Please tell me about the Canary Islands -

[NancyIL]

We do not have notes, but we do have our memory. I should add that we have our own Garmin GPS which was helpful (although some of the roads were not at the right place on the Garmin). We picked-up our car and immedately drove towards the National Park and Volcano. There is a main route that runs from Santa Cruz to the park (its designated TF24) or there is the alternative longer way of driving along the coast and then later cutting inland to the park (this depends on how much time you have and how you want to divide up your day). Once in the park there is primarily one route to the top (amazing) where you will be in good company with all the tour buses. There are a few rest stops up on the volcano (with a cafe) where you can catch your breath (literally). Where we deviated from most tours is that we decided to come back down from the volcano using the back (north route) (TF21) which takes you towards the town of La Orotavia, made our way over to the coast and then simply drove along the northern coast line (there are several towns) until we simply cut back across the island the main highway (TF 5) via San Cristobal back to the port. It was a wonderful day and we were pretty conservative and were back in town by 2:30. The GPS was helpful when we decided to explore some of the small north coast villages. Keep in mind that when you rent a car they will give you a decent road map and will even dispense advice on the best route. But, that volcano was simply amazing and for us, rivaled even Haleakala on Maui. As we said in the earlier post, those that found this island boring were those that simply stayed in town. I would also mention that our weather was really perfect. There was a cloud deck at about 7000 feet so as we worked our way up through the park we finally entered the clouds and then broke out above the clouds about 1000 feet further up...where the sky was crystal clear and the views amazing. The clouds below only covered part of the island (mostly like a rain forrest just over the park) so we could see forever. When we drove down the back road we went through several thousand feet of heavy fog (the clouds again) and then broke-out into the clear when we got down to perhaps 4000 feet where the entire north coast was in front of us in all its majesty. You must keep in mind that the highest point on the volcano is over 12,000 feet so its quite a trip. When we neared the top there were some hiking trails (its like the lunar landscape since not much can grow at this altitude) and we tried to take a walk. But at 11,000+ you quickly get exhausted. What fun. The next time we get back to Tenerife we will do exactly the same thing.

 

Hank

 

Thank you for your posts about Tenerife. I had booked the ship's excursion to the Botanical Gardens, but after reading your comments - I changed to the Canadas del Teide. You didn't convince us to rent a car, however! ;)

[Hlitner]

We actually ran into the bus tours from the trip when were up pretty high on the volcano. The buses all made stops at a gift shop(what a surprise) which had a snack bar and rest rooms. We do agree that renting cars is not for eveyone, especially those without a drivers license :). Many seniors also run into problems even trying to rent a car in Europe as many companies impose age maximums.

 

Hank

[NancyIL]

We actually ran into the bus tours from the trip when were up pretty high on the volcano. The buses all made stops at a gift shop(what a surprise) which had a snack bar and rest rooms. We do agree that renting cars is not for eveyone, especially those without a drivers license :). Many seniors also run into problems even trying to rent a car in Europe as many companies impose age maximums.

 

Hank

 

The gift shop is probably where the bus tours stop for their included snack. We do have drivers licenses and aren't that "senior"! ;) We drove through Germany and France for 10 days with a rental car on our first trip to Europe, and we've done two post-cruise land trips in Alaska with rental cars. We just don't want to be bothered with a rental car in Mediterranean ports - especially when the cost of the excursions isn't that much.

 

What time of year were you in Tenerife? We'll be there in early December.

[DGF]

We actually ran into the bus tours from the trip when were up pretty high on the volcano. The buses all made stops at a gift shop(what a surprise) which had a snack bar and rest rooms. We do agree that renting cars is not for eveyone, especially those without a drivers license :). Many seniors also run into problems even trying to rent a car in Europe as many companies impose age maximums.

 

Hank

 

That's a twist we have not considered nor was mentioned by the car rental companies (The just wanted too see your Canadian driver's license) Do you know what the age restriction is

 

Thanks

[divemedic]

Been away at the cottage....thanks for the replies about renting a car. I think this might be they way to go for us. We like to set our own timetable.

 

Any other ideas or tips is appreciated.

