Category: Car

One of the most popular summer holiday destinations for tourists is the Mediterranean island of Malta (Europe). Car hire in Malta is affordable and is a much more practical alternative to local public transport. The fact that the island offers a variety of attractions to visit in very close proximity makes that hiring a car pays off, as less of your precious holiday time is wasted on unnecessary trips with public transport.

If you decide to hire a car on your Malta holiday there are a few things you should keep in mind as regards driving in Malta. Although the core information provided in these tips is truthful, they’re a little exaggerated and should definitely not be interpreted as discouraging you from hiring a car in Malta. Driving around Malta is fun, but more so if you’re informed about what to expect!

Warning – Parts of this article are purely fictional. You can easily figure out which parts I’m referring to though, with a little sense of humour!

1.Where do the Maltese drive?

The usual answer that the Maltese give you when you ask them what side of the road they drive is something along the lines of “On the shady side of the road”, or “On the side that doesn’t have potholes”. The correct answer is really “On the left hand side”. Malta is a former British colony (but has been an autonomous republic since 1964) and adopted the left hand drive system and Highway Code used in the United Kingdom.

2.Right of way depends on the size of your vehicle

Although the Maltese do actually have a Highway Code similar to the one used in the UK, the rules tend to be interpreted in a creative way by a lot of Maltese drivers. That’s not necessarily unique to Malta, but these creative interpretations of road law are probably more noticeable there. What’s most often ignored is who is supposed to be given the right of way in any given situation. In Malta, it’s generally the size of your vehicle that determines who has the right of way. If you hire a van or a Jeep you’ll get from A to B much faster compared to most road users in their economical tins on wheels. If, however, a yellow monstrosity from the Iron Age (public transport bus) crosses your path you’d better play safe and stop – the bus driver won’t. This rule applies to private coaches, lorries and mini-buses (red Ford Transit vans used as private transport).

3.Baking an egg on the dashboard

In times of economic downturn it’s tempting to go for the budget option when hiring a car on your holiday, but in the case of Malta there’s an important luxury you will not want to pass up on during the summer months: Air conditioning. Summers in Malta are HOT with temperatures reaching up to 40 degrees Celsius sometimes. Perfect for sunbathing, swimming and baking an egg on the dashboard, but not much fun when you’re on the road. A/C? YES PLEASE!

4.The moon’s surface is smoother

Maltese roads stretch to all parts of the island and getting to even the remotest of places is pretty easy, with plenty of tarmac having been laid over the years. What you’ll find, however, is that the quality of the roads in Malta is well below par compared to European standards. It does get quite bad in some parts, giving you that rollercoaster ride adrenaline rush or making it seem as if you’re driving a tumble dryer. Thankfully the roads aren’t so bad that driving becomes dangerous.

5.Parking, parking, parking

Malta is a pretty small island, and there are almost as many cars as people on the island, so you can imagine parking is a challenge in the busier areas. Problem areas in summer are Sliema, St. Julian’s, St. Paul’s Bay, Bugibba and Qawra.

6.Parking skills

Some nearly faint at the idea of having to parallel park a car, and are relieved to find a regular parking bay back home. No such luck in Malta though, where parallel parking is a necessary skill to posses since most parking spaces are pavement side slots which are pretty small compared to abroad. Surprisingly, exchanging paint is not something that happens often in Malta.

7.Learning Maltese – a beginner’s course

The Maltese are known to be passionate and expressive in their ways, and that comes forward most easily behind the steering wheel, in situations where they believe they have the right of way (but don’t). Maltese isnt an easy language to learn but the best way to start picking up a few words is by hiring a car on your Malta holiday. Dont expect the vocabulary to be the kind to boast about back home, however.

8.Navigation is key

What could be more frustrating than going out for a drive around Malta in your hired car and getting lost? Being Maltese and almost hitting a tourist stopping in the middle of the road who’s trying to figure out whether they should take the turn or not. Driving in Malta is much more fun when you know where you’re going, both for you as a tourist as well as the Maltese. If you decide not to pre-plan your trips chances are you’ll be getting a complimentary intermediate course in Maltese swearing as well. Congratulations.

9.The men (and women) in green

Now as I mentioned before, the Maltese tend to take the rules of the road as guidelines really, but it took a while for the Maltese government to realise that they had a cash cow with udders the size of a horse’s… head. The result? Local wardens, sporting their sexy green uniforms (with cap and all mind you), handing out fines left right and centre. The best tip to follow? Make sure you abide by parking rules by parking your hired car within the white lines only (and not the yellow or green ones) and you’ll avoid having to deal with citations (and wardens).

