On this road trip I discovered the marvellous array of attractions and historic sites around Stonehenge itself. I also found a recently renovated English tradition along the way.

Coming from London the journey involves taking the M3 south before heading West on the A303. It is here, near Basingstoke, that I discovered the reborn English tradition that is the recently renovated Little Chef in Popham, this featured on Michelin Starred chef Heston Blumenthal’s documentary “Big Chef takes on Little Chef”. This is well worth a visit if you’re travelling on the A303, although be prepared for a more crowded atmosphere than your standard Little Chef.

From here continue West until reaching the Legendary Stonehenge and take some time to marvel at its shear size and shrouded history. There are plans for the A303 to be placed in a 2km tunnel in the future, removing the road from sight and sound of the stones and meaning a coach journey, with a 1km walk to get there. So go and visit it sooner rather than later.

Why not drive further west enjoying the beautiful thatched housing and country roads that Wiltshire and Somerset have to offer, heading towards Glastonbury. Here you can venture into King Arthurs Avalon, also riddled with legend or enjoy a leisurely walk up Glastonbury Tor and enjoy the breathtaking views.

There are tons of heritage sites to visit in this area so I would recommend having a look around as there is far too much to cover off in this Blog. This drive around the Wiltshire and Somerset area will whisk you back in time and leave you wishing you had hired that car for just one day longer.

We have been working behind the scenes updating systems so the site runs faster and along with the design improvements, helping to make it quicker and easier for you to find what you are looking for and generally making it a better blogging experience for you! We have also added links to our Twitter page, where you can keep up to date with all our latest Tweets.

Don’t worry about losing track of your favourite posts, as all of our old blog posts and comments have been kept on the site, so you can still see your old comments and find out what other customers and our staff here at Avis have been saying about travel, car rental and much more.

We hope you like what we have done but would love to hear your feedback on our new blog. We also want to know if there is any information on car rental or Avis that you would like us to write a blog post about.

This means that Avis now are the only car rental company with access to the main front car park and our customers do not have to take the lengthy walk to the long stay car park to collect their rental car.

We are also excited as we have had a brand new office, which is situated just next to the terminal building and has a Traffic Master and Flight Information Screen to help get your journey off to the best possible start.

Also to help improve the service at Avis London City we’ve extended the opening times at the weekends, by recommendation from our local customers.

If you are picking up your Avis rental car from our London City location, myself and the team look forward to meeting you and to find out what you think about our new office.

Cairo
Makes the list for the Pyramids of Giza alone. But, while visiting the pyramids will place a tick on anyone’s “places to visit in my lifetime” list, there is so much more to Cairo than the world’s only remaining Ancient Wonder of the World. The Islamic area is my undoubted highlight. Go back in time and get lost wondering the streets of this medieval city before heading in to the hustle and bustle of the Khan al-Khalili market. Need a rest? Hang out like the locals do – head to Fishawi’s Coffeehouse (but later at night when all the tourists are gone) and watch the world go by. Looking for a bit more tranquility? Take a rest in the Al-Azhar Mosque.

The White and Black Desert
From Cairo, head to the Bahariya Oasis where you pick up a 4WD tour into the White Desert. The White Desert is incredible: huge chalk formations that have been sculptured by the wind and sand into all kinds of crazy shapes, many of which resemble mushrooms. Lonely Planet describes it as a “dreamscape landscape” and that’s exactly what it is. With your tour you’ll camp under the most beautiful star-lit night sky before heading back through the Black Desert, where you’ll find mountains covered with sprinkles of black volcanic dust and rock.

Luxor
Luxor surely has been blessed with more Ancient Egypt sites than anywhere else in the country. The East Bank’s two main attractions are Luxor Temple and the vast Karnak Temple. The West bank is home to the area’s biggest attraction: The Valley Of The Kings, and heading into these ancient tombs is something special. But for me, the star attraction is the Temple of Hatshepsut, which is built directly into the limestone cliffs to stunning effect. When you need a break, hire a felucca and float along the Nile or, if you want a little more Nile time, head down to Aswan and take a cruise back up to Luxor.

