Dorset is a beautiful county in South West England, located on the English Channel coast bordering Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire.

Hire a car in Dorset and you could drive the length of the Jurassic Coast, visit the wealth of seaside resorts including Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth, shop in the county town of Dorchester and explore the character town of Lyme Regis and stroll along The Cobb or take the kids to Dinosaurland.

Dorset has a large rural area and has been the inspirational home of many authors and poets such as Thomas Hardy, whose cottage near Dorchester is owned by the National Trust. With your rental car tour the picturesque countryside, and drive to and explore the picture box rural Dorset villages such as Piddlehinton, Wimborne St Giles and Sixpenny Handley.

The UNESCO Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site covers almost the whole of the Dorset coastline and walks along the South West Coast Path are enjoyed by many although walking the whole 630 miles from Cornwall to Poole Harbour in Dorset could take some time!

Bournemouth boasts some seven miles of sandy beaches and is very popular with water sports enthusiasts.  The newly developed artificial reef, Weights Reef, was opened to the public on the 3rd November 2009, built to ensure great body boarding and surfing facilities or a calm lagoon for swimming when the weather calms. There is an excellent choice of shops in Bournemouth as well as superb facilities for the whole family to enjoy and a great nightlife.

One of the locations for the embarkation for troops on D-Day, Poole Harbour is rich in maritime history.  Poole’s Sandbanks beach is one of Britain’s best family friendly beaches and has held the EU Blue Flag for over 20 years and location is the for the British Beach Polo Championships in July. Take a stroll through the woods of Blue Pool, visit the National Motor Museum or during the summer, take

Montpellier is located in the south of France and is the capital of the Languedoc-Roussillon region and Herault department. Situated close to the Provence boarder, Montpellier is the ideal location to either enjoy many days on the long sandy Mediterranean beaches of the Languedoc or exploring the glorious countryside of Provence.

Montpellier – Mediterranean Airport (MPL) is just six miles from the coast and five miles from the city, with excellent road links to Nimes which is 30 miles away and Marseilles, a further 125 miles.  Flights from the UK to Montpellier depart from London Gatwick and Stansted with a flight duration of just over two hours.

There are seven car rental companies based at Montpellier Airport with easyCar offering cheap car hire deals in just a few clicks.  When you fly into Montpellier Airport, having cleared customs and collected your baggage, make your way to Hall 4 on the ground floor which is where the car rental desks are located. Once your paperwork is completed having shown your full valid driving licence, passport and paid the usual car hire deposit by credit card, you will then be directed to your hire car in the rental car compound. Remember to drive on the right and make sure you are comfy and confident with the controls before leaving the airport.

Driving in France is very easy, and the roads easy to navigate.

If you’d prefer to rent a car from central Montpellier, there are also collection points at Montpellier rail stations and downtown Montpellier.

The Languedoc region of France is often forgotten by the Brits, but having holidayed here on numerous occasions with and without family, I can’t understand why!  The beaches are glorious, the countryside sensational, the local wine delicious and the towns and villages, simply fascinating.  Knowing a smattering of French helps outside of the main towns, but the local people are helpful and getting by without being fluent, is easy.

One of the nearest beaches to Montpellier is La Grande Motte seaside resort, with its busy yacht lined harbour and long soft sandy Mediterranean beach. The main town is modern but much consideration has gone into the development of La Grande Motte with its miles of footpaths and cycle tracks, extensive woodlands, three golf courses and streets lined with trees.

Montpellier is also on the edge of the Camargue which is the largest river delta in western Europe. A Parc Naturel, the Camargue is awash with fantastic flora and fauna, and is a habitat for the pink greater flamingo.

On an Essex holiday in eastern England where could you go?

Stretching for around 12 miles from London, is the scenic 6,000 acre Epping Forest, ideal for walking and trekking, exploring with the family or the dog; over half of the area is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation.
There are many quaint, lovely towns and villages in Essex.

Medieval Saffron Walden in north west Essex is a busy rural market town dotted with independent shops, eateries and boutiques as well as the local market twice a week. Do pay a visit to the stunning Bridge End Garden and Audley End House and Gardens, and the nearby market towns of Thaxted and Great Dunmow.

In mid Essex, head to the county town of Chelmsford where you can visit the 18th century Moulsham Mill to purchase a variety of crafts, or Chelmsford Museum. A short drive away is the beautiful Hylands House and 500 acre Estate, and Ingatestone Hall. Flora and fauna can be enjoyed at Tropical Wings in South Woodham Ferrers, Marsh Farm Country Park and the RHS Garden Hyde Hall.

