Archive for the ‘travel’ Category

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When we were escaping my father told me to be happy, as he had with his friends last year, he was told it was a very bad experience with a rental car because ” they had to wait for two hours at the airport to get a car and even returning to the hotel was also waiting for more than three hours, and when they called the driver and asked why their driver was waiting very rude and unprofessional. But let me tell you that Knock car proved to be a good provider. My father was also very satisfied with their services and respect and courtesy towards customers.

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The Financial Crisis started in 2007 and is considered to be still present. It started by the liquidity drop in the US banking system. This resulted in the huge problems for many financial institutions. In order to prevent the total collapse of the financial system many governments decided to offer bailout plans or partially nationalize the banks and whole industries.

As a result the world saw an unprecedented downward trend in global financial markets, real estate prices which led to numerous evictions, mortgage foreclosures and prolonged vacancies of commercial and residential property. The next stage was when these had their consequences on regular businesses which had to start shedding jobs. This led to big unemployment, deflation and inflation as well as the slowing down of economic activity and fall in consumer wealth. It all started in the US but soon spread over the rest of the world as well. The current financial crisis has been compared by many to the last great recession following the Great Depression of the 1930s.

One of the long-term consequences of these events was the crisis that ensued in many sovereign European states. The worst hit nations were Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain whose long run government deficit now was a huge burden to the economy.

The Spanish economy had seen steady economic growth in the years before the 2008-2009 financial crises. Nonetheless, there were evident fundamental problems in the economy which were already visible. Among those were the growing trade deficit, high inflation rate compared to the other European nations, the consequences of the Spanish real estate boom from the end of the 20^th century and the high prices of oil in the first decade of the new century.

With the beginning of the crisis in Car Hire Spain projection about GDP growth were slashed by half which represented stagnant GDP growth reflecting the growth in population. Then, in 2009 the IMF projected minus four percent growth. The public debt was getting out of control. Also, Spain saw the highest unemployment rates in decades reaching up to 20 percent at certain points.

However, thanks to the more conservative practices of the Spanish banks, timely measures of the Spanish government and help form the European institutions Spain managed to recover from the crisis by the beginning of 2010.

Some forty years ago Spain was in the backwater of Europe. Ever since the end of the 70s the country has went through a dramatic change that has put in among the most developed nations in the world. One area of heavy investment in the country has been infrastructure. Today Spain boasts one of most well-developed transportation systems in the world.

The Spanish motorway is among the best such systems in the world and is the forth longest after the ones in the United States, China and Russia. Here you must take into consideration the size of Spain which is times smaller than that of the other countries. Now Spain has approximately 14 thousand kilometers of high quality motorways.

There is a historical categorization of motorways in Best Car Hire Spain that divides them in autopista and autovia. Autopistas are highways constructed specifically for the use of cars. The vehicles that use them must sustain a minimum of 60 km/p. These roads are now upgrades from older ones but completely new roads. Most of them are toll roads and require a small fee in order for citizens to use them.

Autovias are high capacity roads that are most often an upgrade of an oler existing road. Other vehicles, agricultural machines and bicycles can travel on them under certain restrictions. Because autovias are built on top or following closely older roads they are less sophisticated than autopistas. There acceleration and deceleration lanes are shorter, turns are tighter and steeper, at places there might be no service lane or bus stop locations.

There are many similarities between the two types of motorways. Both are divided highway roads with full access control. Both have at least two lanes in each direction. Speed limit regulated by the legislation in the country is between 60 and 20 km/h.

The European Union countries have created very bold plans about the development and wide use of renewable energy in the union for the future. Among the firsts in this trend is Spain. The county has pledged to produce 20% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020. In the end of 2009 those figures stood at 12.5%. On the forefront of these projects are the autonomous regions of Castile, Leon and Galicia where roughly 70% of all electricity comes from renewable sources.

Wind Energy

Spain is the forth biggest producer in the world of wind energy after the US, Germany and China. Currently, there is installed capacity of 16 MW that is planned to be increased by 1MW every year. The energy produced this way is the third biggest producer of energy in the Spanish economy after gas and nuclear power. There are the highest amount of facilities built in the regions of Castile and Leon, Castile-La Mancha and Galicia.

