Car Hire Berlin|Low cost car hire in Berlin. See Germany in style and comfort

A recent court case in Berlin saw the judge telling two rival zoos that they must sort the ownership of Knut the polar bear out between themselves. Knut has been a huge tourism draw for Berlin over the years making the zoo a lot of money as well as the local economy.

Knut was born at Berlin Zoo in 2006. Neumunster Zoo are claiming their share of the money generated by Knut. The amount is estimated to be around ten million euro.  Knut’s father Lars first arrived at Berlin Zoo in 1999 from Neumunster where he fathered Knut. Neumunster is demanding either a share of revenue or the return of the bear.

It has been reported that Bernhard Blaskiewitz of Berlin Zoo offered a few penguins in return which was of course seen as an insult. A judge recommended a seven hundred thousand euro payment be made to Neumunster while Berlin Zoo were prepared to pay no more than three hundred and fifty thousand.

The case was adjourned with both parties been given two months to come to an agreement. Knut was the 1st polar bear to survive at Berlin Zoo in 30 years after been hand reared by staff when rejected by his mother.

Huge money has been generated through merchandise with Knut even becoming the cover star of an issue of Vanity Fair.

An announcement on Wednesday May 20th from Air Berlin stated that the airline will be begin flights from Germany to Israel on July 7th. The 2nd largest airline in Germany after Lufthansa will run two direct flights from Berlin to Tel Aviv.

Those who wish will then be able to connect to other German cities from Berlin. Recently Lufthansa announced that they would be running four flights a week from Tel Aviv to Munich on top of the Frankfurt – Tel Aviv route they already run.

An agreement between Germany and Israel was reached last month where both countries agreed to offer more slots to one another at their airports. The Israeli airline El Al will benefit from the deal.

Air Berlin hope to rival Lufthansa in the Greek market

The construction of Berlin Brandenburg International Airport received a boost last week with the news that the European Commission will not stand in the way regarding finance.

The cost of the airport is estimated at three point six billion euro. Almost two and a half billion of the cost is been supplied by the public shareholders of Berlin Schonefeld GmBH.

It is expected that the airport will handle forty five million passengers once it is completed. It will also offer a more green friendly airport for Berlin cutting down on the pollution caused by airport traffic spread out over the cities current airports.

“The commission decided to approve the measure because it is not prejudicial to the common interest as it is necessary and proportionate to reach objectives of (European Community) interest,” the commission said.

British, French and American pilots arrived in Berlin this week to celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of the ending of the Soviet blockade in the western area and the Airlift that saved the city.

Mayor Klaus Wowereit expressed thank on behalf of all Berlin to the attending pilots. Many of the invited guests are now in their eighties. Seventy eight pilots lost their lives during the blockade. A wreath was laid at the Airlift Memorial to honour the dead.

The Mayor said the city would never forget those who give up their lives for the freedom of Berlin. A plane similar to those used by the attending pilots was flown overhead as speeches were read.

West Berlin was under increasing pressure form the soviets in 1948. The USA and several allies brought 2.3 tonnes of supplies over eleven months insuring West Berliners were not starved into surrender.

Have you ever been shocked by insurance charges at car hire desks? You think you have grabbed a great bargain only to get to the car hire desk and find out you are liable for all kinds of damages unless you take out an overpriced insurance policy.

Thankfully it does not have to be that way anymore. When your hire a car here at Car Hire Berlin you are given an option of adding excess insurance to your rental car agreement during the booking process.

On average car hire companies charge around fifteen pounds a day for excess insurance. If you are planning a long holiday then this figure can certainly add up. When you choose to take out Excess car hire insurance with our partner you can make a saving of up to 65%.

The policy offers excellent piece of mind. It is clear cut and easy to use. If you have already hired a car but still need excess insurance then check out our partner site Car Hire Insurance for a detailed list of policies available. There are daily and monthly policies available for Europe, USA and all over the world.

According to a recent survey by the car hire firm Europcar many people in the UK are now choosing to hire cars rather than buy in order to cut expenses during these tough times.

A spokesman for Europcar Ashley Jurberg said that the results of the survey came as no surprise. The survey also showed that many people are opting for getaways closer to home this year than previous years.

