del Sol, and you can continue through to Cadiz and Costa De La Luz. The only realistic way to explore this area is by car.
• Visit Seville: Although Saville itself is a traffic nightmare, public transport connections between La Linea and Seville are poor (slow bus), so a car is much better.

Why not?

• No car for the Cable car: A cable car trip to the ‘Top’ (actually not quite, but the views are breathtaking) of the Rock to see the Barbary apes is a must — no car needed. This is the absolute ‘must-do’ experience when visiting Gibraltar, and is up there with some of Swizterland’s finest as a top European cable car trip.
• Fill ‘er up: Petrol is cheaper in Gibraltar than it is in Spain, leading to a similar situation to that experienced by drivers going from France into Andorra – long queues of traffic, even if there aren’t any long border checks on the way in. If you happen to be leaving or coming into Gibraltar when the runway is in use, expect to wait even longer – but the site of the road being closed to let aircraft take-off or land is one to enjoy anyway! This will be ‘resolved’ by a new tunnel under the runway, but pedestrians will still cross at surface level. You can also sometimes experience long queues going back into Spain, especially during the busy summer months. This isn’t a problem on foot.
• Rock of faith: Gibraltar is an eclectic mix of faiths, with all three major Abraham religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) having strong histories, as well as a small Hindu community being present. Despite being strongly British, the majority of Gibraltarians are Roman Catholic – although the Rock has a cathedral for both, aswell as numerous other churches and the impressive Ibrahim-al-Ibrahim Mosque, built using funds from King Fahd of Saudi Arabia. This presents an opportunity for endless exploration on foot.
• Magical History Tour: Various tours are also available around the rock, and this will give you access to places which can’t be reached by cable car or on foot. As Gibraltar packs so much history into such a small area, you will learn a great deal from taking a guided tour (I don’t usually say this, I hate packaged tours!).
• Take the boat – a much better way of reaching Algeciras, whether for an excursion in its own right, or for onward travel by train or by ferry to Morocco, is to take the newly restored boat link. The journey time is just 35 minutes, so this is quicker than it would take to walk to La Linea bus station and get the bus, and you avoid the dreary industrail areas the bus goes past. Single journeys start from €7 in the low season, the bus is €2.10.
• Free bus: Despite Gibraltar’s small size, regular bus services are available if you get tired of walking, and four of the five routes are free.
• One way note: Gibraltar Airport is still a single entity, not like Basel, which counts as being in both France and Switzerland – so you can’t pick up a car here and drop it off somewhere else in Spain. However, you can easily hire a car just across the border in La Linea instead, prices are similar to Gibraltar Airport car hire.
• The train is superb: The route winds its way to spectacular cliff-top Ronda (dare I say nearly as impressive as Gibraltar itself) before giving options to connect through to either Cordoba or Malaga. However, it is much easier to drive to Ronda, and you won’t have to go to gritty Algeciras first.
• Coach links are available from La Linea along the Costa Del Sol towards Malaga, including to resort towns like Estepona and Marbella. You can also use this coach to transfer between Malaga airport and Gibraltar, but you obviously have much more flexibility in a hire car.
• Fly into Gibraltar, don’t drive: Whilst it is true that there are many more flights to nearby Malaga than there are to Gibraltar, the new terminal should attract more flights into Gibraltar. Low cost airlines such as Monarch, easyJet and more recently bmibaby already offer a reasonable range of cheap flights to Gibraltar from London and some regional airports. The temptation might be to look for a cheaper or more convenient flight to Malaga instead. Don’t! The view of the rock on landing or take-off is one of the most impressive of all airports. Unfortunately, there is no way of guaranteeing the wind direction, so it is best to get a window seat in both directions and hope for the right good view.
• Morocco: For the ultimate excursion from Gibraltar, why not head across the Straits of Gibraltar to Tangier and beyond. Although ferry services are no longer available between Gibraltar and Tangier, you can take the boat or bus to Algeciras first, and continue on from there. Andalusia has many fascinating Moorish relics, which are easy to tour around from Gibraltar, or, as a more spicy alternative, you could head into Morocco and fly back from there. Note that the UK Air Passenger Duty rates for flights to Morocco are the same as they are to Europe, so this won’t make it more expensive to fly out to Morocco and back through Gibraltar as an alternative.

