well I have returned from a lovely holiday, and yes Whammel you were correct about the Azores they were beautiful. I also had no trouble hiring a hire car - all they wanted to know is that I had a driving licence. Just for info for everyone out there, I found out I could pay for an annual European collision damage insurance policy which then covers you for the potential £1800 excesses if you have an accident, this costs £40. Hope this might be useful for someone out there.