8) Text 3. Touring by car in britain.

With its good road and motorway network, Britain is ideally suited for driving tours. Road numbers and destinations are clearly signposted and even smaller country roads are well surfaced. For quick point-to-point travel the motorway system is best, but to discover the real Britain get off the main roads and explore quiet rural lanes and hidden-away villages. When travelling around, look out for the white-on-brown signposts which indicate nearby tourist attractions.

Renting a car means that you are free to go where you choose and visit places off the beaten track.

All companies offer standard rental with unlimited mileage, large companies offer one-way rental, too. Cars can be rented at most principal railway stations via a British Rail scheme; you can make a reservation just before starting your journey and your car will be waiting on your arrival.

With so many car hire companies, it's worth shopping around to get a good value deal. Use your credit card. If you want a car with automatic transmission you must specify it at the time of booking.

Conditions of car rental vary: most companies will not rent to those aged under 21 or 25 or aged over 70 or 75 and they usually require a visitor to have held a full driving licence for at least 12 months. It is customary for the rental charge to be paid in advance.

Questions:

1. Why do you like to travel by car?

2. Where could the tourist rent a car in Britain?

3. What conditions of renting do the company offer?

Summary:

There are a good road and motorway network in Britain and it is very comfortable to travel by car there. In Britain you could rent a car and choose the car which you like. There are a lot of renting company in Britain and you should find the company with “good” price. And of course, you should familiarize with renting conditions because they are different.

Make up a tour diary of your own for a 5-7 day fly-drive holiday of your choice. Use the diary on p.37 as a model.

Travelling in Finland

We arrived at on Helsinki airport at Tuesday, around lunch time. We went to our hotel and had a rest a little. We booked excursions and our guide Martti used opportunity to show us Helsinki, Finland’s capital Of course, Main Square and grand Luther church we could not miss for making photos. Martti was the owner of our hotel.

Helsinki harbor, old town and new high tech villages around made our first day very colorful. Finland is country of laborious peoples, with strong and progressive ideas, and they really deserve to be one of the leading nation worlds wide. Everything is in perfect order where ever you look. First night we spend in our cosy hotel. Martii”s pretty wife Leina prepared for us very unique and tasty dinner. First time I tasted reindeers meet. Early in the morning we took a flight to Rovaniemi, city on North Pole circle, very famous as Santa Claus village. Finally I felt Fins cold.

Visiting Santa Claus was most important happening for me. Also visiting Santa Claus post office and reading letters sent from our country make us very excited. That office send out about 700.000 letters a year, and village works more efficient than many big factories worldwide. And after that we went to our hotel. Next day we had quick lunch and we moved at Kiitala, city little bit north, where we Martti arranged Snow Mobile safari for us. What an experience.  After whole long day we come back at hotel and after typical Fins sauna we slept as little kids.

And the rest of few days we spend little bit more in relaxing. We walked around Kitala, after that we rented a car and went shopping, visited museums and galleries.   Monday evening was our last one. Martti and his wife organized very nice dinner in SAS hotel, where we spend few typical day in Kitala.