Many families looking to cut costs have sold their cars as they are often considered as something which must go first when times are hard. There is also a certain piece of mind with a hire car as you can be sure it undergoes regular safety checks.

Many British people are choosing to holiday in the UK this year. Hiring a car is an affordable way of getting around and is proving a popular choice this summer.

An interesting find to come out of the survey was that twenty seven percent of British people hiring cars in the UK do so because they are unsure whether their own cars will last the journey. Twenty four percent hired cars because their own cars were too small.

Twenty one percent chose car hire as their own vehicle was not working.

The tributes have been pouring in for Air Berlin due to the airlines thirtieth anniversary so it came as no surprise to see Stansted Airport getting in on the act.

Air Berlin has grown rapidly over the years to become the 2nd biggest airline in Germany behind Lufthansa. Over thirty million passengers use Air Berlins services annually. The airline is based in Dusseldorf and offers a wide range of connections to many destinations all over the world.

Speaking on behalf of Stansted Airport Nick Barton expressed delight on seeing the airline reach such a milestone. He went on to say that Air Berlin offered an excellent service at a low cost with great options such as allocated seating, an excellent baggage allowance and child friendly airfares. He spoke of the continuing popularity of their routes with business passengers as well as holiday makers.

Recently Air Berlin added a new Berlin to Oslo route.

1. Always use a car hire cost comparison service such as the one we use here at Car Hire Berlin. If for some reason you can’t find exactly what you are looking for with us then try some other reputable cost comparison sites.

2. Understand what you are paying for – Basic Collision-damage waiver insurance is included with the majority of rental cars however you will still be responsible for the excess which for example could be the first eight hundred pounds worth of damage.

Car hire companies can often charge extortionate prices to cover the excess. When you hire a Berlin rental car with us you are offered the option of cheap excess insurance during the booking process which can save you a lot of money. If you have already hired a car and now want to get excess insurance separate then visit our partner site Car Hire Insurance.

3. Get a Diesel car- Save money on petrol costs and go for the more thrifty diesel rental car.

4. Return your hire car with a full tank – Some car hire companies have a refuel charge and will charge you top price for that fuel.

5. You may often find yourself in a rush when picking up a rental car but it is essential that you take the time to check the rental car for any damage. If you find anything make sure to point it out to staff.

Lufthansa staged further strike action on Wednesday last January 28th. The strike action took place between 6am and 12pm. Many flights were cancelled including flights at Berlin Tegel Airport and Frankfurt Airport.

The action is due to a dispute over pay by flight attendants at Lufthansa and is the 2nd such protest. Lufthansa did not confirm exactly how many flights had been affected. Flights to Prague, Zurich and London were among those cancelled.

The airline said they would do their best to make sure there was as little disturbance to long haul flights as possible. The striking staff are looking for a fifteen percent increase in pay while Lufthansa have offered ten percent. An agreement has yet to be reached despite several meetings.

The trade union which called the strike is called UFO and represents eight thousand Lufthansa flight attendants. The UFO says that over four hundred flights have been affected by strike action so far.

If you are arriving in Berlin soon then take a look at our car hire Tegel Airport service.

Despite no longer being in operation, Tempelhof Airport is costing the German government over fourteen million euro a year. It looks like being a long term problem according to the state-owned real estate company currently in charge of the airport.

When the airport was in use it was losing ten million euro a year. The German public is baffled as to how it could actually be losing more money now. According to Sven Lemiss, the head of Berliner Immobilienmanagement (BIM) much of the bill is due to the cleaning firm BSR. Now that Tempelhof is considered a normal property, it is responsible for the cleaning costs of the surrounding public roads.

Lemiss says that this bill runs into a seven figure sum. He wants Tempelhof to be considered a special property so it will not incur the cleaning costs. The government is now fully responsible for all Tempelhof costs which were previously taken care of by the airport operator.

Babelsberg Film Studios have shown an interest in using the airport. They have plans to turn Tempelhof into a film studio. An area in the heart of Berlin is a very appealing proposition for the expanding company.

The Senate in Berlin is currently running a competition looking for ideas on what the airport could be used for.