Solar Energy

Spain is an innovator in the field of solar energy. The country was the first one in the world to construct a photovoltaic energy plant in 2005. This kind of technology transforms solar energy into direct current electricity with the use of semiconductors. Solar panels collect solar energy that goes through a number of cells full of photovoltaic materials such as silicon telluride and copper sulfides. Spain is number two in the world after Israel in the introduction of photovoltaic electricity generators in new buildings and requires the use of solar hot water systems.

A very famous facility is Spain is the PS10 solar power tower near Seville in Andalucia. It uses 624 movable mirrors and produces 11 MWs of electricity. It is the first commercial solar power tower in the world.

Car rental companies that operate in Spain are Europcar, Hertz, Avis, Solmar, Alamo, National and Centauro.

Tourism in Spain has grown considerably during the last forty and has turned the southern European nation in one of the most popular destinations in the world. Currently, Spain is in the top three most popular international destinations after France and the United States. The country attracts tourists with its very good climate, historical, cultural heritage and entertainment opportunities.

The tourist industry in Cheap Car Rentals spain Airport started developing during the late years of the country’s dictator Franco. The first international tourists came from the Scandinavian countries, the United Kingdom, Germany and France mostly drawn by the very good climate in Spain.

According to the World Tourism Organization Spain attracted approximately 52.2 million foreign tourists during 2009. In terms of revenue the country ranks second with 40 billion euro in which represented around 5% of the GDP of the nation. This makes the tourism industry one of the national industries in the country.

Spain is very famous for its summer resorts and beaches. This was the first type of tourism to develop in the country and it has already very good traditions. The mild climate all year round and the many sandy beaches both on the Mediterranean Sea and on Atlantic Ocean create the best facilities for such tourism. Among the most popular ones are Costa Brava, Costa Daurada and Costa del Maresme in Catalonia; Salou in Barcelona; Costa del Azahar, Costa de Valencia and Costa Blanca in Valencia; Costa Calida, Costa Tropical, Costa del Sol in Andalucia as well as other locations in Malaga and Tenerife.

Old cities such as Seville, Granada, Cordoba, and Toledo offer a great variety of historical, religious and cultural sights. There are thirteen Spanish cities in the World Heritage Cities list. Spain is number two in Europe after Spain in terms of number of locations included in the World Heritage list by UNESCO.

Car rental companies that offer their services in Spain are Europcar, Hertz, Avis, Solmar, Alamo, National and Centauro.

Myth – Paella, a seafood dish:

Paella is a Valencian rice dish that has originated in the mid 19^th century in its modern form. Most of the Spaniards regard it as a regional Valencian dish but the non Spaniards think it as a national dish of Spain. Valencian paella with green vegetables, white rice, meat, beans and land snails; Seafood paella – seafood; and Mixed paella – seafood, meat, beans, and vegetables are some of the many types of the Paella. Not only seafood, it can have anything as a topping on it, which you like.

Myth – Spain’s national sport is Bullfighting:

The real national sport of Spain is Soccer or Football and Bull fighting which is also called as “tauromachy” is a traditional spectacle of Spain. There are many bullrings that you may come across all over the Spain but all these were mainly constructed during the rule of Franco.

Myth – Flamenco is Spain’s popular dance:

Flamenco is nearly a 200 year old folk art which is not mainly a dance but consists of dancing. It is particularly an Andalusian art form where it can’t be found much in other parts of Spain. Flamenco consists of four aspects which are the guitar, the vocals, the dancing and the Las Palmas or hand claps.

Myth – Tapas are a particular type of food:

Tapas are not exactly a type of food but it denotes large variety of food items or snacks. It can be cold or warm and it can be anything like brochette, shrimps, Paella and also hamburgers. There are several tapas bars and restaurants present in Spain and normally Spaniards go “bar hopping” and eat tapas.

The best car hire services in Spain are available from Solmar, National, Centauro, Hertz, Europcar and Avis.

