We will be staying in Central London for a few days in June before carrying on with some more travels throughout the UK. After we leave London we want to rent a car. Is it easier to try and rent one in the centre of the city (and have to deal with traffic and congestion fees etc) or make our way to a car rental further out or possibly from Heathrow?
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33994 posts
shame that when you ask a valid question some buthead rocks up with spam.
Don't try to drive in London. Heathrow works well. How many is "we"? Do you need a car seat for a bambino or two? Mobility issues for the seniors or disabled?
More infor gets a better answer
Posted by
OP
Napoli, Italy
39 posts
“We” is five including adults, a teen, and two younger kids. All able bodied and able to to walk reasonable distances, take the tube, cram in a black cab, or just about anything else I can think of.
Posted by
Preston UK
1232 posts
Where are you headed from London? It makes sense to find car hire in the general direction of travel. That could either be on the edge of London like Heathrow, Gatwick or Luton or you could take a train to the area you want to visit and hire there.
Bear in mind the rules for travelling with young children in the UK - anyone under 12 or under 135cm tall (whichever comes first) needs a seat, which you will either need to bring with you or hire with the car.
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
7206 posts
We always pick up at Heathrow. As Nigel said, you don’t want to drive in London.
Posted by
8322 posts
If you plan to visit west of London or SW, rent in Oxford.
Posted by
SF Bay Area
330 posts
We usually pick up a rental car at Heathrow after a few days in London, but I agree with "general direction of travel".
On our recent trip, staying near Paddington Station for the first time, my husband discovered a National Rental Car place right at Paddington Station (a block from our hotel!), and was briefly tempted to change our pickup location from Heathrow to Paddington ... then realized that the convenience of pickup would be far outweighed by the terror and hassle of driving within the city!!! And with the new Elizabeth line, getting to Heathrow doesn't take as long as it did.