Personal note – I took the Morocco route in late 2009, starting right down in Marrakech, and taking the train up through Casablanca to Tangier. It was a fascinating mix of very different cities, but also of great window seat views from the flights, an extremely scenic train journey between Marrakech and Casablanca, and the ferry crossing from Africa to Europe. I highly recommend it!

VERDICT: Based on Gibraltar being so poorly connected to Andalusia by public transport, and Gibraltar Airport car hire prices being very reasonable compared with nearby Spanish cities, you will certainly be much better off with a hire car. However, there are various interesting options to explore both the rock and beyond by everything from cable car to boat to scenic train from slightly further afield – or indeed in a different continent! Therefore, even though a car is useful, with a bit of planning, it is perfectly easy to get by without a car.

VERDICT: YES (a car is extemely useful but not essential)
See also: Malaga (no)

But what about for venturing outside the Big Apple – is it worth getting a car then, or is it best to get around by train and coach?

A full review, including a New York car hire guide for people who do want to get a hire car will be added shortly.

In the meantime, one tip for saving money on New York car hire is key – make sure you start at the right airport! Please read our suggestions for saving money on New York car hire.

New York

New York — the city that is so good, they named it twice — but what is it like to get around? New York’s world-famous subway system has more stations than any other in the world, and many of them are actually elevated above the streets, affording a view of the city as you travel around. In New York, yellow is London’s black, and no trip to the Big Apple is complete without a ride in one of the city’s famous taxis, and a lively conversation with the driver is not an optional extra. New York is very much a city on the water, with numerous ferries criss-crossing the Hudson, and the world-famous free Staten Island Ferry offering incredible views of lower Manhattan without any need to take in the usual tourist boat patter.

So why on earth would anyone want to consider hiring a car to visit the city of New York? The answer of course is that there really is no need at all for a car in the city of New York itself, so this advice is aimed more at people who want to get out of the city. It is best done in a rental car, or are you best using trains and other public transport? As with anywhere, much of the answer will depend on where you want to go and what you want to see on the way:

Why rent a car in New York?

• For the usual reasons of flexibility and mobility
•  The Hamptons
• Appalachians
• Fall (autumn) leaves — upstate New York and New England famous for their autumn foliage and photographers will want to set their own agenda
• Garden State?
• Film and TV — New York City and its surroundings have been featured in innumerable film and TV programmes, although Toronto is often used as a stand-in. Although most of the most famous locations are in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and are easily accessible by subway or on foot, a car is better to tour around the city, or perhaps to venture into New Jersey.
• Explore the big country

And why not?

• More than enough in the Big Apple.
• Walk
• bike scheme?
• Central Park
• Highline
• Coney Island
• Long Island rail Road
• New York Newark
• Boardwalk Empire fans can visit the modern day Atlantic City, which is an easy excursion from New York by train or coach.
• North East ‘Acela’ corridor – New York is the largest city in ‘ Boswash’ conurbation, which stretches from Boston in the north-east down to Washington DC to the South West. These cities are both well worth visiting in their own right, and you can either fly there or take the train. Philadelphia and Baltimore also have some points of interest, and these are within easy reach by train too. All of these cities have rich city centres, so there really is not much point in driving there, especially as the freeways do not offer a particularly exciting driving experience — you will see more from the train anyway. This Northeast corridor is served by Amtrak’s flagship Acela high-speed train service, which is very comparable to European services — not quite as quick as France’s TGV, but still faster than intercity services in the UK. Note however, that you can pay a considerable supplement to use the Acela trains, it is usually much better value to take a slightly slower Metroliner services, with New York to Washington DC fares starting from $45 (as of November 2011).

Verdict –

there is more than enough in New York to keep on discovering without ever needing to go far beyond Manhattan itself. Even if you do venture beyond the city, there is still not that much advantage in having a car, as many of the best places to see can easily be reached by train.

Verdict — no