London car rental information
| Pick-up location | London |
|---|---|
| Car types | Compact, Compact SUV, Economy, Intermediate SUV, Luxury, Mini, Premium, Standard |
| Rental locations | 336 |
| Airport locations | 73 |
| Popular agencies | GREEN MOTION , Sixt, Alamo, DRIVALIA |
Cheap car rentals in London
| Economy | $23/day |
| Compact | $23/day |
| Standard | $31/day |
| Mini | $21/day |
| Premium | $97/day |
| Luxury | $103/day |
| Intermediate SUV | $27/day |
| Compact SUV | $31/day |
Top tips for renting a car in London
- Surrey Hills is ideal for short drives if you want access to the most scenic places in England and still be close to the city center. If you don't mind heading out of town, you can pick up a pre-planned route and then drive cheap car rentals in London about 77 miles to the Cotswold, Sevenoaks, or Epping Forest area that boasts over 100 lakes and ponds, making it a great spot for couples, families and pet enthusiasts. You will have an incident-free trip provided you ensure toddlers are secured in age-appropriate booster seats, and all your passengers wear seat belts at all times.
- London is a tough city to operate a vehicle, especially at peak times. If you're going to do a lot of driving around central London from Monday to Friday, between 7 am and 6 pm, including 12 pm to 6 pm on weekends and bank holidays, you may incur a Congestion Charge. It will cost you approximately £15 ($18) if you pay the fee in advance or on the same day via Auto Pay, online, or by telephone. If you make payment up to 3 days after traveling, a rate of £17.50 ($22) applies and up to £150 ($184) in fines if you default on payments. The Congestion Zone is labeled with the letter "C" in a red circle on signs and painted on the road.
- Depending on the time of year you visit the U.K, for example, between January and March, when temperatures fall below seven degrees, it's advisable to book London car rentals fitted with winter tires. Snow wheels with more than 2mm of tread are essential for safe driving in wintertime. If it's going to be your first time operating cheap car rentals in London during harsh conditions, confirm when booking your vehicle through KAYAK that car rental companies in the U.K provide them.
- The English capital is an extremely busy city, which means driving around central London can be incredibly stressful. But, while public transportation is the best option when discovering the city center, a rental car is the perfect option for those looking to leave London and explore the English countryside or coastal towns such as Brighton.
- London has five airports: London City (LCY), London Stansted (STN), London Heathrow (LHR), London Luton (LTN), and London Gatwick (LGW). At City Airport, car rental counters are located next to the main terminal building. At Heathrow Airport, car rental companies have desks in all the arrivals terminals. At Gatwick, you'll find car rental desks in both the North and South terminal. Stansted Airport's car rental companies operate from the Airport Car Rental Village, which is outside the terminal building (free shuttle buses that will drop you off there depart from the terminal forecourt every 10 minutes). The Car Hire Center at Luton Airport is accessed via the free APCOA shuttle bus, which you can catch at Bay 1A.
- The main thing you have to know about driving in the United Kingdom is that traffic runs on the left-hand side of the road. If you're brave enough to drive around the city center, beware that the streets are constantly bustling with tourists. Take into consideration that certain areas in the city are subject to the Congestion Charge, which means you must pay £11.50 (approximately $14.70) per day if you drive in said zones between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., which is applicable Monday to Friday.
- Driving during London's rush hour can easily add 40 minutes to an hour to your travel time, so avoid going into and out of central London between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., and again in the evening, between 4 p.m. and 6.30 p.m. Roads leading to the city's many airports are often busy during these times as well, so take that into consideration if you're driving back to the airport.
- 25% of our users found rental cars in London for $44 or less
- Book your rental car in London at least 1 day before your trip in order to get a below-average price
- Off-airport rental car locations in London are around 97% more expensive than airport locations on average
- Economy rental cars in London are around 84% cheaper than other car types, on average
FAQs about renting a car in London
London car rental reviews and directory
Hertz
7.1
Good
175 reviewsBest rated
Cleanliness
8.0
Comfort
7.7
Pick-up/Drop-off
6.9
Value for money
6.6
15 locations in London
from $54/day
Locations in London
Filters
Show reviews that mention
Reviews
10.0 Wonderful
Jan 2022
6.0 Okay
Jan 2022
4.0 Mediocre
May 2021
Cons:
We rented the car for 9hrs, put 230 miles on it and it cost us over $400 for a Vauxhall Corsa. VERY expensive.10.0 Wonderful
Aug 2020
Pros:
I still have my car rental. Not sure why I am receiving this email now.10.0 Wonderful
Apr 2020
Pros:
It was a bit slow but not a problem.Cons:
I don't remember what car I got but, it wasn't what we asked for. It was another "similar" car that they always give a renter.7.6 Good
Apr 2020
Pros:
New car. Lots of features.Cons:
No one around to explain features of the car. Had to return the car two weeks early due to covid 19. Did not get a partial refund for those two weeks. Was contacted by P.R. person when I gave them a poor review who seemed like he might give me a partial refund but I believe they are now in bankruptcy proceedings so doubt I will see it.Easirent
4.6
Mediocre
191 reviewsCleanliness
5.7
Comfort
5.5
Pick-up/Drop-off
4.4
Value for money
4.8
17 locations in London
from $38/day
Locations in London
Filters
Reviews
4.0 Mediocre
Jan 2020
Pros:
At pickup the vehicle was given away and we had to pay for an upgrade. We also had to buy insurance, as we could not show proof that our credit card covered excess insurance laibility. Shuttle buses run every 45 minutes, so there is a long wait2.0 Poor
Nov 2019
Pros:
Nothing! Stay away and help put disreputable businesses out of business!Cons:
Bait and switch. Got a price that looked great, but when I got there not only did they have an inferior car to the one I booked, that they tried to pass off, but the price they charged was over 40% higher than when I booked online. (Looking at the other reviews, I'm not the only one in this position) I walked out after confirming that they wouldn't charge me anything, and they charged me over 90 dollars (in dispute with credit card). I then went to a big name brand like I should have in the first place.4.0 Mediocre
Sep 2019
Pros:
The Pickup was the worst pickup scenario I've ever seen. There's a kiosk to 'skip the line' that you can use, but you need to get in the line after anyway. We had to deposit about $1200. The pickup process took about 2 hours. The car we received wasn't the class we requested, nor clean.Cons:
Clearer indication of where to go when arriving. More staff. Working Kiosks. A real waiting area. Quicker service. Most importantly advance information on required deposits (I would never have rented from here had I known it was a $1200 USD deposit required).2.0 Poor
Aug 2019
Pros:
The young teenager working there was probably the only person that was courteous and understanding there.Cons:
Booked car for 11am. Didn't get car until 1:45pm. Car was wall banged up and cut on tire. They said it's all good. Protested to get another car as I didn't feel safe. Returned car at 11:45amnext day to be scold by clerk who said needed to be returned by 11 and others waited for 3h for it. Scammers!2.4 Poor
Aug 2019
Pros:
I can't think of anything.Cons:
A clean car, not waiting for an hour to, a car that had been serviced and didn't breakdown on the M4, better customer service, clearer information on using a travel credit card for accident coverage.3.6 Poor
Jul 2019
Cons:
This was the nightmare experience I have heard about but always thought was exaggerated. On the third day of our rental, the clutch went out on our car. They charged me $3000 and left me on the side of the road for 5 hours. No replacement rental.Sixt
7.8
Good
73 reviewsCleanliness
8.1
Comfort
8.1
Pick-up/Drop-off
7.4
Value for money
7.0
16 locations in London
from $72/day
Locations in London
Filters