Car Rental in London

Why rent a car in London?

One of the great cities of Europe and the world, London is a place that everyone should experience at least once. Both historic, modern, diverse and yet maintaining a unique local character, its neighborhoods, buildings, and attractions can be explored for days. Getting a rental car is your best bet to see as much as possible.

Top ways to enter London

• London Heathrow Airport. The largest in Europe and among the top 10 in the world, Heathrow Airport feels like a city in its own right. The airport is located just west of London. 
• London Gatwick Airport. Offering flights to and from destinations all over Europe, as well as North America, the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia, Gatwick Airport serves nearly 50 million passengers every year. The airport is in West Sussex county about an hour’s drive south of London.
• London City Airport. The only international airport serving London that’s located inside the city’s boundaries, London City Airport is a base for British Airways and is also served by a handful of other airlines.
• London Stansted Airport. A huge base for Ryanair and also served by a number of other low-cost carriers, flying to Stansted is often the cheapest way to reach London. The airport itself is about an hour’s drive northeast of the city proper.
• Luton Airport. Often also branded as London Luton Airport thanks to its proximity to the capital, but located in the neighboring city of Luton, this airport is served by nine different airlines.
• Southend Airport. Yet another small airport located outside the British capital but serving its wider area, London–Southend is a small, but notable hub for the low-cost carrier easyJet and provides connections with destinations in the Netherlands, France, Spain, Portugal, and Switzerland, some year-round and some on a seasonal basis. The drive from Southend to the center of London takes anywhere between 50 and 90 minutes depending on the time of day.
• By rail: If you’re arriving in London by train, you can conveniently pick up your rental car at many of London’s train stations. London Bridge, Croydon South, Hammersmith, Victoria, and Paddington are just some of them.

City facts

London has a temperate oceanic climate and is warmer than most of the other large cities of the United Kingdom. The average temperature is 18.7 °C  (65.7 °F) in July and 5.2 °C  (41.4 °F) in January. Despite its reputation for being very rainy, London actually has less precipitation than Lisbon, Rome, New York City, and Sydney.

London is made up of 32 boroughs or local authority districts. 12 boroughs are within Inner London while 20 are in Outer London. The most populous London borough is Croydon in South London. 

Top sights and activities

• Buckingham Palace. The home of the Royal family and, for many, the number one landmark of London, Buckingham Palace is only open for tours during the summer months, but even if you visit during another time of year, it’s magnificence can be observed from outside.
• British Museum. London has countless world-class museums, such as the National History Museum and Tate Modern, but the British Museum is probably the crown jewel of them all, both for its immensity and for the awesome quality of its exhibitions. From the history of the inhabitants of the British Isles to Ancient Greeks and Romans to equally impressive civilizations outside Europe, it really covers human history in its fullness.
• St. Paul’s Cathedral. Arguably the most famous Anglican church in the world, St Paul’s Cathedral is located on the site of a much older church dating back to AD 604. Rebuilt after the great fire of London in 1666, nowadays the cathedral provides an especially impressive sight when illuminated after dark.
• Natural History Museum. With a truly vast and impressive collection, the Natural History Museum stands out from its counterparts around the world. Whether you marvel at the skeletons of Diplodocus, take in the size of the blue whale, or explore specimens found by none other than Charles Darwin, this is one place that can all but guarantee to inspire awe. Better yet, there is no entrance fee. The Natural History Museum is located near two other museums, the Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum of decorative arts and design.
• Notting Hill. Located in West London's wealthy Kensington & Chelsea neighborhood, this is one of the most iconic areas of London. It became popular when the famous film Notting Hill was released in 1999, featuring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant. The area itself has a wonderful blend of Georgian architecture and colorful gardens along with chic cafes and clothing stores that attract visitors from all over the world. Notting Hill is a wonderful place to spend a day just strolling around, taking in all its sights, or to enjoy some delicious cuisine in one of its many fantastic restaurants.
• Science Museum. Another world-class institution of its kind, the Science Museum has been open since 1857, and is made up of the Energy Hall, Exploring Space, the Secret Life of the Home, Information Age, Wonderlab, Future Planet, and many other fascinating, interactive galleries. The museum is centrally located on the Exhibition Road in South Kensington near several other cultural institutions.

Traffic and parking

• The United Kingdom drives on the left-hand side of the road.
• On-street parking is usually heavily restricted. Never park on a white, double yellow or double red line (stopping on motorways and next to red lines is illegal).
• You are not allowed to use your mobile phone while driving, unless you use a hands-free system.
• Unless specifically indicated otherwise, the speed limits are 112 km/h (70 mph) on motorways, 112 km/h (70 mph) on dual carriageways, 96 km/h (60 mph) on single carriageways and 48km/h (30 mph) in residential areas and areas with street lightning.
• In England and Wales, the legal alcohol limit is 0.08% for both experienced and novice drivers. Do keep in mind, however, that in Scotland the legal alcohol limit is 0.05% for both experienced and novice drivers. Exceeding the limit can lead to large fines, a suspended license, or even imprisonment.
• The insurance and documentation of the car needs to be in it whenever you’re driving.
• If you’re the driver, you need to have your passport or ID card with you at all times.
• The emergency numbers are 999 and 112.

