Where can you hire a car in the UK?
Wherever you are in the United Kingdom you won’t be far away from a car hire location. Car hire availability spans the whole of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland as well as the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man with over 500 rental pick-up and drop-off points on offer. Whether you want a cheap rental car in the UK to get around a city, or a luxury UK rental car for business, you'll find a wide range of rental cars at refreshingly affordable prices. Search and compare car hire deals in the UK from leading car hire companies such as Avis, Budget, Enterprise and Thirfty.
Most popular UK airport car hire locations
Most popular UK city car hire locations
Popular types of UK car hire
Can I hire a car in the UK and drive to France?
It is possible to take a hire car from the UK and drive into France, however additional charges can be applied. It is recommended that you discuss your requirements with the car hire company at the time of booking; they will be able to discuss any additional fees, such as insurance premiums, and advise of any other special requirements. If you are wishing to leave the car in France, a hefty drop off fee can be applied. The cheaper option is usually to return your car to its original pick up point. Read more here on
taking a UK hire car to France.
Can I hire a car in the UK and drive to Ireland
It is possible to rent a car from the UK and take to Ireland, however it can be an expensive option with most car hire companies charging additional fees for insurance and for ferry crossings. It is necessary to inform your car rental company of any plans you have to ensure you are covered accordingly. If you are planning on returning the car to the original pick up point in the UK, the fee shouldn’t be too large. It could also be worth looking into hiring one car in the UK and another in Ireland.
UK Mini Guide
London is the capital city of the United Kingdom, and is one of the largest urban areas in the world. Greater London covers an area of over 600 square miles with a staggering population count of almost 8,000,000, which makes it the most highly populated city in Europe. London is served by no fewer than five international airports, which are Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, London Luton and London City Airport right in the city centre. Almost every area of Greater London can be reached via the underground train network or by using the excellent public bus service.
Visitors to London will be overwhelmed by the amount of sites and attractions that can be found just within the city centre. Almost everybody will be familiar with landmarks such as Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace. All of these popular tourist spots can be reached easily and quickly utilising relatively inexpensive public transport. People considering the use a private hire vehicle during their stay in London need to be aware that in recent years a toll system has been introduced, with a nominal charge collected for those who wish to drive their vehicle through parts of the city centre which are prone to congestion.
The United Kingdom is a popular place to visit for Europeans and American travellers. The UK is made up of Scotland with the capital being Edinburgh, England with the capital being London, Wales with Cardiff as its capital and Northern Ireland - Belfast. Airports are located throughout the UK so depending upon which part you are visiting you will easily find a local airport to suit. There is a wide network of motorways throughout the UK enabling fast and easy travel between cities, the speed limit on the motorway is 70mph and most motorways only have three lanes although the M25 is an exception to this and still remains notoriously busy and even inspired a song by Chris Rea entitled "The Road to Hell".
Queen Elizabeth has many residences including Buckingham Palace. If the Queen is in residence you will see 4 sentries on guard and you can also watch the Changing of the Guards here, Windsor Castle, Sandringham and Balmoral. Prince Charles' main residence is at Highgrove which is near the small village of Tetbury in Gloucestershire. Although London may be the most well-known city in the UK, there are several other large cities of note which have much to offer the visitor.
Of course the UK is not all about city life and there are a whole host of other places and sites of interest which anybody visiting the United Kingdom should consider as possible places worth sampling. Straddling Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire and taking its name from a small village close by, is Silverstone circuit. Silverstone is famous for being the host of the British Grand Prix each year, a tradition which started in 1948 and has continued annually since 1987.
As we can see the United Kingdom has much to offer the visitor, from some of the most impressive cities in Europe to some of the most beautiful natural landscape in the world. The UK is a relatively small nation and visitors will find that they are able to visit many of the sites and attractions dotted around the country even if they are on a fairly tight schedule. Ensure you take advantage of hiring a car in the UK as you will be able to see so much more.
United Kingdom Factfile
- The United Kingdom is a country in its own right and it consists of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
- Many famous scientists and engineers have originated from the UK including Sir Isaac Newton, Sir Alexander Fleming, Charles Darwin and Isambard Kingdom Brunel
- The Prime Minister of the UK is David Cameron MP
- The flag of the UK is called the Union Jack and was first created in 1606
- The largest airport is Heathrow Airport, followed by Gatwick Airport and then London Stansted Airport
- If you're hiring a car in the UK, you can choose from leading international rental agents such as Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Thrifty or any of our preferred local suppliers