10.Avoiding being taken for a ride

Scientists spent years trying to figure out the phenomenon encountered on Maltese public transport buses and a study proved what many had thought for years: Time passes slower when you take the bus in Malta. Now, under normal circumstances it would probably be a plus – longer holidays. However, if you’re trying to get from one place of interest to another and you didn’t book a holiday that lasts for eternity, you’ll find that riding the bus in Malta is a waste of time. It is cheap though. Very cheap.

Malta car hire

Don’t be worried too much by this advice – Hiring a car and driving around in Malta is fun and not expensive, especially considering the amount of precious holiday time you save by going around in a hired car. Shop around for good car hire prices and you’ll be sure to find a bargain to suit your budget.

Portable devices like cell phones and laptops need portable power. What is the use of carrying them around if you cannot also generate the power necessary for them to function? Imagine you have a very important meeting and your presentation is saved on a laptop, which is running on low battery. Or worse, imagine a dead battery when you need to use your phone urgently. That is why laptop car chargers and phone car chargers have been invented. You can buy a universal charger to use for all phone brands, laptops and other devices. In-car chargers are plugged into the lighter outlet of the car, which is usually 12V. Here are a few examples of in-car chargers:

Laptop Travel Charger
This is a Universal travel charger that you can use in the car or even on the plane and through the mains supply. The charger can be used anywhere with different voltages. It automatically sets the voltage according to according to requirement. Although this is designed specifically for laptop charging, it can support USB powered devices like mobile phones and SatNavs. If you have no time to wait till your laptop gets charged at home, you can easily charge it in the car, while driving to work.

Multi-Purpose Universal Charger
This is a versatile charger for mobile phones, iPods, iPhones, digital cameras, Sat Nav/GPS, PDAs, MP3/MP4 players, and portable gaming consoles like PSP, Nintendo DS and much more. It has over one year standby charge and accompanies a one button touch power checker along with charge transfer technology. Multi-purpose Universal charger can store up to 16hrs of talk time for mobile phones. This is light weight and easy to use. By using the car charger that comes with it anyone can just plug it in the car and charge a cell phone or laptop conveniently.

It can hold up to 192hrs, iPods 80hrs, Sony PSP for 10hrs, MP3/MP4 players 12hrs and PDAs for 90 hrs maximum. The charger comes with Power Star GO unit, USB cable, charger cable, iPod connecter, mini USB connector, mini Nokia connecter, Samsung digital camera connecter, UK mains adapter, car charger, a user manual for instructions and a travel case for rough travelling and protection for the gadget at all times.

In-car chargers make life a lot easy by giving your everyday digital devices power on the move. If you drive, and use these essential gadgets, then it is crucial to buy an in-car charger, preferably for multiple devices.

If you’ve decided to invest in a car and are stuck whether you should buy manual or automatic cars, this article offers you helpful guidelines which will help you arrive at a decision.

Knowing the concept

Let us first understand what the term automatic or manual car means. Automatic cars mean automatic transmission cars, which shift gears automatically, without your aid plus do not need a third pedal or even the clutch to shift gears. On the other hand, manual cars refer to manual transmission cars which will need you to learn the usage of a clutch to shift gears. In manual transmission vehicles, you’ll have to utilize both feet to drive the car.

There are advantages plus negatives of both automatic and even manual transmission vehicles. Here we shall review the difference between the automatic plus manual cars on various parameters to help you arrive at a final choice.

Cost factor

Motors with automatic tranny cost more than motors with manual transmission. And so if you are price tag sensitive plus would love the thought of saving a few 100 bucks, then you should surely pick the less pricey manual tranny motors.

Maintenance matter

Routine maintenance expense of automatic transmission motor is higher than that of manual transmission price. It’s because repairing of automatic transmission system needs far more skill plus time. Also, manual tranny motors can run for hundreds of miles without needing any maintenance.

Both manual plus automatic transmission vehicles need change of lubricants on a regular basis. The requirement of lubricant change is far more for automatic cars; though most carmakers make use of specific fluids in automatic transmission car so that you may not need change of lubricant at all.

Convenience of operation

Those who’re new drivers plus are not comfy using the 3rd pedal will find the idea of automatic transmission far more comfortable. Also you should concentrate far more on driving when using a manual car, that could be hard when you require you will need to drive with crying babies or when driving in high traffic. Still, people who are used to manual transmission could be simply ok with it. Furthermore, in several conditions, manual transmission makes driving lot more comfy.