 

Phil and Erica :D

[divemedic]

Yes, we rented an Opel Astra 5 doors for €45.50 for the day, all inclusive (we only pay gas). Contact info is Carolina [Cicar] [info@cicar.com]. Web site is http://www.cicar.com/ If you need more info, send us an e-mail at deangayle@rogers.com and we will forward a copy of the confirmation e-mails

 

 

Thanks for the info. I checked their website and the cheapest rental for Nov. 12th is 110 euros. Quite a difference! I can contact Carolina and see if if can be cheaper.

 

Phil and Erica

[Hlitner]

Many of the rental car companies start imposing renter age restrictions at age 70 (some go as high as 75). We have talked to some "senior seniors" who tell us they have better luck with local rental companies who make their own rules vs the majors. Our primrary reason for renting cars (anywhere) is it allows us to go where we want, when we want and with whom we want. Having been on large buses that sit and wait for that last person to do his/her shopping, hold us "hostage" and gift shops and factories that give kick-backs to the tour company, feed us in restaurants that serve large groups (we prefer cute cafes), etc, have soured us to being part of any large bus tour. As an example, on Tenerife when we got high up on the volcano we had the urge to explore one of the hiking trails that went off the main road. So, we just pulled over and started walking. You cannot do this kind of thing on a bus. Having a car on that island also allowed us to explore the back side of the island which was not part of any of the tours. As to the time of year one of our visits was in mid-Nov and the other time is was in late April and the weather was pretty good both times.

 

Hank

[divemedic]

We do not have notes, but we do have our memory. I should add that we have our own Garmin GPS which was helpful (although some of the roads were not at the right place on the Garmin). We picked-up our car and immedately drove towards the National Park and Volcano. There is a main route that runs from Santa Cruz to the park (its designated TF24) or there is the alternative longer way of driving along the coast and then later cutting inland to the park (this depends on how much time you have and how you want to divide up your day). Once in the park there is primarily one route to the top (amazing) where you will be in good company with all the tour buses. There are a few rest stops up on the volcano (with a cafe) where you can catch your breath (literally). Where we deviated from most tours is that we decided to come back down from the volcano using the back (north route) (TF21) which takes you towards the town of La Orotavia, made our way over to the coast and then simply drove along the northern coast line (there are several towns) until we simply cut back across the island the main highway (TF 5) via San Cristobal back to the port. It was a wonderful day and we were pretty conservative and were back in town by 2:30. The GPS was helpful when we decided to explore some of the small north coast villages. Keep in mind that when you rent a car they will give you a decent road map and will even dispense advice on the best route. But, that volcano was simply amazing and for us, rivaled even Haleakala on Maui. As we said in the earlier post, those that found this island boring were those that simply stayed in town. I would also mention that our weather was really perfect. There was a cloud deck at about 7000 feet so as we worked our way up through the park we finally entered the clouds and then broke out above the clouds about 1000 feet further up...where the sky was crystal clear and the views amazing. The clouds below only covered part of the island (mostly like a rain forrest just over the park) so we could see forever. When we drove down the back road we went through several thousand feet of heavy fog (the clouds again) and then broke-out into the clear when we got down to perhaps 4000 feet where the entire north coast was in front of us in all its majesty. You must keep in mind that the highest point on the volcano is over 12,000 feet so its quite a trip. When we neared the top there were some hiking trails (its like the lunar landscape since not much can grow at this altitude) and we tried to take a walk. But at 11,000+ you quickly get exhausted. What fun. The next time we get back to Tenerife we will do exactly the same thing.

 

Hank

 

Did you take the cable car ride? We hope to do the same trip. Were the clouds bad to drive in and how were the roads up?

 

Thanks,

 

Phil and Erica:)

[Hlitner]

No, we did not take the cable car ride. As to the drive it was magical. Driving up through the clouds was simply like being in fog with the visibility a few hundred feet (it was never too thick). One minute is was a bit dreary, drizzly, and damp and then suddenly you rise above the clouds to a glorious day with crystal clear deep blue sky and visibility for hundreds of miles. And this thread gives me another thought which is the difference between a "tourist" and a "traveler." A tourist looks through a bus window as the world moves by. A traveler sits on a well-placed large rock and watches the buses go by. A traveler sits in a cafe and drinks whatever is common in the area while a tourist carries their water bottle! Could go on and on with this topic (perhaps we should start a thread). DW and I have spent a life time trying hard not to be a tourist :)

 

Hank

[NancyIL]

Thanks for the info. I checked their website and the cheapest rental for Nov. 12th is 110 euros. Quite a difference! I can contact Carolina and see if if can be cheaper.