Dahab / the Red Sea
Most people head to Sharm El Sheikh when visiting the Red Sea, but if you like your holiday destinations free from McDonalds and Hard Rock Cafe then Dahab is the place to be. Often referred to as the Koh Samui of the Red Sea, it definitely has that Thai feel. It’s a great spot for snorkelling and diving trips, and the Ras Mohammed National Park is accessible via a live-aboard.

St. Katherine’s
Quite possibly the most stunning place I visited in Egypt, a small settlement nestled deep into the Sinai mountains. The area has huge religious significance with the town sitting under the gaze of Mt Sinai, where God is believed to have delivered the Ten Commandments to Moses. It is also home to St. Katherine’s Monastery, where you can find the descendant of the Burning Bush. Make the hike up Mt Sinai at 3am to ensure you reach the summit for sunrise. It’s breathtaking. And if you can, travel to St. Katherine’s independently so you can spend the night there. Listening to the Islamic prayer echo off the mountains at night will make the hairs stand on the back of your neck.

Driving around Egypt is straightforward as the roads are very direct and generally pretty empty. I would not recommend driving in Cairo and if you drive down from Cairo to Luxor then you’ll need to plan to join one of the timed police convoys (in place for security reasons). If you do hire a car, you will need an International Drivers Permit.

For a smoother journey check your vehicle is ready for winter.
Regularly servicing and checking your vehicle is in good running order before setting out, will reduce your chances of breaking down on the road. It’s worth making these checks regularly – especially before a long journey:

• Check and replace the anti-freeze in the radiator
• Make sure your lights are clean and check the bulbs
• Ensure your windscreen is clean
• Replace the battery if it’s not reliable
• Ensure your tyres are correctly inflated and replace them if the tread has reached the legal minimum. For further information please see www.tyresafe.org

For peace of mind always carry an emergency kit.
Gather a few items and keep them in your car – just in case. Below are items that should be in your Emergency Kit:

• Ice scraper and de-icer
• Torch and spare batteries
• Warm clothes and a blanket
• Boots
• First aid kit
• Jump leads
• Food and a warm drink in a thermos
• A shovel
• Reflective warning sign
• Sunglasses – the glare off snow can be dazzling

For a safer journey adapt your driving in bad weather.
Even after roads have been treated, driving conditions may remain challenging especially on stretches of road where there’s greater risk of side winds or of ice forming. These include places where: –

• There are changes in road elevation or exposure
• Where the road passes under a bridge
• Objects at the side of the road create shade
• There is infrequent traffic

It’s also advisable to slow down on corners where the risk of losing control is at its greatest.

Be a smarter driver – check traffic and weather updates.
Before you set off it’s worth taking a few minutes to make sure that there aren’t any problems on your intended route. You can check for live updates as you travel too – but remember not to use your phone while driving.

• Visit http://www.highways.gov.uk/traffic/traffic.aspx
• Check the weather at the metoffice
• Call the Highways Agency information line on 08457 50 40 30
• Tune into DAB Traffic Radio

Remember to take regular breaks from driving – tiredness and loss of concentration are major contributing factors to road accidents.

Think ahead move ahead

Also to celebrate the launch of the new Avis Eco collection, we will offset the carbon offset all of the Eco collection rentals that have pick-ups in December 2009 and January 2010.

We would love to hear what you think about this new car group and it would be great to get feedback if you have rented one of our Avis Eco cars.

The High Court yesterday ruled that the 12 day strike, originally due to take place over the Christmas period was in fact illegal. It is now expected that all British Airways flights will operate as normal over the festive period.

However you might be travelling, Avis would like to wish everyone that’s travelling over the Christmas and New Year period a safe and stress-free journey.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

To celebrate the launch for every customer who chooses to offset the carbon on their rental in December 2009 and January 2010, Avis will match the total amount collected.

We would also like our customers to choose which project they want us to invest the carbon offset fund in. We have selected three potential projects, now all we need is for you to vote in our blog poll for one of the following:

Candelaria Hydro Power Project – Guatemala
The project involves the generation of renewable energy through the installation of a run-of-river hydropower plant in Guatemala. The project generated emission reductions of approximately 14,500 CO2 equivalent in 2006, verified and certified to the Voluntary Carbon Standard.