Toll roads

The main toll road in the United Kingdom is the M6 toll. Find out more on the M6 Toll official website. You also have to pay a toll for using a number of bridges and tunnels, as well as for entering the central areas of London.  For example, the Dartford Crossing Bridge in East London applies the Dart charge between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. Find out more about the Dart charge on the Government website.

Find out more about toll roads in the United Kingdom on the European toll road website.

Ideas for day trips

• Windsor Castle. Claiming to be the largest and oldest occupied castle in the world, this royal residence is nearly as important as the Buckingham Palace. Besides its important inhabitants, it also houses beautiful artworks by Rembrandt, Rubens, and Canaletto. Unlike Buckingham, Windsor is open for visitors throughout the year. The castle, located in the town of the same name, is about 40 km (23 mi) west of London.
• Stonehenge. The prehistoric ring of stones has been standing since the Bronze Age. Its meaning still hasn’t been fully deciphered, which only adds to its mystery. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is in Wiltshire Country and can be reached from London in about two and a half hours.
• Cambridge. Home to one of the world’s most famous universities, Cambridge is also a surprisingly green and cozy city. Befitting a great academic center, it also houses a large number of amazing museums, from the Folk Museum and the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology to the University Museum of Zoology and the Polar Museum. With only 60 miles (90 km) to cover, it makes an ideal day trip from London.
• South Downs National Park. Home to 14 million people, Greater London is one of the largest and most densely populated urban areas in Europe — but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t provide access to nature. Located just a 90-minute drive southwest of the capital, South Downs is a supremely calm and scenic area of chalk hills, valleys, and woodlands. Other nature areas not far from London include the Surrey Hills, Kent Downs, and Chiltern Hills.
• Oxford. Just like its grand old rival Cambridge, Oxford is both a classical university city (the oldest in the United Kingdom) and a popular tourist destination. Known for the Gothic spires of its many houses of prayer and learning, Oxford is also home to such cultural institutions as the Ashmolean Gallery, Christ Church Picture Gallery, and Oxford University Museum of Natural History, among many, many others. Situated about 95 km (59 miles) northwest of London, reaching Oxford by car takes anywhere between 90 minutes and two hours.

Most popular cars

The most popular rental car in London is the Peugeot 108, although many travelers also pick the Ford Fiesta and the Volvo V40. The most popular rental car types are mini, intermediate, and economy.

Further destinations

• Manchester. Embracing its industrial past rather than trying to avoid it, Manchester is a unique and vibrant cultural center. Come here for its beautiful historic buildings, unique neighborhoods, great museums and art galleries, and two world class football clubs. Manchester is less than four hours drive north of London.
• Edinburgh. The capital of Scotland might not be quite as immense as its English counterpart, but what it lacks in size, Edinburgh more than makes up for in charm. A city with a truly unique historic feel, Edinburgh is about seven hours drive north of London. That might seem like a long drive, but you’d be crossing all of England where there are countless opportunities for stopping along the way. And besides, the final destination will be worth it.
• Birmingham. Primarily known for its industrial and working-class roots that have affected how it looks and how the rest of Britain perceives it, Birmingham is not often thought of as a hub of tourism but can be a wonderfully under-the-radar destination if you give it a chance. Sometimes called the City of a Thousand Trades, it boasts many heritage buildings, art and science museums, and even some of its factories, such as the Jaguar Castle Bromwich Assembly and Coffin Works in the Jewelry Quarter, have been turned into tourist attractions. The drive from London to Birmingham takes about three hours.
• Devon. A large county in the southwest of England, Devon is home to the Jurassic Coast, an area so rich in dinosaur bones and other fossils that a whole geologic period of the Paleozoic was named after it. There are plenty of other attractions too, not least of which are historic sites related to the human habitation of the British Isles, Dartmoor and Exmoor National Parks, and the sophisticated cathedral city of Exeter, which is about a 3-hour-and-30-minute drive from London.

Car rental prices in London

• Small cars - from $15 per day
• Medium cars - from $19 per day
• SUVs - from $20 per day
• Large cars - from $26 per day
• Vans - from $56 per day
• Station wagons - from $26 per day
• Premium cars - from $58 per day
• Convertibles - from $338 per day

Money-saving and other tips

There are many things you can do to get a good car rental deal in London. Start with:

• Compare rates of different rental car providers
• Book your rental car well in advance
• Plan your route before you go
• Know your fuel and mileage requirements
• Visit on the month when the rental prices are the cheapest. According to our data, visiting London is the cheapest in February when renting a car is about 39% cheaper than the yearly average and about 60% cheaper than renting in May.