Camp Sparkle

The main problem with public transport, I think, apart from the price (except for the 1 Pounds bus), is that we'd have to travel to London center, take the bus or train and then figure out a way to get from Birmingham to the cottage. I also found a bus (www.nationalexpress.com) going from Stansted to Birmingham for 33.50 Pounds.

I've looked for the cheapest option for 5-seat cars with various rentals. Rates are as follows, from Friday, 13:00 to Monday, 12:30 (car rentals charge per 24 hours, usually, and since we have to leave by 10 anyway, I figure it would be best to try to make it back before we'd have to pay for another day):

- 186 Euros; www.car-rental-hire.co.uk
- 111 Euros; www.thrifty.co.uk, doesn't rents cars to people under 25, or students
- 100 Euros; Avis, if you book in advance
- 118 Euros; Sixt, that has no office at Stansted, but offers cars anyway
- 162 Euros, Budget, if you book in advance
- 120 Euros; Hertz
- 111 Euros; Europcar, who sadly have such a strange system that they make it impossible to find out if that's indeed 5 seats or 4

For a car with 7 seats, it would be:

- 345 Euros; www.car-rental-hire.co.uk
- 223 Euros; www.thrifty.co.uk
- 150 Euros; Avis, if you book in advance, no information about luggage space
- 322 Euros; Sixt
- 305 Euros; Budget, if you book in advance
- Hertz won't show me a price
- Europcar again make it impossible to find out anything

Some of them might charge extra for insurance that covers more than a certain amount if something happens to the car (as I had to painfully experience in Sweden...).

Oh, and I finally booked the flight, by the way. I'll arrive 7:25 in the morning.