Damao Wind Power Project – China
This project generates clean energy from 40 new wind turbines in China. The total emissions reductions are estimated to be 100,000 tCO2 equivalent, verified to the Gold Standard (GS).

Vehicles for Change
In the Vehicles for Change portfolio, the verifiable emission reductions are generated by a coalmine methane capture project in Germany, which is combined with an initiative in Bosnia and Herzegovina producing bio-diesel from waste cooking oil to be used as cleaner fuel for public buses. If successful, the Bosnian project will demonstrate the financial and practical viability of bio-diesel as a cleaner fuel source, paving the way to sustainable development in a nation adversely affected by war.

Have your vote now!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.

If you were planning to fly on an internal flight with British Airways within the UK over this period you may want to consider renting a car to get to your final destination. We strongly advise you to book as soon as possible to avoid disappointment, since the car rental industry tends to sell out of cars over the Christmas and New Year period. Avis still has availability at most key airports at the time of writing, but we expect to sell out over the next few days.

If you were flying on BA and had car hire booked with Avis please let us know in advance if your plans have changed as a result of the strike. We will do our best to accommodate your new plans. If you need to cancel or change your booking, telling us in advance will ensure you are not charged a no show fee.

If you would like to book a car or find out about our availability over this period please visit our website www.avis.co.uk or call us on 08445 818181.

We hope that your plans are not disrupted by this strike and that you enjoy a very happy Christmas whenever, and however, you reach your destination.

I’ve found over the years, flying into Geneva or Lyon and then self driving through Avis is an excellent way of tackling the transfer and still retaining independence while in the mountains. I love to explore, and having a hire car allows me that pleasure. This road trip takes you from Lyon Airport all the way to the highest city in France, Briancon and some of the ski resorts worth stopping at in between.

From Lyon airport you should head for Grenoble into the Daulphiné Alps and the Ecrins National Park and some fantastic ski resorts that will suit everyone from total beginners to hardened pro riders and off piste specialists.

The first main resort you will come across is L’Alp D’Huez, a famous stop on the Tour de France. The summit at Pic Du Blanc is an impressive 3300m and apparently has the longest pisted run in Europe at 16km. With 240km of runs and 2 snow parks there should be plenty to keep you occupied. My tip would be to take the “Alpette Rousses” lift up to “Dome de Petite Rousses” to get away from the crowds and marvel at the top lift station and its precarious position atop a 400metre cliff.

A few kilometres further down the valley towards Briancon is a right turn to Les Deux Alps, the party town of this part of the Alps. Bars, clubs and eating a plenty. My personal favourite being the Avalanche Club, although I can’t recall much from my time inside this little gem that is open till the small hours of the morning. The resort goes up to 3600m and has 225km of pistes. Glacier riding in the summer, 2 freestyle parks and smaller parks if you like jumps, spins and rails. You can access best high alpine area in the Southern Alps, La Grave, from here. If you like alpine charm character then head down to the little hamlet of Venosc from the main resort. Traditional building set in the depths of the Venosc valley below L2A.

20 minutes further up the valley towards Briancon is La Grave, although patrolled its total un-pisted and has no formal avalanche controls. Its high, it’s dangerous and should not be considered unless you know what you are doing or have hired a guide from Bureau des Guides de La Grave – La Meije. The area has unsurpassed off piste and 2150m vertical descent as well as some of the most amazing mountain scenery in this part of the Alps. Its also worth noting that the small restaurant at 3200m does an awesome steak, chips and tea, useful when its -32C outside.

From La Grave head towards Briancon and you’ll come over the high mountain pass of the Col Du Lautaret at 2053m, this is often closed due to snow falls. From here it’s all down hill to our last stop, the highest city in France and the sprawling ski area of Serre Chevalier. The three communities of Monetier / Chantemerle and Braincon link up to create a vast ski area of 250km of piste up to 2800m. Probably the most French and family orientated of the resorts in the area, which offers a wide range facilities and riding potential. It has great off piste and tree riding, plus a couple of parks. Briancon itself has a fascinating history and fortifications dating back to the 17th century, so if you do get this far then certainly take the time to drive down into the town and explore…Oh and its has the only McDonalds for about 2 hours…I’m sure some people will be interested in that.

View Lyon to Briancon in a larger map