Car hire in Southend on Sea is one of the best way to see this bustling coastal city. With long coastal strips to meander along, take your car out and spend a day at some of the picturesque outer-lying areas that public transport doesn’t always cover. Hadleigh Park and Hadleigh Castle are must-see sights a mere 22min out of the city centre, while Two Tree Island is just 14min out. For family fun, take a drive to Adventure Island and enjoy the rides and entertainment of one of the UK’s best theme parks.
When arriving in Southend by air, you will have several options of Southend on Sea car hire companies to choose from. keddy by Europcar, Europcar and Firefly are all based at London Southend Airport and waiting to assist you. All car hire companies are based landside, in the arrivals terminal of the airport. Additional car hire companies based in Southend On Sea include Sunny Cars on Southchurch Road, Budget on 114 Arterial Road and Enterprise on 196 Queensway.
Southend is quite a densely populated city. When it comes to the roads, there are two main carriageways bringing traffic into the city, many main roads and several smaller residential streets. Look out for pedestrians, as the foot traffic is quite high in areas such as the beach fronts and the high streets. It is advisable to book a sat nav to assist you with navigating the streets during your trip. With small coastal regions all around Southend, you will want to take advantage of having navigation and take fun-filled short trips to see some of the surrounding coastal areas.
As the biggest city in Essex with a substantially large business district, not to mention the UK’s longest beach pier, you will undoubtedly experience some traffic congestion in Southend at certain times of the day. The Southend Arterial Road and London Road are the two main carriageways coming into the city and are best avoided during peak traffic times around 8:00 and 17:00. Other than that, occasional peak hour congestion and some pier pedestrian traffic is easily avoided. Parts of the pier are best used as park-and-walk regions, particularly in the warmer months when holidaymakers descend upon Southend in larger numbers.
25% of our users found rental cars in Southend-on-Sea for $58 or less
Book your rental car in Southend-on-Sea at least 1 day before your trip in order to get a below-average price
Mini rental cars in Southend-on-Sea are around -53% cheaper than other car types, on average
FAQs about renting a car in Southend-on-Sea
Some car rental companies in Southend-on-Sea which have updated their car rental health and safety policies due to COVID-19 to make sure vehicles are clean and disinfected include Enterprise and Europcar
On average a rental car in Southend-on-Sea costs $74 per day. But prices differ between operators and you can save money through a price comparison of car rental deals from different agencies. The cheapest price for a car rental in Southend-on-Sea found in the last 2 weeks is $70.
Yes, automatic cars are available in most car renting companies in Southend-on-Sea. As cars with manual transmission are more common in many countries, you might have to pay an additional charge for renting an automatic car.
The average gas price in Southend-on-Sea is $8.47 per gallon over the past 30 days. Filling up a gas tank costs between $102 and $135, depending on the car size.
Mini (Fiat 500 or similar) is the most frequently booked rental car type in Southend-on-Sea.
A Mini car rental in Southend-on-Sea costs $98 per day, on average.
A Economy car rental in Southend-on-Sea costs $69 per day, on average.
A Compact car rental in Southend-on-Sea costs $48 per day, on average.
In Southend-on-Sea, cars are most frequently rented at GREEN MOTION London Regatta Centre, Dockside Road - In Terminal (28 miles from city center).
On average a rental car in Southend-on-Sea costs $515 per week ($74 per day).
On average a rental car in Southend-on-Sea costs $2,207 per month ($74 per day).
Most car rental providers in Southend-on-Sea offer insurance but the level of protection can differ substantially. If you're unsure whether to get extra protection for your car rental in Southend-on-Sea, check out KAYAK's car rental insurance guide.
The type of car you choose to hire for your Southend experience will ultimately come down to what your itinerary looks like. With central Southend being more congested with smaller parking options, you may want to look at a compact city vehicle or an economy car that will assist when negotiating traffic. If you have plans to take to the surrounding coastal towns or countryside, a comfy 4x4 will serve you well, particularly in a larger group.
Due to high foot-traffic in many parts of Southend, the speed limit is particularly well monitored by authorities. On average limits are 20mph in the city centre, beach fronts and residential suburbs. In other areas the speed limit rises to 40mph, with motorways allowing 60 and 70mph. Southend has almost 20 traffic cameras dispersed around key sites in the city centre, so it is advisable to look out for traffic signs at all times.
With so many public walking areas and seaside attractions, Southend’s street parking near the beaches is usually very congested. It is advisable to look for public car parks close by or in the city centre that have very reasonable prices, depending on parking duration and days. Tickets range from £2 to around £18.
Finding the right price, understanding the add-ons and staying up to date with policy changes can be a challenge. That’s why KAYAK has produced the ultimate guide to renting a car to help you cut though the jargon and make the right choice for your rental car. Find tips and insights for how to book your rental, what car rental insurance you’ll need, how to deal with a car rental agency and what extra fees to expect (and avoid!).
KAYAK searches thousands of car rental agencies to provide you with offers from all car rental agencies operating in Southend-on-Sea so that you can compare car rental rates, reviews and pick-up and drop-off locations to find the best deal for you.
KAYAK has deals for you to compare from 8 car rental agencies in Southend-on-Sea.