Car Hire Barnstaple

Barnstaple Mini Guide

Shopping in Barnstaple
Barnstaple is a pleasant town and a good place to go shopping having a number of small outlets and chains. The shopping experience will improve further thanks to plans to renovate the town centre and pedestrianise the area known as the Strand. Residential areas have been constructed around the Queen’s Theatre area in 2012 at an expected cost of £300 million.

History of Barnstaple
Founded by the River Taw, historically Barnstaple was important due to its production of wool. Today one of the most famous places to see in Barnstaple is Butcher’s Row. These 10 buildings made from Bath Stone and wrought iron all used to be butchers but now there are only two butchers and some florists, fishmongers and delicatessens. This is all the more interesting given that the phenomenon of small, independent retailers is gradually dying out in Britain.

Getting to Barnstaple
Barnstaple train station is well connected to the main line making travelling by train easy. If arriving from overseas, hiring a car from Bristol airport, the nearest major international airport is a good option and is around 2 hours drive away. Alternatively, you can fly into Exeter Airport, hire a car and make the shorter journey, however Exeter is not so well connected as Bristol International. The South West is always very busy in the summer months so make sure you book car hire Barnstaple in advance to get the best rates and to be sure of a car.

The town of Barnstaple lies in one of England’s remote corners in north Devon, but it is easily accessible being just over 100 kilometres South West of Bristol and just over 50 kilometres North West of Exeter, so reserve car hire Barnstaple early so you don't miss out. Both the cities of Bristol and Exeter have airports too where it is possible to pick up a rental car from Rhino. We can also arrange for you to make use of different pick up and drop off points if this is more convenient for you.

Barnstaple has become easier and easier to get to over the years. Because of previously having a problem with congestion, a bypass was built last year around Barnstaple. This now means that traffic going to the nearby villages of Ifracombe and Braunton need not use Barnstaple as a rat run. At the end of the eighties a link road was built, the A361, to allow access from Barnstaple on to the M5 motorway which lies 65 kilometres to the east of the town.