With better awareness of the harm that we are causing to our planet, there are many people who have started to take steps to ensure that they contribute positively to the environment. Towels are not being washed every day, the use of disposables is reduced and there is a drive towards less synthetic apparel too. But are we really that careful when we travel? The holiday mood does tend to make us a little carefree about all things, including our ‘green intent’. But if you think about it, it does not take much to remain green even as you travel. Check out some of these green travel tips that you could use.

Green Travel Tips Before Leaving Home

- Make sure that you turn all the lights off when you leave for a vacation.
- Unplug appliances such as the television, cable boxes and all other kitchen appliances too.
- Turn off the water heater and leave the thermostat at the minimum that you need for your indoor plants, if you have any.
- Close the water valve from the mains
- Ask for the newspaper not to be delivered for the number of days that you are away.

Green Travel Tips During the Travel

- Purchasing an electronic ticket is far more convenient and ecofriendly as compared to a paper one.
- When renting a car to get around, choose a hybrid model that is greener. This is a model that has two engines – one that runs on gas and another that runs on electricity. With no fear of being stranded due to the gas engine, the hybrid rental car allows you to save on fuel too. Fox Rent A Car offers  the Honda Insight Hybrid as an affordable eco-friendly rental car option!
- Pack light so that your rental car does not have to literally bear the burden of the extra luggage. Extra load means more fuel wastage.
- Try and not accelerate and decelerate the car and maintain a steady pace as much as possible. Just keep a little more distance to the car in front of you and this should be very easy, even in heavier traffic!
- Use the GPS to find shorter and more convenient routes rather than taking the freeway everywhere.

Green Travel Tips At the Vacation Venue

- Take advantage of the linen programs that hotels have initiated and do not ask for new towels every day.
- Turn of the air conditioner or heating, lights, and television when you leave the room
- Close the drapes to ensure no loss of heat from the room.
- Take the used bars of soap back home in the soap wrappers
- When you use the hotel sauna, fitness equipment, whirlpool or Jacuzzi switch it off after you are done.
- When buying gifts to take back home, choose items that are green. Souvenirs bought without much thought often land up in a corner of the house, never to be looked at again. Look for local handicrafts that are made out of green material.

Keep these green travel tips in mind and don’t lose your green focus even when you are traveling.

To welcome the New Year, Fox Rent A Car is starting 2010 with the opening of its new location in Burbank California! With this convenient location in the Media City, you can now enjoy easy access to Los Angles County and take advantage of all the great attractions Burbank has to offer while flying in Burbank and reserving your car steps away from the airport!

But wait! This is not just it! To celebrate this Grand Opening in Burbank Fox Rent A Car, between January 5th and February 28, 2010, is offering a 10% Promotion on all vehicles! So how does this work? It is very easy! Go on their website to the specials section, print the coupon for the promotion and present it to the front desk when you pick up your car in Burbank. However, to be eligible for this promotion you must make your car reservation online.

So don’t wait make your reservations today, take advantage of this great promotion and come discover Burbank and Los Angeles County !

New Offer: Fox Rent A Car Rents Ski Racks in Salt Lake City

Are you ready for some winter sport fun? Salt Lake City is a great winter sport destination that you should keep in mind when planning your vacation. Since Salt Lake City hosted the Winter Olympics in 2002, it has reinforced its reputation as a great winter sport get away with awesome slopes and great accommodation.  If you want to learn more about the best Salt Lake City Ski Resorts, read our previous post, in which we introduced you to the best ski resorts in and around Salt Lake City.

As people have been trying to save money here and there, we at Fox Rent A Car Salt Lake City realized that we might be able to help. Planning a winter sport vacation is great, but why should you pay for renting skis and snowboards when you have your own equipment at home?

We understand traveling with your skis or snowboard can be a hassle, especially if you are renting a car. That’s why we have the solution for you! You can now add a ski rack to your rental car. For as low as $11.99 a day, you can now pack up your own gear and pick up your rental car in Salt Lake City before heading to your favorite ski resort in Salt Lake City! You have enough room in your car, and a safe way to take your winter sport gear along to the best slopes in Salt Lake City. And best of all: You don’t have to waste money on renting skis and snowboards, but enjoy other fun part of being on vacation!

Fox Rent A Car offers 3 different ski racks:

Note: If you decide to rent a ski rack at Fox Rent A Car, make sure it fits to your car choice. Check, if the car model you wish to rent and the ski rack match. You want to make sure you can fit your skis or board, but also that it fits on your car!

