Originally Posted by Fish n Chips 56 (Post 11372268)

A Brilliant report, Im so glad you enjoyed yourself, The UK is Fab, even better in a car, I just love it, Ive always said Brits are courteous drivers and they are, I could go on but wont, you said it so well...

Originally Posted by bandrui (Post 11372280)

Thanks FnC. It certainly is. I can't believe how much living I crammed into the last month :blink:. As time permits (I've done nothing but sit on my computer and do a little laundry since I got back!) I intend to open a thread on renting a car in the UK to save others some of the extensive research I did before I went, and to share some thoughts on Location, Location, Location.

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl (Post 11372275)

Sounds like you have a great spirit and attitude. I am pleased you enjoyed your trip so much. You go girl!! :goodpost:

Originally Posted by fulwood (Post 11372404)

Bandrui, our stories are similar but then again different. I spent 6 weeks in UK this summer and like you as I was there so long felt like a Brit again and not a tourist in my own country. I have decided at age 52 (30 years thus far in US) that my remaining years will be in the UK. I can't leave yet as I still have student loan death or should I say debt. I want to leave US with no debts and few thousand in bank. I will have US Social Security, my own 401k, and working on doing class 2 contributions for NI. It will take me 2-4 years I am hoping. My decision is also driven by fact have no family here anymore and friends well just not same as those in UK. Thanks for your update. I'm gonna go back on QM2 with my 2 dogs..

Originally Posted by Fish n Chips 56 (Post 11372473)

£10 a day car rental sounds good to me, can you tell us what type of car you rented, was it manual or automatic transmission, and did you buy the Insurance.

Sorry to jump the gun on your thread but you've really got my attention...

Originally Posted by bandrui (Post 11372475)

Sometimes.:o I am going to have to dig really deep now that I'm back and down in the dumps again. More to take care of here than I can explain and little energy for it but now have a goal.

Originally Posted by bandrui (Post 11372496)

I chose the compact category: Hyundai I30 "or similar". Well I got the "or similar", a Vauxhall Astra. It had a really wide wheelbase and I wished I had chosen the economy category but there were only cents difference in the rates. It was a manual, which is what I wanted. I have always driven a manual and in an automatic, I'm always pressing the phantom clutch and wanting to shift gears! :lol:

Ok, so the insurance... This is what I really researched. They send you emails asking if you want to buy their insurance but you don't need to. My CDW was covered by my credit card and I got a letter from them to say that I was covered. (This letter is required). I spent ages researching where to buy 3rd party liability in the UK. You can't buy it here in Canada for a Uk car rental, then read in a forum that UK car rentals carry 3rd party by law. The car rental company doesn't tell you this in any of their terms or conditions but when I emailed them directly, they acknowledged that it was covered.

Originally Posted by fulwood (Post 11372404)

Bandrui, our stories are similar but then again different. I spent 6 weeks in UK this summer and like you as I was there so long felt like a Brit again and not a tourist in my own country. I have decided at age 52 (30 years thus far in US) that my remaining years will be in the UK. I can't leave yet as I still have student loan death or should I say debt. I want to leave US with no debts and few thousand in bank. I will have US Social Security, my own 401k, and working on doing class 2 contributions for NI. It will take me 2-4 years I am hoping. My decision is also driven by fact have no family here anymore and friends well just not same as those in UK. Thanks for your update. I'm gonna go back on QM2 with my 2 dogs..

Originally Posted by bandrui (Post 11372273)

New topic!

I have finally answered the question "Do I want to move back to England?" and the answer is "Yes!". The car really helped me to answer this. Inmy whole month there this time, I never felt like a visitor. I felt like a resident and became more and more depressed as my return flight loomed.

As I drove through different places, I would ask myself the question "Could I live in this village/town?" A couple of yeses were Tetbury, Stroud, and some of the villages I passed throughbut when I drove into Lyme Regis and saw the sea, I felt that I was 5 years old again and heard my mother say (mentally... she has been gone for many years) "See who's the first one to see the sea." I knew right away that I had to live by the sea and absolutely fell in love with Dorset, particularly Lyme Regis and Swanage. I stayed for 2 days in each and 4 days in Weymouth... less impressive but a good place to explore from... Dorchester, Hardy country, the hills and villages.

I know that it's expensive and all I will have is the money from my house but where there's a will, there's away so trust that this will happen. It won't be the proverbial tomorrow because there is so much that I have to do here, but one day..... the gods willing.

I got home to see that about 6 panels of my side fence were flat on the ground, my extensive vegetable garden was literally non-existent an the rest of my garden... roses and perennials... shredded. Those damn deer. I take it as a message from the universe that I am no longer meant to be here :unsure:.

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl (Post 11372888)

Last year we booked a car from Rentalcars.com...which then linked to Expedia. The car was actually from Hertz...who upgraded the car when we collected it. We paid $249 USD...about £150 for a Ford Galaxy for 13 days. It was diesel...so easy on the wallet.

Originally Posted by cheers (Post 11373139)

Something wrong with this thread because I don't get notified when there is a new post.