Movie Rental or Car Rental?

It's hard for anyone living in Britain to say they truly love driving. Almost all the pleasure has been taken out of it by the sheer number of rules, regulations and ramps that clutter UK roads. Films like Thelma and Louise or Easy Rider just serve to point out the huge difference between American interstates and British carriageways, and make many of us long for that kind of freedom.

While we can't have it on a permanent basis, there are still ways to experience the open road America-style. Booking a fly-drive holiday is a great way to get the freedom seen in the movies combined with a well-deserved break.

If you're a movie buff, you may like the idea of planning a trip which will take you through all the locations of your favourite films. Los Angeles would be a good place to start a trip like this, as many famous films such as Pretty Woman, Terminator 2 and American Pie have been filmed there. Fortunately, LA is abound with car hire firms and is therefore ideal for beginning your self-drive movie tour.

Perhaps a stop-off in San Diego may be fun, especially if the more military-style movie is your thing. Citizen Kane and Soldiers of Fortune, as well as the legendary Marilyn Monroe comedy Some Like it Hot, were filmed here, to name but a few.

Heading the other way up the coast on Route 101, fans of the Lost Boys movie may like to visit the town of Santa Cruz, complete with the Boulevard featured in the 1980's vampire flick. A little further on and you hit San Francisco, home of the famous prison island Alcatraz and the Golden Gate bridge, which recently appeared in the X-men 3 movie.

Further inland is the California state capital Sacramento, which fans of American Beauty and Phenomenon may recognise. As the fourth largest city in the state of California, it's also teeming with car rental firms, so if you rent from a company which allows drop-off in a different city to pick-up, Sacramento could be a good place to end a Californian driving holiday.

The key to planning your own successful driving holiday is to map out a basic route, but don't be afraid to veer off the main roads and explore a little of the surrounding areas. Decide where to start, where to end up (may be the same place depending on your preference or car hire firm), and certain places you'd like to visit along the way, and then just get in the car and go.