- The Yakima 8003070 ski rack is great if you have 4 sets of skis. However, if you are hungry for powder and travel with your powder skis (also refer as alpine fat skis) or freestyle skis (such as Scratch), you will only be able to fit 2 sets, as they are much larger than basic skis. If you prefer snowboarding, then be aware that only 2 boards will fit on this rack. Also, this ski rack only fits cars with the cross bars on the roof. The one going from side to side, door-to-door bars. This ski rack model will fit with our Chevy Tahoe.
- The Inno MV276 is a magnetic ski rack. Therefore, this ski rack only fits car without ridges (bars on the roof) as it work as a magnet on the roof of your car. This ski rack will fit on the Hyundai Elentra, Ford Focus, PT Cruiser and Charger 300. This rack holds 2 sets of skis or one snowboard. The great thing about this rack is that you can actually fit 2 rack on one roof, so you can hold as many as 4 sets of ski or 2 boards. However, be aware that you will be charged the rental fee for 2 racks.
- The Thule 5401 ski rack is adapted for cars with vertical bars (from the windshield to the trunk). They fit cars such as the Patriot, the Compass and our mini vans. This rack can hold up to 6 pairs of skis or 4 snowboards, unless you have powder skis, then only 4 sets of skis will fit.

Fox Rent A Car has a limited number of racks so make sure to reserve it in advance, when you reserve your car. Also, Fox Rent A Car will install the racks for you. The magnetic rack are easy to install and you can install it yourself if you want to remove it from your car roof during your vacation.

So don’t wait and reserve you car and all the gadgets you need at the same time! Don’t forget to plan for your children with car seats and DVD players and ask about MIFI! Have a great trip!

Do you like it hot? Then Arizona is the place to be! So when you are done discovering Phoenix itself, why not go for some exciting desert adventures close to Phoenix and experience a whole new environment and landscape. Here are the best desert adventures you can find in Phoenix.

Desert Adventures: Off Road Driving

A fun desert adventure in Phoenix is off road driving. It’s a great way to discover the desert and spend a fun adventurous time with friends or family. Extreme Arizona gives you the opportunity to get behind the wheel and ride off road while enjoying the beauty of the rustic desert landscape. You can rent one of their vehicles (Polaris Ranger, Jeep Wrangler or Tomcar) and go on this desert adventure by yourself or with a guide. Don’t forget your camera! Make sure to make your reservation.

Desert Adventures: Desert Dog Hummer Tour

Now if you want to take another desert adventure without coming back covered of sand, the Hummer Tour of Desert Dog is also a fun thing to do. What a better way to discover the desert than comfortable seated in an air-conditioned vehicle! You have the choice of 6 different tours, each with different sites and attractions. It’s a great way to discover Phoenix and the desert, with historical and cultural sights included.

Desert Adventures: Floating on Lake Pleasant

In the Sonoran Desert you can find Lake Pleasant, just a short 45 minute drive from Phoenix. The Desert Princess II, a replica of the 1880s Mississippi River boat, takes you on a cruise in the middle of desert, surrounded by mountains. The best time to take the cruise is in the evening. You get to enjoy dinner on the boat and see the beautiful desert sunset. This is quite a scenic desert adventure!

Southwest Desert Adventures

Another great desert adventure is the Jeep Tour with Southwest Desert Adventures. Get on a 4 x 4 car and let the great guides show you parts of desert you would not see otherwise. On this Phoenix desert adventure you discover the desert with a different angle and get to see all the most amazing desert nature spots hidden from civilization! Ask them what other tours they offer. They also take you hiking, horse back riding or even fishing!

The Sonoran Desert is beautiful and offers a lot attractions and desert adventures. Don’t forget to check out the Balloon rides as well, for amazing scenic sky views of the desert! And remember to be prepared when visiting the desert, it’s a large environment and it can be dangerous to explore it on your own without being well informed and prepared. Enjoy the desert adventures in Phoenix.

Top 8 Things to Do in San Diego

Welcome to San Diego, one of the most beautiful cities in Southern California! You’ve got your rented car, a map… now what to do? Here are a few suggestions about the most popular things to do in San Diego!