 

Phil and Erica

The problem for us is we need a fullsize rental car with automatic transmission. A smaller car would suffice for a few hours, but the automatic transmission, if available, often jacks up the price of a rental quite a bit.

And this thread gives me another thought which is the difference between a "tourist" and a "traveler." A tourist looks through a bus window as the world moves by. A traveler sits on a well-placed large rock and watches the buses go by. A traveler sits in a cafe and drinks whatever is common in the area while a tourist carries their water bottle! Could go on and on with this topic (perhaps we should start a thread). DW and I have spent a life time trying hard not to be a tourist :)

 

Hank

I absolutely agree with your sentiments - even though I booked several ship excursions on our TA cruise. We try to book independent tours when possible or do our own thing. However, I'm not willing to wait until I arrive in port to see if we can find a taxi driver to show us the sights, nor do we want to rent a car for the day on port stops in Europe.

[Hlitner]

The problem for us is we need a fullsize rental car with automatic transmission. A smaller car would suffice for a few hours, but the automatic transmission, if available, often jacks up the price of a rental quite a bit.

 

.

 

You are right about that being a problem in Europe. Of course this gives somebody a good excuse to learn how to drive a stick :)

 

Hank

[DGF]

No, we did not take the cable car ride. As to the drive it was magical. Driving up through the clouds was simply like being in fog with the visibility a few hundred feet (it was never too thick). One minute is was a bit dreary, drizzly, and damp and then suddenly you rise above the clouds to a glorious day with crystal clear deep blue sky and visibility for hundreds of miles. And this thread gives me another thought which is the difference between a "tourist" and a "traveler." A tourist looks through a bus window as the world moves by. A traveler sits on a well-placed large rock and watches the buses go by. A traveler sits in a cafe and drinks whatever is common in the area while a tourist carries their water bottle! Could go on and on with this topic (perhaps we should start a thread). DW and I have spent a life time trying hard not to be a tourist :)

 

Hank

 

Hank

 

With your permission I would like to use your last two sentences in my future travel articles on cruising we expect to be sending into Travel Society, a local Toronto Travel Scoops magazine

 

Extremely well said and our sentiments/ experiences 100 fold and why we consider Cruise Critics our primary source for the required information to see each port as the locals do

 

DEAN

[DGF]

Thanks for the info. I checked their website and the cheapest rental for Nov. 12th is 110 euros. Quite a difference! I can contact Carolina and see if if can be cheaper.

 

Phil and Erica

 

Our quote is for days in October, 2010. We are booking cars with the same company in both Lanzorotte (Arrecife) and Teneriffe (Santa Cruz). Stick or automatic no difference to us as long is comfortable for two and AC

 

Please let us know how you succeed

[divemedic]

Our quote is for days in October, 2010. We are booking cars with the same company in both Lanzorotte (Arrecife) and Teneriffe (Santa Cruz). Stick or automatic no difference to us as long is comfortable for two and AC

 

Please let us know how you succeed

 

 

Thanks! I'm playing email tag with Carolina as we write! :rolleyes:

[Hlitner]

Hank

 

With your permission I would like to use your last two sentences in my future travel articles on cruising we expect to be sending into Travel Society, a local Toronto Travel Scoops magazine

 

Extremely well said and our sentiments/ experiences 100 fold and why we consider Cruise Critics our primary source for the required information to see each port as the locals do

 

DEAN

 

Please be my guest as there is no copyright on our comments here :) As to car rental prices on Tenerife we just looked at a random day in October and CICAR has cars for less then 40 Euros. Of course these are small cars with manual transmission which are the common rental in much of Europe.

 

Hank

[Poohb]

We are also looking for recommendations for a private guide in Tenerife for the end of October. Please let us know who. ghunter0 (that's a zero) AT snet.net

Thanks much.

[divemedic]

Please be my guest as there is no copyright on our comments here :) As to car rental prices on Tenerife we just looked at a random day in October and CICAR has cars for less then 40 Euros. Of course these are small cars with manual transmission which are the common rental in much of Europe.