Santander lies along the northern coast of Spain and boasts exotic seafood dishes, talented chefs, and a terrain that includes lush rolling hills, towering cliffs, and diverse beaches. The locale is so scenic that the Spanish Royals built their new vacation palace here in 1912. In 1941, a fire destroyed a large portion of the city center, dividing it in two. The area has subsequently been rebuilt retaining the original architectural style.

Tourist Attractions:

Casa Pardo is in a posh neighborhood with spectacular views of the bay. The house dating back to 1915 features a decorative colonnade and square-notched tower and is one of the city’s most splendid mansions.

Casa Pombo designed in 1875 features colonnades, domes, and pillars that are both artistic and ornate exuding great exterior beauty.

Dique de Gamazo is a monument to the city’s seafaring history located near the small port. It is an exceptional manmade marine jetty 8 meters deep, 180 meters long, and 15 meters wide dating back to 1908.

Edificio de Correos or the Post Office building which dates back to 1915 features a façade with three towers.

Edificio de Los Arcos de Botín this four-story structure represents the architectural trends of the early 1800’s. Visitors cannot see the inside of the building.

Edificio de Los Pinares is located near the Primera Playa and the house grounds provide unforgettable glimpses of the beach and sea. Visitors cannot see the inside of the building.

Edificio de Viviendas en la Calle Castelar; the entire block has elegant homes that feature corner domes, turrets, balconies, and pillars.

Edificio del Banco Santander is linked by an archway to a sister building and features ornate sculptures on its roofline and is one of the city’s most impressive buildings.

Paseo de Pereda y Calle Castelar; a stroll down this street provides a nice view of the Cathedral and the harbor.

Plaza de José Antonio or Plaza Pombo provides a scenic retreat on route to some of the city’s busiest shops and restaurants.

Car hire in Spain is available from companies like Europcar, Hertz, Avis, Solmar, Alamo, National and Centauro.

Located on the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe only 14kms from the African continent is Spain a country among the fifty largest in the world.

It is peninsular with the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea along its coastline that Spain has a climate that varies from wet and mountainous in the North to green with forests and dry in the Mediterranean, A climate to suit every visitor.

Spain has 10 major cities/ metropolitan areas based on the population with Madrid as the capital, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Zaragoza, Malaga and Bilbao being the others.

Spanish art is famous the world over from the ancient Spanish-Muslim period, the Romanesque Gothic period, the renaissance baroque period, the romantic period to the very modern and abstract. The modern artists like Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali and Joan Miro have made Spanish art a collector’s treasure.

Spain has over 1400 museums, libraries and graphic art collections put together boasting a rich artistic heritage. The National Library in Madrid, The Museo Del Prado being the most noteworthy, with most other public libraries and museums being entry free for the visitor who savors Spanish art and literature.

With its great collection of architectural, historic monuments, the many fiestas and expositions, from Theatre to cuisine, Spanish culture is attracting a greater number of tourists today than the ones who just come for its sun filled beaches.

In fact five Spaniards have won Nobel prizes for literature and one for medicine.

With a vast sunny coastline in the Mediterranean, the Cantabrian and the Atlantic Spain is a place for both leisure and water sport, from just lazing to surfing, scuba diving Spain offers it all.

Spain has over 400 golf courses, skiing and hiking in the mountains, marine resorts offering wind surfing and other water sports, just so much that one comes back to enjoy its fare many a time.

With a topology ranging from sandy beaches, mountains, forests, marshes, volcanoes, rivers to having a large number of reserve parks, Spain offers the visitor outdoor activities that are most diverse and fun filled.

Just for relaxation and wellness Spain has a large number of Spas, thermal water and wellness centers.

Bilbao to Ibiza, Spain is one big party with the best night life one can imagine.  From street markets to high end fashion ware Spain is a shopper’s delight. Also for the thrill seeker are the many action packed leisure parks.

Spanish cuisine, wines and the culinary experience can satisfy the most critical gourmet’s desires.

From the Spanish open Tennis to the Spanish football league and hockey, sporting events in Spain are of the highest standards and part of the international circuit.

Spain is best seen by road, and car rentals are the most convenient way to get one for your travel.