Car rental in and around London

Posted by kbharris on 01/09/17 05:41 PM

My husband I will be flying into Heathrow on May 3, 2017. We have not decided whether to visit London first or to pick up a car and drive to Wales and southern England then sightsee in London. My question is about picking up a car in London (out of the inner city) and returning it to Heathrow before we leave. Or picking it up at Heathrow and returning it to a location near the city.

I know we want to avoid anything close to the inner city but a location close to an M or A would be great. Or is it just best to go in and out of Heathrow.

We have both driven in England previously so that is not our main concern.

Posted by Chris F

Basel, Switzerland

01/09/17 07:09 PM

8889 posts

How about getting a train out of London to you first stopover place (Bath, Oxford, Cardiff, ....) and pick up the car when you leave there. Avoids the mad dash down the motorway, you just get the more pleasant local drive at the end.

"close to an M or A" - not sure where you mean.

Posted by Robin Z

Troy, Oh, USA

01/09/17 07:14 PM

2777 posts

Slough would be a good place to pick up and/or returning a car. Slough is 7 miles from Heathrow, a 15 minute cab ride.

Posted by Dick

Olympia, WA, USA

01/09/17 10:19 PM

6560 posts

Slough, or Reading which you can reach by bus from Heathrow.

Posted by kbharris OP

01/09/17 10:45 PM

3 posts

Near an M or A - near one of the freeways or highway with an M or A designation.

So Slough would be a great place to drop off a car on the way back to Heathrow.

Posted by Chris F

Basel, Switzerland

01/09/17 10:58 PM

8889 posts

kbharris, sorry for my dumbness.
The roads with numbers starting with 'M' are called Motorways, M1, M2, M25 etc. The are purpose built roads for motor vehicles only, same as a German Autobahn, French Autoroute etc.
A roads are the next level down, and are normal roads (all traffic allowed, pedestrians, bicycles etc.). They can be fast roads outside town, single or double carriageway, or in towns they can just be a normal street. There are thousands of them, it is difficult not be be near one.
"Freeway" is not a term used in the UK, and "Highway" is a somewhat old-fashioned word, it can just mean any main road.

Yes, Slough is a famously ugly industrial town just west of London, but it is near enough to Heathrow (under the flight path) that you can get a taxi from there to Heathrow. Or just drop off the car at Heathrow, which will probably involve a shuttle bus from an outlying car hire compound..

Posted by kbharris OP

01/10/17 02:57 PM

3 posts

Sorry for the Americanism. I couldn't remember the terms. Having driven in England in the past, I know that if I can spend the first hour or so driving on one of the larger, multi-lane roads, it gives the brain a chance to go "oh, ok I remember this". So being able to get quickly and easily to a motorway is another thing I'm looking for in a rental location.