For instance taxi drivers, who need to drive fast or maybe when you need to travel up-hill manual transmission makes driving easier mainly because it allows you to accelerate or de-accelerate a car faster while automatic transmission takes a while in speeding up or even slowing thus you could need to use brakes to slow it down. Though, if you are not comfortable switching gears manually, will still opt for the idea of automatic transmission.

Hence there are both positives and negatives of both automatic and also manual transmission motors. You’ll find know rights and wrongs as proficient drivers are able to drive on both types of car easily. Although, if you’re a seasoned driver and would enjoy cost saving, manual transmission would be a good choice for you.

Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth and taking shorter shower are water-saving tips you frequently heard. But aside from these 2 and many more water-saving tips you have probably heard, there is more way you can help to protect water on your local area. Here is a simple way to make a difference.

You have probably heard by now that there is a waterless way of washing your car. Waterless car washing is an innovative way of cleaning your car tot little to-no use of water. Yes, it allows you to clean your car without wasting precious water. According to Environment Protection Agency (EPA), traditional car cleaning uses conventional soap and a water hose can waste up to 116 gallons of water per vehicle.

Aside from the desire to reduce water footprints, it also aims to eliminate the need for spending your valuable time waiting in long lines to clean and care for your vehicle. To rest assured you that your car are being taken care with high regard, The happy apple car wash offered services that are all done by hand. Nothing touches the surface but a piece of cloth that gently rinses and buff off with the use of first class waterless car wash products that is Eco-friendly and little-to-no water done by trained personal technicians.

If your busy schedule is keeping you away from the shiny car you always wanted, happy apple car wash is in mobile service that comes to you whenever you are: at work, or at home. They wash while you work or while the car is at parked.

The beauty waterless products are both great for turning your car into the shining beauty that will make people turn their heads as you drive by. The great part is that the waterless keeps working even after you are finished washing. A special protective layer will be applied to your car to keep it protected from all of those things on the road that get kicked up and can eat away at your precious paint job. Using these products on your car is like surrounding your car in a protective bubble.

Happy Apple Car Wash understands that your car carry your personality, thus it should be clean and shiny all the time. But you must understand that sometimes its not only about you or your car, you must also think of nature and water itself. Using this new way of car washing will save you time, money and effort plus reduces your waters spending in cleaning your car to little-to-no water. When you used waterless car wash, you are actually taking one step closer to nature, and opening your mind to sad possibility that there will come a time when there will be no enough water to use. Thus having initiative as early as possible will be great help in conserving water. Let us be aware that water should be limited to drinking, bathing, and many more except in car washing.

Let waterless car wash become your favorite water-saving tip from now on and let Happy Apple Car wash serve you. Help spreading the news and start saving time, money and effort. There are a numbers of ways to save water, but it will not be useful unless they all start with you.

If you have an older car that needs repair, at some point you will be faced with the choice of whether to fix it, dump it or donate it. The decision about whether to fix your car depends on the nature of the needed repair and whether or not you can do the work yourself. If you are handy with cars, you might decide to fix the car yourself. If not, you need to know the value of your car. If the cost of repairing it is more than the car is worth, it does not makes sense to fix it.

One thing to consider when making the choice about whether to fix your car is how often it breaks down. If your average monthly repair costs are equal to the cost of a better car, it is probably time to dump or donate your car. If you are on a first name basis with your mechanic or you have him on speed deal, it is time for another car. The safety of your car should be another consideration. If your family is riding in a car that is not safe, you need to get rid of it. Also, if the car has a lot of rust, gets horrible gas mileage, has been in a flood or in a serious accident, you should strongly consider replacing it.

Once you have made the choice not to fix your car, you then have to decide how to dispose of it. You do not want to sell a potentially dangerous vehicle to an unsuspecting person. If that is the case, selling it to a private person should not be an option. That will narrow your choices down to selling it to a junk yard or donating car to charity.

The price you will get from a junk yard depends on your location and whether you can drive the car to them. The average price a junk yard will give you for a car you can drive it in is $200. If the junk yard has to tow your car, you will get about half that amount.

Many people mistakenly believe that they can only donate car to charity that runs and is in decent shape. Many charities are happy to take cars that are old or are in bad shape. Most car donation charities have contracts with parts yards to take cars for a pre-determined amount. That amount is usually more than someone could get on their own. In any case, when you donate your car to charity you get a tax deduction of at least $500. If the charity is able to sell your car for more than $500, you can claim the sale price as your tax deduction. All you need to do to claim your tax deduction is to itemize on your federal tax return.

Besides getting a tax deduction and getting rid of a car that is giving you a headache, the other good thing about car donation is that you can help to support a cause you believe it.