San Diego Zoo
The San Diego Zoo is the second most important zoo in the USA, in size, but also famous for its presentation of 880 species and more than 4,000 animals. It was the first zoo to present animals  in simulated natural  habitats rather than cages. Whether you are with kids or a group of  adults, the zoo’s  setting is adapted for your visit to be as convenient and enjoyable as possible. A guided bus tour departs the entrance of the zoo allowing you to see every animals with comments of what you should know about them. You can also take the sky-fall or cross over the park to enjoy a bird’s view of the park.  The zoo also offers shows and more personal experiences where you can participate and learn more about the zoo. Look forward to a unique experience. To see it all, be prepared to dedicate at least 4 hours of your day to the zoo!

Wild Animal Park
Have you ever fed a giraffe? Here might be your chance! The Wild Animal Park, located in Escondido, about 28 miles north of Down Town San Diego offers you the possibility to observe animals in an open setting, in their “own” environment. This park of 1800 acres gives the animals the chance to live freely. You can take a Mini Safari and observe the animals as if you were in Africa. After taking advantages of the free shows offered, you can sign up for a Photo Caravan Tour, which gets you even closer to the animals even closer and where you can actually feed giraffes and rhinos!

Sea World
Have you ever heard of Shamu? well we’ve got him here! So be prepared to get splashed! San Diego is home of the 3rd Sea World in the USA. After visiting all the land animals, Sea World offers you the experience of the aquatic life. You can pet sting rays, swim with dolphins, observe sharks and watch the funny show with sea lions giving a hard time to their trainer. Make sure to do the attraction getting you wet earlier in the day to give yourself a chance to dry… even during summer days, the evening can be chilly in San Diego. Being cold could get in the way of enjoying the Fireworks at the famous Shamu Rocks Show!

Note: You can find 3-for-1 passes, that will give you entry to all 3 parks for the price of one!

Balboa Park
More than just a beautiful park , Balboa Park is the cultural and artistic spot in San Diego. In the park you can find 17 museums, from the San Diego Museum of Art, to the Train Museum, to the Museum of Man… a variety for all ages and tastes. The kids favorite is usually the Science Museum, where they can play touch and interact while learning. Read all about the Balboa Park Museums here. The Japanese Garden offers you a different experience, discover the Bonsai exhibit, and put your zen mood on! Balboa Park is also the address for the Old Globe Theater (which offers open air Shakespeare’s plays  during the summer) and the StarLight Theater. You can also enjoy the Rose garden there and sit by the fountain to refresh and rest a bit.

La Jolla Seals
La Jolla, just north of  San Diego, has a very special beach. The Seals’ Beach was what used to be known as the Children’s Pool, until a Seal colony declared it home! See them up close yet still in their natural habitat. They love to be in the center of attention and sometimes, you just have the feeling they only act that silly, because you are watching them!  The left hand side of the Guard Tower brings you a few steps closer, don’t be afraid to get your feet a bit wet.

Old Town
San Diego being on the border to Mexico, the city has kept a piece of history in Old Town. This area of San Diego offers you to shop a little and discover a few good Mexican restaurants while enjoying Spanish-influenced architecture. You can watch how tortillas are made, enjoy a few margaritas – and if you like them, maybe even visit the Tequila Museum! It is almost as crossing the border – but without having to bring your passport! If you are interested in a more cultural visit, there are guide tours available. Check out the Old Town Guide for more information.

Tide Pools
Kids will love this!  The Cabrillo National Monument in Point Loma is a very educative and fun visit for adults and kids. You can see the beautiful skyline of San Diego, a gorgeous  view! And then, after visiting the Lighthouse and its museum you can go a little closer to the ocean to the Tide Pools at the Sunset Cliffs Natural Park. Natural pools created by the ocean on the rocks, the Tide Pools are a great way to discover a few aquatic species ( from crabs to anemones, to sea cucumber and starfish). For kids it is a great way to see it up close and sometime even touch.

Coronado Island
The Coronado peninsula is a really nice area of San Diego with one of the largest beaches – The Silver Strand. You can walk around the island and admire the beautiful gardens, visit the many shops and enjoy the great restaurants. Coronado is also home of the famous Hotel Del Coronado, a luxurious hotel that you might remember from a few movies, and the San Diego Navy base. But the most exciting about going to Coronado, is crossing the Coronado Bridge. You will have a great view of San Diego, Downtown and its boats. Photographers will love the small park just off the bridge for great shots of Down Town, especially by night. To find out more about this luxurious navy town, you can check out its Visitor Center.

San Diego has quite a few sights to offer and things to do. Because of its proximity to Mexico, San Diego also has a very special culture, taking the best qualities from both worlds. Eat the best tacos in the US, visit Shamu and enjoy the beautiful beaches of Southern California!