 

Hank

 

 

Just got quotes for a manual car rental for 1 day on Nov. 12th for 40.46 euros ..5 door Opal. Cheapest was for 35 euros.

 

 

Phil :)

[Hlitner]

Just got quotes for a manual car rental for 1 day on Nov. 12th for 40.46 euros ..5 door Opal. Cheapest was for 35 euros.

 

 

Phil :)

 

That sounds good. And if you happen to have 4 folks it gets your cost (including gas) down to under $20 per person which is not a bad deal for an all day tour of the island :) A GPS is worth the money if you plan on exploring any of the island other then the National Park.

 

Hank

[divemedic]

Just got quotes for a manual car rental for 1 day on Nov. 12th for 40.46 euros ..5 door Opal. Cheapest was for 35 euros.

 

 

Phil :)

 

Here is my email back from Cicar in Tenerife regarding fees.

 

Group E, opel corsa or chevrolet kalos automatic, the price is 47.20€ for 1 day of rent.

The price is with all inclusive (fully comprehensive insurance without excess, taxes and unlimited mileage), except the petrol.

The insurance only covers the robbery of the car but not the personal items.

The insurance does not cover underbody of the car.

The driver must be 23 years old and 2 years with driving licence.

The extra driver is free of charge, you have to say in the office when you take the car.

The payment is at the pick up of the car and it can be done by cash or by card.

There is no extra charge for cancel the booking.

Hope this helps any looking to rent here!

Phil :D

[drdaddy]

Hello. Thank you all for all this information on Tenerife. My mouth is watering for this trip. We will be in Tenerife on a TA Oct. 29. I have emailed Cicar twice and still waiting for a response. Are they usually quick?

 

The price the recent poster gave sounds great. I was thinking about the Minerva(?) van like thing. Seems a bit more comfortable.

 

My main question was where does the ship dock in Tenerife and is the Cicar office nearby? By the sounds of y'all, it should be no problem?

 

Hank, those ARE pretty good words, I must say.

 

Thanks for all the help.

[divemedic]

Hello. Thank you all for all this information on Tenerife. My mouth is watering for this trip. We will be in Tenerife on a TA Oct. 29. I have emailed Cicar twice and still waiting for a response. Are they usually quick?

 

The price the recent poster gave sounds great. I was thinking about the Minerva(?) van like thing. Seems a bit more comfortable.

 

My main question was where does the ship dock in Tenerife and is the Cicar office nearby? By the sounds of y'all, it should be no problem?

 

Hank, those ARE pretty good words, I must say.

 

Thanks for all the help.

 

The Cicar location is right at the dock. Cruise ships usually dock at Santa Cruz. Go to their website www.cicar.com

 

They did email me back whenever I had a question for them. Don't forget the time change...get back to you in the am. Prices were basically the same as their website displays.

 

Good luck!

 

Phil :)

[NancyIL]

You are right about that being a problem in Europe. Of course this gives somebody a good excuse to learn how to drive a stick :)

 

Hank

 

Out of curiosity, I checked rates for an automatic in Tenerife. The least expensive was a Saab 93 @ 100,51 euros (Group J). I'm definitely NOT interested in paying more for the rental car than for the bus tour, nor do we plan to learn to drive a car with a manual transmission to save a few bucks! ;)

[divemedic]

Out of curiosity, I checked rates for an automatic in Tenerife. The least expensive was a Saab 93 @ 100,51 euros (Group J). I'm definitely NOT interested in paying more for the rental car than for the bus tour, nor do we plan to learn to drive a car with a manual transmission to save a few bucks! ;)

 

 

Try my link to Cicar in my previous post and look under group E. They are automatics and about 47euros. Email them if you want to be sure. (although a SAAB would be nice!):D

 

Phil

[NancyIL]

Try my link to Cicar in my previous post and look under group E. They are automatics and about 47euros. Email them if you want to be sure. (although a SAAB would be nice!):D

 

Phil

 

Thanks! I missed seeing that on my first run through. I also see a Opel Corsa in group D in automatic for 46,32 euros. I am still pretty sure we will stick with our bus tour, because my husband doesn't want to drive. However, I might reserve the car just in case I can persuade him.

[NancyIL]

Someone on our roll call is organizing a private tour in Tenerife for 12 people! Yay - no rental car or big bus! :D