How to fit a bike rack to your vehicle

Yellow-ish green 4x4 with roof rack and bike rack attached. Luggage container and red box on roof rack and three bikes on bike rack. Greenery and mountains in the background.

Bikes can be a great way to explore while you’re camping, on a road trip, or visiting a specific trail. But if you’re taking your own bike(s), fitting a bike rack can be a bit of a hassle.

So, to help cut down that hassle for you, here’s our handy guide on how to fit a bike rack to your vehicle.

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Why should you do a vehicle history check?

bonnet of a red car popped, showing engine with 'MAGNUM' showing on a central part

If you’re looking to buy a used vehicle, get a vehicle history check. It can reveal any pesky hidden details that might affect the vehicle’s quality, legality, or safety. The results may change how much you’d consider paying.

So, let’s look at why it’s so important to do a vehicle history check (and how you can get one).

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Five accessories for your vehicle this summer

light green beetle with flowers painted onto the bonnet is parked on a dirt track. pov is a close up of the right side if the bonnet and light, which has eyelashes attached.

Whether you’re preparing for outdoor adventures, or just adding your own twist on your vehicle, accessories can transform your transport.

With summer in full swing, we thought about a few accessories that could take your vehicle to the next level. Or just be a bit of fun.

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Whacky weather: vehicle care in sunshine and thunderstorms

the photographer's left hand holds a hose with an additional attachment containing soap, spraying a white car parked on a driveway. a road curves around in the background with white houses lining the street and two cars just visible either side of the white car being cleaned.

We know it’s a British stereotype to chat about the weather, but come on. Summer 2023 is already a weird one. After one of the wettest winters on record, the UK is now seeing scorching temperatures, warm thunderstorms, and weather warnings.

When it’s 30 degrees one minute and thunder’s echoing around your house the next, vehicle care can get confusing. Here’s the latest on what to prepare for, and how to prepare.

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Neat road trips in Northern Ireland

aerial shot of Dunluce Castle, listed first in the list of places to visit on the road trip in Northern Ireland. With the deep blue sea in the bottom left of the frame, the castle in the middle, and green land filling the rest of the shot.

If you’re thinking about your next long weekend, a road trip in Northern Ireland could be right up your street. Castles, nature, and culture, it’s full of places and experiences to explore, all at your own pace.

Here are some recommendations for anyone heading on a road trip to Northern Ireland.

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Travelling with pets: expert advice

young, black lab cross looking out of the closed window of a car with its mouth open in a smile and the sun shining on its nose

Over half the UK population has a pet. We’re a nation of animal lovers, so when we’re travelling with our pets, we want to keep those furry friends safe.

From the Highway Code to general good practice on keeping everyone in your vehicle safe, we’ve put together some key tips for driving with pets.

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Vehicle insurance or breakdown cover: what covers what

picture showing the back of a line of parked cars

We talk about breakdown cover a lot, it’s our bread and butter. But sometimes it can be confused with vehicle insurance – something you legally need to drive in the UK.

Breakdown cover is a form of insurance for your vehicle. But, it isn’t vehicle insurance. Nice and confusing, we know.

So, to simplify things a bit, let’s break down what vehicle insurance actually is (and how it’s different from breakdown cover).

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Driving in Italy: road trip rules

picturesque image of a canal in Venice with small boats, and buildings either side of the canal

Italy is known for its stunning vistas and incredible food, and it’s a great road trip destination. Travelling by car is the perfect way to explore and enjoy one of Europe’s most exciting destinations.

Whether it’s for a short trip or longer holiday, driving in Italy isn’t anything to get stressed about. But it’s good to be on top of all the important Italian driving rules and regulations.

So, we’ve put together some tips.

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Expert advice: how to check for a flat battery

two red and two black jump leads placed on top of a car engine

With cold weather, or cold snaps, we see an increase in the number of call outs for cars with a flat battery.

The reason for this is simple: the older a battery gets, the less able it is to hold its charge in lower temperatures. And the colder the weather, the thicker oil gets, so the starter motor needs to draw more current from the battery to turn the engine over.

Put these together and tired car batteries are far more likely to fail. Here’s everything you need to know about your battery. 

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EV home charging: get the right charger for your vehicle

EV home charging cable plugged in to back left red light of a matte silver  car on a driveway.

As electric vehicles become more popular, EV charging points are popping up in more public places.

But there’s nothing quite like the luxury of having a personal EV charging unit at home.

After the effort of finding the right car, finding the right charging unit shouldn’t be a hassle. That’s why we’ve connected with Rightcharge to help you find the right charger for your vehicle, from the right installer, and all for the right price.

Here’s everything you need to know about EV home charging units.

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Learning to drive: be confident before your test

reflection of traffic and tall buildings in side mirror of a car

Learning to drive is a big achievement. You can bask in your independence. You can do late-night big Tesco trips. You can drive yourself to training, work, wherever, whenever (with or without Shakira playing).

No pressure, right?

It takes a lot of confidence to take your driving test. So, we’ve put together some tips to help you get in the zone.

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Cost of living: can you save money with an EV?

small glass pot with money in it and two plant sprouts appearing to grow from money

When buying a car, an increasingly popular question is “are EVs more cost effective?”

As electric vehicles (EVs) become more popular (and fuel prices stay pretty high), long-term vehicle costs are more important than ever.

So, we’ve done some digging and put together a guide on EV costs to help you decide if going electric is the right option.

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Expert advice: buying an EV

person with long brown hair plugging EV charger into wall unit

Buying an EV isn’t quite the same as buying a car used to be. There are a few different considerations and tests to check before you sign any dotted line.

As the number of EVs on the roads increases, and running costs rise for non-EVs, you may be tempted to make the switch. We talked to our Technical Support Engineers John Price and Scott Wilson about what you need to know.

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Driving in France: road trip rules

birds eye view of Arc de Triomphe and surrounding roads

A road trip in France gives you total freedom in one of the UK’s most popular holiday destinations. Whether you’re going on a long holiday or just for a couple of days, driving in France isn’t anything to get stressed about.

But, there are some things to be aware of to help prevent an accident (and prevent you getting on the wrong side of the law). Here are our top tips for driving in France.

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