Car Rental at London Heathrow Airport

Airport travel guide

As one of the most popular travel destinations in the world, London has enough landmarks and attractions to be explored for weeks. Not only that, London Heathrow has connections with cities all over the world. But the other good thing about this metropolis is that it is near a number of interesting English destinations that can be easily visited on a day trip if you get a rental car. Here are three of them:

• Brighton. Arguably the most famous resort town in the United Kingdom, Brighton is a great place to visit for a seaside escape. Even if you’re in England during the autumn or winter months, the city has plenty of reasons to visit. These include not only the beaches and the famous Brighton Pier, but also many historic streets and buildings, the lavish Royal Pavilion, the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, and the Brighton Fishing Museum. Located some 130 km (80 miles) south of London, Brighton can be reached in less than two hours.
• Cambridge. Arguably one of the two most famous university cities in the world (its arch-rival Oxford is nearby and also worth a visit), Cambridge is a history lover's dream. Most of the city’s landmarks are unsurprisingly connected to education, such as the picturesque Queens’, Kings’, Trinity, and Jesus Colleges. Many of the Colleges also have museums and art galleries. One of the most popular things to do is enjoy a guided punting tour along the River Cam, where you can learn more about college life as you pass by the historic colleges. Cambridge is 101 km (63 miles) north of London and can be reached in about 1 hour and 40 minutes.
• Suffolk. One of the largest counties in South England, Suffolk is also one of the most traditional and scenic destinations for a road trip. The region is known for its natural beauty exemplified by the wild North Sea coast, as well as heaths and vales. Suffolk County also has plenty of historic character, not least in the city of Bury St Edmunds known for its cathedral, market, and medieval ruins. The trip to the latter takes about two hours by car.

Notes about renting a car

When renting a car in London, it’s important to note cars tend to be smaller so they can fit on small village roads. Prepare for this in advance if traveling in a large group, or if you have a lot of luggage (you may have to reduce it).

 You’ll also want to research the areas you are driving to as some cities and towns in England as some have created Clean Air Zones. This means you’ll be charged a fee if you drive higher-emission vehicles in the zone.  You can check this website to see if you’ll need to pay the fee.

As London is extremely congested, certain parts of the city will require you to pay an £15 daily charge for driving through. You can check the congestion zone here. Renting a car from Heathrow will put you outside of that congestion zone, and is the best choice for taking a road trip outside of London.

Unlike continental Europe, In England, they drive on the left hand side of the road, they use miles for distances, and roundabouts are commonly found. And the blood alcohol limit is 0.08 percent. 

Toll roads are quite common in England, so be prepared with a credit or debit card to pay. You'll need a valid driver's license and always check to make sure whether your nationality needs an international driver's license. Generally they are not required. 

Top international routes

• New York City
• Dublin
• Amsterdam
• Frankfurt
• Paris
• Geneva
• Munich
• Madrid
• Zurich
• Dubai

Main airlines

British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Air Canada, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Air India

Terminals

The four passenger terminals are Terminal 2, Terminal 3, Terminal 4, and Terminal 5. You can walk between Terminals 2 and 3. To move between Terminal 4 and Terminal 5, take the free shuttle bus number 482 or 490. To move between Terminal 2 or 3 to Terminal 4 or 5, take the free shuttle train. Get a free Inter-Terminal Transfer ticket from a ticket machine in the airport’s train station—and see the airport’s guide for any other questions you might have.

Location

London Heathrow Airport is 23 km (14 miles) west of downtown London. Great West Road and Cromwell Road are the main roads connecting the airport to the city.

Most popular types of rental car

• Small cars - from $15 per day
• Medium cars - from $16 per day
• Large cars - from $18 per day
• Station wagons - from $27 per day
• SUVs - from $16 per day
• Premium cars - from $51 per day
• Convertibles - from $15 per day
• Vans - from $62 per day

Car rental desks

Those rental companies with on-airport locations have rental desks in the terminals. You, however, must take a shuttle bus to pick up the car, though.

Those rental companies not located at the airport provide a shuttle service from the terminals to their locations.

Services and facilities

London Heathrow Airport is huge with plenty of services and facilities for travelers. You’ll find many bars, cafeterias, and restaurants, shopping centers, and various lounges. There are ATMs in every terminal before and after security. There are also children’s play areas and other family facilities, a lost property office, pharmacies, medical help, showers, a fitness center, a prayer room, a free Power Pole for charging electronic devices, and countless other services and entertainment opportunities. There are left luggage services on the ground floor of each terminal, all open daily from 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Nearest gas station

Which gas station is most convenient to fill up at prior to returning your rental car depends on which company you rent from. Most will find the Texaco station located on Bath Rd.(the A4) to be the most convenient. The station is near the M4 exit to the airport and requires only a slight detour if returning a car to Alamo, Europcar, Keddy, Enterprise, or Easirent.

If returning a car to Green Motion (and Ace, whose rentals are serviced by Green Motion), then a Shell station located on Holloway Lane, one block west of the Holiday Inn where Green Motion is located is the best station to fill up at. It is less than a mile away from the Holiday Inn.

If returning a car to Sixt’s location, you can conveniently fill up at the BP station that you must drive through anyway to reach the rental return gate.

Popular one-way rentals

• Cheltenham (156 km / 97 mi)
• Chesterfield (295 km / 161 mi)
• Brighton (104 km / 65 mi)
• Guernsey (310 km / 193 mi)
• Bromley (90 km / 56 mi)
• Loughborough (203 km / 126 mi)
• Poole (151 km / 94 mi)
• Weston-super-Mare (206 km / 128 mi)
• Gatwick Airport (61 km / 38 mi)
• Worthing (96 km / 60 mi)
• Basingstoke (55 km / 34 mi)
• Chelmsford (129 km / 80 mi)
• Portsmouth (105 km / 65 mi)