Essex by the sea will take you to the bustling resorts of Southend on Sea and Clacton on Sea, with Frinton on Sea and Walton on the Naze being quieter yet traditional seaside towns. Rugged coves, sandy beaches and cliff top walks; Essex offers a coastline, some 350 miles long, ideal for water sports, family days in the sand, walking and so much more!

Every Saturday until 7th November, the Festival of Fireworks will take place on the Southend Seafront at 8pm, and every Saturday until 31st October, is the Battle of the Bands, where local bands and musical performers will compete in a slot of 15 minutes each.

The city of Exeter is the county town of Devon in the south west of England built along the River Exe. Just under 40 miles from Plymouth and 70 miles from Bristol, Exeter has excellent transport links with two main railways; Exeter Central and Exeter St David’s, as well as being close to the M5 motorway and Exeter Airport. From the airport there are a number of scheduled flights to Europe, but charter flights during the winter not only fly throughout Europe for skiing and sun, but to the Caribbean and South American as well.

There is no better way to explore this ancient city than to take a Red Coat Tour, exploring the medieval streets, the 12th century Cathedral and Killerton Gardens, the city wall and learning about the medieval underground passages, the ghosts of Exeter and the city’s legends.

There is a huge choice of accommodation in Exeter, Devon. Quaint bed and breakfasts, 16th century coaching inns, modern contemporary hotels, thatched properties and accommodation with golf course views. There are also country cottages, caravan parks, camp sites and holiday parks in close vicinity of the city.

If you’d like to travel to Exeter by public transport and arrange car rental, you should be able to pick a car up at either of the railway stations, Exeter Airport, in the city or from the Bus and Coach Station. As many airport car rental deals stipulate that the car must be returned with the same amount of petrol, the nearest petrol station to the airport is at Junction 30 or 29 of the M5 motorway.

Being so close to Dartmoor National Park, which covers nearly 370 square miles, do explore this area or take a guided tour or enjoy the local events. You won’t have to travel far for beaches; some wild, some sandy or full of pebbles or the Jurassic Coast. Visit the historic cobbled village of Clovelly, the granite Castle Drogo, take a trip on the Devon Railway or the steam train on the South Devon Railway. How about taking the family to the Woodlands Leisure Park or enjoying a walk past cascading waterfalls at the Becky Falls and of course there are many amusement parks and rolling countryside?

Hampshire is situated on the central south coast of England, overlooked by the Isle of Wight. Bordering West Sussex, Surrey, Berkshire, Wiltshire and Dorset, the English county of Hampshire is a fantastic summer holiday destination which incorporates the cities of Southampton and Portsmouth.

Southampton car hire is particularly popular, and prebooked with easyCar.com, may be collected from either Southampton Airport at the Car Rental Reception Centre opposite the terminal building next to the Short Stay Car Park or from the city centre.

A vibrant city, head to Southampton’s Ocean Village Marina which overlooks the Royal Yacht Club and is lined with fabulous restaurants, bars and cinemas. A short walk from the Marina, is the historic Old Town which attracted the likes of Shakespeare, William The Conqueror, Henry V and Jane Austen. If it’s exploring the traditional boutiques or shopping to your heart’s content in the modern Mall Marlands or WestQuay shopping centres, or meandering through the weekly market stalls that you like, then Southampton is for you! There is a fabulous nightlife, especially frequented during term time by the pupils of the local universities and colleges, a massive choice of delightful restaurants and bars, accommodation to suit every budget, and of course, being a coastal city, a huge host of watersporting activities. Car hire in Southampton will enable you to explore this fascinating city at your own pace!

The only island city in the UK, Portsmouth has been a significant naval port for many centuries. Gunwharf Quays is where you will find the 170m high Spinnaker Tower which is the tallest structure outside of London in the UK and similarly designed to that of Dubai’s Burj Al Arab. Portsmouth covers a large urban area along the south coast, offering much historic wealth including the magnificent castles at Southsea and Portchester. Well worth hiring a car to visit!

Collect your Southampton car rental or hire a car from any number of locations throughout Hampshire, then the hardest thing to do will be to decide where to go first..

The leisure centres in Basingstoke? East Hampshire’s bustling market town of Alton? Or may be Emsworth, a delightful old fishing village near Chichester, or the ancient capital of Winchester or pretty Stockbridge in the Test Valley? Don’t forget the New Forest National Park and all the opportunities to walk, cycle and horsehide too!

This is just a taste of Hampshire – so now is the time to explore!