We will be staying in London for about 4 days, then plan to rent a car and drive up through the Peak District area with stops along the way. We ultimately will want to stay for at least one night near Chatsworth House so we can take the tour.
1. Where is the best place to rent a car in London? Airport or are there any other options?
2. Any hotel recommendations in the vicinity of Chatsworth house or suggest VRBO/AirBnB type?
Thank you from Texas!
my answer would be as far away from London as possible. I bit more info on your route would be helpful
For Chatsworth it really depends on your budget but two of the closest (and they aren't cheap) are The Cavendish Hotel at Baslow
and the Pilsley Inn (formerly the Devonshire Arms) at Pilsley.
Both are on the Chatsworth Estate but please let us know if these are beyond your price point.
Sorry, we will be heading out to Stonehenge first then up to the Peak District. After a day or two there we'll be going to Edinburgh and will plan to return the car to the airport there after a couple of days.
As far as price point, probably in USD no more than $350-400/night since we're only planning to stay one night near Chatsworth House.
I would suggest picking up a car at Heathrow and heading to Stonehenge from there and then onward and northward.
I really like Arnold Clark rental, which is my preferred agency to rent from in the UK. They have locations at both Heathrow and Edinburgh Airport, and are really a delight to work with. I have never had any problems with their service. But you can certainly check prices and compare with other agencies. Enterprise is also recommended.
I was just at Chatsworth last year and absolutely loved it! Make sure you allow plenty of time to see the fabulous rooms and gardens. With regards to lodging, I stayed in Castleton, which I loved and that was about a 30 minute drive, but very reasonably priced. Here is a link to my hotel review: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/england-reviews/review-of-bull-s-head-pub-hotel-in-castleton-the-peak-district
Another town you might consider is Bakewell, which is about a 10-15 minute drive from Chatsworth. Bakewell is bigger than Castleton and has more lodging options, so you might enjoy that. It would definitely be less expensive than staying on the Chatsworth estate. I checked the price of one of the hotels on the estate isn31c listed and it is a little under £600 for one night. :-)
Castleton is worth checking out its a beauty, I only live 3 miles away for the last 30 years.
Hurdlow isn't too far from Bakewell ,nice scenery in the White Peak villages, Sheldon,Monyash,Chelmorton...the Royal Oak pub does outstanding food might do Bnb too
We picked up a car at Victoria Station last summer because we got an extremely attractive rental rate.
Bad idea. Don't ever drive in London; it's a nightmare.
Don't ever drive in London; it's a nightmare.
Ha ha, I will agree with that. I was forced to drive in London back in 1996, and it really was a nightmare. I'm still not quite sure how I made it to the rental agency to turn the car in, as I was sure I would be stuck driving the streets of London forever.
Bakewell is a lovely town. We stayed in an apartment that we found on Booking.com. (Or it might have been VRBO.) If you enjoy walking, you can enjoy a pleasant walk to Chatsworth — I think around 3-4 miles each way. Ask at the TI for a map.
